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Looking ahead to the 2024 H-1B cap lottery and other developments

Over the past year, the immigration landscape has been shaped by myriad factors, including mass tech layoffs, the easing of COVID-related travel restrictions, and changing employer attitudes toward remote work. As we...

Feb 01, 2024 · Employment Law Letter · California · New York · Great Lakes · Illinois · Indiana · Michigan · Ohio · Wisconsin · Midsouth · Kentucky · North Carolina · South Carolina · Tennessee · West Virginia · Mountain West · Colorado · Idaho · Montana · New Mexico · Utah · Wyoming · Upper Midwest · Iowa · Minnesota · Nebraska · North Dakota · South Dakota

Looking to boost productivity? Check out the latest office design trends

The days of everybody coming into the office every day are over in many organizations, but the office remains key to getting work done. Even with all the change workplaces have experienced in recent years—the rise of...

Feb 01, 2024 · Employment Law Letter · California · Texas · Great Lakes · Illinois · Indiana · Michigan · Ohio · Wisconsin · Mid-Atlantic · Delaware · Maryland · New Jersey · Pennsylvania · Virginia · Midsouth · Kentucky · North Carolina · South Carolina · Tennessee · West Virginia · Midwest · Arkansas · Kansas · Missouri · Oklahoma · Mountain West · Colorado · Idaho · Montana · New Mexico · Utah · Wyoming · New England · Connecticut · Maine · Massachusetts · New Hampshire · Rhode Island · Vermont · Southeast · Alabama · Florida · Georgia · Louisiana · Mississippi · Upper Midwest · Iowa · Minnesota · Nebraska · North Dakota · South Dakota · West · Alaska · Arizona · Hawaii · Nevada · Oregon · Washington

Workplace communications not up to par? Take a look at what’s going wrong

Ever say something at work you wish you could take back? Does it happen frequently? If so, you’re certainly not alone. Stress can be one of the triggers for unfortunate communications at work. But regardless of what...

Feb 01, 2024 · Employment Law Letter · California · Texas · Mid-Atlantic · Delaware · Maryland · New Jersey · Pennsylvania · Virginia · Midsouth · Kentucky · North Carolina · South Carolina · Tennessee · West Virginia · Midwest · Arkansas · Kansas · Missouri · Oklahoma · Mountain West · Colorado · Idaho · Montana · New Mexico · Utah · Wyoming · New England · Connecticut · Maine · Massachusetts · New Hampshire · Rhode Island · Vermont · Southeast · Alabama · Florida · Georgia · Louisiana · Mississippi · Upper Midwest · Iowa · Minnesota · Nebraska · North Dakota · South Dakota · West · Alaska · Arizona · Hawaii · Nevada · Oregon · Washington

Beware new NLRB beartrap

The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) recently expanded the reach of claims based on the protected concerted activity of employees. This claim applies to all Texas employers, regardless of their union status. It...

Feb 01, 2024 · Employment Law Letter · Texas

Beware new NLRB beartrap

The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) recently expanded the reach of claims based on the protected concerted activity of employees. This claim applies to all Texas employers, regardless of their union status. It...

Feb 01, 2024 · Employment Law Letter · Texas

Beware: Joy at employee firing can be evidence of FMLA violation

Here’s a tale from the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals (whose rulings apply to all Texas employers), which told a Texas trial court that it erred in dismissing a Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) retaliation lawsuit...

Feb 01, 2024 · Employment Law Letter · Texas

New York Governor Hochul vetoes noncompete bill

After a furious lobbying campaign by New York employers and business groups, Governor Kathy Hochul vetoed a bill in late December 2023 that would have banned virtually all employee noncompete agreements in New York State...

Feb 01, 2024 · Employment Law Letter · New York

NLRB greatly expands joint-employer standard

The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) adopted a new standard for evaluating joint employers that takes effect February 26, 2024. The rule greatly expands when two or more entities may be considered joint entities. As...

Feb 01, 2024 · Employment Law Letter · California · Great Lakes · Illinois · Indiana · Michigan · Ohio · Wisconsin · Mid-Atlantic · Delaware · Maryland · New Jersey · Pennsylvania · Virginia · New England · Connecticut · Maine · Massachusetts · New Hampshire · Rhode Island · Vermont · West · Alaska · Arizona · Hawaii · Nevada · Oregon · Washington

Supreme Court to decide whether lateral job transfers can be discriminatory under Title VII

In the upcoming months, the U.S. Supreme Court will decide whether lateral job transfers, with no change in pay or benefits, violate federal civil rights law if done for discriminatory reasons. Circuit split headed for...

Feb 01, 2024 · Employment Law Letter · California · New York · Great Lakes · Illinois · Indiana · Michigan · Ohio · Wisconsin · Mid-Atlantic · Delaware · Maryland · New Jersey · Pennsylvania · Virginia · Midsouth · Kentucky · North Carolina · South Carolina · Tennessee · West Virginia · Midwest · Arkansas · Kansas · Missouri · Oklahoma · Mountain West · Colorado · Idaho · Montana · New Mexico · Utah · Wyoming · Southeast · Alabama · Florida · Georgia · Louisiana · Mississippi · Upper Midwest · Iowa · Minnesota · Nebraska · North Dakota · South Dakota

Artificial intelligence use continues to rise in employment

As 2023 wound down, the use of artificial intelligence (AI) by employers showed no sign of slowing down. Rather, you should prepare for an increased use and presence of AI in employment decision-making, as well as...

Feb 01, 2024 · Employment Law Letter · California · Great Lakes · Illinois · Indiana · Michigan · Ohio · Wisconsin · Midsouth · Kentucky · North Carolina · South Carolina · Tennessee · West Virginia · Midwest · Arkansas · Kansas · Missouri · Oklahoma · Mountain West · Colorado · Idaho · Montana · New Mexico · Utah · Wyoming · New England · Connecticut · Maine · Massachusetts · New Hampshire · Rhode Island · Vermont · Southeast · Alabama · Florida · Georgia · Louisiana · Mississippi

Corrections officer shoots hole in state’s accommodation denial

Employers often hear repeated recommendations to have detailed written policies and to ensure those policies are followed. Typically, you can overcome significant consequences by consistently enforcing your policies and...

Feb 01, 2024 · Employment Law Letter · Midwest · Arkansas · Kansas · Missouri · Oklahoma · Mountain West · Colorado · Idaho · Montana · New Mexico · Utah · Wyoming

Rudy G.’s punitive damages verdict offers expensive lessons

I’ve previously written about the Rudy Giuliani defamation lawsuit and applicable lessons. The jury’s total verdict against Rudy G. was $148,000,000, including $75,000,00 in punitive damages—a whopper for sure. This is...

Feb 01, 2024 · Employment Law Letter · Texas · New England · Connecticut · Maine · Massachusetts · New Hampshire · Rhode Island · Vermont

Cracking the code: Adding bonuses to FLSA overtime calculations

The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) requires employers to pay overtime to nonexempt employees based on their regular pay rate and the number of hours worked in a workweek. While this sounds straightforward on paper...

Feb 01, 2024 · Employment Law Letter · Midwest · Arkansas · Kansas · Missouri · Oklahoma · West · Alaska · Arizona · Hawaii · Nevada · Oregon · Washington

EEOC sues Meatheads

Do you have any idea how long I’ve waited for the chance to use the term “meatheads” in the headline of an article? Thanks to an Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) age discrimination lawsuit against a moving...

Feb 01, 2024 · Employment Law Letter · California · Mid-Atlantic · Delaware · Maryland · New Jersey · Pennsylvania · Virginia · Midsouth · Kentucky · North Carolina · South Carolina · Tennessee · West Virginia · Midwest · Arkansas · Kansas · Missouri · Oklahoma · Mountain West · Colorado · Idaho · Montana · New Mexico · Utah · Wyoming · Southeast · Alabama · Florida · Georgia · Louisiana · Mississippi