Employment Law Letter

Louisiana court dismisses TSA officer’s harassment, discrimination claims

The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana in New Orleans recently dismissed claims against the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for harassment and race discrimination. The court ruled that...

Nov 30, 2022 · Employment Law Letter · 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

Facebook Messenger for FMLA leave requests? Maybe

Even with absences covered by the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), an employer is entitled to put policies in place describing how employees must notify the employer about their health-related absences. As the means...

Nov 20, 2022 · Employment Law Letter · 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

Rewind, revise, clarify: DOL takes aim at independent contractor regs

The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has announced a revised proposed regulation that provides guidance on whether workers are properly classified as independent contractors—who aren’t covered by the Fair Labor Standards...

EEOC overhauls ‘Know Your Rights’ poster

In mid-October, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) released its “Know Your Rights—Workplace Discrimination is Illegal” poster. This replaces its previous “EEO is the Law” poster. The new poster is...

Two different ways a late arbitration request goes unfulfilled

Two recent arbitration decisions highlight two different ways arbitration plans can go awry. The first shows that failing to assert your arbitration rights early enough can be considered a waiver of the right to...

Nov 20, 2022 · Employment Law Letter · California

Reasonable belief is all that’s needed under California Whistleblower Protection Act

An employee recently expressed to his supervisor that he felt a task he was assigned violated federal law. He was later fired, and he claimed his termination was in retaliation for raising his concerns. The U.S. 9th...

Nov 20, 2022 · Employment Law Letter · California

9th Circuit rules computer bootup time is compensable

Employees at a call center were required to use a computer for all job tasks. At the start of each day, they frequently had to turn on computers and wait an average of seven to 12 minutes for the computers to become...

Nov 20, 2022 · Employment Law Letter · California

Getting hybrid right: Employers, employees seek solutions to downsides

Hybrid—that’s the key word in any discussion of the world of work’s new normal. When the pandemic forced a pivot from in-office to at-home work, some employees thrived in the safety, flexibility, and convenience of...

Nov 06, 2022 · Employment Law Letter · 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

Finally time to party? Getting a holiday gathering right in 2022

With the 2022 holiday season in full swing, employers and employees are gearing up for annual workplace parties. The pandemic isn’t completely in the rearview, inflation dominates the news, and layoffs loom in at least...

For the best in HR policies, try . . . Chick-fil-A?

Lately, we have been grappling with how to recruit, retain, and keep employees engaged. We have been focusing on where work should take place—at home, at the office, or at some hybrid thereof. We also have placed renewed...

Nov 06, 2022 · Employment Law Letter · California

Equal Pay Act claim survives while all others fail

The confluence of two new laws creates a dangerous circumstance for employers. The trend toward transparent employment practices now requires many employers to create and publish wage ranges for every job. Once wage...

Nov 06, 2022 · Employment Law Letter · California

Courts may not shortcut constitutional rights

Workplace violence injunctions are relatively easy to obtain, as judges are motivated to err on the side of preventing jobsite violence. Does that need for expediency trump the constitutional rights of the accused...

Nov 06, 2022 · Employment Law Letter · California

Gig is up: Uber agrees to pay $100 million in dispute over drivers’ employment status

There’s a growing tendency for workers to request mobility in the labor market. Coupled with this is a growing tendency for businesses to classify workers as independent contractors instead of employees. This phenomenon...

Oct 31, 2022 · Employment Law Letter · 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

What small, private businesses should know about temporary layoffs

Q: We’re a privately owned company with fewer than 100 employees. Do we have to follow the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act regulations in the event we decide to conduct a temporary layoff soon...

What to do when an employee becomes unconscious

Q: An employee with an alleged history of substance abuse was found passed out in our parking lot with his car door open. The supervisor who found him made sure he was breathing and then went inside, leaving him there...

Arkansas Stephen W. Jones of Jack Nelson Jones, PLLC, and Audra Hamilton and Nathan Read of Mitchell Williams
Kansas Boyd A. Byers, Teresa L. Shulda, and Tara Eberline of Foulston Siefkin LLP
Missouri Robert A. Kaiser, Jeremy Brenner, and Ida S. Shafaie of Armstrong Teasdale LLP
Oklahoma Charles S. Plumb, Courtney Bru, Paul Ross, Philip Bruce, and Jacob Crawford of McAfee & Taft

Delaware Lauren Russell of Young Conaway Stargatt & Taylor, LLP
Maryland Steven E. Bers and David M. Stevens of Whiteford, Taylor & Preston, L.L.P.
New Jersey John C. Petrella and Dina M. Mastellone of Genova Burns LLC
Pennsylvania Dena Calo, Lisa Koblin, Carolyn Pellegrini, and Zachary Kimmel of Saul Ewing Arnstein & Lehr LLP
Virginia Jonathan Mook and Bernard J. DiMuro of DiMuroGinsberg PC

Illinois Steven L. Brenneman and Kelly Smith-Haley of Fox, Swibel, Levin & Carroll, LLP
Indiana Brian R. Garrison of Faegre Drinker
Michigan Gary S. Fealk and John T. Below of Bodman PLC
Ohio Fred G. Pressley, Jr., Jourdan D. Day, and John M. Stephen of Porter Wright Morris & Arthur LLP
Wisconsin Saul Glazer, Troy D. Thompson, Michael J. Westcott, Leslie A. Sammon, and Heath Straka of Axley Brynelson LLP

Kentucky Richard S. Cleary, John T. Lovett, Robert D. Hudson, and Kathleen Biggs Wright of Frost Brown Todd LLC
North Carolina Richard L. Rainey of Womble Bond Dickinson (US) LLP
South Carolina Richard J. Morgan, James K. Gilliam, Jonathan C. Eggert, and Chandler E. Aragona of Burr & Forman LLP
Tennessee Kara E. Shea and David Johnson of Butler Snow LLP
West Virginia Larry J. Rector and Allison B. Williams of Steptoe & Johnson PLLC

Alabama Albert L. Vreeland and David J. Middlebrooks of Lehr Middlebrooks Vreeland & Thompson, P.C.
Florida G. Thomas Harper of The Law and Mediation Offices of G. Thomas Harper, LLC, Lisa Berg and Andrew Rodman of Stearns Weaver Miller, and Robert J. Sniffen and Jeff Slanker of Sniffen & Spellman, P.A.
Georgia Raanon Gal of Barnes & Thornburg LLP, Glianny Fagundo of Thompson Hine LLP and Chris Butler of the Chris Butler Firm
Louisiana H. Mark Adams and Jennifer Kogos of Jones Walker LLP
Mississippi Martin J. Regimbal of The Kullman Firm

Employment Law Letter

Oklahoma Editors

Midwest Editors

Mid-Atlantic Editors

Delaware Editors

Maryland Editors

New Jersey Editors

Pennsylvania Editors

Virginia Editors

Great Lakes Editors

Illinois Editors

Indiana Editors

Michigan Editors

Ohio Editors

Wisconsin Editors

Midsouth Editors

Kentucky Editors

North Carolina Editors

South Carolina Editors

Tennessee Editors

West Virginia Editors

Arkansas Editors

Kansas Editors

Missouri Editors

Southeast Editors

Alabama Editors

Florida Editors

Georgia Editors

Louisiana Editors

Mississippi Editors

Upper Midwest Editors

Iowa Editors

Minnesota Editors

North Dakota Editors

Nebraska Editors

South Dakota Editors

New England Editors

Connecticut Editors

Massachusetts Editors

Maine Editors

New Hampshire Editors

Rhode Island Editors

Vermont Editors

Mountain West Editors

Colorado Editors

Idaho Editors

Montana Editors

New Mexico Editors

Utah Editors

Wyoming Editors

West Editors

Alaska Editors

Arizona Editors

Hawaii Editors

Nevada Editors

Oregon Editors

Washington Editors

California Editors

New York Editors

Texas Editors