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Employment Law

Small employers in EEOC’s crosshairs: Ensure owners understand age-bias rules

03/08/2024
If you’re an HR professional working for a small business, make sure all employees—including senior executives and the company’s owner—understand they can’t discriminate against older workers or harass them because of their age. The EEOC expects HR pros to speak truth to power by educating everyone on acceptable behavior.

Lawsuits seek to block enforcement of DOL’s final worker-classification rule

03/08/2024
Opponents of the Department of Labor’s newly final worker-classification rule have filed at least four lawsuits seeking to prevent enforcement of the rule when it takes effect on March 11.

DOL overtime rule advances to last step before becoming final

03/08/2024
The Department of Labor’s rule expanding access to overtime pay for an additional 3.6 million exempt employees is now under review by the Office of Management and Budget, the last step in the regulatory process before a final rule is issued.

PWFA enforcement halted in Texas

03/04/2024
A federal judge has ordered the federal government not to enforce the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act in Texas after the state government filed a lawsuit contesting how the law was passed.

Double-dip: Beware this new employee lawsuit tactic

03/04/2024
The EEOC complaint process gives employers a chance to investigate allegations and resolve the problem if possible. It also allows the opportunity to see what evidence the employee has and seek a settlement if the facts warrant it. But some aggressive plaintiffs’ attorneys have adopted a new litigation tactic—simultaneously filing both an EEOC complaint and a separate federal lawsuit alleging other related claims.

PUMP Act suit against McDonald’s shows cost of ignoring the law

03/01/2024
A group of new mothers have brought one of the first PUMP Act class-action lawsuits. The case illustrates the legal folly of cutting corners on PUMP Act compliance.

Judge: NLRB joint-employer rule won’t go into effect until March 11 at the earliest

03/01/2024
A federal judge has put the National Labor Relations Board’s new joint-employer rule on hold until at least March 11. Reason: The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has sued to permanently strike down the rule. U.S. District Court Judge J. Campbell Barker of the Eastern District of Texas said he needed more time to consider the merits of the lawsuit.

Lessen liability by quickly addressing sexual harassment

02/23/2024
Just having a policy that prohibits sexual harassment can prevent harassment from occurring. Most employers also make it easy for employees to report harassment they experience or witness.

Washington Watch: NLRB, OSHA in the news

02/23/2024
A constitutionality argument against the NLRB and OSHA’s new walkaround rule.

Pregnant Workers Fairness Act adds intermittent-leave challenges

02/23/2024
The PWFA lets pregnant employees take a new, albeit informal, form of intermittent leave—and it doesn’t always require a health-care provider’s certification. The PWFA requires pregnancy-related conditions to be reasonably accommodated. Many such conditions mean employees may miss work with little or no notice.