Employment Law Letter

Minimizing the risk of COVID-19 infection lawsuits filed by employees

As Americans continue living in an unprecedented era of quarantining, many employees aren't quarantining at all. Workers in big-box retail shops, warehouses, grocery stores, and more are all still powering the economy as...

Jun 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

Getting back to 'normal'? Here are some points to consider

As employers look to a postpandemic recovery, they're shifting their attention toward getting back to "normal." But normal isn't what it used to be, and you now have to focus on keeping employees healthy—and keeping your...

Pandemic sparks unexpected question: What if workers unwilling to return?

Restrictions put in place because of the COVID-19 pandemic are beginning to ease in many parts of the country, and employers are starting to call back the millions of workers who joined the ranks of the unemployed a few...

CBA preempts Muslim flight attendant's religious bias claim, 6th Circuit confirms

An airline flight attendant said her Muslim beliefs prevented her from serving alcohol, but she can't sue the company for requiring her to sell booze on its planes because her claim fell under a collective bargaining...

Jun 30, 2020 · 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

Employer's informal Google search didn't create race bias claim

An employer's informal background check on a new hire via Google didn't support a race discrimination claim under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the U.S. 4th Circuit Court of Appeals (which covers North...

Sometimes once is enough: Sexual harassment, retaliation claims head to jury

A federal court in Louisiana is sending sexual harassment and retaliation claims by a motel guest services representative to a jury. A big factor in the court’s decision was how her employer handled the complaint and the...

Bridge over troubled water: Commercial diver with cancer can take ADA claim to trial

A federal district court in New Orleans found a jury must decide if a commercial diver was discriminated against after being terminated for chemotherapy and cancer treatments based on Association of Diving Contractors...

EEOC puts off EEO-1 surveys until 2021

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has announced it won’t require private-sector employers to submit EEO-1 data this year. But don’t throw away your 2019 data Ordinarily...

Conducting background checks before employment offer has been accepted

Q If we’ve made a job offer but the prospective employee hasn’t accepted it yet, do we have to wait to conduct a background check? A The short answer is “probably not.” It’s actually quite common to conduct the...

Preparing for summer with kids at home: FFCRA and unemployment options

Many of us have worked from home over the past few months, some with kids in tow. With the school year coming to an end, COVID-19 may thwart plans to send the kids off to summer camp or day camp. Parents who find...

Recent decisions clarify 'constructive discharge' in Connecticut

Two recent decisions clarify when employees have been "constructively discharged" and can sue for wrongful "termination" even though the employer never fired them—they instead resigned or retired. Both the federal and...

Guidance on when to report COVID-19 infections in OSHA 300 log

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requires most employers to keep an OSHA 300 log and complete an OSHA Form 301 when an employee suffers a “work-related” recordable illness or injury. You must then...

Governor Whitmer partially lifts stay-at-home order

After 10 weeks of a statewide lockdown, Governor Gretchen Whitmer has signed Executive Order (EO) 2020-110, partially lifting Michigan’s coronavirus stay-at-home order. What is opening Under the new EO, which expressly...

MI extends expanded jobless benefits, relaxes work-share program eligibility rules

Unemployment benefits previously expanded by Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s Executive Order 2020-24 (EO 24) were set to expire recently. Just before that happened, however, she issued EO 2020-57, which rescinds EO 24 and...

Michigan opens retail, bars, and restaurants in the Upper Peninsula and Traverse City

Bars, restaurants, and retailers have been tremendously affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting government-mandated limits. On Monday, May 18, however, Michigan took its first major step towards reopening when...

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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