Employment Law Letter

Court of appeals rejects wrongful discharge claim

North Carolina is an employment-at-will state, although there are exceptions. Employees cannot be terminated for a reason that violates a statute or North Carolina public policy. A recent North Carolina Court of Appeals...

Jan 31, 2022 · Employment Law Letter · 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

DOL final rule restores 80/20 standard for tipped employees

The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) is resurrecting the so-called 80/20 rule under which an employer can take a tip credit on work that directly supports tip-producing work only if it’s less than 20 percent of all hours...

Extension of Form I-9 verification flexibilities may signal major change

Since March 20, 2020, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and its enforcement agency, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), have issued changing guidance on how and when an employer may satisfy...

High drama at Rag-O-Rama: Court addresses poorly worded employment agreement

Employees are presumptively deemed to be “at-will” in virtually every state. Recently, the United States Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit (which oversees federal courts in Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and Tennessee)...

Writing is on the wall for OSHA’s vaccine mandate

After the U.S. Supreme Court recently blocked the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) from implementing a COVID-19 vaccine and testing mandate for large businesses, the matter went back to the Cincinnati...

What federal injunction against CMS vaccine mandate means for healthcare employers

A COVID-19 vaccine mandate for healthcare employers issued by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) isn’t currently in effect because of a federal district court’s preliminary injunction. Nevertheless...

If employees are stiff and stressed, exercise at work can help

With the new year, many people are enthusiastic about New Year’s resolutions, and often those intentions center on fitness and wellness goals. That may be especially true this year as the pandemic drags on. The stress...

Jan 31, 2022 · Employment Law Letter · California · New York · Texas · 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

What California employers need to know about revised COVID-19 ETS

The Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board adopted the revised California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) COVID-19 prevention emergency temporary standard (ETS) effective January 14, 2022...

Jan 30, 2022 · Employment Law Letter · California

Policy-deficient employer defeats wage and hour class certification

California employers are constantly at risk of facing potential litigation over basic timekeeping and wage and hour practices, primarily because of the complexity of the numerous applicable laws and the attorneys’ fees...

Jan 30, 2022 · Employment Law Letter · California

Can LAPD officers play Pokémon on duty?

Louis Lozano and Eric Mitchell, officers with the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), were on duty when they heard an important call come in over their radio about a robbery in progress. They were close by, but they...

Jan 30, 2022 · Employment Law Letter · California

More employers report being haunted by ‘ghosting’ employees

It’s as if the trials of doing business during a pandemic weren’t enough. Some employer challenges, such as the skills gap and labor shortage, were a curse before the COVID era, but they’ve worsened during the health...

Jan 16, 2022 · Employment Law Letter · 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

Police reform isn't optional, and why HR must be involved

Police reform remains a controversial topic in the public because, to many, it implies animus toward police officers. In the world of local government, however, the issue isn’t really whether there will be new approaches...

Jan 16, 2022 · Employment Law Letter · California

Neither sleet nor snow nor COVID-19 stops Supreme Court from its appointed rounds

It snowed in Washington, D.C., over January 6 and 7, and all federal buildings were shut down except for the U.S. Supreme Court, which makes its own hours and rules. The Court had set a special Friday calendar (an event...

Jan 16, 2022 · Employment Law Letter · California

Court provides guidance on volunteer workers and wage and hour laws

Laurie Woods sued the American Film Institute, a nonprofit entity, because she thought she should be paid for volunteering. In fact, she thought it should pay all its volunteers. Consequently, she filed a class action...

Jan 16, 2022 · Employment Law Letter · California

In harsh rebuke, 5th Circuit extends stay of OSHA ETS rule

On November 12, a three-judge panel of the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals issued a 22-page order extending a “stay” (or hold) to keep the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) from enforcing its new...

Jan 01, 2022 · Employment Law Letter · 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

Alabama Albert L. Vreeland and David J. Middlebrooks of Lehr Middlebrooks Vreeland & Thompson, P.C.
Florida G. Thomas Harper of The Law and Mediation Offices of G. Thomas Harper, LLC, Lisa Berg and Andrew Rodman of Stearns Weaver Miller, and Robert J. Sniffen and Jeff Slanker of Sniffen & Spellman, P.A.
Georgia Raanon Gal of Barnes & Thornburg LLP, Glianny Fagundo of Thompson Hine LLP and Chris Butler of the Chris Butler Firm
Louisiana H. Mark Adams and Jennifer Kogos of Jones Walker LLP
Mississippi Martin J. Regimbal of The Kullman Firm

Employment Law Letter

Southeast Editors