Motivated by a summer of protests as well as a recognition of inequality in their ranks, a number of high-profile corporations recently committed to make their workforces—especially their leadership—more diverse. But...
Employment Law Letter
A recent report from the National Women's Law Center (NWLC) includes a startling statistic about how often employees say they experience retaliation after reporting instances of sexual harassment. The organization found...
A limited supply of COVID-19 vaccine will become available before the end of 2020. While that is good news for those of us who look forward to returning to our favorite prepandemic activities, it presents difficult...
An October 2020 Forbes.com article on harassment in the work-from- home world identified eight "red flag" signs of misconduct. "Just like the working environment has changed to a home-based environment, so has workplace...
The year 2020 has been a challenging one for our nation and the world. In addition to the COVID-19 pandemic, the United States has faced heightened racial tensions and a deep political divide culminating in a contested...
Some workplace cases provide multiple lessons about employment discrimination. Recently, the 8th Circuit (which covers Arkansas and Missouri employers) rendered a decision providing guidance on discrimination, harassment...
Some 4,822 coronavirus-related workers' compensation claims were reported to the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry (DOLI) through September 11, 2020, according to data recently released by the agency. The data...
Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has informed the public that "close contact" with infected persons poses a high risk of contracting the virus. The agency...
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) recently clarified which healthcare providers are exempt from the Families First Coronavirus Response Act’s (FFCRA) paid sick and family and medical leave policies. How we got here When...
Q During “normal” times, my workforce is located in Iowa and, for the most part, works from our office. We don’t have office locations in other states or countries. Now, most of my workforce is working remotely. A few...
Over the years, courts dealing with employment discrimination suits against churches, synagogues, and other religious organizations have carved out an exemption that bars claims by "ministerial" employees challenging the...
While many workplaces are settling into a COVID-19 groove of social distancing, face masks, and hand sanitizer, we find ourselves on the cusp of flu season in the United States. Employers should start preparing now for...
On September 22, President Donald Trump issued an unprecedented "Executive Order (EO) on Combating Race and Sex Stereotyping" aimed at the federal workforce and federal contractors. The order purports "to combat...
In the best of economic times, some courts can be reluctant to grant immediate relief and bar an employee from working to enforce a postemployment restrictive covenant. Now that we're in the midst of a global pandemic...
Q We have an employee working remotely from home who has tested positive for COVID-19. Her doctor says she can return to work in two weeks. She is asymptomatic and wants to continue to work so she can save her Emergency...