In this second of two parts to start the new year, Michael Schmidt, vice chair of Cozen O'Connor's Labor & Employment Department, addresses the ten issues that employers should be thinking about in 2023....more
In today's episode, Michael Schmidt of Cozen O'Connor interviews EEOC Commissioner Andrea Lucas, NLRB General Counsel Jennifer Abruzzo, and OSHA Assistant Secretary Douglas Parker about today's hot topics and agency...more
Today's new episode looks at the five developments you need to know now, including the new proposed independent contractor rule, the EEOC's new required poster, NLRB efforts to monitor your monitoring, salary transparency...more
This episode discusses the NLRB's proposed new September 2022 joint employer test in the context of the historical shifting political winds, and what it may mean for employers....more
Today's new episode discusses what you may have missed during the Summer of 2022, including COVID-19 and Monkeypox updates, unlawful dress codes, an ADA first, and brand new guidance from the EEOC and DOL....more
In today's episode, Michael Schmidt offers the takeaways from the Supreme Court's June 2022 Dobbs decision overturning Roe v. Wade, and is joined by his Cozen O'Connor colleagues for a roundtable discussion on the impact of...more
In today's episode, Michael Schmidt is joined by Dan Pascale, Executive Vice President of Margolis Healy and Associates, to discuss how employers should be addressing today's threats and acts of violence in the workplace....more
As we approach the unofficial start to Summer 2022, today's new episode addresses the 10 issues that should be on the radar of all employers....more
5/31/2022
/ Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) ,
Arbitration Agreements ,
Caregivers ,
Civil Service Reform Act ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Disability Discrimination ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employer Mandates ,
Employment Discrimination ,
Employment Litigation ,
Employment Policies ,
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) ,
Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) ,
Federal Employees ,
Federal Labor Laws ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Job Ads ,
Over-Time ,
Paid Leave ,
Pay Transparency ,
Reasonable Accommodation ,
Religious Accommodation ,
Religious Discrimination ,
State Labor Laws ,
Title VII ,
Vaccinations ,
Wage and Hour
In today's new episode, Michael Schmidt is joined by NLRB General Counsel Jennifer Abruzzo to discuss significant recent activity at the Board, including her position that employer "captive audience meetings" held with...more
Congress just passed a significant new law prohibiting pre-dispute arbitration agreements (and class action waivers) for claims of sexual harassment and sexual assault. In today's new episode, Michael Schmidt discusses what...more
Equal pay issues are becoming more prominent across the country, and significant new legislation in Illinois is worth noting (whether or not the company does business there). Joining Michael Schmidt to discuss the law and its...more
On January 13, 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court re-issued a stay prohibiting the federal government (OSHA) from enforcing its ETS that required large employers to either mandate COVID-19 vaccines or weekly testing. Today's new...more
1/14/2022
/ Biden Administration ,
Biden v Missouri ,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Constitutional Challenges ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employer Mandates ,
Healthcare Workers ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Lack of Authority ,
National Federation of Independent Business v Department of Labor and OSHA ,
OSHA ,
SCOTUS ,
Stays ,
Vaccinations ,
Virus Testing ,
Workplace Safety
On December 17, 2021, the 6th Circuit dissolved and eliminated the prior stay of enforcement that was in place for the OSHA ETS. In this special weekend episode, Michael Schmidt breaks down the 6th Circuit's surprising...more
In today's episode, current EEOC Commissioner Keith Sonderling joins Michael Schmidt to talk about the benefits, risks, and EEOC position on employer use of artificial intelligence to make employment-related decisions....more
This episode provides the current status of all of the federal vaccine mandates (OSHA ETS, health care industry rule, and federal contractor rule), as well as an update on significant developments on the state and local...more
Today's new episode summarizes the late-breaking developments with the 5th Circuit's extension of its stay of enforcement of the OSHA ETS, and the impact that today's Circuit Court lottery may have on the ultimate viability...more
11/17/2021
/ Collective Bargaining ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employer Mandates ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Lottery ,
Multidistrict Litigation ,
OSHA ,
Stays ,
Unions ,
Vaccinations ,
Virus Testing ,
Workplace Safety
In today's new episode, Mike Schmidt breaks down the primary obligations under OSHA's new ETS on mandatory vaccination and testing, provides an update on current legal challenges, and suggests what employers should be doing...more
In today's episode, Michael Schmidt addresses one of the biggest challenges employers have faced with mandatory vaccine policies: religious-based accommodation requests. First, Mike summarizes the EEOC's latest update from...more
In today's episode, Michael Schmidt is joined by Dr. Christina Carson-Sacco, the co-founder of The Center for Neuropsychology and Counseling, to talk about the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on the mental health of...more
In today's new episode, Michael Schmidt provides an update on the anticipated vaccine ETS from OSHA, the EEOC's latest guidance on vaccine incentives, the current obligations under the NY HERO Act, and whether sex addiction...more
On today's episode (the 100th!), Michael Schmidt talks about the latest developments with COVID-19 vaccines and mandatory vaccine policies, and is joined by his Cozen O'Connor colleague John Carrigan to discuss what...more
In today's new episode, Michael Schmidt discusses big new developments: updates on mandatory vaccine and mask policies, new action to ban non-competes, a big free speech decision, New York regulatory updates, and a proposed...more
Right at the start of the Memorial Day weekend, the EEOC issued new guidance on Covid-19 vaccine policies and incentive programs. Today's episode breaks down the Commission's answers to key questions and what it all means for...more
In today's new episode, Michael Schmidt talks about social media and schools (and what that means for employers generally), spousal claims against employers for getting COVID-19 at home, the withdrawal of the independent...more
5/17/2021
/ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Litigation ,
Employment Policies ,
First Amendment ,
Free Speech ,
Health and Safety ,
Independent Contractors ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Labor Regulations ,
Masks ,
Misclassification ,
New Guidance ,
Preemption ,
Public Schools ,
School Policies ,
Sick Employees ,
Social Media Policy ,
Spouses ,
Students ,
Vaccinations ,
Workplace Safety
The past several weeks have seen significant action from the major federal agencies involved with employment law: EEOC, NLRB, DOL, and OSHA. In today's new episode, Mike Schmidt will highlight the direction these agencies...more
4/20/2021
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Employee Handbooks ,
Employee Incentive Plans ,
Employee Rights ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Policies ,
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) ,
NLRA ,
NLRB ,
OSHA ,
Protected Concerted Activity ,
Vaccinations ,
Workplace Safety