As his term as EEOC Commissioner ended at the end of August 2024, (former) EEOC Commissioner Keith Sonderling joined the podcast one last time to discuss a wide range of important employment issues, including court deference...more
In this second part of a two-part series, Michael Schmidt discusses the FTC's new ban on non-competes from yesterday, the DOL's new overtime exemption rule from yesterday, and OSHA's recently-released "walkaround rule." Hear...more
In this first part of a two-part series, Michael Schmidt of Cozen O'Connor discusses significant recent employment law developments coming out of the primary federal agencies: The U.S. Department of Labor, the EEOC, the FTC,...more
In today's new episode, Michael Schmidt interviews high-level officials from the United States Department of Labor (Solicitor of Labor Seema Nanda), the United States EEOC (Commissioner Andrea Lucas), and the NLRB (General...more
In today's episode, Michael Schmidt discusses the danger in managing to The Peter Principle, and the Top 5 issues every employer should consider including in manager training....more
In today's special episode, Michael Schmidt again brings back his inaugural guest from February 1, 2017 (Howard Schweitzer, Cozen O'Connor) to talk about the state of politics and the impact on employers, as well as some...more
In this second of two parts to start the new year, Michael Schmidt, vice chair of Cozen O'Connor's Labor & Employment Department, addresses the ten issues that employers should be thinking about in 2023....more
Today's new episode discusses what you may have missed during the Summer of 2022, including COVID-19 and Monkeypox updates, unlawful dress codes, an ADA first, and brand new guidance from the EEOC and DOL....more
In today's episode, Michael Schmidt is joined by Dan Pascale, Executive Vice President of Margolis Healy and Associates, to discuss how employers should be addressing today's threats and acts of violence in the workplace....more
As we approach the unofficial start to Summer 2022, today's new episode addresses the 10 issues that should be on the radar of all employers....more
5/31/2022
/ Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) ,
Arbitration Agreements ,
Caregivers ,
Civil Service Reform Act ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Disability Discrimination ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employer Mandates ,
Employment Discrimination ,
Employment Litigation ,
Employment Policies ,
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) ,
Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) ,
Federal Employees ,
Federal Labor Laws ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Job Ads ,
Over-Time ,
Paid Leave ,
Pay Transparency ,
Reasonable Accommodation ,
Religious Accommodation ,
Religious Discrimination ,
State Labor Laws ,
Title VII ,
Vaccinations ,
Wage and Hour
In today's episode, Michael Schmidt addresses one of the biggest challenges employers have faced with mandatory vaccine policies: religious-based accommodation requests. First, Mike summarizes the EEOC's latest update from...more
On today's episode (the 100th!), Michael Schmidt talks about the latest developments with COVID-19 vaccines and mandatory vaccine policies, and is joined by his Cozen O'Connor colleague John Carrigan to discuss what...more
In today's new episode, Michael Schmidt discusses big new developments: updates on mandatory vaccine and mask policies, new action to ban non-competes, a big free speech decision, New York regulatory updates, and a proposed...more
Right at the start of the Memorial Day weekend, the EEOC issued new guidance on Covid-19 vaccine policies and incentive programs. Today's episode breaks down the Commission's answers to key questions and what it all means for...more
In today's new episode, Michael Schmidt talks about social media and schools (and what that means for employers generally), spousal claims against employers for getting COVID-19 at home, the withdrawal of the independent...more
5/17/2021
/ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Litigation ,
Employment Policies ,
First Amendment ,
Free Speech ,
Health and Safety ,
Independent Contractors ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Labor Regulations ,
Masks ,
Misclassification ,
New Guidance ,
Preemption ,
Public Schools ,
School Policies ,
Sick Employees ,
Social Media Policy ,
Spouses ,
Students ,
Vaccinations ,
Workplace Safety
The past several weeks have seen significant action from the major federal agencies involved with employment law: EEOC, NLRB, DOL, and OSHA. In today's new episode, Mike Schmidt will highlight the direction these agencies...more
4/20/2021
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Employee Handbooks ,
Employee Incentive Plans ,
Employee Rights ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Policies ,
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) ,
NLRA ,
NLRB ,
OSHA ,
Protected Concerted Activity ,
Vaccinations ,
Workplace Safety
In this first new episode of the year, Mike Schmidt address the 21 employment law issues that employers should watch in 2021....more
In today’s episode, Michael Schmidt is joined by his Cozen O’Connor colleagues, David Barron and Howard Schweitzer, to discuss the latest political and employment law implications of employers requiring employees to get the...more
In today’s new episode, Michael Schmidt is joined by a panel of five partners in Cozen O’Connor’s Labor and Employment Department to discuss the likely impact of a President Biden administration on key labor and employment...more
11/16/2020
/ Biden Administration ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Diversity ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Discrimination ,
Employment Litigation ,
Employment Policies ,
Federal Contractors ,
Federal Labor Laws ,
Gig Economy ,
Health and Safety ,
Independent Contractors ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Labor Regulations ,
Misclassification ,
Relief Measures ,
Reverse Discrimination ,
Vaccinations ,
Wage and Hour ,
Workplace Safety
In this episode, Mike Schmidt discusses why employers should create complaint policies and procedures for wage and hour issues, and not just for harassment, discrimination, and retaliation concerns.
...more
This is Part 2 of Mike Schmidt's 2-part episode pitting employee/plaintiff-side lawyer Hope Pordy, Esq. against employer/defendant-side lawyer Jeremy Glenn, Esq. to finish debating some interesting HR topics....more
4/17/2020
/ At-Will Employment ,
Code of Conduct ,
Confidential Information ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Policies ,
Exempt-Employees ,
First Amendment ,
Hiring & Firing ,
NLRA ,
Protected Concerted Activity ,
Social Media ,
Unions ,
Work Life Balance ,
Workplace Communication
In Part 2 of 2 of this Employment Law Now episode, Mike Schmidt rebroadcasts the audio of Cozen O'Connor's 90-minute webinar in its entirety, entitled "Coronavirus and the Workplace." The discussion addresses the current...more
Podcast host Michael Schmidt is joined by Dan Johns, a partner in Cozen O'Connor's Labor and Employment Department, to talk about 3 significant NLRB decisions affecting all employers in the areas of (1) employee use of...more
2/13/2020
/ Confidentiality Policies ,
Electronic Communications ,
Email ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Policies ,
NLRA ,
NLRB ,
Union Dues ,
Union Organizers ,
Unions ,
Workplace Investigations
In this first new episode of 2020 (Season 4), we look at the 15 hot topics your company should have on your list to think about....more
1/10/2020
/ #MeToo ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employee Rights ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Contract ,
Employment Discrimination ,
Employment Litigation ,
Employment Policies ,
Federal Labor Laws ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Human Resources Professionals ,
Independent Contractors ,
Labor Regulations ,
Labor Relations ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Local Ordinance ,
Minimum Salary ,
Misclassification ,
Over-Time ,
Paid Leave ,
Pay Equity Laws ,
Quickie Election Rules ,
Rulemaking Process ,
Sexual Harassment ,
State Labor Laws ,
Union Elections ,
Unions ,
Unpaid Leave ,
Wage and Hour ,
White-Collar Exemptions
In today's episode, Debbie Friedman (partner at Cozen O'Connor) joins the podcast to talk about the issues that employers should consider with their employee handbooks....more