On a May 14, 2025, the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia formally recognized that a third-party can sue an employer for negligent supervision of an employee, even if the employee’s intentional or reckless conduct...
Employment Law Letter
In February 2025, the state of Missouri sued Starbucks Corporation, alleging the company committed race discrimination when it announced and followed particular steps “to advance racial and social equity.” Grounds for...
The U.S. Supreme Court (SCOTUS) recently issued its long-awaited decision in a case involving a reverse discrimination claim by a heterosexual employee. It’s good news for employees seeking to file claims under Title VII...
On June 5, 2025, the U.S. Supreme Court issued its decision in Ames v. Ohio Department of Youth Services, a case that challenged the heightened evidentiary burden imposed on majority-group employees in employment...
Rabbi Hillel the Elder is credited with saying, “If I am not for myself, then who will be for me?” I mention this to students who are about to enter the workforce, and it applies as well to readers of our newsletter. The...
Washington state recently passed a new law expanding pregnancy and postpartum workplace accommodation obligations to employers of all sizes and requiring lactation breaks to be paid. On May 20, 2025, Governor Bob...
More employers are using biometrics for timekeeping and security review. The biometric identifiers most frequently used by employers are face scans (“facial recognition”), fingerprints, voiceprints, and video...
On May 20, 2025, Washington Governor Bob Ferguson signed into law Senate Bill (SB) 5408 to amend the state’s Equal Pay and Opportunities Act (EPOA). SB 5408 makes significant changes to the EPOA, including clarifying the...
Q Can we deny someone employment based on their preemployment drug screen test that was positive for cannabis if cannabis is legal in our state? Likely, no. But the decision is ultimately influenced by state law...
Nebraska, like many jurisdictions, provides employees with a common-law protection against employment termination in violation of certain public policies. Primarily, the protections allow employees to report violations...
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) defines “disability” as a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activity. The ADA Amendments Act of 2008 (ADAAA) clarified that the ADA’s...
Surging changes to workplace laws understandably have employers suffering from whiplash. Historically, employment laws have shifted when presidential administrations have changed. A May 1, 2025, announcement by the U.S...
Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, and national origin. To establish a minimally sufficient discrimination claim under Title VII, employees...
In May 2025, the Trump administration’s U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) published guidance saying that it would stop enforcing a Biden-era rule—one that had rescinded a rule created during the first Trump administration...
The beginning of summer often aligns with the beginning of the growing season for many Midwest farmers. With the rising temperatures, fruits and vegetables aren’t the only things growing this summer. Heatstroke, heat...