Employment Law Letter

Employee staycation—PTO policies in the age of COVID-19

Throughout 2020, employers have faced uncertainty and challenges because of the COVID-19 outbreak. While you should prepare to adapt to any changes the pandemic presents, additional challenges will arise, including...

Oct 31, 2020 · 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 revises paid leave requirements under FFCRA

On September 11, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) revised the regulations implementing the paid sick leave and expanded family and medical leave provisions of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA). The...

Q - A: What to do if employee breaks policy against drug or alcohol use at work

Q We have an employee who definitely showed signs of being on drugs or alcohol at work. We want to let him go per our handbook policies, but he has now stated he is getting help for his problem. Is he protected since he...

DOL issues guidance on tracking, compensating telework

The COVID-19 global pandemic has forced some employees to increase their hours spent teleworking and has required other workers to fulfill their job duties from home for the first time in their careers. This "remote...

Oct 25, 2020 · 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

Pregnant employee terminated for her threatening behavior—not discrimination

In a recent case decided by the federal district court in Shreveport, the employee’s pregnancy didn’t curb her own threatening behavior that led to her termination. The court had to decide if her termination was really...

Sep 30, 2020 · 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

Supervisor’s retaliatory motive nearly tanks employee’s firing after fourth strike

A former Walmart employee who was fired for her inappropriate handling of a suspected shoplifter—her fourth disciplinary action—cannot continue with her retaliation claim under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964...

Employee may be eligible for PUA benefits, but it depends

Q One of our employees has used up his Emergency Family and Medical Leave Expansion Act (EFMLEA) leave and is requesting leave until school reopens in September. Is he eligible for benefits under the Pandemic...

When dealing with an impaired employee, tread carefully

Coronavirus-related legal claims employers can expect to face

Employers in Delaware and elsewhere are grappling with the many new laws enacted because of the coronavirus pandemic: federal statutes on COVID-related leave, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and...

Sending an employee for a medical exam

Q We have an employee who felt dizzy and numb at work, so we called EMS. They took his vitals (which were fine) and suggested he go to the ER to get checked out. He refused to go. Although we can’t force him to get...

Michigan modifies COVID-19 leave, return-to-work requirements

On August 7, Governor Gretchen Whitmer issued Executive Order (EO) 2020-166 modifying required COVID-19 leave and clarifying when it’s required and when an employee can return to work. This order replaces EO 2020-36...

New Michigan order tightens restrictions for COVID-19 sick days

Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer recently signed Executive Order (EO) 2020-172 to protect employees from retaliation for missing work because of COVID-19 symptoms, diagnosis, or exposure. In a move that helps employers...

Unemployed Michiganders now eligible for additional $300 per week

Pandemic unemployment assistance benefits, which afforded $600 in supplemental aid to eligible individuals through much of the COVID-19 crisis, ceased on July 31, 2020. Congress failed to reach a consensus on an...

Court affirms termination of HR manager who solicited employee to sue employer

Kia Motors has advertised with the slogan “the power to surprise.” One of their HR managers took this saying to heart in choosing a very surprising method of expressing her displeasure with the employer. It didn’t work...

EEOC publishes new guidance on employee opioid addiction

Opioid addiction continues to be a serious problem in the United States. As with many other prescription medications, opioids present significant challenges to employers, who must address issues relating to both the...

Arkansas Stephen W. Jones of Jack Nelson Jones, PLLC, and Audra Hamilton and Nathan Read of Mitchell Williams
Kansas Boyd A. Byers, Teresa L. Shulda, and Tara Eberline of Foulston Siefkin LLP
Missouri Robert A. Kaiser, Jeremy Brenner, and Ida S. Shafaie of Armstrong Teasdale LLP
Oklahoma Charles S. Plumb, Courtney Bru, Paul Ross, Philip Bruce, and Jacob Crawford of McAfee & Taft

Delaware Lauren Russell of Young Conaway Stargatt & Taylor, LLP
Maryland Steven E. Bers and David M. Stevens of Whiteford, Taylor & Preston, L.L.P.
New Jersey John C. Petrella and Dina M. Mastellone of Genova Burns LLC
Pennsylvania Dena Calo, Lisa Koblin, Carolyn Pellegrini, and Zachary Kimmel of Saul Ewing Arnstein & Lehr LLP
Virginia Jonathan Mook and Bernard J. DiMuro of DiMuroGinsberg PC

Illinois Steven L. Brenneman and Kelly Smith-Haley of Fox, Swibel, Levin & Carroll, LLP
Indiana Brian R. Garrison of Faegre Drinker
Michigan Gary S. Fealk and John T. Below of Bodman PLC
Ohio Fred G. Pressley, Jr., Jourdan D. Day, and John M. Stephen of Porter Wright Morris & Arthur LLP
Wisconsin Saul Glazer, Troy D. Thompson, Michael J. Westcott, Leslie A. Sammon, and Heath Straka of Axley Brynelson LLP

Kentucky Richard S. Cleary, John T. Lovett, Robert D. Hudson, and Kathleen Biggs Wright of Frost Brown Todd LLC
North Carolina Richard L. Rainey of Womble Bond Dickinson (US) LLP
South Carolina Richard J. Morgan, James K. Gilliam, Jonathan C. Eggert, and Chandler E. Aragona of Burr & Forman LLP
Tennessee Kara E. Shea and David Johnson of Butler Snow LLP
West Virginia Larry J. Rector and Allison B. Williams of Steptoe & Johnson PLLC

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

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