A new California law, Senate Bill 848 (“S.B. 848”), which takes effect on January 1, 2024, will require businesses to grant eligible employees up to five days off following a qualifying reproductive loss event. This new law...more
On September 6, 2023, New York Governor Kathy Hochul signed legislation prohibiting employers from disciplining employees who choose not to attend captive audience meetings. Enactment of this legislation comes as no surprise,...more
On August 25, 2023, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) carried on with its pro-labor march by reviving elements of nearly eighty-year-old precedent. With its decision, Cemex Construction Materials Pacific, LLC, the...more
As we previously wrote, five Trump-era changes to the union election process were contested in a lawsuit brought by the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO). In a January 2023...more
8/25/2023
/ AFL-CIO ,
Ambush Election Rules ,
Collective Bargaining ,
Final Rules ,
Labor Relations ,
NLRB ,
Obama Administration ,
Quickie Election Rules ,
Trump Administration ,
Union Elections ,
Unions
On August 18, 2023, the Fifth Circuit overturned its longstanding precedent established in Dollis v. Rubin, 77 F.3d 777 (5th Cir. 1995). The new standard created in Hamilton v. Dallas County, case number 21-10133, allows for...more
In recent weeks, both the National Labor Relations Board (“NLRB” or the “Board”) and U.S. Department of Labor (“DOL”) have signaled or put into effect several pro-union initiatives. Collectively, these moves will...more
8/4/2023
/ Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Employee Handbooks ,
Employment Policies ,
Labor Relations ,
NLRA ,
NLRB ,
NLRB General Counsel ,
Persuader Rules ,
Remedies ,
Taft-Hartley Act ,
Unfair Labor Practices ,
Union Organizers ,
Unions
Minnesota is the most recent state to enact a mandatory paid family and medical leave program, joining 11 other states and Washington D.C. in implementing paid leave laws. With a paid leave proposal being passed by the state...more
In Students for Fair Admissions, Inc. v. President and Fellows of Harvard College, the Court held that race may not be used as a factor in college admissions decisions. While this holding is only related to higher education,...more
6/30/2023
/ Affirmative Action ,
Anti-Discrimination Policies ,
Civil Rights Act ,
College Admissions ,
Diversity ,
Diversity and Inclusion Standards (D&I) ,
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) ,
Groff v DeJoy ,
Race Discrimination ,
Religious Accommodation ,
SCOTUS ,
Students for Fair Admissions v Harvard College ,
Students for Fair Admissions v University of North Carolina ,
Substantial Burden ,
Undue Hardship
On June 13, 2023, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) carried on with its trend of reversing Trump-era precedent. In its 3-1 decision, The Atlanta Opera, Inc., the NLRB overturned the Trump NLRB’s 2019 decision,...more
In a recent memorandum to all Regional Directors, Officers-in-Charge, and Resident Officers, the National Labor Relations Board’s (“NLRB”) General Counsel, Jennifer Abruzzo, sets forth her view that the proffer, maintenance,...more
The National Labor Relations Board (the “Board”) has traditionally been limited in ways to remedy violations of federal labor law. Often, the Board is constrained to ordering “make-whole” relief like backpay and employee...more
As of today, so-called “right-to-work” (“RTW”) laws are effective in 27 states. These laws ensure that no worker can be required, as a condition of employment, to join or not join, nor pay dues to, a labor union, as permitted...more
3/28/2023
/ Governor Whitmer ,
New Guidance ,
NLRA ,
NLRB ,
NLRB General Counsel ,
Non-Disclosure Agreement ,
Non-Disparagement Provisions ,
Repeal ,
Restrictive Covenants ,
Right to Work ,
Severance Agreements ,
State Labor Laws ,
Union Dues ,
Unions
In a ruling on February 21st, the National Labor Relations (NLRB or “Board”) revoked employers’ ability to require their employees to keep the terms of severance packages confidential and to not disparage the company as part...more
Last week, the Ninth Circuit issued a significant ruling in Chamber of Commerce v. Bonta, concluding that California’s Assembly Bill 51 (“AB 51”) is preempted by the Federal Arbitration Act (“FAA”). AB 51, which was passed by...more
2/27/2023
/ Arbitration ,
Arbitration Agreements ,
Chamber of Commerce ,
Class Action ,
Employment Litigation ,
Federal Arbitration Act ,
Preemption ,
Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA) ,
State Labor Laws ,
Viking River Cruises ,
Viking River Cruises Inc v Moriana
On January 17, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit struck down certain Trump-era changes to the rules by which the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) administers union elections.
As...more
As the calendar turns to 2023, employers in several states are currently navigating or preparing to navigate laws mandating the provision of paid family and medical leave (“PFML”), i.e., partially paid, job-protected leave,...more
On December 21, 2022, Governor Kathy Hochul signed legislation establishing a statewide pay transparency law in New York State. The new law (S.9427-A/A.10477) requires employers to list salary ranges for all advertised jobs...more
On Wednesday, the National Labor Relations Board issued a groundbreaking decision in American Steel Construction, Inc., 372 NLRB No. 23 (2022), reviving the concept of collective bargaining “micro-units.” Micro-units are...more
On November 21, 2022, New York Governor Kathy Hochul signed into law a new measure that explicitly prevents employers from penalizing workers for lawful absences.
The new law amends Section 215 of New York Labor Law...more
12/6/2022
/ Amended Legislation ,
Anti-Retaliation Provisions ,
Attendance ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Policies ,
Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) ,
Leave of Absence ,
New Legislation ,
Paid Leave ,
Protected Activity ,
State Labor Laws
Employers in approximately a dozen states and twice as many cities and counties should expect significant hikes in minimum wage rates for 2023. Many of these hikes are due to state and local laws which account for...more
On September 6, 2022, the National Labor Relations Board (the “Board”) issued a draft rule replacing and significantly altering the Trump-era 2020 joint-employer standard. Standard for Determining Joint-Employer Status...more
Employers in approximately a dozen states and twice as many cities and counties should expect significant hikes in minimum wage rates for 2023. Many of these hikes are due to state and local laws which account for...more
On August 29, 2022, the National Labor Relations Board (the “Board”) issued a precedent-shifting decision ruling that it was unlawful for Tesla Inc. to prohibit employees from wearing shirts bearing union insignia....more
The chief lawyer for the National Labor Relations Board (the “Board”) wants to ban mandatory meetings called by employers during worktime to dissuade employees from joining unions, calling them an “unlawful threat” to...more
On February 4, 2022, President Joe Biden signed an Executive Order (“EO”) requiring project labor agreements (each a “PLA”) with unions on all federal construction projects valued at $35 million or more (defined in the EO as...more