
Showing 13 posts by Thaddeus A. Harrell.
Political and Social Activism Surges in the Workplace: Five Issues for Employers to Consider
Six months into a global pandemic, employers across the United States continue to confront a series of new economic realities. One particular phenomenon employers are having to deal with is a surge of political and social activism in the workplace. Individuals across the country are voicing opinions in what can only be described as a highly polarized political environment. Many employees are expressing their viewpoints both on social media and in the workplace, and it is unreasonable to expect these conversations will not happen during working hours. More ›
DOL Provides Guidance on Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation Program
Over the past three weeks, 16 million unemployment claims have been filed, and more are on the horizon. As questions and concerns surrounding unemployment benefits continue, so does guidance from the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL). In a recent Unemployment Insurance Program Letter (UIPL), the DOL's Employment and Training Administration (ETA) provided further clarification concerning the Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC) program. The PEUC has left employers wondering whether or not their respective state—or the federal government—will require repayment of the benefits provided under the PEUC. More ›
DOL Issues OSHA Information to Help Reduce Coronavirus Exposure in the Workplace
The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has issued a new poster—available in English or Spanish—which lists steps workplaces can take to reduce their risks of coronavirus exposure. This release is the latest effort by OSHA to educate and protect America's workers and employers during the pandemic. We outline their recommended infection prevention measures highlighted in the poster below. More ›
DOL Clarifies Unemployment Benefits in New Letters
Over the last few weeks, employers across the county have had to grapple with an onslaught of new legislation at both the state and federal level. As part of its implementation of the new federal employment law mandates, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has provided two new Unemployment Insurance Program Letters (UIPL) concerning unemployment benefits. We explore the DOL's guidance below. More ›
Eleventh Circuit Clarifies Legal Standard in Evaluating Similarly Situated Individuals
For years, advocates in the Eleventh Circuit have expressed confusion over the term "similarly situated" when addressing claims of discrimination under the McDonnell Douglas burden-shifting analysis. In a rare move, the Eleventh Circuit sought to clear up "the mess" it had created through prior circuit court decisions. As a result of the Court's findings, employers—particularly those in Alabama, Georgia, and Florida—will have more clarity when evaluating possible discrimination claims. More ›
U.S. Supreme Court Puts the Brakes on Mandatory Arbitration, Holds Transportation Workers Exempt from the Federal Arbitration Act
The United States Supreme Court recently handed workers a rare victory in New Prime Inc. v. Oliveira. The Supreme Court ruled that transportation workers engaged in interstate commerce—including those labeled as independent contractors—are exempt from the Federal Arbitration Act (FAA) and thus cannot be compelled to undergo mandatory arbitration. As a result of this decision, employers in the transportation industry will have to review their existing arbitration policies and assess whether or not they comply with applicable local, state, and federal laws. More ›
Trust the Process: Relying on Existing Law or Policy is not an ADA Defense Says Third Circuit
Many times, employers evaluate disability claims by simply checking the boxes. It’s easy to develop tunnel vision, especially when the employer feels the issue is narrowly defined by an existing law or policy, e.g., a law or employer policy requiring that certain employees be vaccinated. However, this narrow frame of mind may cause employers to miss the complete picture. A recent 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals (DE, NJ, PA) decision illustrates the consequences of missing the big picture. In Ruggiero v. Mount Nittany Medical Center, the court addressed the interplay between a hospital’s vaccination policy and the ADA, holding held an employee’s ADA claim could proceed because the hospital failed to engage in the interactive process. The Court held the hospital had a duty to engage in the process once aware of her disability and request for accommodation, regardless of its policy requiring that all employees be vaccinated. More ›
In Victory for Employers, NLRB Overrules Browning-Ferris Joint Employment Test
On December 14, 2017, the National Labor Relations Board (Board) overruled the standard for joint employment set forth in Browning-Ferris and returned to longstanding, prior principles governing the determination of joint-employer status. With a new majority, the Board held “joint-employer status shall once again require proof that putative joint employer entities have exercised joint control over essential employment terms (rather than merely having “reserved” the right to exercise control); the control must be “direct and immediate” (rather than indirect), and joint-employer status will not result from control that is “limited and routine.” The Board made clear it intended to align the determination of joint-employer status with the holdings of numerous federal and state courts. Although finding Browning-Ferris well-intentioned, the Board identified five fundamental flaws that warranted reversal. The Board’s decision is being widely viewed as a victory for employers as it removes ambiguities related to control and clarifies the standard for determining joint employment. More ›
Florida Increasing State Minimum Wage by Two Percent
While advocates across the country continue to demand states increase their minimum wage to $15.00 per hour, Florida decided to forgo large scale reform and increase its minimum wage by only two percent. Effective January 1, 2018, Florida’s minimum wage will increase by 15 cents from $8.10 to $8.25 per hour. Florida’s minimum wage for tipped employees will also increase by 15 cents from $5.08 to $5.23 per hour. To put this in perspective, a year earlier, Florida increased its minimum wage by five cents from $8.05 to $8.10 per hour, while tipped employees received an increase from $5.03 to $5.08 per hour. More ›
EEOC Issues New Guidance on National Origin Discrimination
On November 21, 2016, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) issued new enforcement guidelines regarding national origin discrimination. Since 2002, the EEOC has observed significant legal developments addressing national origin discrimination, warranting the need to replace its earlier guidelines. In 2015, approximately 11 percent of the 89,385 private sector charges filed with EEOC alleged national origin discrimination. These charges included unlawful failures to hire, unlawful terminations, harassment and language-related policies. More ›
Topics
- #12Days
- #MeToo
- 100% Healed Policy
- 2015 Inflation Adjustment Act
- 24-Hour Shifts
- Abuse
- ACA
- Accommodation
- ADA
- ADAAA
- ADEA
- Administrative Exemption
- Administrative Warrant
- Adverse Employment Action
- Affirmative Action
- Affordable Care Act
- Age Discrimination
- Age-Based Harassment
- AHCA
- Aiding and Abetting
- AMD
- American Arbitration Association
- American Health Care Act
- Americans with Disabilities Act
- Amusement Parks
- Anti-Discrimination Policy
- Anti-Harassment
- Anti-Harassment Policy
- Anti-Retaliation Rule
- Anxiety
- Arbitration
- Arbitration Agreement
- Arbitration Fees
- Arrest Record
- At-Will Employment
- Attorney Fees
- Attorney General Guidance
- Audit
- Automobile Sales Exemption
- Baby Boomers
- Back Pay
- Background Checks
- Ban the Box
- Bankruptcy
- Bankruptcy Code
- Bargaining
- Bargaining Unit
- Baseball
- Benefits
- Bereavement
- Biden Administration
- Biometric Information
- Biometric Information Privacy Act
- Black Lives Matter
- Blocking Charge Policy
- Blue Pencil Doctrine
- Board of Directors
- Borello Test
- Breastfeeding
- Browning-Ferris
- Burden of Proof
- Burden Shifting
- But-For Causation
- Cal/OSHA
- California
- California Consumer Privacy Act
- California Court of Appeal
- California Department of Fair Employment and Housing
- California Division of Labor Standards Enforcement
- California Fair Employment and Housing Act
- California Family Rights Act
- California Labor Code
- California Legislature
- California Minimum Wage
- California Senate Bill 826
- California Supreme Court
- CARES Act
- Case Updates
- Cat's Paw
- CCPA
- CDC
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- CFAA
- Chicago Minimum Wage
- Child Labor Laws
- Childbirth
- Choice of Law
- Church Plans
- Circuit Split
- City of Los Angeles CA Minimum Wage
- Civil Penalties
- Civil Rights
- Civil Rights Act
- Claim for Compensation
- Class Action
- Class Action Waiver
- Class Arbitration
- Class Certification
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- Code of Conduct
- Collective Action
- Collective Bargaining
- Collective Bargaining Agreements
- Collective Bargaining Freedom Act
- Committee on Special Education
- common law
- Commuting Time
- Comparable Work
- Compensable Time
- Compensation History
- Complaints
- Compliance Audit
- Computer Exemption
- Confidential Information
- Confidentiality Agreement
- Constructive Discharge
- Consular Report of Birth Abroad
- Contraception Services
- Contraceptive
- Contracts Clause
- Conviction Record
- Convincing Mosaic
- Cook County
- Cook County Minimum Wage
- Coronavirus
- Corporate Board
- COVID-19
- Criminal Conviction
- Criminal History
- CSE
- Customer Service
- D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals
- DACA
- Damages
- Deadline Extension
- Defamation
- Defendant Trade Secrets Act of 2016
- Delaware
- Department of Homeland Security
- Department of Economic Opportunity
- Department of Industrial Relations
- Department of Justice
- Department of Workforce Development
- Designation Notice
- DFEH
- Direct and Immediate
- Disability
- Disability and Medical Leave
- Disability Discrimination
- Disability-Based Harassment
- Disciplinary Decisions
- Discrimination
- Disparaging
- Disparate Impact
- Disparate Treatment
- District of Columbia
- Diversity
- Diversity Policy
- Documentation
- Dodd-Frank
- Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act
- DOJ
- DOL
- Domestic Violence
- DOT
- Drug Free Workplace Act
- Drug Free Workplace Policies
- Drug Testing
- Dues
- Duluth
- DWD
- E-Verify
- EAP Exemption
- Earned Sick and Safe time
- Eavesdropping
- Education
- EEO Laws
- EEO-1
- EEOC
- Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals
- El Cerrito CA Minimum Wage
- Election
- Electronic Communication Policy
- Electronic Communications
- Electronic Reporting
- Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals
- Emeryville CA Minimum Wage
- Emotional Distress
- Employee
- Employee Benefits
- Employee Handbook
- Employee Information
- Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974
- Employee Termination
- Employer
- Employer Health Care Plans
- Employer Mandate
- Employer Policies
- Employer Policy
- Employer Sponsored
- Employer-Employee Relationship
- Employer-Sponsored Visas
- Employment
- Employment and Training Administration
- Employment Contract
- Employment Verification
- Enterprise Coverage
- EPA
- Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
- Equal Pay Act
- Equal Pay for Equal Work
- Equal Protection
- Equality
- ERISA
- Essential Employment Terms
- Essential Functions
- ESST
- Ethnic Equality
- Evidentiary Burdens
- Exclusive Remedy
- Executive Exemption
- Executive Order
- Exempt Employee
- Exempt Status
- Exemption
- Experience
- Expert
- Expression of Milk
- Extreme or Outrageous
- FAA
- Failure to Accomodate
- Fair Credit Reporting Act
- Fair Employment and Housing Act
- Fair Labor Standards Act
- Fair Pay
- Fair Reading
- Fair Workweek Law
- Fair Workweek laws
- Families First Coronavirus Response Act
- Family and Medical Leave
- Family and Medical Leave Act
- family planning
- Fast Food
- FCRA
- FDA
- Federal
- Federal Arbitration Act
- Federal Drug Administration
- Federal Government
- Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation
- Federal Register
- Fee Disputes
- FEHA
- fertility
- FFCRA
- Fiduciary
- Fiduciary Duty
- Fiduciary Rule
- Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals
- Final Rule
- Fines
- fingerprints
- First Amendment
- First Circuit Court of Appeals
- Flexible Spending Accounts
- Florida
- Florida Civil Rights Act
- Florida's Private Whistleblower Act
- FLSA
- FLSA Exemptions
- Flu Shot
- Fluctuating Workweek
- FMCSA
- FMLA
- FMLA Abuse
- FMLA Interference
- Form 300A
- Forum-Selection Clause
- Fourteenth Amendment
- Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals
- Franchisee
- Franchising
- Franchisor
- Fraud
- Freedom of Speech
- FSA
- Full-time hours
- garden leave clause
- Gay Rights
- Gender Bias
- Gender Discrimination
- Gender Equality
- Gender Identity
- Gender Identity Discrimination
- Gender Identity-Based Harassment
- Gender Nonconformity
- Generation Z
- Generational Conflict
- Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act
- Georgia
- Gig Economy
- Gig Worker
- Good Faith
- Graduate Students
- Grievances
- Grocers
- Gross
- H-1B
- Hair Discrimination
- Handicap Discrimination
- Harassment
- Hawkins-Slater Medical Marijuana Act
- Health Care
- Health Care Employers
- Health Care Provider
- Health Insurance
- HHS
- Highly Compensated Employees
- HIPAA
- Hiring
- Hiring Policy
- Hiring Practices
- HIV
- Hostile Work Environment
- Hour Tracking
- Hours Worked
- HR
- Human Trafficking
- Hybrand
- I-9
- IDHR
- IEP
- IHRA
- Illinois
- Illinois Department of Human Rights
- Illinois Human Rights Act
- Illinois Minimum Wage Law
- Illinois Nursing Mothers in the Workplace Act
- Illinois One Day Off In Seven Act
- Illinois Supreme Court
- Illinois Workplace Transparency Act
- Immigration
- Impaired
- Impairment
- Incentives
- inclusion
- Income Tax
- Independent Contractors
- Indiana
- Indiana Supreme Court
- Individualized Education Program
- informed consent
- Injuctive Relief
- Injunction
- Injuries
- Injury and Illness Reporting
- Interactive Process
- Interference
- Intermittent Leave
- Internal Applicants
- Internal Complaints
- Internal Revenue Service
- Interns
- Internships
- Investigation
- Iraq
- Iris Scans
- IRS
- IRS Notice 1036
- ISERRA
- IWTA
- janitorial
- Jefferson Standard
- Job Applicant
- Job Applicant Information
- Job Classification
- Job Classification Audit
- Job Descriptions
- Joint Control
- Joint Employer Relationship
- Joint Employer Test
- Joint Employers
- Joint Employment
- Judicial Estoppel
- LAB s. 226.2
- Labor and Employment
- Labor Code
- Labor Dispute
- Labor Organizing
- Lactation Accommodations
- Lactation Policies
- Las Vegas
- lateral transfer
- Layoff
- Leased Employee
- Leave
- Ledbetter Act
- Legislation
- LGBTQ
- LGBTQ Rights
- LMRA
- Loan Forgiveness
- Local Ordinance
- Los Angeles County CA Minimum Wage
- Loss of Consortium
- M.G.L. Chapter 151B
- Major League Baseball
- major life activity
- Malibu CA Minimum Wage
- Mandatory
- Mandatory Arbitration
- Mandatory Reporting
- Manufacturers
- Marijuana
- Marital Discrimination
- Maryland Minimum Wage
- Massachusetts
- Massachusetts Equal Pay Act
- Massachusetts Pregnant Workers Fairness Act
- Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court
- Massachusetts Wage Act
- Maternity Leave
- McDonnell Douglas
- Meal & Rest Break
- Meal Breaks
- Meal Period
- Media Mention
- Medical Condition
- Medical Examination
- Medical History
- Medical Marijuana
- MEPA
- MHRA
- Michigan
- Micro-Units
- Military
- Military Duty
- Millennials
- Milpitas CA Minimum Wage
- Minimum Wage
- Ministerial Exception
- Minneapolis Minimum Wage
- Minneapolis Sick and Safe Time ordinance
- Minneapolis, Minnesota
- Minnesota
- Minnesota Court of Appeals
- Minnesota Human Rights Act
- Minor Employees
- Minors
- Misappropriation
- Misclassification
- Missouri
- MLB
- Montana Human Rights Act
- Montgomery County Maryland Minimum Wage
- Municipalities
- Narrow Construction
- National Football League
- National Labor Relations Act
- National Labor Relations Board
- National Origin Discrimination
- Natural Hair
- Nebraska
- Negligence
- Neutrality Agreement
- New Jersey
- New Jersey Compassionate Use Medical Marijuana Act
- New Jersey Law Against Discrimination
- New Moms
- New York
- New York Average Weekly Wage
- New York City
- New York City Human Rights Law
- New York Labor Law
- New York Legislation
- New York Paid Family Leave
- New York State Human Rights Law
- News
- NFL
- Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals
- NJ DOL
- NJ Paid Sick Leave Law
- NJLAD
- NLRA
- NLRB
- No Rehire Provisions
- Non-Compete
- Non-Employee Union Agents
- Non-Supervisory Employees
- Noncompetition Agreement
- Nondiscretionary Bonuses
- nonproductive time
- Notice
- Notice of Proposed Rule Making
- NPRM
- Nursing Mothers
- NY State Department of Taxation
- NYSHRL
- Obama Administration
- ObamaCare
- Obesity
- Objectively Offensive
- Occupational Safety and Health Administration
- OFCCP
- Off-Duty Rest
- Off-the-Clock
- Office of Management and Budget
- Ohio
- Ok Boomer
- Oklahoma
- Older Workers
- OMB
- On-Call Scheduling
- Only When Rule
- Opinion
- Opinion Letter
- Opioid Epidemic
- Opposition
- Oregon Minimum Wage
- Organ Donation
- OSH Act
- OSHA
- Other-than-Serious Violation
- Outside Applicants
- Outside Sales Exemption
- Overtime
- Paid Leave
- Paid Sick Leave
- Paid Sick Leave Law
- Paid Time Off
- Pandemic Unemployment Assistance
- Parental Leave
- part-time hours
- Partnership
- Pasadena CA Minimum Wage
- Patient Protection and Affordable Health Care Act of 2009
- Pay Data
- Pay Equity
- Pay Gap
- Pay History
- Pay Inquiries
- Paycheck Protection Program
- Payroll
- Payroll Taxes
- PDA
- Penalties
- Pennsylvania
- Pennsylvania Minimum Wage Act
- Pennsylvania Wage Payment and Collection Law
- Pension
- Pension Benefit Guarantee Corporation
- Pension Plans
- Pensions
- Perceived Disability
- Permanent Replacement Employees
- Personal Protective Equipment
- Personnel Record
- PFL
- Physiological Condition
- Picket
- Piece-rate
- Policies
- Policy
- Political Affiliation
- Political Discrimination
- Political Speech
- Politics
- Polygraph
- Portland Maine Minimum Wage
- Posting Requirements
- PPE
- Preemption
- Pregnancy Discrimination
- Pregnancy Discrimination Act
- Pregnant Worker Protections
- Premium Wage
- Prescriptions
- President Obama
- Presidential Election
- Pretext
- Preventative Care
- Privacy
- Private Colleges and Universities
- Private Employers
- Private Property
- Professional Exemption
- Property Rights
- Proposed Rulemaking
- Protected Activity
- Protected Class
- Protected Concerted Activity
- Protected Speech
- PTO
- PTSD
- Public Employers
- Public Records
- Publicly-Held Corporations
- Punitive Damages
- qualified individual
- Qualifying Exigency
- Quid Pro Quo
- Racial Discrimination
- Racial Equality
- Racial Harassment
- Reasonable Accomodation
- Rebuttable Presumption
- Recess Appointment
- Reduction in Force
- Regarded As
- Rehabilitation Act
- Religion
- Religious Discrimination
- Religiously Affiliated Employers
- Removal
- Reporting
- Reporting Time Pay
- Reproductive Health
- Republican
- Request for Information
- Respondeat Superior
- Rest Breaks
- Rest Period
- Restaurants
- Restrictions
- Retail
- Retaliation
- retaliatory termination
- Retina Scans
- Rhode Island
- RICO
- RIF
- Right to Control
- Right-to-Work
- Rounding Policy
- Safety Programs
- Salaried Employees
- Salary History
- Salary Inquiries
- Salary Inquiry
- Salary Test
- San Francisco CA Minimum Wage
- San Francisco Parity in Pay Ordinance
- San Leandro CA Minimum Wage
- Santa Monica CA Minimum Wage
- Sarbanes-Oxley Act
- SCOTUS
- Seasonal Workers
- SEC
- Second Circuit Court of Appeals
- Secretary of Labor
- Secretary Solis
- Section 7
- Section 7 of the National Labor Relations Act
- Section 8
- Securities & Exchange Commission
- Securities Fraud
- Self Evaluations
- Seperation
- Serious Health Condition
- Serious Violation
- Settlement Agreement
- Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals
- Severance
- Severe and Pervasive
- Sex Discrimination
- Sex Stereotyping
- Sex-Based Harassment
- sexual and reproductive health decisions
- Sexual Assault
- Sexual Harassment
- Sexual Orientation Discrimination
- Sexual Orientation-Based Harassment
- Shameless
- Short-Term Disability
- Sick Leave
- Similarly Situated
- Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals
- Social Media
- Social Media Policy
- Social Security
- South Dakota
- SOX
- Split Shift Pay
- SSA
- St. Paul Sick and Safe Time Ordinance
- St. Paul, Minnesota
- Stalking
- State Government
- Statute of Limitations
- Statutory Exemption
- STD prevention
- Stock
- Street Trade Permits
- strike
- Student Loans
- Students
- Subjectively Offensive
- Subpoena
- Substantial Relationship
- Successor Liability
- Supervisor Reassignment
- Supervisors
- Supervisory Employees
- Supplemental Wages
- Supreme Court of the United States
- Tax
- Tax Credits
- Tax Cuts and Jobs Act
- Tax Implications
- Tax Reform Act
- Teenage Labor
- Temporary Employee
- Temporary Help Agency
- Temporary Rule
- Temporary Schedule Change
- Temporary Workers
- Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals
- Termination
- Texas
- Texting
- Third Circuit Court of Appeals
- Time Clock
- Time Records
- Tipped workers
- Title IX
- Title VII
- Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964
- Tort Liability
- Trade Secrets
- Training
- Trans
- Transgender Rights
- Transitioning
- Transportation Industry
- Travel Time
- Trial
- Trump
- Trump Administration
- U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
- U.S. Department of Labor
- Undergraduate Students
- Underrepresented Community
- Undocumented Workers
- Undue Hardship
- Unemployment
- Unemployment Benefits
- Unemployment Insurance Program Letter
- Unfair Labor Practice
- Union Dues
- Union Organizing
- Union Relations Privilege
- Unions
- Unit Clarification Petition
- Unlawful Employment Practice
- Unpaid Leave
- Unpaid Wages
- USCIS
- USERRA
- vacation
- Vacation Accrual
- Vacation Pay
- Vacation Policy
- Vaccination
- Vaccine Requirement
- VEBA
- Verdict
- Vested Rights
- Vicarious Liability
- Victims
- Violent Crime
- Virginia
- Voluntary
- Volunteer Programs
- Volunteering
- Volunteers
- Wage and Hour
- Wage Order 7
- Wage Order 9
- Wages
- Waiting Period
- Webinar
- Wellness
- Wellness Program Incentives
- Wellness Programs
- WFEA
- Whistleblower
- White House
- Willful and Repeat
- Wis. Stat. ch. 102
- Wisconsin
- Wisconsin Court of Appeals
- Wisconsin Fair Employment Act
- Wisconsin's Wage Payment and Collection Laws
- Withdrawal Liability
- Withholdings
- Witness Statements
- Work Permits
- Work Restriction
- Work Schedules
- Worker Classification
- Workers' Compensation
- Workplace Bullying
- Workplace Discrimination
- Workplace Disputes
- Workplace Injury
- Workplace Injury Reporting
- Workplace Policies
- Workplace Rules
- Workplace Safety
- Workplace Training
- Wright Line
- written release procedures
- Wrongful Termination