Employers have typically tried to restrict what their employees say online about work place issues, especially if their comments are negative. But according to some recent rulings by the National Labor Relations Board, many companies' social media policies are illegal. Steven Greenhouse has been reporting on all of this for our partner, The New York Times.

May is the start of college graduation season, when the nation’s bright and ambitious college seniors step out into the workforce — or hope to. But last week’s job numbers show job growth is still weak, and many soon-to-be college grads may find themselves dealing with bleak prospects for the time being. Aaron Smith, co-founder and executive director of Young Invincibles, is on the last stop of a 21-state bus tour holding roundtable discussions with young people to brainstorm solutions to youth unemployment.

 

The Postal Service may have to shut down completely by this winter, unless Congress takes action to help it make a $5.5 billion payment due this month. The postmaster general, Patrick R. Donahoe, told The New York Times yesterday "If Congress doesn’t act, we will default." Donahoe has advocated cost-cutting measures, such as closing nearly 4,000 post office locations, laying off 120,000 workers, and eliminating Saturday mail delivery. 

Forty-four states and Washington, D.C. anticipate budget shortfalls of over $125 million by the end of fiscal year 2011, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. Many state policymakers are blaming their budget crises on public sector employees, citing expensive pension plans. Crushing state debt has caused some federal lawmakers to consider a legislative remedy: allowing states to file for bankruptcy. But will declaring bankruptcy really solve states' pension woes? How will unions react? What other remedies exist for debt-ridden states?

An employee at Connecticut company American Medical Response criticized her boss on Facebook off the clock, and was later fired. It's surely not the first time an employee may have been disciplined or terminated for their status updates on social media, but it is the first time the National Labor Relations Board has stepped into a case like it. The NLRB is saying American Medical Response fired the employee illegally. New York Times labor and workplace reporter Steven Greenhouse joins us for more on the story. 

 

In 2009, workplace discrimination against Muslims rose 20 percent to a record 803 claims, according to federal data cited in the New York Times.

A new report by the Government Accountability Office says many employers and workers aren't reporting injuries that happen on the job. The report calls into question data from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, which is responsible for compiling numbers on workplace injuries. New York Times labor and workplace reporter Steven Greenhouse tells us why these injures are going unreported. Greenhouse is also the author of "The Big Squeeze: Tough Times for the American Worker."

Letting the Big Three fail could have catastrophic consequences.