Reading around: Employment and business law blogs

A caution: these blogs interest me because they the qualities of good information being well-written and not because they have anything directly to say about Indiana law. I make this caution for the non-lawyers reading this blog who might not understand why a blog written by an attorney practicing in the State of Washington (such as Jill Pugh who runs two of the blogs below) does not mean much in Indiana. State law still controls a large swath of employment law and each state has its own local variations. Even with federal law, differences exist between the different federal circuit courts of appeal.

For example, Ms. Pugh's Employee Handbooks Blog does have several posts that are useful outside of Washington. The post FLSA Online Overtime Calculator has utility because the federal regulations apply nationally and the overtime calculator does not necessarily require a judge's interpretation. While the post When You Have to Fire An Employee - 10 Things to Keep In Mind has really good ideas, I must point out that Indiana law also says what cannot be withheld from an employee's paycheck. It is a lawyer thing, see? The point made by in the post still applies. Then there is,Handling Employee Personal Data, which deals with applying a specific Washington statute. However, this does give me an idea for a post of my own.

As I read her Employment Law Blog, I see as providing more general information for both employers and employees. I must admit to some muddling of the employment law part of my practice since leaving my in-house counsel job. Employment law for me has been employer oriented and that has had to change a bit. I think small businesses need access to counsel for employment issues but I am finding few in the area interested in my overtures to provide these services. If I do not scale down employment law as part of my practice, I find Ms. Pugh's blog has some inspirational ideas for this blog.

Taking a far broader scope than this blog is West Virginia Business Litigation. My aim here was to stay closer to home with more specifically Indiana focus. I am finding myself with plenty to write about, so much that posts planned have been postponed, and I find myself envious of this blog.