Q Can employees be forced to work overtime? What is the legal recourse if they refuse to work overtime that is required? A In Mississippi, other than limitations on the hours of work for minors, there’s no prohibition...
Employment Law Letter
As we wade into the waters of yet another COVID-19 pandemic year, employers seem to be facing more questions than answers when it comes to virus-related topics. Federal vaccine mandates have been hot topics and triggered...
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) COVID-19 vaccine mandate for larger private employers may not be declared officially dead yet, but it’s certainly on life support after the U.S. Supreme Court...
My teaching portfolio at the UNT-Dallas College of Law of course includes employment discrimination law. Here’s a fundamental principle I always try to impart to students: The facts of a case—no matter how wrong they...
I thought it would be useful to look at an arbitration agreement approved by the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals (which covers Texas) and, well, take it apart like an engine. We’ll look at why it works to accomplish...
Q If an employer requires COVID-19 testing as a condition of employment, who covers the cost? A Under the current Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standard, employers aren’t required to cover the cost...
Q An employee's dad is being flown to another hospital for COVID-19 treatment. She needs to drive her mom to the new hospital and therefore will miss at least one day of work. Would her time off qualify as Family and...
At the time of this posting, the Biden administration has rescinded the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) vaccine-or-test mandate for employers with at least 100 employees. Similar rules for federal...
In 2021, Virginia became the first state in the Deep South to legalize marijuana. As a consequence, employers in the Commonwealth have been bracing themselves for the impact legal marijuana use may have on their...
COVID-19 tests are now available over-the-counter (OTC) (if you can find them) through pharmacies, retail stores, and online retailers, and health plans must cover the cost, according to recent guidance from several...
The Seattle Office of Labor Standards (OLS) recently announced it will conduct an administrative rulemaking process related to the city’s new independent contractor protections (ICP) ordinance. The OLS will hold five...
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) recently entered into settlement agreements with Hy-Vee and Rite Aid in response to concerns that the companies’ COVID-19 vaccine registration websites weren’t accessible to...
The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia recently decided a case involving trade secrets and restrictive covenants after a former employee took a customer contact list with him when he left to work...
The U.S. Supreme Court upheld the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ (CMS) vaccine mandate for many healthcare employees in a ruling issued on January 13, 2022. The Court granted a stay (or hold) against...
Like nearly all aspects of employment law today, immigration law hasn’t been immune from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The trend is likely to continue throughout 2022, particularly with regard to employment...