by Peter Lowe and Lynn Gelinas, Brann & Isaacson
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Employers in New York State now face a new legal standard for failure-to-accommodate-religion claims under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 after a recent ruling from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second...
Worker safety in extreme temperatures has been the focus of significant discussion for many years. Although the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) tried to implement an explicit heat safety...
There are effective emails, and then there are ineffective emails. Effective emails use the formula B.L.U.F.—Bottom Line Up Front. This is not saying you should be unprofessional; it’s saying you should be professional...
Your organization needs to implement a reduction in force (RIF), and you know you’re required to avoid discrimination in your selection criteria. What could be more objective and nondiscriminatory than an artificial...
Sep 01, 2026 · Employment Law Letter
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A religious accommodation claim for an employee’s “sincerely held” religious belief is a very narrow inquiry, separated from the question of what is actually barred by an underlying religious doctrine. Faced with an...
Trial lawyers are usually successful in convincing juries that, absent any expert medical testimony, a generalized emotional distress damages claim isn’t worth much. Indeed, legal doctrine generally precludes payment for...
In a recent case, the California Court of Appeal answers an important and very basic legal issue for the state’s expanding remote workforce: When do California’s employment laws protect remote workers from termination by...
For much of the 19th century, the United States was hobbled by widespread government corruption. “To the victor go the spoils” supplanted a government “of, by, and for the people.” Only a national disgust with post-Civil...
As the end of the year nears, some employees may be scrambling to get all their time off on the vacation calendar, but many others don’t bother. Instead, they willingly leave paid time off (PTO) unused even if they work...
Aug 01, 2026 · Employment Law Letter
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· Great Lakes
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· Mid-Atlantic
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· Virginia
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Computers and phones never seem to take a break. The incessant pings from notifications of emails, messages, phone calls, and alerts can eat up workers’ time. And then there are all the meetings, interruptions from...
Aug 01, 2026 · Employment Law Letter
· California
· Great Lakes
· Illinois
· Indiana
· Michigan
· Ohio
· Wisconsin
· Mid-Atlantic
· Delaware
· Maryland
· New Jersey
· Pennsylvania
· Virginia
· Midsouth
· Kentucky
· North Carolina
· South Carolina
· Tennessee
· West Virginia
· Midwest
· Arkansas
· Kansas
· Missouri
· Oklahoma
· Mountain West
· Colorado
· Idaho
· Montana
· New Mexico
· Utah
· Wyoming
· New England
· Connecticut
· Maine
· Massachusetts
· New Hampshire
· Rhode Island
· Vermont
· Southeast
· Alabama
· Florida
· Georgia
· Louisiana
· Mississippi
· Upper Midwest
· Iowa
· Minnesota
· Nebraska
· North Dakota
· South Dakota
· West
· Alaska
· Arizona
· Hawaii
· Nevada
· Oregon
· Washington
In a July 10 court filing, The New York Times ( NYT) accused the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) of unconstitutionally retaliating against it for its coverage of the Trump administration. The EEOC had sued...
On July 3, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) submitted 10 regulatory changes to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), both proposed and in final-rule stage. The major regulatory changes include...
House Republicans proposed a 27% funding decrease for the Department of Labor (DOL), mirroring much of the Trump administration’s goals and perspectives. In prior years, similar proposed cuts have been successfully...
The Supreme Court’s June 2026 ruling in Trump v. Slaughter—striking down traditional “for-cause” removal protections for commissioners of independent agencies (and most of their senior staffs)—has been called a “seismic...
Keith Sonderling, the Secretary-Designate of Labor, had his hearing before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee on July 16. The proceeding went along expected lines. Sonderling, widely...
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