How much porn is OK to watch at work? We hope your policy is zero. And as the following suit shows, the reasons for taking that policy seriously don’t just include cutting down on distractions and keeping the focus on…
Employment Law
Every good employer knows that when an employee complains of racial harassment, it has the responsibility to investigate the claims and put a stop to the behavior. But how thorough does the investigation have to be? How quickly does it…
A federal appeals court revived a former employee’s claim that her employer violated the ADA. She said it laid her off because she has diabetes. In late March of 2018, Apache Industrial Services, Inc. hired Arlicia Gosby to work as…
A recent court decision teaches employers a strange (but important) lesson: Don't throw an employee a birthday party if they don't want one. One company did this -- and ended up paying the employee $450,000. Here's what happened. 'Somber' reaction…
A transgender employee of the Iowa Department of Corrections recovered a six-figure jury verdict. He claimed his employer violated state law by denying him health insurance benefits and access to certain facilities at work. In 2009, Iowa’s Department of Corrections…
It's always been an employer's duty to keep the workplace safe for employees. But ever since the pandemic and remote work, the line between home and the workplace has blurred. This has resulted in many employers wondering if they'd be…
The amount of people struggling with opioid addictions continues to grow in the U.S. at an alarming rate. And the Department of Justice (DOJ) is ready to do battle with its comprehensive action plan that includes enforcing the Americans with…
Video game giant Activision Blizzard agreed to a multi-million dollar payout and consent decree in order to settle the EEOC's sexual harassment lawsuit, which was filed last September. The company came under fire last year when employees alleged rampant sexual…
If two co-workers have a major problem getting along at work, you have to do something. If they can’t iron out their differences, and you want both to stay, you need to find a way to make it work. The…
In the widespread remote work era, employees are communicating digitally more often than in person. And while tools like Slack can be incredibly useful to help workers collaborate remotely, it also comes with a heightened risk of something employers may…
The owners of three Japanese steakhouses are on the hook for more than $1.45 million. This follows the entry of a consent judgment in a Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) lawsuit. The federal Department of Labor (DOL) targeted Yuan Zheng…
It’s official. The Independent Contractor (IC) Final Rule goes into effect immediately. Surprised? In Coalition for Workforce Innovation et al. v. Walsh, a federal Texas court ruled that the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) unlawfully delayed and withdrew the IC…
When an employee reports an allegation of sexual harassment, they trigger a duty on the part of their employer to conduct a prompt and thorough investigation. But how prompt is prompt enough – and how thorough does the employer have…
It's official: Employers can no longer require employees alleging sexual misconduct to resolve their claims via arbitration. Last week, President Biden signed the Ending Forced Arbitration of Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment Act of 2021. The new law amends the…
Make no mistake about it: The COVID-induced seismic shift to remote work is likely permanent, especially in light of evidence that remote workers tend to be more productive and happier. For employers, that shift has created a host of new…
Employers know that refusing to accommodate or hire a disabled employee can end up being an ADA violation. But what happens if the disabled person poses a danger to themselves and others? A court addressed this issue in a recent…
