Employment Rights and Returning Armed Forces Members
The United States Department of Justice (DOJ) recently increased enforcement efforts against employers believed to have discriminated against armed forces members returning from active duty and seeking to reenter the civilian workforce. Here's what you need to know.
Overtime Implications of Bonus Plans Under the FLSA
This article discusses both the general rule that bonus payments must be included in the "regular rate" calculation for overtime purposes, and the three most common exceptions to this general rule. It also tests your knowledge of these rules.
Update on Retaliation Claims
Continuation of an analysis of <i>Kasten v. Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics Corp.</i>, wherein the Seventh Circuit held that an employee's strictly oral complaints about allegedly improper wage practices did not implicate the FLSA's prohibition of retaliation against those who have "filed any complaint."
Damages: A Tax Break for Plaintiffs Raises Interesting Issues
The Third Circuit recently delivered a significant clarification on economic damages in employment matters. In <i>Eshelman v. Agere Systems Inc.</i>, the court held that plaintiffs in employment-discrimination suits may recover for the negative tax consequences of receiving a lump-sum award for back pay.
Too Much Information?
There is considerable information available in cyberspace ' much of it interesting, some of it damning, and some of it false. Obtaining that information feels risk free and virtually untraceable. However, the universe of employment laws applies to much of what happens when virtual sleuthing yields tangible job consequences.
The Recovery Act's Daunting Whistleblower Provisions
This article describes the type of activity Section 1553 protects and the competing burdens parties must bear in pursuing and defending retaliation claims under this statute. It also provides a framework for assessing the risks Section 1553 poses to employers, identifies questions Section 1553 leaves unanswered, and presents the question of whether a few of Section 1553's provisions pass constitutional muster.
Statistical Lessons of Ricci v. De Stefano
The first part of this article about the Supreme Court's ruling <i>Ricci v. De Stefano</i> discussed what statisticians really have to say about disparate impact. The conclusion herein addresses the results of, and lessons to be learned from, the <i>Ricci</i> case.
Update on Retaliation Claims
If an employee orally complains to a supervisor about the employer's wage practices, which he believes violate the Fair Labor Standards Act ("FLSA"), has the employee engaged in protected activity that may form the predicate to a claim of retaliation under the FLSA?
Changes to Form I-9: Administrative on Their Face; Substantive in Effect
As of April 3, 2009, employers were required to use the new Form I-9 for employment eligibility verification for new employees and applicable re-hires. The new form is the latest step in what has been an unsystematic effort by the United States government to create and enforce immigration laws in the workplace.
