Devoted to Corporate Attorneys, Corporate Lawyers, and Corporate Counsel

Thanksgiving has become a business and cultural phenomenon in the United States.  With business, there is always legal risk. 

Many people travel during the holiday.  Some by car, with gas prices close to $4/gallon these days.  However, what may be a simple trip may be being stranded in the woods or in an area where no one can get to for days.  Think of what happened to the employee who worked at CNET last year who died in Oregon.  What are the legal risks involved when people are not found or when people are not found in time?  Should it be the assumption of the risks when people drive in inclement weather?  Why should people be blamed for not finding people who make the wrong turns?

It seems that stores are preparing for Black Friday, the Friday after Thanksgiving when tons of shopping occurs.   People may already hear of the commercials on Target being opened for two day sales beginning Friday at 6 am.  What is there really to buy at Target to make people want to get there at 6 am?

What are the HR issues?  It seems that some companies want to force people to take vacations during this time of year with shutdowns, but what happens if the person does not have enough vacation hours?  Is he/she able to file for unemployment for the forced time off?  What if people got a second job working at nights in stores during the holidays?  How will having a second job affect productivity?