Voters will be deciding more than just who will capture the White House and Congress this Election Day – they’ll also be voting on a slew of state ballot measures that could change your workplace. How can you prepare? Read...more
While many federal and state laws protect employees against harassment, workplace bullying often isn’t covered unless it is based on a protected characteristic, such as race or gender. But that doesn’t mean employers should...more
Businesses in the Sunshine State should start thinking about how a ballot initiative to legalize recreational cannabis could impact their workplace policies and practices. The Florida Supreme Court recently approved the...more
The end of the year is always a good time to assess what measures you can take to ensure compliance with employment laws and strive for a positive work environment at your school. A pay equity audit is one such measure that...more
12/2/2021
/ Audits ,
Colleges ,
Educational Institutions ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) ,
Equal Pay ,
Equal Pay Act ,
Gender-Based Pay Discrimination ,
Pay Discrimination ,
School Districts ,
Teachers ,
Universities ,
Wage and Hour
By an 8-to-1 vote, the U.S. Supreme Court affirmed today that public schools might have an interest in regulating student speech, but the leeway the First Amendment grants to schools is diminished in the off-campus context....more
March is Women’s History month, usually a cause for celebration in the workplace. But this year, unfortunately, most of the news regarding women in the workforce has been COVID-related and negative in nature. Over the last...more
Religious schools expressed relief when the United States Supreme Court expanded the application of the ministerial exception in July 2020 in the combined cases of Our Lady of Guadalupe School v. Morrisey-Berru and St. James...more
12/2/2020
/ Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) ,
Appeals ,
Dismissals ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Discrimination ,
Employment Litigation ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Hostile Environment ,
Ministerial Exception ,
Our Lady of Guadalupe School v Morrissey-Berru ,
Religious Workers ,
Title VII
Florida voters just approved a constitutional amendment that will gradually raise the state minimum wage to $15 per hour in 2026. What does this mean for employers? Here are the top five things you need to know about Monday’s...more
In a major win for transgender rights, the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals recently ruled in favor a transgender teenager who wanted to use the boys’ bathroom at his former school, finding that the school district violated his...more
10/1/2020
/ Appeals ,
Bostock v Clayton County Georgia ,
Equal Protection ,
Fourteenth Amendment ,
Gender Discrimination ,
Gender Identity ,
LGBTQ ,
School Districts ,
School Policies ,
School Restrooms ,
Sex Discrimination ,
Students ,
Title IX ,
Title VII ,
Transgender
Many companies were left struggling to quickly understand and comply with the Families First Coronavirus Response Act when it went into effect earlier this year. As more and more employees continue to request leave under the...more
As an increasing number of employees return to work, employers should be aware that a number of COVID-19-related lawsuits raising FMLA and ADA concerns have already begun to emerge. What do employers need to know in order to...more
The nation’s foremost workplace safety agency has issued industry-specific guidance for a number of businesses in the past few months, and late last week it finally released a document designed to help gig economy companies...more
5/19/2020
/ Best Practices ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Delivery Drivers ,
Freelance Workers ,
Gig Economy ,
Health and Safety ,
Independent Contractors ,
Infectious Diseases ,
New Guidance ,
OSHA ,
Public Health ,
Workplace Safety
Thanks to a landmark move by their school board, students in Fairfax County public schools in Northern Virginia will now be allowed one day off per school year to engage in “civic engagement activities.” This move, which...more
Religious schools should be aware of the ministerial exception, its potential application to certain employment decisions, and the fact that courts across the country may interpret and apply it very differently.
The United...more
A federal court in Jacksonville, Florida recently ruled in favor a transgender teenager who wanted to use the boys’ bathroom at his high school. The July 2018 decision marked the first time that a Florida court has ruled on...more
12/7/2018
/ Civil Rights Act ,
Educational Institutions ,
Gender Discrimination ,
Gender Identity ,
LGBTQ ,
Restroom Legislation ,
School Restrooms ,
Sexual Orientation Discrimination ,
Students ,
Title IX ,
Transgender ,
Trump Administration
As students have started another school year this Fall, conversations often return to teachers’ pay and the disparity between what they are undoubtedly worth and what they actually earn. In fact, Time magazine dedicated a...more
The gig economy is booming and politicians continue to take notice. To that point, Senator Mark Warner (D-Virginia) just introduced legislation designed to tackle tax issues that arise for gig economy workers.
Senator...more
After the February 14 tragedy at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, students began to organize like rarely before to protest gun violence in schools. Protests such as school walk-outs and “die-ins”...more
6/8/2018
/ Colleges ,
Educational Institutions ,
First Amendment ,
Free Speech ,
Handbooks ,
Private Schools ,
Protests ,
Public Schools ,
School Districts ,
Social Media ,
Student Speech ,
Students ,
Universities
In a 7-to-2 decision, the Supreme Court ruled today that a baker’s Free Exercise Clause rights under the Constitution were not properly considered by the Colorado Civil Rights Commission when it held that he was legally...more
6/5/2018
/ Administrative Agencies ,
Anti-Discrimination Policies ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Free Exercise Clause ,
Free Speech ,
LGBTQ ,
Masterpiece Cakeshop Ltd v Colorado Civil Rights Commission ,
Private Sector ,
Religious Discrimination ,
Reversal ,
Same-Sex Marriage ,
SCOTUS
A federal court in Virginia ruled in favor a transgender teenager who wanted to use the boys’ bathroom at his former school, finding that the local school district violated his constitutional rights when it prescribed which...more
5/31/2018
/ Amended Complaints ,
Colleges ,
Department of Education ,
Dismissals ,
Educational Institutions ,
Fourteenth Amendment ,
Gender Identity ,
Injunctions ,
LGBTQ ,
Remand ,
Reversal ,
School Districts ,
School Policies ,
Sex Discrimination ,
Sexual Orientation Discrimination ,
Title IX ,
Transgender ,
Universities
The average internet user may be largely unaware that there are actually different “levels” of the internet. First, there is the surface level of the internet where companies post their webpages, and where employees may...more
4/18/2018
/ Cyber Attacks ,
Cybersecurity ,
Dark Web ,
Data Protection ,
Data Security ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Hackers ,
Information Technology ,
Internet ,
Malware ,
Popular ,
Risk Management
In a move met with near-universal praise, Uber recently announced it will now require drivers take at least six hours of time off for every 12 hours they spend driving. After announcing this decision last month, Uber rolled...more
3/16/2018
/ Drivers ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Policies ,
Gig Economy ,
Independent Contractors ,
Lyft ,
Mobile Apps ,
National Highway Safety Administration ,
Public Safety ,
Rest and Meal Break ,
Uber
The phrase “gig economy” may immediately bring to mind transportation companies and food delivery services, but it has become so much more than that. Many different industries have begun to utilize the gig economy. As we have...more
Attorney General Jeff Sessions issued a one-page memorandum on December 4th, rescinding Obama-era guidance that had allowed states to legalize medical and recreational marijuana with marginal federal interference, eliminating...more
1/8/2018
/ Attorney General ,
Best Practices ,
Cole Memorandum ,
Controlled Substances Act ,
Criminal Prosecution ,
Decriminalization of Marijuana ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Dispensaries ,
Drug Possession ,
Drug Testing ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Policies ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Federal v State Law Application ,
Marijuana ,
Marijuana Related Businesses ,
Medical Marijuana ,
Reasonable Accommodation ,
Rescission ,
State and Local Government ,
Trump Administration ,
Workplace Safety
Medical marijuana first became legal in the U.S. more than 20 years ago when, in 1996, California passed its groundbreaking law. Since then, an increasing number of states have passed their own laws to allow the legal use of...more
12/11/2017
/ Best Practices ,
Colleges ,
Controlled Substances Act ,
Decriminalization of Marijuana ,
Drug Testing ,
Employees ,
Marijuana ,
Medical Marijuana ,
Private Schools ,
Public Schools ,
School Policies ,
Students ,
Universities