Ryan Krone

Ryan Krone defends businesses in all aspects of labor and employment matters, including wrongful terminations, breach of contract matters, discrimination and harassment claims, ADA cases, FMLA cases, wage and hour cases, as well as government agency audits. Ryan also has experience litigating labor and employment-related matters in state and federal courts. Ryan’s practice also focuses on employment counseling, trade secret and non-compete claims, and injunctive proceedings. He has extensive experience counseling employers on issues related to federal and state labor and employment statutes and laws. Additionally, Ryan has experience drafting agreements pertaining to severance, arbitration, and employee handbooks and policies.

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Will Section 10(j) Injunction Petitions By the NLRB Melt Away or Just Cool Down Since SCOTUS Served Starbucks a Win This Summer?

By Ryan Krone on Posted in Labor Relations
The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB or Board) has been using a caffeinated approach to challenge employers in unfair labor practice disputes, with Section 10(j) injunction petitions at the top of the menu, often resulting in drastic relief imposed by a court, such as reinstatement of terminated employees to maintain the “status quo,” while the … Continue Reading

Back to the Future: Employers Must Buckle Up for a Return to the NLRB’s New (Old) Standard for Workplace Rules

By Ryan Krone on Posted in Employee Handbooks & Policies, Labor Relations
Employers, whether they have unionized employees or not, must navigate the aftermath of another change in the ever-evolving landscape of labor law. A recent National Labor Relations Board (NLRB or Board) decision has sent ripples through the realm of employer workplace rules. The decision has prompted all employers, both unionized and union-free, to revisit and … Continue Reading

Child Labor Law Violations On the Rise – What Should Employers Do?

By Ryan Krone on Posted in Employment Counseling & Workplace Claims Prevention
Anyone who has been watching the news lately has probably noticed a recent uptick in stories about child labor. What is causing this increased attention? The Department of Labor’s (DOL) increased focus on child labor is probably a significant factor; the DOL has identified as one of its key efforts “hold[ing] all employers accountable” to … Continue Reading

Employers Beware: The NLRB Limits Severance Agreements

By Ryan Krone on Posted in Employee Handbooks & Policies, Employment Counseling & Workplace Claims Prevention, Labor Relations
The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB or Board) is making waves yet again. This time the NLRB has held that certain confidentiality and non-disparagement clauses in severance agreements violate Section 7 rights under the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA or Act), which is another significant step in the NLRB’s continued push to expand the protections … Continue Reading

Surprise Surprise, the NLRB Continues Expanding Employee Protections

By Ryan Krone on Posted in Employment Counseling & Workplace Claims Prevention, Labor Relations, Privacy
Imagine this: a nurse leaves the operating room during spinal surgery to participate in a union action, the employer terminates the nurse, and the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) holds that the employer violated federal labor law by terminating the nurse. That is exactly what happened to a New York hospital recently when the Board … Continue Reading

Profanity or Protected Speech?

By Ryan Krone on Posted in Labor Relations
Imagine this, an employee writes profanity (“whore board”) on a company bulletin board, the employer terminates the employee for the profanity, and the National Labor Relations Board (“NLRB”) holds that the employee’s profanity is speech protected by the National Labor Relations Act (“Act”). That is exactly what happened to an aluminum products maker a few … Continue Reading

The NLRB is Actively Using the Strongest Weapon in its Arsenal – Quick Injunctions

By Ryan Krone on Posted in Employment Counseling & Workplace Claims Prevention, Labor Relations
Last year we warned that the NLRB pendulum was swinging pro-union, but even we could not have predicted just how swiftly the pendulum swing would happen. In the past year alone, General Counsel Jennifer Abruzzo of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) has continued to forcibly push the pro-union agenda by revealing the NLRB’s intent … Continue Reading

The Biden Administration Takes Aim at Increasing Worker Empowerment

By Ryan Krone on Posted in Employment Counseling & Workplace Claims Prevention, Labor Relations
When President Biden took office in 2021, he vowed to be the “most pro-union president” this country has ever seen. Although President Biden was unable to deliver some key worker legislation during his first year in office, President Biden is upping the ante to fulfill his promise of a pro-union presidency. President Biden’s newly created … Continue Reading

The Ramifications of College Athletes Being “Employees”

By Ryan Krone on Posted in Employment & Consulting Contracts, Employment Counseling & Workplace Claims Prevention, Employment Litigation
Consider this: the General Counsel of the National Labor Relations Board has opined that some student-athletes at the collegiate level are “employees” for purposes of the right to engage in protected concerted activity, and the U.S. Supreme Court has found that student athletes are entitled to certain compensation. So, if student athletes have new rights … Continue Reading

Texas Expands Employer Liability for Sexual Harassment

By Ryan Krone, Cary Farris and John Linker on Posted in Employee Handbooks & Policies, Employment Counseling & Workplace Claims Prevention, Employment Discrimination Harassment & Retaliation, Uncategorized
Texas employers of ALL sizes should be aware that Texas has significantly expanded employee protection for sexual harassment claims with two new bills signed into law by Governor Abbott. The first opens the door for Texas employers of all sizes to be liable for sexual harassment. The second extends the statute of limitations for sexual … Continue Reading

Family and Medical Leave: What’s New and What’s Not

By Ryan Krone on Posted in Employment Counseling & Workplace Claims Prevention, Medical & Other Leaves, Wage & Hour
Last month, President Biden rolled out “the American Families Plan,” a proposal that would phase in paid family and medical leave for employees with certain medical and family obligations. The proposal would cost around $225 billion over 10 years, which, according to the White House, would be paid mostly by upping taxes on the wealthy. … Continue Reading

Non-Union Employers Beware: The NLRB Pendulum is Pushed Pro-Union

By Ryan Krone on Posted in Employment Counseling & Workplace Claims Prevention, Labor Relations
Employers that want to maintain non-union status must be aware of the significant and rapid shift of the NLRB toward pro-union positions. Everyone expected the NLRB pendulum to swing pro-union, but few observers expected the pendulum to be immediately and forcibly pushed as it has been. First was the prompt and unprecedented ousting of the … Continue Reading
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