Labor & Employment Law Update

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) not only provides employment protections and accommodation rights to qualified individuals with disabilities in the workplace, it also requires reasonable accommodations in “places of public accommodation.” Places of public accommodation include businesses that are open to the public and fall within one of 12 categories listed in the ADA, such as restaurants, movie theaters, schools, day care facilities, recreation facilities, and doctors’ offices. The ADA’s mandate extends to newly constructed or altered places of ...

As we previously reported, OSHA postponed enforcement of its controversial post-accident drug testing rule from August 10, 2016 to November 1, 2016.  Now, with the November 1, 2016 deadline approaching, OSHA may extend its stay on enforcing the post-drug testing rule until December 1, 2016.

OSHA initially delayed enforcement of the rule until November 1, 2016 because a lawsuit was filed in July 2016 by numerous parties seeking injunctive relief to prevent enforcement of the rule. OSHA agreed to postpone enforcement of the rule to allow the parties to brief the legal issues ...

The U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) implementation of its Final Overtime Rule and an increase for salaried exempt employees to $913/week is set to go into effect on December 1^st. We want to debunk the myths of what could and could not derail the implementation:

1. New Litigation – On September 20, 2016, two lawsuits were filed to enjoin the new regulation from taking effect: States of Nevada et. al v. U.S. Department of Labor et. al., Case 4:16-cv-00731, Eastern Dist. TX and Plano Chamber of Commerce et. al v. Thomas Perez et. al., Case 4:16-cv-00732, Eastern Dist. TX. Both lawsuits ...

Last week, the Cook County Board passed a paid sick leave ordinance that requires most employers in Cook County to provide paid sick leave for their employees. It will take effect on July 1, 2017 and basically mirrors the requirements of a City of Chicago paid sick leave ordinance that passed earlier this year.

The county ordinance requires a covered employer to provide to eligible employees up to 40 hours (5 work days) of paid sick leave in a 12-month period. The 12-month period begins as soon as the covered employee begins employment or July 1, 2017, whichever is later. 

Coverage ...

With the 2016 general election heating up, discussions about politics and candidates will inevitably enter the workplace. Employers should be aware of several critical legal issues when responding or reacting to politics in the workplace, as well as understanding workers’ rights to engage in the political process.

Imposing a blanket ban on political discussions may run afoul of the National Labor Relations Act.

The NLRA, which applies to private unionized and non-unionized workplaces, protects non-supervisory employees’ discussions about terms and conditions of ...

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the laws of many states generally require employers to provide “reasonable accommodations” to certain employees with disabilities. This requires the employer and employee to participate in an interactive process aimed at finding job changes that allow the employee to continue working. For many employers, that requirement raises many questions for which there are no simple, definitive answers—which forces employers to make accommodation decisions amid considerable uncertainty.

But the recent decision in Dillard v ...

The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) enforces the National Labor Relations Act, the law that allows private sector employees to address the terms and conditions of their employment (e.g., wages, hours, benefits) through collective action. Through a recently released Advice Memorandum, the NLRB expanded its role to include regulating independent contractor relationships.  Pac. 9 Transp., Inc., Advice Mem., No. 21-CA-150875 (NLRB 12/18/2015, released 8/26/2016).

In Pac 9, multiple unfair labor practice charges were filed, alleging violations of the Act as it ...

Recently the Illinois Attorney General filed a lawsuit against a well-known restaurant franchise seeking to enjoin it from enforcing non-compete provisions in employment agreements that it had required all employees to sign, including hourly employees such as delivery drivers. The clauses at issue prohibited employees from working at any other similar business within two miles of any of the franchisor or its franchisees’ stores in the United States. Even though the franchisor agreed to voluntarily drop these clauses moving forward, the Illinois legislature took action and ...

Last month, the EEOC issued its Enforcement Guidance on Retaliation and Related Issues.  Having last issued guidance on retaliation claims in 1998, the agency stated that an updated publication was necessary in light of the significant court rulings on these claims, as well as the increasing frequency of retaliation claims in administrative charges and lawsuits. Retaliation is now the most commonly alleged basis of discrimination.

Of particular interest, the EEOC discusses at length its position on various issues that arise in determining whether an employee has engaged in ...

A new proposed rule represents a hopeful change for foreign entrepreneurs looking to stay in the U.S. to start and grow their businesses.

Currently the only routes for foreign entrepreneurs to obtain a visa involve huge risk. Those routes, via a Treaty E visa or the EB-5 visa program, require applicants to make significant investments upfront and essentially build their businesses to satisfy the visa criteria, with no guarantee that a visa will be granted.

One of my clients, who sold all-terrain vehicles, imported several of these vehicles and related equipment, not knowing if he ...