Employment Law Letter

The Massachusetts Department of Industrial Accidents (DIA) and Massachusetts Department of Unemployment Assistance (DUA) recently updated their mandatory workplace posters and related employer notice requirements. Here’s...

Q Do employees have to be employed for 12 months or work 1,250 hours to qualify for the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA), or do they qualify as soon as they begin employment? The PWFA applies to employees as soon as...

Q A new hire was given a $5,000 sign-on bonus but has been a no-show for numerous days, and we haven’t been able to contact them. Can we withhold and/or deduct from this employee’s final paycheck to recoup some of the...

On April 19, 2024, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) issued a final rule to implement the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA), which became effective on June 18, 2024. The PWFA requires employers to...

A new federal law that went into effect in January will likely affect many businesses in Wisconsin and across the country—in particular, many small businesses that may not even be aware of the new law. The Corporate...

On September 6, 2024, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) confirmed its cybersecurity guidance applies to all employee benefit plans, including health and welfare plans. In 2021, the DOL issued guidance providing best...

A federal district court in Louisiana recently heard a case in which a governmental entity tried to assert that it wasn’t liable as a joint employer of the individual who had accused it of discrimination and retaliation...

The law requires that both sides to a lawsuit play fair. When that’s not the case, the side playing fast and loose with the rules gets punished. For a recent prime example, read on. Deposition falsehood! After Daniel’la...

The landscape surrounding nonsolicitation agreements is undergoing significant transformation, driven in large part by recent actions and interpretations from the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). At the heart of...

Q If we have a drug-free workplace policy and implement random testing, can we fire an employee who tests positive even if the employee simply used marijuana outside the workplace and wasn’t impaired? The short answer is...

In August, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld an injunction to the Department of Education’s recently issued rule implementing Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972. Title IX prohibits sex-based discrimination in any...

As we find ourselves in the last half of 2024, we felt it was right to go back to the basics for those navigating the complex landscape of employment law. Understanding these laws helps to protect your business from...

One of the nightmares of HR professionals is to be told about a workplace problem “privately as a friend.” Whether something is an informal chat between friends or public notice of a problem is very hard to determine...

In a recent decision, the California Supreme Court takes an in-depth look at legislative history to dissect whether a county hospital authority entity can be liable for meal and rest period violations under the labor...

On August 2, the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals (the federal appeals court covering Texas) asked the Texas Supreme Court to consider whether the Texas Labor Code preempts—that is, displaces and requires dismissal...