Case Notes
Wal-Mart Hit with Two Overtime Suits Two wage-and-hour lawsuits, one brought as a class action and the other as a collective action, are proceeding against Wal-Mart. The company had moved to dismiss both suits, which allege that assistant store managers weren't paid for their overtime hours, but a federal judge in Pittsburgh denied the motions and allowed the suits to proceed. …
Features
2016 Budget Targets Retirement
In February, the Obama Administration's Fiscal Year 2016 Budget was published, along with the Department of Treasury's Greenbook, a detailed explanation of the President's proposed budget. Because the proposed legislation must pass a Republican-led Congress, the President's budget may be "aspirational.
Recent NLRB Actions
Over the last few years, the NLRB has dramatically expanded employee rights to engage in "protected concerted activity" by limiting employers' use of many standard employment policies and practices. Now, the NLRB is implementing sweeping changes to the decades-old representation election process, making it faster and easier for unions to organize the workplace.
The 2015 Employer Mandate Is Here
The year 2015 is here and so is the Affordable Care Act's (ACA) employer "play or pay" mandate, which has been delayed, in total or in part, twice.
Brokerage Windows in Retirement Plans
A discussion of recent developments surrounding what has become an increasingly controversial topic regarding the investment of Section 401(k) plans and other participant-direct retirement plans.
Features
<i>EEOC v. Ruby Tuesday</i>
Ruby Tuesday Inc. is a restaurant chain known throughout the U.S. for its burgers and casual family-friendly atmosphere. Unfortunately for the company, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) apparently wants to make it known for something less savory: a novel approach to sex discrimination.
Features
President Obama's Executive Action on Immigration
Headlining the Executive Actions announced by President Obama on Nov. 20, 2014, were plans to defer the removal of, and to provide work authorization to, undocumented immigrants who have lived in the United States for more than five years and are parents of U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents. In addition, the administration will expand the existing Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) initiative.
Features
'Independent Covenant' Language
Most often, a former employee will claim that the former employer breached the employment agreement . When such a defense is raised, an injunction hearing that should focus on the former employee's wrongful post-employment conduct instead often digresses into an argument about what compensation agreement existed and whether the former employer breached that agreement .
Can the EEOC Be Trusted to Police Its Own Compliance?
The EEOC has an express statutory duty to attempt to secure, in good faith, a conciliation agreement with an employer as a precondition to filing a lawsuit. In some cases, however, the EEOC has approached conciliation in a "take-it-or-leave-it" manner, making unreasonable demands while threatening to file suit and issue a press release, which can inflict significant reputational harm on the employer.
Features
Workplace Bullying Laws and Litigation
While no state, or the federal government, has adopted laws explicitly outlawing bullying in the private sector, employers are well advised to proactively take steps to prevent workplace bullying.
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