In what has to be a frustrating decision for all employers, Alaska’s highest court ruled that a carpenter who admitted to using both alcohol and cocaine before getting hurt on the job was nonetheless entitled to workers’ comp benefits. The…
Employment Law
Lowe’s, a nationwide hardware and home improvement company, has agreed to pay $700,000 to resolve a sexual harassment complaint brought by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) on behalf of three female employees. According to the EEOC’s complaint, Lowe’s “allowed…
The grocery delivery company Instacart has agreed to pay $46.5 million to settle a lawsuit that accused it of wrongfully classifying employees as independent contractors. San Diego City Attorney Mara Elliott sued Instacart in September of 2019, just three days…
A New York federal court granted a temporary injunction that ordered a company to stop using “oppressive child labor” and to comply with a Department of Labor (DOL) investigation. According to the DOL, a restaurant violated the child labor provisions…
A newly filed lawsuit accuses pharmaceutical behemoth Lilly USA, LLC, of violating federal law banning age bias by making a conscious effort to reduce the number of older people it employed as pharmaceutical sales representatives. The suit’s allegations raise important…
A Connecticut federal court has ordered three bakeries to pay nearly $1 million in back wages and damages to 74 employees to resolve violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). The suit was prompted by an investigation by the…
Three newly filed lawsuits highlight the critical importance to HR pros of understanding how the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) applies to applicants and employees with mental disabilities. In a span of just five days, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission,…
Does the name Amy Cooper ring a bell? You may remember her better as the “Central Park Karen” who was fired after she called the police because a Black man asked her to obey park rules and keep her dog…
Did you know that retaliation claims can challenge a broader range of employer conduct than claims of discrimination? A new ruling from a federal appeals court demonstrates the point. The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals (which covers Alaska, Arizona, California,…
An important new decision from a federal appeals court says a former employee can proceed with claims against her old employer based on a data breach – even though the breach did not lead to identity theft or fraud against…
A new ruling from a federal appeals court provides important insight for employers and HR pros on how to successfully defend employee claims of bias or retaliation. And while the case involves a state-specific law called the Washington Law Against…
Conflicting federal, state and local laws on marijuana use raise tough questions for HR professionals. For example, should you require employees to submit to a drug test? And if so, when it is OK to fire someone who fails? How…
A newly filed lawsuit says CVS Health violated Virginia law when it dismissed a nurse practitioner who declined to prescribe or administer abortion-inducing drugs because of her religious beliefs. The suit says CVS accommodated the nurse practitioner’s religious beliefs for…
It’s been a long and winding road for the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) since the law was passed in 1990. From the start, the statute’s text was filled with malleable terms and sometimes equivocal language that was in dire…
This employer-friendly ruling highlights just how much freedom companies have to set job requirements – and choose the best candidates for the position. In this case, a Black applicant accused a university of not hiring him due to racial bias.…
A new disability bias suit accuses the Salvation Army of violating the Americans with Disabilities Act by terminating a cashier on the basis of his disability. Like a legion of cases before it, the suit says the events triggering the…
