The name—Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act—suggests something straight forward: Employers can’t order DNA tests for potential employees. And what employer in a right mind would be doing that in the first place? It’s expensive, after all.
New overtime rule set to go into effect on January 1, 2020
On September 24, 2019, the U.S. Department of Labor issued a final new rule about overtime exemptions. The new rule goes into effect on January 1, 2020, and will potentially make 1.3 million American workers eligible for overtime pay under the Fair L
Alabama adopts equal pay law
Alabama generally has a reputation as being very favorable to employers and less protective of employees. The state adheres to the at-will doctrine of employment law more adamantly than most other states.But that changed on June 10, 2019 when Governo
Sexual orientation discrimination goes to Supreme Court second time
Update on Bostock and Zarda: On April 22, 2019, the U.S. Supreme Court granted writs of certiorari for both of these cases. That means that the Supreme Court will give both cases a “full” appeal. We anticipate the court will issue a decision later th
New Overtime Rule 2.0 (2019)
On March 7, 2019, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) announced a proposed rule that would make more than a million American workers potentially eligible for overtime. This eligibility would come about by changing the threshold for salaries that trigg
Alabama law about firearms in the workplace
A business recently asked us about the Alabama firearms-in-the-workplace law, found at § 13A-11-90 of the Code of Alabama 1975. Concern about firearms in the workplace is certainly rational because of recent shootings at workplaces, as well as at pla
Jan
07
Oct
26
As the summer drew to a close, the EEOC continued to aggressively pursue claims of pregnancy discrimination, filing a total of eight lawsuits involving pregnancy-related discrimination in the month of September alone. These cases range from New Mexico to Georgia and include a wide variety of employers from a commercial moving company to a temporary staffing agency to a home healthcare provider. Despite these differences, however, a common thread throughout the cases is the consistent “no tolerance” position of the EEOC related to pregnancy discrimination. This policy prohibits discrimination based on (a) current pregnancies, (b) past pregnancies, (c) potential or intended pregnancies, and (d) medical conditions related to pregnancy or childbirth.
Oct
12
On September 11, 2015, the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) issued a final rule that prevents government contractors from having pay secrecy or confidentiality policies. Specifically, the rule prohibits discharging or otherwise discriminating against an employee or applicant because the employee or applicant inquired about, discussed, or disclosed the compensation of the employee or any other employee. But the rule allows contractors to require human resources personnel (who have access to employee compensation information as part of their job responsibilities) to keep such compensation information confidential.
Oct
05
Just in case you don’t think the U.S. Department of Labor is serious about going after misclassification of workers:
Sep
01
In an effort to attract and retain valuable employees, several large national companies are implementing updated leave policies to provide paid time off for employees who welcome a new child. The most recent news comes from Netflix, which announced its new policy of allowing full-time salaried employees in Netflix’s streaming division unlimited paid leave for a year following the birth or adoption of a child. Netflix’s announcement last month comes on the heels of several other companies who are providing paid time off to new parents.