Do Your Employment Practices Violate Antitrust Law?
July 01, 2017
This article provides critical background on DOJ policy and practice, and highlights some of the steps corporate counsel can take during leniency or plea negotiations to secure non-prosecution protection for the company's employees as part of any antitrust corporate disposition.
New York City Bans Employers' Inquiries into Salary History
July 01, 2017
This article reviews recent developments in the law governing employer inquiries into and reliance on the compensation history of prospective employees — and analyze the New York City ordinance within this greater context.
Case Notes
July 01, 2017
The latest test of whether part of the Civil Rights Act can be read to bar workplace discrimination because of sexual orientation proved complicated on Jan. 20 a the Second Circuit. Here's a look at the case.
DOL Issues Final Regulations on Disability Benefits Claims Procedures
June 02, 2017
On Dec. 16, 2016, the DOL published final regulations on disability benefits claims procedures for any group plans governed by ERISA that provide for disability benefits (the "Final Rule"). This Final Rule applies to any disability claims filed on or after Jan. 1, 2018, and will apply not only to health and welfare plans that provide for disability benefits, but also any qualified retirement plans that may offer disability benefits.
Liability Releases for Background Checks Are Unlawful
June 02, 2017
The federal Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) requires employers to first inform applicants and employees about the intent to obtain and use a background check to make employment-related decisions before the employers are permitted to actually get the background check. But what the law does not do is provide employers with a template disclosure or any concrete guidance on what the disclosure should say.
Your H-1B Petition Was Not Selected in the Lottery
June 02, 2017
<b><I>Now What?</I></b><p>Fairly soon, an estimated 150,000 businesses in the United States will receive some bad news: U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will not be considering their H-1B petitions for skilled foreign workers. The petitions will be rejected without any analysis as to their merits. Yet these businesses with a clear need for temporary help will have to explore other ways to keep their prospective or current employee working for their company, or face the possibility that the foreign worker may be forced to return home.
Emerging Issues In the DTSA's Second Year
June 02, 2017
One year after its enactment, the Defend Trade Secrets Act (DTSA) continues to be one of the most significant and closely followed developments in trade secret law. The less than 70 reported DTSA cases to date provide an early glimpse into how courts may interpret the statute going forward and what early concerns about the statute may have been exaggerated.
Employee Privacy and Corporate Email Accounts
June 02, 2017
The use of business email accounts and digital devices for personal communications can be risky for both employers and employees. However, employees of all levels may be commingling corporate communications with their personal information, according to new research.
The Dire Financial Consequences of Misclassifying Your Employees
June 02, 2017
<b><I>Looking at a Case in Florida</I></b><p>In February of this year, a Florida appeals court upheld a decision by Gov. Rick Scott's administration that Uber drivers are independent contractors and not employees. In terms of the law, the decision was hardly revolutionary. It did, however, highlight the importance of properly classifying workers. Indeed, failure to properly classify workers can have staggering financial consequences for a business that operates on a model that relies heavily on a large number of independent contractors.
Top Issues for an Acosta Labor Department: Overtime, Gig Workers and the Fiduciary Rule
May 02, 2017
Secretary of Labor Alexander Acosta, who was confirmed by the Senate late last month, is a veteran government official who is set to hit the ground the running. What direction can labor and employment attorneys expect him to take the agency charged with enforcing many of the nation's workplace laws, and what are issues to watch in the early days?