Showing 3 posts from July 2023.

New York is Nearing a Ban on Non-Compete Agreements

On June 20, 2023, the New York State Legislature voted to pass a bill that will ban almost all non-compete agreements. Currently awaiting Governor Kathy Hochul's signature, the bill prohibits an "employer or its agent, or the officer or agent of any corporation, partnership, limited liability company, or other entity" from seeking, requiring, demanding or accepting a non-compete agreement from a covered individual. Additionally, the bill voids "every contract by which anyone is restrained from engaging in a lawful profession, trade or business of any kind." More ›

SCOTUS Strikes Down Affirmative Action in College Admissions as Unconstitutional, Raising Questions About the Impact on Employment Policies

On June 29, 2023, the U.S. Supreme Court, in a 6-3 decision, held that the race-conscious admissions systems used by Harvard College (Harvard) and the University of North Carolina (UNC) are unconstitutional, prohibiting the consideration of an applicant's race when making an admission decision. The practice of considering an applicant's race when making an admission decision had previously been recognized by the court as lawful for 45 years. More ›

U.S. Supreme Court Issues Ground-Breaking Decision on Religious Accommodations in the Workplace

On June 29, 2023, the U.S. Supreme Court issued Groff v. Dejoy, a ground-breaking decision that changes a long-recognized standard for religious accommodations in the workplace. This new interpretation effectively expands an employer's obligation to provide religious accommodations. For years, appellate courts recognized an employer's authority to reject a religious accommodation merely by showing it creates a de minimus burden on the employer or co-workers. With this decision, the Court rejected the routine application of the de minimus standard in favor of one where the employer must show the "accommodation would result in substantial increased costs in relation to the conduct of its particular business" if rejected. Now an employer must make an individualized assessment as to the impact of the accommodation, taking into account the employer’s nature, size, and resources. Even where the requested accommodation would result in substantially increased costs, the employer is obligated to evaluate the feasibility of alternative accommodations. More ›