The NLRB rang in the New Year by examining what constitutes an impression of unlawful surveillance. In Dignity Health d/b/a Mercy Gilbert Medical Center, 370 NLRB No. 67 (January 6, 2021), the Board reaffirmed helpful...more
In adopting the ALJ’s Recommended Order in S&S Enterprises, LLC d/b/a Appalachian Heating, Case No. 09-CA-235304, the NLRB found that a leaflet distributed by the employer during union organizing efforts, which stated that it...more
12/28/2020
/ Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) ,
Anti-Harassment Policies ,
Employment Policies ,
Federal Labor Laws ,
Labor Relations ,
NLRA ,
NLRB ,
Protected Concerted Activity ,
Section 7 ,
Unfair Labor Practices ,
Union Leaflets ,
Union Organizers ,
Unions
When an employee is disciplined and then claims the employer acted on account of union animus in violation of Section 8(a)(3) of the Act, evidence to support such a claim either can be proffered through direct evidence, such...more
12/16/2020
/ Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) ,
Adverse Employment Action ,
Charging Party ,
Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBA) ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Policies ,
Failure to Investigate ,
NLRB ,
NLRB General Counsel ,
Protected Concerted Activity ,
Unions ,
Wright Line Test
As we have often discussed, there is a fine line between protected and unprotected activity. Profane outbursts, deliberate misconduct, or highly-disruptive strikes may fall outside the protection of the NLRA, subjecting...more
12/15/2020
/ Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) ,
Adverse Employment Action ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Litigation ,
Employment Policies ,
Hiring & Firing ,
NLRA ,
NLRB ,
Offensive Language ,
Protected Concerted Activity
On November 24, 2020, the Board held that a high-level executive’s tweet violated Section 8(a)(1) of the NLRA by interfering with or restraining employees’ protected, concerted activity....more
In an Advice Memorandum released Thursday, the NLRB’s Division of Advice concluded that employees who discussed an employer’s tip-pooling practices engaged in protected concerted activity, such that discharging the employees...more
The pandemic has thrown a number of obstacles at employers and employees as everyone attempts to navigate a novel situation. On August 13, 2020, the National Labor Relations Board (“NLRB”) Division of Advice (“Advice”), the...more
8/18/2020
/ CARES Act ,
Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBA) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Duty to Bargain ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Layoffs ,
NLRA ,
NLRB ,
Popular ,
Protected Concerted Activity ,
Section 7 ,
Unfair Labor Practices ,
Unions ,
Workplace Safety
In another long-anticipated decision, on July 21, 2020, in General Motors LLC, 369 NLRB No. 127 (2020), the Board replaced three context-specific rules for determining whether certain abusive conduct committed by employees is...more
7/23/2020
/ Anti-Discrimination Policies ,
Civil Rights Act ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Policies ,
NLRA ,
NLRB ,
NLRB General Counsel ,
Preponderance of the Evidence ,
Profanity ,
Protected Concerted Activity ,
Retroactive Application ,
Section 7 ,
Title VII ,
Totality of Circumstances Test
On July 15, 2020, the National Labor Relations Board’s (“NLRB”) Division of Advice published 16 Advice Memoranda addressing myriad questions posed by various Regional Offices.
While a majority of the Memoranda were drafted...more
7/22/2020
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Employee Handbooks ,
Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Infectious Diseases ,
NLRA ,
NLRB ,
NLRB General Counsel ,
Policy Memorandums ,
Protected Concerted Activity ,
Regulatory Standards ,
Section 7 ,
Unfair Labor Practices
As we previously suggested, the NLRB’s adoption of the Boeing standard for determining the lawfulness of employer’s workplace rules, policies and handbook provisions has provided significant fodder for interesting cases....more
6/1/2020
/ Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) ,
Boeing ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employee Handbooks ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Policies ,
Infectious Diseases ,
NLRA ,
NLRB ,
Protected Concerted Activity ,
Section 7
In the past, we frequently have discussed protected activity and how an employee’s profane outburst or deliberate conduct may render otherwise protected activity, “unprotected.” However, as this recently issued decision...more
When it comes to an unfair practice allegation asserting an employer’s statement is unlawful, words matter. And, so does context. Under NLRB case law, the actual employer statements are evaluated as well as the overall...more
3/6/2020
/ Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Employee Rights ,
Employee Training ,
Interrogations ,
NLRA ,
NLRB ,
Protected Concerted Activity ,
Section 7 ,
Temporary Employees ,
Unfair Labor Practices
Applying the facially neutral work rule test laid out in Boeing, the Board recently reversed an Administrative Law Judge decision, concluding that the employer maintained lawful workplace rules restricting employee use of (i)...more
2/24/2020
/ Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) ,
Boeing ,
Confidentiality Agreements ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Employee Handbooks ,
Employee Rights ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Policies ,
NLRB ,
Protected Concerted Activity ,
Purple Communications ,
Section 7 ,
Workplace Safety
On August 14, 2019, the NLRB issued its first decision addressing employer conduct related to mandatory arbitration agreements and Section 7 activity since the Supreme Court decided Epic Systems Corp v. Lewis, 584 U.S. __,...more
8/16/2019
/ Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) ,
Arbitration Agreements ,
Collective Actions ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Employment Contract ,
Epic Systems Corp v Lewis ,
Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) ,
Federal Arbitration Act ,
Mandatory Arbitration Clauses ,
NLRA ,
NLRB ,
Protected Concerted Activity ,
SCOTUS ,
Section 7 ,
Wage and Hour
The right of employees to band together for purposes of bringing grievances to their employer is at the very core of the National Labor Relations Act, as embodied in Section 7. This right is called protected concerted...more
Last year about this time, the NLRB changed the standard for reviewing handbook rules. The new standard takes into consideration the fact there are many other interests other than the NLRA at play in a workplace, and seems to...more
12/24/2018
/ Data Retention ,
Duty to Preserve ,
Employee Handbooks ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Litigation ,
Litigation Hold ,
NLRB ,
Policy Memorandums ,
Protected Concerted Activity ,
Regulatory Oversight ,
Section 7 ,
Unions ,
Wage and Hour
As we hurtle toward Labor Day, and the probable onslaught of decisions, and as NLRB Member Pearce’s tenure ends on August 27, the Board has been issuing a steady stream of cases. Many of these appear to be garden variety type...more
8/28/2018
/ Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) ,
Coercion ,
Collective Bargaining ,
Constructive Discharge ,
Employee Transfers ,
Hiring & Firing ,
NLRB ,
Performance Reviews ,
Protected Concerted Activity ,
Section 7 ,
Unfair Labor Practices ,
Unions
The Board is now operating at a full complement and is issuing decisions on a fairly regular basis. Nothing earth shattering in terms of law (which is kind of a relief) but there are some interesting issues worth discussing....more
5/10/2018
/ Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) ,
Burden-Shifting ,
Contract Negotiations ,
Employee Misconduct ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Discrimination ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Internal Investigations ,
NLRB ,
Property Damage ,
Protected Concerted Activity ,
Right to Picket ,
Strike ,
Unions
The past few weeks on the Labor Board front have been fairly routine, save for, of course, the high drama associated with the NLRB reversing its own decision (lest anyone think this is a super significant development,...more
We have noted many times over the years how the NLRB’s zeal to review employer policies, or more correctly, fragments of employer policies, for lawfulness has led to nettlesome issues that rarely, if ever, involve actual...more
The last few decisions issued by the NLRB have addressed a wide spectrum of rather unique situations. Just in the last several days we saw decisions involving a combative registered nurse and a human resources representative...more
6/3/2017
/ Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) ,
Damages ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Misappropriation ,
NLRA ,
NLRB ,
Protected Concerted Activity ,
Public Policy ,
Section 7 ,
Settlement Agreements ,
Trade Secrets ,
Unfair Labor Practices ,
Unions ,
Wrongful Termination
One of the most interesting things about labor relations is the unusual situations human resources professionals have to deal with on a day to day basis. If you are at a cocktail party with a human resources professional, ask...more
The NLRB recently issued a rare decision completely dismissing all allegations against an employer; rarer still because it was unanimous. In Brooke Glen Behavioral Hospital, 365 NLRB No. 79 (May 15, 2017) the NLRB was...more
5/23/2017
/ Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) ,
Collective Bargaining ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Health Care Providers ,
Hiring & Firing ,
NLRB ,
Nurses ,
Protected Activity ,
Protected Concerted Activity ,
Teamsters ,
Unfair Labor Practices ,
Unions
In a 2-1 ruling in DirecTV Inc. v. National Labor Relations Board, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit affirmed the NLRB’s ruling that DirecTV must reinstate technicians who were terminated for complaining about a...more
9/23/2016
/ Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) ,
Corporate Counsel ,
DirectTV ,
Grievance Process ,
NLRA ,
NLRB ,
Protected Concerted Activity ,
Satellites ,
Television Service Providers ,
Unfair Labor Practices ,
Wage and Hour
The onset of Labor Day and the end of the NLRB fiscal year (September 30) one can count on seeing a number of decisions issued. This year is no different, and perhaps more are being issued during these last few days because...more
9/2/2016
/ Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) ,
Canning v NLRB ,
Chipotle Grill ,
Collective Bargaining ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Electronic Communications ,
Employees ,
NLRA ,
NLRB ,
Protected Concerted Activity ,
Social Media ,
Twitter ,
Unions