Employment Law Letter

Q A former employee who was fired has requested a copy of her personnel file. What documents would she be entitled to receive? What an ex-employee can access in their file varies by state. In Iowa, people who are no...

When the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) conducts a workplace inspection, the agency’s long-standing rule (known as “the walk-around rule”) has been that employees can designate a representative to...

On July 3, 2024, a judge in the Northern District of Texas issued a preliminary court order that temporarily blocks the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) from implementing its noncompete ban but only for the specific...

The Phoenix District Office of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), which covers Arizona, Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, and part of New Mexico, recently obtained two substantial settlements in lawsuits the...

We can learn a lot from the military. One such lesson: how to write effective emails, those that are read and understood. “How to Write Email with Military Precision” by Kabir Sehgal appeared in the Harvard Business...

Attracting and retaining high-performing workers—always a challenge—has become a struggle for many employers, leading them to rethink the perks they offer. Some are happy to offer free snacks, others hope to lure people...

When thinking about the hiring process, those doing the hiring often focus on mistakes job candidates make. Maybe hopefuls show up for an interview late and unprepared, or maybe they’re interested in the job’s salary but...

Recently, the Idaho Supreme Court remanded (sent back) a decision from the Idaho Industrial Commission because the commission had failed to give proper weight to the employee’s argument that the employer had selectively...

On June 28, 2024, the U.S. Supreme Court issued its decisions in Loper Bright Enters v. Raimondo and Relentless, Inc. v. Department of Commerce, two combined cases involving fishing vessel operators challenging federal...

The Iowa Supreme Court filed its opinion in Tracy White v. State of Iowa and Iowa Department of Human Services on April 12, 2024. This case related to the issues of hostile work environments as raised under the Iowa...

While most of the country has been under a record-breaking heat wave, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has continued to advance its proposed standard for heat injury and illness prevention, giving...

One of the hardest things for employers is being accused of wrongdoing and, rather than reacting defensively, flipping it to their advantage. For an example of how to do so, let’s look to the University of Houston (UH)...

A mostly unanimous U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that a National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) request for preliminary injunctive relief while unfair labor practice charges are pending is to be evaluated by the same...

On April 15, 2024, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) issued a press release indicating that its Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA) regulations would be published in the Code of Federal Regulations...

Employers are looking to save time and money and are turning to artificial intelligence (AI) to make employment practices more efficient. In early 2024, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) issued guidance to help...