Columnist

Linda L. Holstein

Linda L. Holstein is a writer, trial lawyer, and veteran employment law attorney based in Minneapolis and Chicago.

Linda L. Holstein is a writer, trial lawyer, and veteran employment law attorney based in Minneapolis and Chicago. Holstein also mediates employment and business law disputes (holsteinmediation.com)

Author’s archive

Corporate Jargon Kills Communication

Corporate Jargon Kills Communication

Imagine a small conference room with two executive managers seated at the table and a third on Zoom, waiting for the start of their Monday-morning meeting. A fourth executive, Nicholas,
How to Manage Tech Overload

How to Manage Tech Overload

Gloria Mark, a professor in the informatics department at the University of California, Irvine, has studied the interplay of stress, mood, and computer use for more than 20 years. She
Is It Ever Wrong to Use an Emoji?

Is It Ever Wrong to Use an Emoji?

When U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth recently texted his national security colleagues about upcoming war plans for military strikes against terrorists in Yemen, he obviously was unaware that Jeffrey Goldberg,
Saving a Chronically Unhappy Coworker

Saving a Chronically Unhappy Coworker

For 40 years, I have advised executives on legal issues surrounding employee discipline and termination. As part of my job, I listen to beleaguered supervisors confess their frustration over what
What Makes a Good Manager?

What Makes a Good Manager?

Bentonville, Arkansas, a once-quaint rural community in the Ozark Mountains, is home to 60,000 residents. Bentonville also happens to be the corporate headquarters of Walmart, the largest private employer in
The Price of Working Remotely

The Price of Working Remotely

Twenty-two million Americans ages 18 and older were exclusively working from home at the mid-point of this year. “Fully remote,” a phrase touted with great flourish on Indeed and LinkedIn
To Text or Not to Text

To Text or Not to Text

Texting anxiety. That’s the phrase for a malady defined as the “fear of sending or receiving text messages.” According to choosingtherapy.com, a find-a-therapist website, as many as one out of
Help for the Overweight Worker

Help for the Overweight Worker

Social scientists have long recognized the workplace phenomena known as the “obesity penalty,” where overweight and obese employees earn less than non-obese individuals doing the same job. Despite significant cultural
Drawing Battle Lines Over Noncompetes

Drawing Battle Lines Over Noncompetes

Noncompete agreements, in Minnesota and elsewhere, historically have provided employers a way to protect trade secrets and proprietary information. But in a wave of both state and federal government pressure,