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? Massachusetts General Laws Ch. 149, §52C outlines what constitutes a personnel file and...

On June 13, 2024, the U.S. Supreme Court issued an 8-to-1 decision in Starbucks Corp. v. McKinney, which clarified the legal standard—and made it uniform nationwide—when federal courts are asked to grant a preliminary...

On May 31, 2024, the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) revisions to the “walkaround rule” went into effect. The walkaround rule sets forth a process for OSHA to conduct on-site inspections and...

Q We have an employee who was summoned for jury duty. Do we, as an employer, have to pay them for the days they’re missing work? In Mississippi, employers don’t have to pay employees for responding to a summons for jury...

Effective July 1, 2024, Chicago employers will need to comply with the city of Chicago’s paid leave and paid sick and safe leave ordinance. The ordinance requires Chicago employers and employers with Chicago-based remote...

Recently, in the first of a series of articles focusing on companies’ online employment recruitment practices, we wrote about a company’s need to consider what states require an employer to include (or prohibit an...

The federal Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA) became law in June 2023. The Act requires a covered employer to provide reasonable accommodation(s) to a qualified employee or applicant who has known limitations related...

Q If an employee takes Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) leave to bond with his new child, would he be able to take additional bonding time later the same year if he still had FMLA time available? Potentially! The FMLA...

I am sometimes asked what lawyers really do for a living? My answer—to hope for the best, plan for the worst. The worst was definitely not planned for in a recent case from Harris County. Two-page employment agreement...

In the closing minutes of the 2024 legislative session, the Minnesota Legislature passed a 2,800-page bill that included several significant changes to the Minnesota’s Earned Sick and Safe Time (ESST) law. The law made...

On May 17, 2024, the Colorado Legislature passed Senate Bill (SB) 24-205 to protect employees and consumers by prohibiting developers of high-risk artificial intelligence (AI) systems from engaging in “algorithmic...

On June 14, the Texas Supreme Court issued an opinion that adds to our understanding of sexual harassment claims under the Texas Labor Code. That’s important, and the story that many will tell. So will we. But the law...

Every July 1, after the Virginia Legislature has carefully debated thousands of bills, the bills that survive the scrutiny of both chambers and the governor go into effect. As this process plays out, employers need to be...

In April, Maryland Governor Wes Moore signed a sweeping ban on noncompete and conflict-of-interest provisions for certain veterinary and healthcare professionals. For veterinary professionals, the law took effect on June...

Hiring a new employee takes time—for example, time completing paperwork before the start date, as well as time reviewing policies and procedures and completing training. But how much of that time is considered...