Sustainable Food Summit: Day Two

All of the speakers who presented during the second day of the Sustainable Foods Summit emphasized the need for transparency in sustainability communications. Today I attended the second day of Organic Monitor’s two day Sustainable Foods Summit. Here are some highlights from the  late morning sessions (those after 10:00 am) on Day Two . . . Ellen Feeney, VP…

Sustainable Food Summit: Day One

Although the Sustainable Foods Summit focuses on the food industry, the lessons shared by the presenters this morning apply to all social enterprises, regardless of industry. Today I attended the first day of Organic Monitor’s two day Sustainable Foods Summit. Here are the highlights from the morning sessions on Day One . . . The first speaker was…

The Federal Government Moves Toward Increasing Privacy Online

The tides of online privacy are changing quickly.  Businesses may be collecting more information than they need and sometimes sharing it without the informed consent of consumers.  The federal government intends to curb this by modifying current protection for consumers, offering more precise guidelines for businesses, and creating greater transparency in consumer-business relations. Online privacy…

FTC Releases Privacy Report

The Federal Trade Commission issued a preliminary report that proposes a framework to balance the privacy interests of consumers wtih innovation that relies on consumer information to develop new products and services. On December 1, 2010, the Federal Trade Commission issued a Privacy Report entitled “Protecting Consumer Privacy in an Era of Rapid Change” that…

Employee Emails From Company Computers Are Not Privileged

A California appellate court in Holmes v. Petrovich ruled that an employee’s emails sent to her attorney did not constitute “confidential communications between client and lawyer” when sent on a company computer.   A clear and comprehensive computer policy is an essential component of any employee handbook.  Indeed, on January 13, 2011, a California appellate court in Homes…

New Supreme Court Decision Allows Third Party Title VII Retaliation Claims

The recent United States Supreme Court decision in Thompson v. North American Stainless expands Title VII by recognizing third-party retaliation claims on behalf of people who did not themselves in engage in protected activity. The recent United States Supreme Court decision in Thompson v. North American Stainless held that an employee claiming he was terminated because his fiancée filed a discrimination…

Uncertainty in Employer Social Media Policies

The NLRB created significant uncertainty regarding the appropriate scope of social media policies when it filed a complaint that alleges a company violated the National Labor Relations Act by terminating an employee for posting negative commernts about her supervisor on the employee’s personal Facebook page. A case that labor law experts predicted would set important precedent regarding employer policies that…