Employers often want to be sure that departing employees won’t disclose confidential business information or make disparaging remarks about the company, and therefore include such obligations in severance agreements. But there are risks, unless the provisions are carefully tailored to account for recent legal developments. For example, in Baylor Univ. Med. Ctr., an Administrative Law … Continue Reading
“Have you been injured?” No longer just a query for auto accident victims, plaintiffs must increasingly be able to answer “yes” to that question before bringing suits for violations of statutory rights. Once upon a time, a technical violation was enough. However, following the Supreme Court’s decision in Spokeo v. Robbins (2016), courts have been increasingly … Continue Reading
Recent events have underscored the difficulties employers face in managing diverse workforces in which employees hold a wide-range of political perspectives. The mere discussion of the news of the day can create divisive conflicts, especially since some employees might feel emboldened to express views once thought to be offensive or taboo, while others, in turn, … Continue Reading
A Republican proposal to allow private employers to offer employees compensatory time off in lieu of paying overtime at time–and–a–half their regular rate has been approved by the U.S. House of Representatives and next moves to the Senate for consideration. The “Working Families Flexibility Act of 2017’’ (H.R. 1180) would amend the Fair Labor Standards Act … Continue Reading
Employees who don’t want to disclose genetic information about themselves and their families to their employers may have to pay a stiff price for that privacy in the future. The Preserving Employee Wellness Programs Act (H.R. 1313), a GOP-sponsored bill currently under consideration in Congress, could dismantle the employee privacy protections of the Genetic Information … Continue Reading
As we observed (here), the heated tone of the recent presidential election poses unprecedented challenges for employers attempting to manage employee interactions in the workplace, especially when issues related to immigration and national origin inevitably come up. Right on cue, on November 21, 2016, the EEOC, emphasizing the rising numbers of immigrant workers in many … Continue Reading
Ironically, giving employees the right to decline to resolve their employment claims in binding arbitration may actually help employers enforce arbitration agreements in some parts of the country.… Continue Reading
Employers in Florida, Georgia, and Alabama should adjust their analysis of discrimination claims in light of a recent court decision that changes the legal standard for employers seeking early dismissal of discrimination cases. Previously, employee claims based on circumstantial evidence were evaluated under a burden-shifting framework. An employer could win summary judgment before trial by … Continue Reading
Most employers know that various employment laws prohibit retaliation against employees who engage in protected activity, such as those who complain of discrimination, report purportedly unlawful conduct, or support fellow employees’ charges of similar conduct. What fewer employers may realize is that legal prohibitions on retaliation may, in some circumstances, extend beyond employees’ actual employment. … Continue Reading
It should come as no surprise to New York employers that making an employment decision based on an applicant or employee’s criminal background can be unlawful.See N.Y. Corr. Law § 752; see also N.Y. Exec. Law § 296 (15). Despite this general prohibition, there are two statutory carve outs which permit employers to make such a decision: (1) … Continue Reading
