National Labor Relations Board v. Special Touch Home Care Services, Inc.

**Special Touch Home Care Services Case Summary** This case involved 48 home health care workers who walked off their jobs without giving notice to their employer, Special Touch Home Care Services. The workers were protesting their working conditions, but they didn't tell the company they wouldn't be showing up for their shifts. The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) argued that the workers were protected because they were engaging in collective action about workplace issues. The court sided with the employer and against the NLRB. The Second Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the workers' actions were not protected because they created a serious risk of harm to vulnerable patients who depended on their care. The court found that by not showing up without notice, the workers put patients in immediate danger, which made their protest actions unprotected under labor law. This ruling matters for workers because it shows that even when employees are organizing or protesting workplace conditions, they can lose legal protection if their actions could endanger others. Healthcare workers and others in safety-sensitive jobs need to be especially careful about how they conduct workplace protests to ensure they maintain legal protection while keeping vulnerable people safe.