Employment Law Letter

Federal Trade Commission says no to noncompetes

For several years there has been a move to narrow or potentially eliminate noncompete clauses in employment contracts. Various states have imposed a variety of limitations, including prohibiting the process of blue...

Apr 30, 2023 · 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

Hybrid work keeps making gains, but workplace policies may not be keeping up

When COVID-19 sent many workers home and left once-bustling office space eerily empty, most people considered the work-from-home arrangement temporary. But as the pandemic dragged on, both employees and employers found...

Take care to preserve contractual rights to arbitrating employment disputes

An article in the March issue of West Employment Law Letter provided helpful insights into the advantages and disadvantages of requiring employees to sign arbitration agreements following a banner year of jury verdicts...

7th Circuit revisits cat’s paw theory to affirm dismissal of discrimination suit

The U.S. 7th Circuit Court of Appeals (whose rulings apply to all Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin employers) recently revisited its articulation of the “cat’s paw” theory in supporting a claim that adverse employment...

Three tips to get employees to talk

Numerous diverse tasks fall on HR professionals and lawyers. Getting people to say what’s really on their minds is an art. So, to that end, here are three techniques to consider using. Technique #1: Toss asking, ‘How...

Apr 30, 2023 · Employment Law Letter · Texas

As return to office continues, age discrimination lands in the spotlight

Age discrimination is as hard to prove as it is to avoid. The nagging worry among workers, especially those in their 50s and 60s, has intensified because of the turmoil in the workplace sparked by COVID-19. As the...

Apr 30, 2023 · 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

Dealing with remote employees and FMLA leave

With increasing numbers of employees working remotely, employers can sometimes lose sight of the fact that remote workers may be eligible for leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). A bulletin issued in...

Apr 27, 2023 · 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

How to support an employee going through a gender transition

As transgender employees become more comfortable living openly as their authentic selves in the workplace, employers should be prepared to work with transitioning employees. Consider putting a plan in place that fosters...

Unexplained discrepancies, flaws in documentation take case to jury

Some employees are complainers, and you might be inclined to respond with a snide comment or a knowing side glance to a friend. Similarly, you may have strong grounds for termination and are not overly bothered by...

Apr 27, 2023 · Employment Law Letter · California

Drumbeat for the four-day workweek continues

Lawmakers in both Washington, D.C., and in Sacramento have introduced legislation to change the definition of a standard workweek from 40 hours to 32 hours. Similar proposals have stalled in the past on both the national...

Apr 27, 2023 · Employment Law Letter · California

9th Circuit weighs in on religious objection to loyalty oath

A devout Jehovah’s witness refused to take the loyalty oath demanded by the California Office of the State Controller and sought a carve out for her beliefs in the supremacy of god and in pacifism. Did she have a prayer...

Apr 27, 2023 · Employment Law Letter · California

When ‘sexting’ becomes sexual harassment

A recent California case addressed the question of whether offsite and afterhours texting between work friends could constitute sexual harassment. A pharmacist’s sexual harassment lawsuit against her former employer...

Apr 13, 2023 · Employment Law Letter · California

Latest decision on arbitration of PAGA claims offers mixed bag

Many employers elect to use arbitration agreements with their employees and contractors, and recent cases have supported the enforceability of such agreements. Many individuals who have entered into arbitration...

Apr 13, 2023 · Employment Law Letter · California

After a pregnant pause, employees must still be able do the job

No appellate court had ever before set forth the elements of a pregnancy discrimination claim. To show either pregnancy discrimination or disability discrimination, an employee still has to show that an accommodation...

Apr 13, 2023 · Employment Law Letter · California

NLRB reverses course to establish new restrictions on severance agreements

On February 21, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) ruled that overbroad nondisparagement and nondisclosure provisions in severance agreements are an “unfair labor practice” in violation of Section 7 of the...

Apr 01, 2023 · 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

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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