In a decision issued on September 16, 2024, the United States Government Accountability Office (“GAO”) ruled that federal contracting rules do not prohibit government agencies from requiring contractors to enter into labor...more
On September 12, 2024, the Regional Director for Region 22 (Newark) filed a complaint against Planned Companies, a building maintenance and services provider based in New Jersey alleging that its use of no-poach agreements...more
On September 6, 2024, President Biden signed an Executive Order on Investing in America and Investing in American Workers (the “Order”), that, among other things, aims to provide “incentives for federally assisted projects...more
9/16/2024
/ Apprenticeships ,
Biden Administration ,
Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBA) ,
Executive Orders ,
Grants ,
Health and Safety ,
Loans ,
Productivity ,
Project Labor Agreements ,
Rebates ,
Retirement Plan ,
Training ,
Union Neutrality Mandate ,
Unions
On July 16, 2024, the National Labor Relations Board’s (“NLRB” or the “Board”) General Counsel, Jennifer Abruzzo, released GC Memorandum 24-05 to all field offices stating that the agency should continue “to aggressively seek...more
On October 28, 2021, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”) Chair Charlotte A. Burrows announced that the agency is launching an initiative to ensure that artificial intelligence (“AI”) used at all stages of the...more
On November 10, 2021, General Counsel Jennifer Abruzzo issued a memorandum outlining bargaining obligations under OSHA’s Emergency Temporary Standard to Protect Workers from Coronavirus (“ETS”). Responding to Inquiries...more
11/11/2021
/ Collective Bargaining ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Covered Employees ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employer Mandates ,
Infectious Diseases ,
New Rules ,
NLRA ,
NLRB ,
NLRB General Counsel ,
OSHA ,
Vaccinations ,
Virus Testing ,
Workplace Safety
Employers have increasingly embraced artificial intelligence (“AI”) in the workplace, using the technology to maximize efficiency in nearly every aspect of the employment relationship including hiring, performance management,...more
From pay equity to an increased minimum wage, pro-worker and pro-union labor policies, and additional anti-discrimination protections, President-elect Biden has touted support for numerous legislative and regulatory proposals...more
1/11/2021
/ ADEA ,
Anti-Discrimination Policies ,
Arbitration Agreements ,
Biden Administration ,
But For Causation ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Minimum Wage ,
NLRB ,
Pay Equity Laws ,
Title VII ,
Wage and Hour
On June 15, 2020, Senator Kamala Harris and Representatives Jackie Speier and Jamie Raskin introduced the COVID-19 Whistleblower Protection Act (the “Act”), which seeks to provide protections for employees who blow the...more
6/18/2020
/ Anti-Retaliation Provisions ,
Arbitration Agreements ,
CARES Act ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) ,
Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Protected Activity ,
Whistleblower Protection Policies ,
Whistleblowers
A federal judge recently held that researchers who violate a website’s terms of service by creating fake online accounts in order to study algorithmic bias in artificial intelligence software do not violate the Computer Fraud...more
4/15/2020
/ Age Discrimination ,
Algorithms ,
American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) ,
Artificial Intelligence ,
Bias ,
Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA) ,
Criminal Liability ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Fake Online Accounts ,
First Amendment ,
Policies and Procedures ,
Race Discrimination ,
Scientific Research ,
Sex Discrimination ,
Terms of Service
As previously discussed here, the use of artificial intelligence in the workplace has drawn scrutiny from regulatory bodies and activist groups who have expressed concern that such technology may not neutrally screen...more
3/11/2020
/ Artificial Intelligence ,
Audits ,
Bias ,
City Councils ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Job Applicants ,
Machine Learning ,
Notice Requirements ,
NYHRL ,
Proposed Legislation ,
State Regulators
2019 was a busy year for lawmakers across the nation, underscoring the need for employers to remain apprised of all the new laws that will be taking effect in 2020. Below we summarize some of the significant developments...more
12/27/2019
/ Anti-Discrimination Policies ,
Anti-Harassment Policies ,
Arbitration Agreements ,
Artificial Intelligence ,
Data Privacy ,
DFEH ,
Drug Testing ,
Employee Training ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Exemptions ,
Federal Arbitration Act ,
Gender Identity ,
Local Ordinance ,
Medical Marijuana ,
Non-Disclosure Agreement ,
Non-Disparagement Provisions ,
NYSHRL ,
Paid Leave ,
Preemption ,
Right to Privacy ,
Salary/Wage History ,
SCOTUS ,
Sexual Harassment ,
Sexual Orientation Discrimination ,
SHIELD Act ,
State Labor Laws ,
Statute of Limitations ,
Title VII
On September 25, 2019, a bipartisan group of U.S. Senators introduced the Whistleblower Programs Improvement Act (the “Act”), which would extend anti-retaliation protections under the Dodd-Frank Act to internal complaints....more
On July 19, 2019, the U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island granted an employer’s motion to dismiss a SOX whistleblower claim, holding that the Plaintiff—an in-house attorney—failed to allege sufficient facts...more
10/7/2019
/ Corporate Counsel ,
Federal Rule 12(b)(6) ,
FRCP 9(b) ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Misrepresentation ,
Motion to Dismiss ,
Pleading Standards ,
Protected Concerted Activity ,
Retaliation ,
Sarbanes-Oxley ,
Securities Violations ,
Termination ,
Whistleblowers
On July 18, 2019, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania granted a defendant-employer’s motion for summary judgment on a SOX whistleblower retaliation claim, holding that the Plaintiff did not have...more
8/7/2019
/ Corporate Counsel ,
Cybersecurity ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Internal Investigations ,
Retaliation ,
Sarbanes-Oxley ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Statute of Limitations ,
Summary Judgment ,
Termination ,
Whistleblowers
On July 2, 2019, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy signed into law the Jake Honig Compassionate Use Medical Cannabis Act (the “Act”), which amends the New Jersey Compassionate Use Medical Marijuana Act (“CUMMA”) to provide...more
Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont recently signed into law the Time’s Up Act (the “Act”), which amends existing state law to impose greater sexual harassment training and notice requirements on employers....more
On April 22, 2019, the Supreme Court granted certiorari in three cases that raise the question of whether Title VII prohibits discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. In two of the cases,...more
4/29/2019
/ Altitude Express Inc v Zarda ,
Appeals ,
Bostock v Clayton County Georgia ,
Certiorari ,
EEOC v RG & GR Harris Funeral Homes ,
Gender Identity ,
LGBTQ ,
SCOTUS ,
Sexual Orientation Discrimination ,
Split of Authority ,
Title VII ,
Transgender