People in the workplace communicate more often and via more methods than ever before. Quite often, many of these methods of communication—emails, text messages, and instant messages on platforms like Slack or social media—are...more
4/26/2024
/ Electronic Communications ,
Email ,
Employee Training ,
Employees ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Litigation ,
Instant Messaging Apps ,
Managers ,
Mobile Apps ,
Supervisors ,
Text Messages ,
Workplace Communication ,
Written Communications
Welcome to our first SuperVision e-newsletter of 2024. Although we are only four months into 2024, it has already been an incredibly active year on the labor and employment front. On Wednesday, the Federal Trade Commission...more
4/25/2024
/ Classification ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Employee Definition ,
Employee Transfers ,
Employees ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Contract ,
Employment Discrimination ,
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) ,
Federal Bans ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Final Rules ,
Independent Contractors ,
Minimum Salary ,
Muldrow v City of St Louis ,
Non-Compete Agreements ,
OSHA ,
Pregnant Workers Fairness Act ,
SCOTUS ,
Wage and Hour
In 2024, and for the first time since 1999, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”) likely will publish new Enforcement Guidance on Harassment in the Workplace. On September 29, 2023, the EEOC issued Proposed...more
Diversity, equity, and inclusion (“DEI”) initiatives play a critical role in creating and sustaining a high-functioning business with an open flow of creative ideas. As companies continue to adapt to having an increased share...more
Severance: Labor Board Prohibits Employers from Restricting Employee Speech in Severance Agreements -
In the Apple TV+ show Severance, employees of Lumon Industries may agree to a "severance" program in which non-work...more
4/6/2023
/ Confidentiality Agreements ,
Confidentiality Policies ,
Construction Industry ,
Discrimination ,
Diversity ,
Diversity and Inclusion Standards (D&I) ,
Employees ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Litigation ,
Employment Policies ,
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) ,
Former Employee ,
Harassment ,
Health and Safety ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Labor Law Violations ,
NLRA ,
NLRB ,
Offer Letters ,
OSHA ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Remote Working ,
Safety Violations ,
Section 7 ,
Severance Agreements ,
Strategic Enforcement Plan ,
Unions ,
Workplace Hazards ,
Workplace Safety
The NLRB Proposes to Re-Re-Revise Its Joint Employer Standard -
On September 6, 2022, the National Labor Relations Board issued a notice of proposed rulemaking regarding the standard for determining joint employer status...more
9/9/2022
/ Anti-Harassment Policies ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employee Handbooks ,
Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Franchises ,
Gender Dysphoria ,
Joint Employers ,
Labor Reform ,
Labor Regulations ,
Labor Relations ,
NLRA ,
NLRB ,
Remote Working ,
Reproductive Healthcare Issues ,
Unions
The Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals (covering Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Maryland) held that gender dysphoria, a condition experienced by some transgender individuals, is a protected...more
Over the past two years, we have heard much about the burden on “caregivers” during the pandemic. Whether it was caring for school age children while school was remote and daycare closed, or caring for elderly family members,...more
The Impact of "Ending Forced Arbitration of Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment Act of 2021" on Employer's Arbitration Provisions -
On March 3, 2022, President Biden signed into law H.R. 4445, “Ending Forced Arbitration...more
4/1/2022
/ Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) ,
Arbitration ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Discrimination ,
Federal Arbitration Act ,
Mandatory Arbitration Clauses ,
Paternity Leave ,
Sexual Assault ,
Sexual Harassment
Over the last 18 months, nearly everyone has experienced increased stress as once simple decisions about day-to-day routines became more complicated, going to work and school became a potential health risk, and many families...more
Welcome to our final issue of the 2021 edition of SuperVision. Our attorneys have examined trending topics, discussed recent legal developments, and answered frequently asked questions. These are some of the issues we believe...more
11/3/2021
/ College Athletes ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Policies ,
Infectious Diseases ,
NLRA ,
NLRB ,
OSHA ,
Vaccinations ,
Workers' Compensation Claim ,
Workplace Safety
Vaccine mandates and return-to-work scenarios seem to be the hot topics of the day, and with all hot topics, along comes litigation. Along with litigation, comes serious discussions by employers and organizations about how...more
9/20/2021
/ Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) ,
Biden Administration ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employer Mandates ,
Employment Policies ,
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Remote Working ,
StubHub ,
Telecommuting ,
Unions ,
Vaccinations ,
Workplace Safety
Welcome to the fifth issue of the 2021 edition of Unprecedented. After our last issue published, the United States marked a grim milestone: 500,000 people dead from COVID-19, with about one in three Americans knowing someone...more
3/16/2021
/ Adult Entertainment ,
Auto Insurance ,
Business Interruption ,
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Policies ,
Eviction ,
Health and Safety ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Vaccinations ,
Workplace Safety
In January, just prior to the inauguration, the Trump administration issued guidance and rule changes on a variety of issues, including the Independent Contractor Test and Religious Discrimination Guidance. Many recent...more
We are pleased to bring you our first SuperVision issue of the year. 2021 is anticipated to be a year of changes -- from a new presidential administration to a new phase of COVID-19 and vaccines -- and we are embracing that...more
Welcome to the second issue of the 2021 edition of Unprecedented. The first week of the Biden administration already has represented a shift to the federal government's approach to the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to...more
Litigators often refer to so-called "bad facts," which are the facts that have the potential to sink a case with a jury. This 33rd issue of Unprecedented discusses a case with perhaps the worst alleged set of "bad facts" that...more
11/24/2020
/ Attorney's Fees ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Disability Discrimination ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) ,
Eviction ,
First Amendment ,
FL Supreme Court ,
Government Speech Doctrine ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Masks ,
Moratorium ,
Personal Protective Equipment ,
Preliminary Injunctions ,
Wrongful Death
The Editors' Note -
Welcome to this edition of SuperVision, the e-newsletter for Spilman Thomas & Battle's Labor & Employment Law Group. 2020 continues to bring unforeseen challenges, but employers are beginning to get back...more
9/5/2020
/ Appeals ,
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Emergency Rule ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) ,
Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) ,
Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) ,
Final Rules ,
Harassment ,
Lack of Authority ,
New Guidance ,
NLRA ,
NLRB ,
Notice of Right to Sue ,
Paid Leave ,
Protected Activity ,
Quarantine ,
Remote Learning ,
Section 7 ,
State OSHA Laws ,
Traveling Employee ,
Virginia ,
Workplace Safety
This 13th edition of Unprecedented, our weekly update on COVID-19-related litigation brings new developments in everything from constitutional law to tort liability. Shutdown cases show no signs of slowing down, and it seems...more
6/29/2020
/ Breach of Contract ,
Business Closures ,
Commercial Leases ,
Commercial Tenants ,
Contract Disputes ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Litigation ,
Event Cancellation ,
Fifth Amendment ,
Fourteenth Amendment ,
Health and Safety ,
Landlords ,
Refunds ,
Workplace Safety
This 12th edition of Unprecedented, our weekly update on COVID-19-related litigation brings new developments in labor and employment cases, consumer protection cases, and civil rights litigation. Price gouging and fraud for...more
6/22/2020
/ Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Litigation ,
Event Cancellation ,
Fraud ,
Loan Applications ,
Masks ,
Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) ,
Personal Protective Equipment ,
Price Gouging ,
Public Health ,
Refunds ,
Vendors
This 11th edition of Unprecedented, our weekly update on COVID-19-related litigation, identifies news reports placing the number of COVID-19 filings at around 2,700, with insurance coverage disputes former the single largest...more
6/16/2020
/ Business Interruption ,
Constitutional Challenges ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Cruise Ships ,
Elder Care ,
Emotional Distress Damages ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Litigation ,
Insurance Industry ,
Insurance Litigation ,
Multidistrict Litigation ,
Nursing Homes ,
Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) ,
Pharmaceutical Industry ,
Police Power ,
Prison ,
Prisoners ,
Public Health ,
State Constitutions ,
State Legislatures ,
Vaccinations ,
Wrongful Death
This tenth edition of Unprecedented, our weekly update on COVID-19-related litigation, finds us reporting fewer shutdown-related cases than in previous weeks, suggesting that these cases are winding down as the country opens...more
6/8/2020
/ Business Closures ,
Commercial Leases ,
Constitutional Challenges ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Litigation ,
Health and Safety ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Insurance Litigation ,
Masks ,
Multidistrict Litigation ,
Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) ,
Personal Protective Equipment ,
Prisoners ,
Rent ,
School Closures ,
State and Local Government
...In this edition of SuperVision, Chelsea Thompson explores new developments from the National Labor Relations Board regarding handbook policies and whether or not they comply with the National Labor Relations Act. Sarah...more
9/17/2018
/ Criminal Convictions ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Disability Benefits ,
Employee Handbooks ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) ,
Hiring & Firing ,
NLRA ,
NLRB ,
Reimbursements ,
Workers' Compensation Claim
As a result of troubling personal accounts of sexual harassment that have permeated coverage on national media outlets and our social media accounts during the past few months, employers may appropriately question whether...more
12/29/2017
/ Anti-Harassment Policies ,
Complaint Procedures ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Corporate Culture ,
Employee Training ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Policies ,
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) ,
Harassment ,
Risk Assessment ,
Sexual Harassment ,
Young Lawyers