As anyone involved in litigation will tell you, violations of labor laws have never been cheap. But they are now more expensive than ever. The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) recently increased penalties for a variety of violations, which became effective on January 2, 2018.
More about the Biden vaccine mandate
Several weeks ago, I suggested that you stay tuned for the latest developments—that we wouldn’t know much about the Biden vaccine mandate until we had actually read any Presidential executive orders. Well, we can now read two of these: Presidential e
Update on worker classification: employee or independent contractor?
On May 6, 2021, the U.S. Department of Labor announced a final rule withdrawing the Trump independent contractor rule. In the waning days of the Trump Administration, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) issued a new final regulation about classifying
New mandatory minimum wage required for Government contractors
On April 27, 2021, President Joe Biden signed an executive order requiring Federal Government contractors to pay at least $15 an hour to certain employees. The order will go into effect on January 30, 2022. Before the order will go into effect, the U
Religious rights trump transgender rights
Update on EEOC v. Harris Funeral Homes, Inc.: On June 15, 2020, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a decision involving in this case. The court held that an employer who fires a person merely for being gay or transgender violates Title VII. On August 18,
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08
Oct
12
As the latest news cycle reminds us, sexual harassment continues to plague American workplaces. In addition to affecting leadership confidence, employee morale, and public opinion, claims of sexual harassment carry with them another negative: Litigating sexual harassment claims is expensive.
Oct
05
On June 1, 2017, the U.S. Second Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed a decision of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) about an employer rule barring employees from making recordings without prior approval.
Sep
22
Update on Bostock and Zarda: On June 15, 2020, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a decision involving the Bostick, Zarda, and Harris Funeral Homes cases. The court held that an employer who fires a person merely for being gay or transgender violates Title VII. The Harris Funeral Homes is discussed in another blog post. |
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20
| Update: On October 30, 2017, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) filed a notice to appeal this decision to the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. Once this appeal is docketed, the DOL will file a motion to hold the appeal in abeyance while the department undertakes further rulemaking to determine what the salary level should be. |
The Obama Administration issued new regulations about overtime that were to take effect on December 1, 2016. Just before they were to take effect, a U.S. district court in Texas enjoined the regulations. So since about December 1, 2016, employers have been in legal limbo about what’s going to happen.