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poultry farm
On October 26 and 27, 2015, OSHA's Atlanta and Dallas offices announced new regional emphasis programs focused on chicken processing facilities.  This program will affect employers in Regions 4 and 6, which cover an area stretching from the Arizona state line in the west to the eastern seaboard, as far south as Key West, and as far north as Kentucky. 
man with a leather briefcase
On June 30, 2015, the U.S. Department of Labor announced a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) which proposes to more than double the current salary threshold for the executive, administrative, and professional (EAP) exemptions to overtime.  The proposal aims to plug a gap that some claim has caused many lower-level managers to be unfairly deprived of over…
NLRB Explains What Employer Rules Are Unlawful and How to Make Them Lawful
On March 18, 2015, the NLRB General Counsel (GC), Richard Griffin, issued a report attempting to reduce some of the mass confusion over the NLRB's policies concerning employer handbooks and other company policies.  The GC acknowledges most employers do not draft their policies with the object of restricting conduct protected by the labor law, but states tha…
lightbulb sticky note on board
One of the most common (and difficult) immigration issues faced by employers occurs when an employer has accepted an employee's work authorization documents that appear genuine, but the employee later comes in and presents new identity and work authorization documents and states that the previous documents were not real.  Employers are concerned whether thi…
federal courthouse building
On January 27, 2014, the U.S. Supreme Court rendered an important donning and doffing ruling in Sandifer v. United States Steel Corp. (No. 12-417). The case concerned issues of whether donning and doffing certain protective gear was compensable. The Court ruled that the time spent donning and doffing protective gear was not compensable because of Section 20…
Two women wear rainbow flags on Congress Street in Portland, Maine during the annual Pride parade
In a ruling issued by the U.S. Supreme Court on June 26, 2013, the Court declared unconstitutional Section 3 of the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which defines marriage as a legal union between a man and a woman for purposes of more than 1,000 federal laws. The majority indicated that by denying federal recognition to a marriage recognized as legi…
A Teachable Moment: What Employers Can Learn From Paula Deen’s Experience.
The national attention devoted to Paula Deen provides an excellent opportunity for employers to review their policies and procedures concerning harassment and inappropriate conduct in the workplace with all employees, but most particularly, supervisors and members of management. Supervisors and managers are the first line of an employer’s defense in the pre…
washington capital building
On July 2, 2013, in a Treasury Department blog post, the Obama administration announced that it will postpone the effective date of several requirements imposed on employers. The administration will publish details of the relief being granted in the near future.
scotus building
Will a mandatory agreement to submit disputes to one-on-one arbitration, bypassing class actions, hold up in court? The Supreme Court just said “yes” in a case involving credit cards – and this could be very significant news for employers who want to ensure that disputes with employees are handled confidentially, one at a time, rather than through protracte…
Supreme Court Clarifies And Narrows The Definition of "Supervisor"
In an important decision, the Supreme Court clarified who is a “supervisor” for purposes of determining an employer’s liability for workplace harassment under Title VII, greatly narrowing the position urged by the EEOC and adopted by some courts.
Supreme Court Restricts Retaliation Claims
In University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center v. Nassar, Case No. 12-484, the U.S. Supreme Court clarified the causation standard for retaliation cases that are brought under Title VII if the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Specifically, the Supreme Court held that Title VII retaliation claims must be proved according to the principles of "but-for" causation…