DeVries Law Firm - July 2021

DeVries Law Firm - July 2021

www.devrieslegal.com (904) 467-1119

July 2021

The Remote Century: Nothing New About the ‘In Person’ Working Dilemma

A century ago, Americans adapted to a new way of doing business. This resulted from the booming economies in cities. Technology was at the root of this growth, specifically new building technologies that allowed structures to grow larger and taller than ever. Suddenly, more people could live in a single block of space than previously thought possible. As the economy changed, so did the nature of work. If the story of the previous generation had been industrialization with factories, the story of the next generation would be the boom of white-collar workers, especially in Manhattan which became the blueprint for this new American city. Now, oddly enough, the whole situation is happening in reverse today as white-collar workers flee the cities to find cheaper places to live as a result of remote work becoming a daily reality in the wake of COVID-19. Of course something similar did happen in the past: the “white flight” of the 1940s and ’50s. But what made those people desire to live in the suburbs was created in part by the automobile industry and public projects like Eisenhower’s interstate system, which allowed white-collar workers to live outside of cities and still make the commute to work. But it didn’t jeopardize the office as being integral to American life. After all, where were all of those suburbanites commuting to? No, like the office itself, the suburban phenomenon is only now really in jeopardy, in our post-COVID-19 world.

systems, but both of those topics are hot-button political issues (some might say dog whistles!) By contrast, the remote work debate is happening by and large off the political stage — which is probably for the best. On the one side, we have those who believe that white-collar workers are more efficient working in offices together — that, barring another pandemic, the best way for people to work is together . There is some evidence that they’re right since people generally communicate and get along better in person. On the other hand are the folks who argue for embracing new technologies that could prepare us for necessary changes, just as our ancestors did. White-collar workers didn’t exist before office buildings, and that is 100% the result of technological change. Why shouldn’t we change again with new technologies and embrace a new century’s method of doing business? This

side is bolstered by studies on happiness and efficiency — both of which seem to go up when employees are allowed to work from home. You might expect me to throw in my lot with one side or the other, but I won’t do that. As a businessperson, I’m a pragmatist first and foremost. I’ll follow the trend that works best for my employees, and we’ll either join with the national movements or fly in their face.

That’s just the nature of business, after all.

Here’s one parting thought: I do wonder what will happen to the American city, commonly the place of highest real estate value in the nation and the heart of industry, if white-collar workers leave all of those office buildings behind. Something to ponder, no?

The question is this: Does any of this matter?

I would say yes, it does. We’re seeing an important shift in the way Americans do business and think about work. It dovetails with other discussions surrounding minimum wage and single-payer insurance

— Shawn Devries

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How a Joke Became a Multibillion Currency Market

The Origins of Dogecoin

Would you create an actual cryptocurrency to make fun of other cryptocurrencies? That’s exactly what Jackson Palmer and Billy Markus did, and it’s paid off with an over $70 billion currency market. Now, it’s the fourth-largest cryptocurrency in the world. Dogecoin (symbol: Ð) is a cryptocurrency that provides a payment system (like Bitcoin, another digital currency) that is instant, fun, and free from traditional banking fees. Its playful name and Shiba Inu dog mascot caused the currency to start as a meme, but, as people began to actually purchase it, it became worth more and more. Before Dogecoin, Palmer was a product manager at Adobe Inc.’s office in Sydney, Australia. As a “skeptic-analytic” observer of crypto, he joked on Twitter about creating Dogecoin as a way of satirizing the hype for cryptocurrencies. Surprisingly, people were totally on board. So, he bought the domain name Dogecoin.com. That’s when Markus, a software developer at IBM, contacted Palmer. He wanted to create a digital currency but had trouble promoting his project and decided to jump on the Dogecoin buzz. He asked Palmer’s permission to build the software to create an actual Dogecoin.

Most cryptocurrencies are fairly serious and sterile in presentation, but Dogecoin was always different. Palmer and Markus decided to market Dogecoin as the “fun” version of Bitcoin. Since Bitcoin had a limited supply while Dogecoin had an unlimited supply, Dogecoin was also faster and more consumer-friendly for new crypto investors. In 2015, Palmer made his departure from Dogecoin, citing the currency’s “toxic community” as a main reason why he left. Dogecoin also had its financial struggles during the 2018 cryptocurrency crash, but today, it’s grown stronger than ever. As of early May 2021, Dogecoin’s price is up more than 13,000% for the year.

Even though Dogecoin’s origins are humorous, Palmer and Markus’ business decisions were no joke. If you decide to purchase Dogecoin yourself, whether as a joke or for investing, please do your due diligence to understand the risks of cryptocurrency.

3 Business Tricks That Will Improve Your Personal Life

When you’re constantly in the “zone” at work, you’re not always thinking about what’s best for your personal life. While many business owners prioritize balance, what will truly benefit both your home and work life? Check out these three tricks. 1: START YOUR DAY WITH A PLAN. We know what you’re thinking: Writing out your plan is more work than just doing it . The key is to plan whenever you can. If you jot down things you want to accomplish the following day as they come up, all you’ll need to do is spend a few minutes organizing your list the next morning.

processes more efficient and beneficial. For example, you can’t lose weight if you don’t change your diet and exercise.

Adjusting your habits might seem difficult, but there’s actually a straightforward method. According to “Atomic Habits” by James Clear, every new habit has a simple formula behind it: motivation, ability, and prompt. Whether your reminder is an alarm at the same time every day or even another habit (“I’ll exercise before I take my morning shower”), make sure it’s part of any new process you implement. 3: REMEMBER, WORK IS FLEXIBLE — YOUR PERSONAL LIFE ISN’T. Bryan G. Dyson, CEO of The Coca-Cola Company, once told his staff, “Imagine life as a game in which you are juggling some five balls in the air. You name them — work, family, health, friends, and spirit — and you are keeping all of these in the air.” In his metaphor, work is a rubber ball. “If you drop it, it will bounce back. But the other four balls are made of glass. If you drop one of these, they will be irrevocably scuffed, marked, nicked, damaged, or even shattered. They will never be the same.”

Pro Tip: Remember to include time to unwind and relax!

2: DEVELOP NEW AND IMPROVED PROCESSES. While certain activities can’t be replaced with shortcuts (like spending time with family), consider ways to make your current

We hope these tips help you protect the “glass balls” in your life!

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POOR SAFETY MEETS MOLTEN ENAMEL

Nothing Cold About These Refrigerators

If you don’t know what enamel is, you’ve probably seen it around: It’s the colorful, protective coating that covers tiles and all kinds of fancy cookware. But how does it get on to things? For that, you need heat — enough to melt enamel into a workable, molten-hot liquid. It’s dangerous stuff to work with, which means facilities need to provide extensive training, personal protective equipment, and proper maintenance. The Grand Rapids Refrigerator Company of Grand Rapids, Michigan, had not met its duty in any of those three areas when Harry Adams, an employee, was working for them in the early 1900s. The company used enamel to line the inside of its refrigerators in a process that involved introducing molten enamel to water, a hardening reaction that had a high potential for disaster. And disaster struck in November 1906 when, in the course of Adams’ normal duties, the holding tank full of molten enamel exploded while he operated it at close distance — at the instruction of his foreman who was overseeing the operation. It’s a miracle that Adams wasn’t killed, although he lived in severe pain for the rest of his life. His employer attempted to dodge all responsibility, and Adams was forced into the courts to get some kind of justice. As you can imagine, the judicial system took note of the incident and, after examining everything in detail, came to some groundbreaking conclusions, at least for the day. The chief one was that Adams’ injury could not have been foreseen by an average person, because although he had experience, he lacked understanding of the materials he was working with — an understanding that his employer had not provided. Molten enamel has similar properties to lava, and an exploding tank full of the stuff is not a hazard anyone should have to deal with in the workplace. The shockwaves of Adams’ near-fatal injury have reverberated for over a century now and provide valuable precedence when it comes to the duty employers have to their employees, whether that person has experience or not, which is why even today, when we attend ongoing, yearly safety training, we benefit from the hard lessons learned in Adams v. Grand Rapids Refrigerator.

Baron Pierre de Coubertin, the founder of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the modern Olympic Games, saw art competitions as integral to the Olympics. AN OLYMPIC MEDAL — FOR ARTS

At the 1912 Stockholm Games, Coubertin finally secured Olympic fine art competitions. There were categories for architecture, music, painting, sculpture, and literature, but every work had to be inspired by sports. Judges didn’t have to award gold medals if they were disappointed by all the submissions, but in 1912, a gold medal was awarded in every category. As the Olympics exploded into a beloved international event, the fine arts competitions rarely caught people’s attention. There were significant winners, however. John Russell Pope (the architect of the Jefferson Memorial) won a silver in 1932. Other famous participants include Italian sculptor Rembrandt Bugatti, American illustrator Percy Crosby, Irish author Oliver St. John Gogarty, and Dutch painter Isaac Israëls.

The arts competition at the Olympics ended in 1952

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INSIDE THIS ISSUE 644 Cesery Blvd #250 Jacksonville, Florida 32211 (904) 467-1119 www.devrieslegal.com

The Remote Centuryt

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How a Joke Became a Multibillion Currency Market 3 Business Tricks That Will Improve Your Personal Life

An Olympic Medal — For Arts Poor Safety Meets Molten Enamel

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The DUI Debate

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THE DUI DEBATE Strict Measures or Showing Compassion?

In many states, June brings the first taste of summer — and with it, an annual rise in DUI-related arrests and accidents. As you can imagine, there’s much debate as to why this occurs, but more surprisingly, there’s also a debate over the best way to stem the tide, with both state and local governments trying to find a solution to a problem that kills thousands of Americans every year.

For some, the answer is simple: higher penalties, more jail time, and harsh consequences for the offender’s driving record. This is the old-school criminal justice logic. Scare someone badly enough, and they’ll stop doing something. The most recent movement among states in this camp is to lower the definition of intoxication from the common .08 blood alcohol content (BAC) to .05, .02, or even any detectable amount of alcohol at all. On the other side are those preaching compassionate criminal justice reform. These communities are more inclined to take a holistic view of crime and punishment; they recognize that DUIs are often a warning sign for other issues in a person’s life and argue that the penalties can cause someone to become a less productive member of society as opposed to a more upstanding citizen. The thinking goes that if you get

your first DUI and lose your license, then you lose your job. Now you don’t have health insurance, and you need the state to help with unemployment and food stamps. Who is benefiting here? Nobody. The answer may lie in the middle of these two views. Some enlightened communities are pushing for lower limits on BAC but also lower penalties for a DUI — or at least penalties that don’t ruin a person’s life, especially for the first infraction. There is also a correlation between access to Uber or other ride service and lower DUIs. We encourage everyone to not drink and drive this summer — no, not even one drink! We also encourage you to get involved in community efforts to curb DUIs. Smart policymaking makes everyone a little bit safer

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