In the field of economic development, the new watchword has become “sustainability” in all of its many manifestations. Even so, most mainstream economists — and their attendant economic models — fail to appreciate the bigger picture of what really makes an economy thrive for the long term. In the...
The DOL’s Proposed Rule: Broadening Workers’ Classification as Independent Contractors in the Oil and Gas Industry
Introduction
Independent contractors have long been a mainstay in the oil and gas industry. Given the ebbs and flows of the industry, contractors allow for much-needed flexibility. But, using contractors can sometimes create risk, particularly...
Moving product can be a difficult feat. Large, long or awkward loads can present further challenges for companies. For many reasons, the safety and efficiency of transporting products should be of major concern for companies in a variety of industries. I had the pleasure of learning about a company...
On September 9, 2021, the en banc Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals released its decision in the case of Hewitt v. Helix Energy Solutions Group, Inc., in which it considered whether an employee paid a day rate satisfies the “salary basis” requirement for certain overtime exemptions from the federal...
We’ve all been inundated with talk about healthcare reform for the past weeks, months and years. We are all too familiar with key concepts and buzzwords like pre-existing conditions, coverage under your parent’s plan and Medicaid expansion. While Congress is off on vacation, I wonder if maybe we could...
For many, selecting the right career path can be a daunting task with happiness and self-contentment being difficult to obtain. Some are never fortunate enough to achieve this feat, and others seem to encounter this revelation when and where they least expect it. This would be the route Jenny...
Last month, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) provided welcome clarity to employers continuing to navigate COVID-19-related employment challenges. See U.S. Equal Opportunity Employment Commission, “What You Should Know About COVID-19 and the ADA, the Rehabilitation Act, and Other EEO Laws,” updated on May 28, 2021.
Mandatory COVID-19 Vaccination Policies
One...
For parents and caregivers striving for children to get a great education, these are challenging times. Continuously weighing the health risks of in-person learning against the balancing act of distance learning is a daunting task. Throw in the likelihood of learning loss from COVID slide and queue the pounding...
Believe it or not, recessions in the developed world are rarely caused by shortages. By definition then, it follows that relative overproduction is the key culprit. Perhaps ironically, this problem is not limited to capitalist economies.
Industrial economies of many forms have tended to overproduce — whether they be capitalist,...
Oil and Gas & COVID-19 Hit Hard
With the onset of COVID-19 and the resulting general-economic shutdown that is affecting much of the country, it is a challenging time to stay in business. But, the oil and gas industry has been hit particularly hard. In order to survive, oil and...
