Your job descriptions may be more important than you think, and what better time to review and update them than the start of the new year? In this blog, we discuss why job descriptions are important and the things to consider...more
Non-compete clauses in employment agreements have been the source of much controversy over the years. Employers want them to protect their human capital and to prevent competitors from stealing their valued employees....more
For employers, figuring out what constitutes an adverse employment action under Title VII may seem elusive. In general, an adverse employment action is an ultimate employment decision that affects job duties, compensation or...more
Do you have pregnant employees, employees returning from parental leave, or employees who have had a child or children in the last two years? Recent updates to two laws may impact accommodations you provide pregnant and...more
The new year is here and brings a number of states with new pay transparency requirements for employers, some of which impact job postings. Proponents believe these laws will level the playing field, allowing all candidates...more
1/12/2023
/ Employees ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Equal Pay ,
Equal Pay Act ,
Job Ads ,
New Legislation ,
Pay Transparency ,
Salary/Wage History ,
State and Local Government ,
State Labor Laws ,
Wage and Hour
Employment attorneys and employers are well aware that noncompete and nonsolicitation agreements have been under continued scrutiny by states across the country. While the laws vary from state to state, generally, restrictive...more
1/6/2023
/ Competition ,
Employees ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
FTC Act ,
Independent Contractors ,
New Legislation ,
Non-Compete Agreements ,
Non-Solicitation Agreements ,
Restrictive Covenants ,
U.S. Treasury
As we barrel into 2023, it is worth a look back at last year. Employment law issues in 2022 were diverse, ranging from federal COVID-19 vaccine mandates (yes, that was last year) to state laws on CBD and diversity and...more
1/4/2023
/ Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) ,
Cannabis Products ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Discrimination ,
Diversity and Inclusion Standards (D&I) ,
Drug Testing ,
Employee Training ,
Employees ,
Employer Mandates ,
Hemp ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Marijuana ,
Stop Woke Act ,
Vaccinations
We can’t pass up the opportunity to encourage you to stay off the naughty list by telling you about this Eighth Circuit case offering guidance on working with your employees who request ADA accommodations. In Joseph Mobley v....more
12/22/2022
/ Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) ,
Disability ,
Disability Discrimination ,
Discrimination ,
Employees ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Litigation ,
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) ,
Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Leave of Absence ,
Reasonable Accommodation ,
Remote Working
On December 13, President Biden signed the Respect for Marriage Act, which passed the Senate and House with bipartisan support. Many see the bill as a reaction to a concurrence in the Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v....more
12/16/2022
/ Bostock v Clayton County Georgia ,
Constitutional Challenges ,
Diversity ,
Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization ,
Employees ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Joe Biden ,
LGBTQ ,
Marriage ,
New Legislation ,
State and Local Government ,
Title VII
If you have or want enforceable non-compete agreements with employees, read on.
Here’s a hypothetical: You are looking to hire a salesperson, and you find just the right person, John. Your company has a great...more
Workplace hair discrimination is a topic that has floated through the media for the past several years. To prohibit discrimination, California has implemented the “Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair (CROWN)...more
This year brought substantial progress in the way of slightly fewer positive COVID-19 cases and/or transmissions and increased vaccinations. Consequently, in the employment world many of you reopened your offices and invited...more
11/23/2022
/ Bureau of Labor Statistics ,
Classification ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Employees ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employer Mandates ,
Employment Discrimination ,
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) ,
Independent Contractors ,
Pay Equity Laws ,
Posting Requirements ,
Safe Harbors ,
State and Local Government ,
Unemployment ,
Vaccinations ,
Wage and Hour
How far does an employer’s judgment about essential functions take you? In Larry Tate v. Thomas Dart, the Seventh Circuit examined an employee’s claim that his employer’s refusal to promote him because it could not...more
Employment lawyers always win war story contests at cocktail parties. Facts like the ones in Davis v. ULP provide ample fodder for those type of conversations.
Performance Problems or Age Discrimination?
The...more
Next week on November 8, voters will head to the polls around the country for our midterm elections for the U.S. House, certain Senate seats, governorships, and other elected offices. And while voters are headed to the polls,...more
A familiar sight behind the scenes at many employers is the mandatory publication that describes employee rights and remedies under various federal statutes. The EEOC has a new version of the poster entitled “Know Your...more
No employer wants to make decisions based on an employee's social media activity. Everyone tells employees to keep their private life private and don't let it affect the job — right?
Originally published by Law360 -...more
If you were just getting comfortable with the DOL’s final rule on employee versus independent contractor status (which took effect on March 8, 2021), there is bad news… or maybe good news. The DOL announced on October 11,...more
In Glacier Northwest, Inc. v. Int’l Brotherhood of Teamsters Local Union 174, the Washington Supreme Court addressed the issue of whether a union is responsible for property damage incident to a strike. How does that issue...more
If you are considering using video cameras or other surveillance in your workplace, state law might have something to say about it. There are many reasons you might want to use video cameras in your workplace – employee...more
Does a plaintiff have to specify not only the facts but also the law that applies? In Bye v. MGM Resorts, Inc., the Fifth Circuit looks at a common pleading issue: What do you do when a plaintiff pleads facts that may or may...more
In a post-pandemic world, work-from-home and hybrid work arrangements have become the norm in many industries. While employers and employees have become adept at hosting Zoom and Teams meetings, this significant uptick in...more
Can a social media firestorm be the basis for an employment decision? Although it may seem like a lifetime ago, in the spring of 2020, the internet’s attention turned to a viral video of a white woman in Central Park who...more
A ruling of the National Labor Relations Board in favor of an employee fired for using vulgar language on a company bulletin board was affirmed in August by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia...more
9/22/2022
/ Adverse Employment Action ,
Discipline ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Litigation ,
Employment Policies ,
Hiring & Firing ,
NLRA ,
NLRB ,
Offensive Language ,
Over-Time ,
Protected Concerted Activity ,
Protests ,
Remand ,
Unfair Labor Practices ,
Unions
Last Tuesday, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) published an anticipated Proposed Rule on joint employer status. The Proposed Rule, which is designed to apply for all purposes under the National Labor Relations Act...more