On March 18, 2015, the NLRB General Counsel issued a report concerning recent cases that raise significant legal and policy issues regarding employee handbook rules. Recently, the NLRB has been focusing on non-union employer’s handbooks and whether they violate Section 7 of the NLRA, which permits employees to discuss wages, hours, and other terms and conditions of […]
Employment LawScene Blog
On Wednesday, March 25, 2015, a divided U.S. Supreme Court issued a ruling in Young v. UPS. The Supreme Court was asked to decide whether the Pregnancy Discrimination Act (“PDA”), which amended Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, allows an employer to have a policy that accommodates some, but not all, workers with […]
Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker has officially signed Right-to-Work legislation, which, as discussed in last Friday’s blog, will allow workers covered by union representation to not pay union dues if they do not wish to. Although the union will still have the right to collectively bargain on behalf of all private-sector employees in a bargaining unit, employees […]
Today, Friday, March 6, 2015, the Wisconsin State Assembly after a marathon session passed right-to-work legislation by a vote of 62 to 35. The State Senate had previously approved the right-to-work legislation by a vote of 17 to 15 the previous week. The votes were cast according to party lines. The fast-tracked bill will be […]
On February 25, 2015, the Department of Labor (DOL) issued a Final Rule revising the definition of “spouse” under the FMLA. Currently, a “spouse” is defined as “a husband or wife as defined or recognized under State law for purposes of marriage in the State where the employee resides, including common law marriage in States […]
Under the Family Medical Leave Act, employers are not permitted to take an employee’s FMLA-protected absences into consideration when making employment decisions such as discipline and termination. However, if performance deficiencies are discovered while an employee is on FMLA leave and would have resulted in termination or discipline had the employee not been on leave, […]
In February 2014, the EEOC filed suit in Illinois federal court against CVS Pharmacy, Inc. alleging that the company’s separation agreements constituted a pattern or practice of unlawfully discouraging employees from exercising their rights under Title VII of the Civil Rights of 1964 to communicate with the EEOC or to file discrimination claims. The EEOC’s […]
The Americans with Disabilities Act requires employers to make reasonable accommodations for employees with disabilities. This process requires that employers and employees engage in an interactive process to discuss potential reasonable accommodations. The interactive process requires an informal dialogue between the employer and the employee in which the parties discuss reasonable accommodations for an employee’s […]
Under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, employers are required to accommodate employees’ religious beliefs. Two recent cases demonstrate the importance of recognizing when religious accommodations might be necessary. In March 2014, the EEOC published guidance on religious garb and grooming in the workplace. The guidance states that an employee does not […]
On Tuesday, January 13, 2015, the United States Supreme Court heard oral arguments in Mach Mining LLC v. EEOC, 13-1019, the outcome of which will have a significant effect on the EEOC conciliation process and a case we have posted on this blog previously. The dispute revolves around whether — and to what extent — […]
Employment Lawscene Team
