The Chartwell Chronicles: Employment Law
Managing the Size and Structure of Your Post-Pandemic Workforce
#WorkforceWednesday: OSHA ETS on Hold, Retaliation Claims Increase, "Vaccination Ambassadors" - Employment Law This Week®
On December 13, 2023, an Eleventh Circuit panel firmly established “but-for” causation as the Circuit’s causation standard for Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) retaliation claims. Courts across the nation have adopted...more
Company Owner Repeatedly Claimed Women Do Not Belong in the Building Trades and Sexually Harassed Female Employees for Years, Federal Agency Charged - SEATTLE — Spokane Valley-based HVAC contractor Air Control Heating &...more
On March 11, 2022, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit affirmed summary judgment, dismissing a Texas city employee’s claim that he had been unlawfully terminated from his job because of his age. The Fifth...more
For the past several years, companies have been focused on creating and executing meaningful diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) programs to address the multi-faceted challenges—and opportunities—of diversifying their...more
Similar to 2019, in 2021, the Nevada Legislature passed several bills implicating employment issues for both private and public employers. High level summaries of the relevant provisions of these bills and their effective...more
On April 1, 2021, Houston Methodist Hospital announced that all of its employees would be required to be vaccinated against COVID-19 by June 7, 2021, but that it would provide accommodations to any employee with disability...more
Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act prohibits retaliation against employees because they either oppose discriminatory actions (the "Opposition Clause") or because of their participation in an investigation, proceeding, or...more
On May 28, 2021, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”) issued updated guidance regarding workplace COVID-19 vaccination policies and employee accommodations (the “Updated Guidance”). Among other issues, the...more
Warmington v. Board of Regents of the Univ. of Minnesota U.S. Dist. Ct., D. Minn. (April 21, 2020) - PROCEDURAL HISTORY: Warmington, a highly accomplished and nationally recognized track and field coach, resigned in...more
Yes, an employer can implement a mandatory COVID-19 vaccination policy, subject to some conditions and exceptions. A mandatory vaccine policy must be job-related, consistent with business necessity or justified by a direct...more
Key Points •The ministerial exception protects religious employers from government interference in internal employment disputes involving the selection, supervision, and removal of individuals who play an important role...more
On July 8, 2020, in a 7–2 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court in Our Lady of Guadalupe School v. Morrissey-Berru expanded the “ministerial exception,” which allows religious organizations to avoid federal anti-discrimination...more
In Our Lady of Guadalupe School v. Morrissey-Berru, 591 U.S. ___, 2020 WL 3808420 (2020) (“Morrissey-Berru”), the United States Supreme Court provided further guidance on the application of the “ministerial exception,” which...more
On March 31, 2020, the Third Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed the District Court’s dismissal of discrimination, retaliation, and wrongful termination claims filed by an ex-accountant of a local board of health. In Petti v....more
Seyfarth Synopsis: Vaccinations have been widely debated over the past few years, leaving employers unclear about their obligations to accommodate employees whose religious beliefs conflict with them. Recently the U.S. Court...more
Seyfarth Synopsis: The third key trend from our 16th Annual Workplace Class Action Litigation Report involves governmental enforcement litigation, including an overview of priorities and filings by the EEOC, the U.S....more
Glynn v. Superior Court, 42 Cal. App. 5th 47 (2019) - John Glynn worked as a pharmaceutical sales representative before he commenced a medical leave of absence for a serious eye condition (myopic macular degeneration)....more
Los Angeles-Based Service Fired Cleaner Because She Wasn't Fluent in English, Federal Agency Charges - BALTIMORE - Blackstone Consulting Inc, which provides environmental, facilities management and other services to...more
Pregnant Nursing Assistants Were Denied Accommodations and Fired, Agency Charged - CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Century Care of Laurinburg, Inc. d/b/a Scottish Pines Rehabilitation & Nursing Center (Scottish Pines), a North Carolina...more
Nationwide Shoe Retailer Unfairly Disciplined and Terminated a Black Assistant Manager, Federal Agency Charged - CLEVELAND- DSW Shoe Warehouse Inc., a nationwide shoe retailer headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, will pay...more
October 7, 2019 marked the beginning of a new U.S. Supreme Court term. One significant employment law matter the Court is expected to rule on has to do with lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (“LGBT”) rights. In a trio of...more
Seyfarth Synopsis: On October 8th, the Supreme Court heard oral argument in a trio of cases that may decide whether Title VII prohibits discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. In much of the...more
This month's key California employment law cases involve EEOC charges, disability discrimination, and meal breaks....more
Software Company Fired Employee for Perceived Disability, Federal Agency Charged - RALEIGH, N.C. - SoftPro, LLC, a Delaware software company headquartered in Raleigh, N.C., will pay $80,000 and provide other relief to...more