Everyone at Santa’s workshop is busily preparing for the Big Day. The COVID-19 shutdown earlier this year put them behind schedule—and meeting the workshop’s stringent pandemic protocols has been a challenge—but things...
Employment Law Letter
On December 2, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated its guidance regarding the self-quarantine period for individuals who come in close contact with someone diagnosed with COVID-19. While the...
It seems ages ago when we first received guidance from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) on face coverings, temperature screenings, and COVID-19 testing in the workplace. On December 16, 2020, the agency...
I often tell clients one of the most important documents they need to have is an employee handbook, and it needs to be up to date and legally compliant. Why? An out-of-date, inaccurate, or poorly written handbook really...
In November 2020, the Montgomery County Council unanimously enacted Bill 35-20, titled the “Human Rights and Civil Liberties-Fair Criminal Records Screening Standards Amendments,” to expand the scope of a ban-the-box law...
On November 2, the Baltimore County Council passed a bill requiring the payment of prevailing wages for most county-funded capital projects. The legislation is designed to increase wages for many hourly paid workers...
Q Are there restrictions on disclosing internally the reason for an employee's leave of absence if we use a high-level reason? The reasons we use in our HR software include "employee health condition,” "baby bonding,"...
When drafting and executing restrictive covenant agreements, employers must consider many factors, especially their enforceability in different jurisdictions and whether the choice-of-law provision is appropriate to the...
We're early enough in 2021 that New Year's resolutions are still top of mind for many people, and workplace wellness programs may be seeing renewed interest. But as with so many aspects of life, COVID-19 is changing...
The days leading up to Valentine's Day are often the time for deliveries of roses and chocolates all over the office. The holiday for sweethearts also can spark talk of office relationships, which sometimes can turn into...
No, this is not an article about the flurry of lawsuits filed over the 2020 presidential election returns. Rather, it deals with a December 7 decision from the federal appeals court covering Texas, which laid down the...
The Texas Supreme Court recently heard oral argument on an issue that’s bedeviling employers in the state, namely whether the Texas Labor Code’s disability discrimination protection requires additional leave when a...
Baylor University in Waco is embroiled in litigation involving allegations of sexual assault by members of its football team. Lawyers for a complaining student sought to take the university president’s testimony under...
On September 22, 2020, President Donald Trump issued Executive Order (EO) 13950, which banned “divisive” and “un-American” antiracism training to federal contractors. Even though the order is for federal contractors...
Two union-backed bills designed to protect hospitality workers in Baltimore took effect on December 7, 2020, after the city council voted to override outgoing Mayor Bernard C. “Jack” Young’s vetoes. What new laws require...