The Supreme Court issued several momentous decisions last term that will have a lasting impact on employer practices. The Justices continued to shape the workplace law landscape by ruling on an array of issues involving...more
7/18/2024
/ Acheson Hotels LLC v Laufer ,
Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) ,
Administrative Procedure Act ,
Administrative Remedies ,
Adverse Employment Action ,
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) ,
Arbitration ,
Arbitration Agreements ,
Chevron Deference ,
Civil Rights Act ,
Corner Post Inc v Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System ,
Disability Discrimination ,
Drug Testing ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employee Transfers ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Discrimination ,
Employment Litigation ,
Failure to Accommodate ,
Fringe Benefits ,
Government Agencies ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Labor Disputes ,
Labor Relations ,
Lateral Transfers ,
Loper Bright Enterprises v Raimondo ,
Minimum Wage ,
Misclassification ,
Muldrow v City of St Louis ,
Murray v UBS Securities LLC ,
NLRA ,
NLRB ,
Over-Time ,
Reinstatement ,
Retaliation ,
Sarbanes-Oxley ,
SCOTUS ,
SEC v Jarkesy ,
Sex Discrimination ,
Smith v Spizzirri ,
Standard of Proof ,
Starbucks Corp. v McKinney ,
Statute of Limitations ,
Statutory Interpretation ,
Title VII ,
Unemployment Benefits ,
Unfair Labor Practices ,
Union Organizers ,
Unions ,
Wage and Hour ,
Whistleblower Protection Policies ,
Whistleblowers
The issue of artificial intelligence has emerged as a key issue in the strikes being waged by screenwriters and actors against television and movie production companies, being called an “existential threat” to creative...more
We were off by about 10 days. When we published An Employer’s Guide to the Baseball Lockout: Answering Your Questions About the First MLB Work Stoppage in Almost 30 Years way back at the beginning of December, we predicted...more
3/14/2022
/ Arbitration ,
Athletes ,
Baseball ,
Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBA) ,
Lockouts ,
Minimum Salary ,
MLB ,
Sports ,
Uniforms ,
Unions ,
Wage and Hour
In one of its final moves of the year, the National Labor Relations Board announced in late December that will reconsider the current legal standard for determining whether workers are independent contractors or employees....more
Federal workplace safety officials just released the mandate-or-test workplace vaccine emergency rule, and employers are sure to have questions. The Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) developed by the Occupational Safety and...more
11/5/2021
/ Best Practices ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Covered Employer ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employer Mandates ,
Employment Policies ,
Federal Contractors ,
Healthcare Workers ,
Joint Employers ,
OSHA ,
Reasonable Accommodation ,
Recordkeeping Requirements ,
Religious Accommodation ,
Remote Working ,
Reporting Requirements ,
Unions ,
Vaccinations ,
Virus Testing ,
Workplace Illness and Injury Reporting ,
Workplace Safety
A unique legislative proposal pending in Connecticut would upend the way that gig economy businesses interact with their workers – and has drawn both strong support and vocal dissent from the very group of individuals it is...more
After several weeks of tense negotiations and legislative twists and turns, President Biden’s latest COVID-19 stimulus package – the American Rescue Plan – has been passed by Congress and will become law once the president...more
3/10/2021
/ Biden Administration ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employee Benefits ,
Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) ,
Financial Stimulus ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Minimum Wage ,
Multiemployer Plan ,
Pensions ,
Popular ,
Relief Measures ,
Small Business ,
Tax Credits ,
Unemployment Benefits ,
Unions ,
Vaccinations ,
Wage and Hour
In the early morning hours of Saturday, February 27, the U.S. House of Representatives passed President Biden’s $1.9 trillion latest COVID-19 stimulus bill, containing a slew of employment-related initiatives that could have...more
3/1/2021
/ Biden Administration ,
COBRA ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employee Benefits ,
Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) ,
Financial Stimulus ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Minimum Wage ,
Multiemployer Plan ,
Pensions ,
Popular ,
Relief Measures ,
Small Business ,
Tax Credits ,
Unemployment Benefits ,
Unions ,
Vaccinations ,
Wage and Hour
My colleague Todd Lyon wrote an excellent piece earlier this week about the House of Representatives passing the PRO Act, essentially a “wish list” for labor advocates seeking to tip the scales back towards unions. One of the...more
2/18/2020
/ ABC Test ,
Employee Definition ,
Freelance Workers ,
Gig Economy ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Independent Contractors ,
Labor Relations ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Misclassification ,
State Labor Laws ,
Unions
California Governor Gavin Newsom wasted little time by signing AB 5 into law yesterday, and his signing statement should cause quite a few eyebrows to be raised. It was no surprise that he signed the bill into effect; he said...more
9/19/2019
/ ABC Test ,
Employee Definition ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Gig Economy ,
Governor Newsom ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Independent Contractors ,
Misclassification ,
NLRA ,
State Labor Laws ,
Unions
The U.S. Department of Labor just became the latest federal agency to propose a rule to limit the scope of joint employment liability, this time for wage and hour matters. If the rule released earlier yesterday is adopted in...more
4/2/2019
/ Browning-Ferris Industries of California Inc. ,
Comment Period ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Contract ,
Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Joint Employers ,
Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Worker Protection Act (MSPA) ,
NLRB ,
Proposed Regulation ,
Proposed Rules ,
Terms and Conditions ,
Unions ,
Wage and Hour
In a significant ruling which will benefit companies, the National Labor Relations Board on January 25th, revised the test it uses for determining whether workers are employees or independent contractors by making it easier...more
As many predicted, Democrats recaptured the House for the first time in eight years in yesterday’s midterm elections, while Republicans retained and strengthened their grip on the Senate. That will lead to a dynamic in...more
11/7/2018
/ Affordable Care Act ,
Congressional Committees ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Election Results ,
Employment Litigation ,
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) ,
Federal Elections ,
Federal Labor Laws ,
General Elections ,
Immigration Enforcement ,
Immigration Procedures ,
Immigration Reform ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Local Ordinance ,
Members of Congress ,
Paid Leave ,
Political Parties ,
Senate Committees ,
Sick Leave ,
State and Local Government ,
State Elections ,
State Labor Laws ,
Trump Administration ,
U.S. House ,
Unions ,
Wage and Hour
It’s hard to keep up with all the recent changes to labor and employment law. While the law always seems to evolve at a rapid pace, there have been an unprecedented number of changes for the past few years—and this past month...more
10/11/2018
/ #MeToo ,
Background Checks ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Discrimination ,
Epic Systems Corp v Lewis ,
Governor Brown ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Joint Employers ,
Lactation Accommodation ,
NLRA ,
NLRB ,
Non-Disclosure Agreement ,
Sexual Harassment ,
Unions
It’s hard to keep up with all the recent changes to labor and employment law. While the law always seems to evolve at a rapid pace, there have been an unprecedented number of changes for the past few years—and this past month...more
9/17/2018
/ Anti-Discrimination Policies ,
Appeals ,
Arbitration ,
Arbitration Agreements ,
Background Checks ,
CA Supreme Court ,
Class Action ,
Collective Action Waivers ,
Consumer Credit Reporting Agencies Act (CCRAA) ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employee Training ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Contract ,
Employment Litigation ,
Employment Policies ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) ,
Failed Legislation ,
Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) ,
Federal Contractors ,
Freedom of Religion ,
Gender-Based Pay Discrimination ,
Gig Economy ,
Governor Baker ,
Governor Brown ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Independent Contractors ,
Investigative Consumer Reporting Agencies Act (ICRAA) ,
Licenses ,
Misclassification ,
New Legislation ,
Non-Compete Agreements ,
OFCCP ,
Opinion Letter ,
Opioid ,
Over-Time ,
Pay Gap ,
Pending Legislation ,
Portable Benefits ,
Restrictive Covenants ,
Ridesharing ,
Right to Work ,
Sexual Harassment ,
State Labor Laws ,
Union Dues ,
Unions ,
Wage and Hour ,
Workplace Injury
With the Senate’s confirmation of John Ring to the National Labor Relations Board on April 11 and the administration’s subsequent announcement on April 12 that he will be designated as the agency’s Chair, the Board is once...more
The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals heard argument today over a proposal that would permit ride-sharing drivers who work for companies such as Uber and Lyft to organize and form unions. Given what could be at stake—the potential...more
2/7/2018
/ Appeals ,
Chamber of Commerce ,
Freelance Workers ,
Gig Economy ,
Independent Contractors ,
Local Ordinance ,
Lyft ,
Oral Argument ,
Preliminary Injunctions ,
Ridesharing ,
State Action Doctrine ,
Uber ,
Union Organizers ,
Unions
In a move that must have labor unions across the country trembling with fear, the Supreme Court today announced that it will once again take up the issue of whether public sector agency shop fee arrangements are prohibited by...more
It’s hard to keep up with all the recent changes to labor and employment law. While the law always seems to evolve at a rapid pace, there have been an unprecedented number of changes each month in 2017. August was no...more
9/9/2017
/ Affirmative Action ,
Appeals ,
Audio Recording ,
Class Action ,
Classification ,
College Admissions ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Data Breach ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
EEO-1 ,
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) ,
Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) ,
Federal Contractors ,
Gig Economy ,
Green Cards ,
Hardship Distributions ,
Hurricane Harvey ,
Identity Theft ,
Independent Contractors ,
NLRB ,
On-Demand Services ,
Online Platforms ,
Over-Time ,
Pay Data ,
Popular ,
Standing ,
Trump Administration ,
Unions ,
Vetting ,
Wage and Hour ,
Wellness Programs
Chalk this round up to the unions. In a pair of decisions issued last week, a Seattle federal judge ruled that Seattle’s January 2016 Ordinance that seeks to allow for-hire drivers to form unions and collectively bargain with...more
8/30/2017
/ Appeals ,
Chamber of Commerce ,
Corporate Counsel ,
DPPA ,
Drivers ,
First Amendment ,
Gig Economy ,
Independent Contractors ,
Local Ordinance ,
NLRA ,
NLRB ,
Preliminary Injunctions ,
Ridesharing ,
Union Organizers ,
Unions
There’s good news for Oregon employers about the recently concluded 2017 legislative session: unlike years past, there were only a very small number of workplace laws passed. In fact, the Oregon Legislature only passed four...more
8/17/2017
/ Business Justification ,
Earned Sick Time ,
Employee Rights ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Policies ,
Equal Pay ,
Fair Workweek ,
Gender-Based Pay Discrimination ,
Governor Brown ,
New Legislation ,
Over-Time ,
Pay Equity Laws ,
Pay Gap ,
State and Local Government ,
Unions ,
Wage and Hour ,
Work Schedules
In what appears to be a first-of-its kind decision, the National Labor Relations Board recently determined that an employer committed an unfair labor practice when one of its managers asked a pointed question via text message...more
6/14/2017
/ Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Interrogations ,
Leave of Absence ,
NLRA ,
NLRB ,
Protected Concerted Activity ,
Text Messages ,
Unfair Labor Practices ,
Union Elections ,
Unions
It’s hard to keep up with all the recent changes to labor and employment law. While it always seems to evolve at a rapid pace, the last few months have seen an unprecedented number of changes. April 2017 was another month...more
5/5/2017
/ Computer Programmers ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Drivers ,
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) ,
Facebook ,
Gig Economy ,
H-1B ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Immigration Reform ,
Independent Contractors ,
LGBTQ ,
Misclassification ,
NLRB ,
Obscenity ,
On-Demand Services ,
OSHA ,
Protected Concerted Activity ,
Salary/Wage History ,
SCOTUS ,
Secretary of Labor ,
Sexual Harassment ,
Sexual Orientation Discrimination ,
Sovereign Immunity ,
State Labor Laws ,
Subpoenas ,
Title VII ,
Tribal Employees ,
Trump Administration ,
Unions ,
USCIS ,
Young Lawyers
In a ruling that could leave employers fuming and possibly cursing, a federal appellate court ruled that an employee who used a public Facebook page to curse out not just his boss, but also his boss’s mother and entire...more
4/25/2017
/ Appeals ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Facebook ,
Hiring & Firing ,
NLRA ,
NLRB ,
Obscenity ,
Protected Concerted Activity ,
Reaffirmation ,
Social Media ,
Unfair Labor Practices ,
Union Elections ,
Unions
May Day has historically been a day marked by workers’ rights protests, with union organizing activities and other employee advocacy actions taking place across the country on what is now known as “International Workers’...more
4/24/2017
/ Adverse Employment Action ,
Immigrants ,
NLRA ,
NLRB ,
Protests ,
Public Relations ,
SEIU ,
Strike ,
Trump Administration ,
Unfair Labor Practices ,
Unions ,
Workplace Communication