Legal Updates

03/28/2024 09:56 AM

Labor Secretary’s Nomination Returned to White House
The U.S. Senate sent Acting Labor Secretary Julie Su’s nomination back to the White House on Dec. 20 after she didn’t receive enough support to be confirmed this year.
Washington State Adopts Wildfire Smoke Regulations
On Dec. 14, the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries (L&I) finalized and adopted new rules focused on protecting workers from wildfire smoke hazards that...
Whole Foods Ban on Black Lives Matter Logo Is Lawful, NLRB Judge Rules
Whole Foods can continue its practice of disciplining workers for wearing Black Lives Matter (BLM) logos at work. An administrative law judge for the National Labor...
FAQs Address Updates to California Sick and Safe Leave
On Dec. 12, California’s Labor Commissioner revised its FAQs to address changes that will occur on Jan. 1, 2024, to the Healthy Workplaces Healthy Families Act (HWHFA),...
Strikes and NLRB Decisions Transform Labor Relations in 2023
This year was marked by big strikes by autoworkers, health care workers, teachers, and Hollywood actors and writers. It also saw big decisions from the U.S. Supreme...
New Laws Took Root in California in 2023
A slew of new laws and regulations sprang up in California this year, so employers need to pay careful attention to the changes to remain compliant.
Jury Awards $41M in Discrimination, Wrongful Termination Case
A nurse recently won a $41 million jury verdict in her discrimination and wrongful termination lawsuit against Kaiser Permanente, a health care provider based in...
Supreme Court, NLRB Decisions Changed Employment Law in 2023
The U.S. Supreme Court and federal agencies altered employment law in 2023, prompting HR professionals to review and revise their handbooks. The U.S. Supreme Court, in...
Court Denies New Trial Despite Jury Instruction Error Defining ‘Qualified’
The 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals recently found a plaintiff suffered no prejudice to her discrimination and failure-to-accommodate claims under the Americans with...
Overtime Complaint Was Sufficient by Alleging over 40 Hours Worked Each Week
The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals overturned a federal district court decision finding that a Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) overtime claim did not provide the...
How Retailers Can Support Wage and Hour Compliance During the Holidays
During the holidays, it’s important to continue compliance with wage and hour laws. Here are common areas where violations may occur.
California’s Labor Commissioner Publishes Updated Wage Theft Notice
California has published a template for employers to use to provide notice to employees about paid leave and disaster declarations.
Microsoft Will Be Neutral if Workers Try to Unionize in AI Era
Microsoft agreed to neutrality on unionization should its employees seek to unionize, announcing that the company and the AFL-CIO would work together on artificial...
Congress Passes Defense Spending Package with New Limits on IE&D Initiatives
Congress passed a defense authorization bill on Dec. 14 that funds the military and foreign aid, including large raises for members of the armed forces. But the bill has...
Employee’s Job Transfer May Have Been Age Discrimination
A trial court erred in dismissing an employee’s age bias claim before trial, a California appeals court recently ruled. Evidence showed he was demoted.