Labor & Employment Law Update

Fall is around the corner, and with it comes student interns bolstering their resumes. Interns can benefit companies by cutting down some of the workload; however, employers need to be aware that wage and hour laws can apply to interns.

The federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) mandates that nearly all employees be paid minimum wage and overtime for hours worked over 40 in a week. One FLSA exemption is for bona fide interns.

The U.S. DOL applies a fact-specific inquiry to determine whether an internship may be unpaid because “no employment relationship exists.”

• The ...

Back on our March 8, 2016 blog, we reported about two new lawsuits filed by the EEOC based on sexual orientation. On June 28, 2016, the EEOC reached a historic first settlement on one of these lawsuits. In the case against Pallet Companies, doing business as IFCO Systems North America, the EEOC alleged that the company discriminated against a woman by terminating her for complaining about harassment associated with her sexual orientation. Yolanda Boone, a forklift driver at IFCO’s Baltimore plant, complained that her supervisor harassed her by repeatedly making comments about ...

Last month, an EEOC Task Force issued a lengthy report on harassment in the workplace.  The report begins with mention of the prevalence of harassment claims, which appear in almost a full third of the employment discrimination charges that the EEOC received in 2015. Given this, the report recommends that employers reboot their anti-harassment measures. Among other helpful research and advice, the report discusses risk factors that make a workplace more susceptible to harassment, many of which are discussed below:

• Workforce comprised of many young workers. Those in their ...

This is an update to our July 6, 2016 post regarding OSHA’s plan to enforce new rules concerning post-accident drug and alcohol testing.  In response to a lawsuit filed to block the August 10^th implementation of OSHA’s new electronic recordkeeping rule (including the limits on post-accident drug and alcohol testing), OSHA announced yesterday that it will delay enforcement until November 1, 2016. There is no indication that OSHA will back away from its new stance on post-accident drug and alcohol testing, but enforcement will not begin until November 1, 2016.

The Federal Court of Appeals for the First Circuit recently upheld a National Labor Relations Board decision finding a car dealership’s dress code ban on “pins, insignias, and message clothing” was, in and of itself, an unfair labor practice. The case is another in a long line of NLRB decisions striking down policies as unfair labor practices because, the board claims, employees might interpret them as infringing upon their right to unionize or engage in other concerted activity protected by Section 7 of the National Labor Relations Act.

The board concluded the ...

In a 3-1 decision the National Labor Relations Board made it easier to organize a company with a contingent workforce. Today’s Board decision returned to the rule established in M.B. Sturgis, Inc., 331 NLRB 1298 (2000) (“Sturgis”), reversing Oakwood Care Center, 343 NLRB 659 (2004) (“Oakwood”) thereby holding that employer consent is not necessary for units that combine jointly employed and solely employed employees of a single user employer.

So what does this mean?

Under the newly resurrected Sturgis standard temporary employees can once again be included in a single ...

As we previously reported, the August 10, 2016 effective date for OSHA’s final electronic reporting rule is quickly approaching. The requirement to electronically submit data does not begin until 2017, but an important part of this rulemaking that goes into effect August 10, 2016 is the requirement for employers to implement a reasonable procedure to ensure accurate reporting of illnesses and injuries. The concern about possible underreporting was highlighted during the rulemaking process and post-accident drug and alcohol testing was specifically targeted as an ...

For more than 75 years, employers have had broad access to a powerful weapon to counterbalance a union’s ability to engage in an economic strike: the right to permanently replace those economic strikers. On May 31, however, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) replaced that powerful weapon with a water gun. In a 2-1 decision, the NLRB held that despite the economic nature of a strike, an employer violated the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) by permanently replacing strikers because the employer was motivated by “a purpose prohibited by the Act.” American Baptist ...

City of Chicago Approves Paid Sick Time

On June 21, 2016, we posted a blog on the City of Chicago’s proposed ordinance mandating paid sick leave, including details about who it covers and how it could impact business owners.

On Wednesday, June 22^nd, the full City council passed the ordinance. Effective July 1, 2017, part time and full time employees in Chicago will accrue 1 hour of sick leave for every 40 hours they work – with a cap of 5 days paid leave per 12 month period.

Employers can utilize their existing paid time off policies if they are more generous than the Chicago ordinance; ...

A Texas federal judge today, June 27, 2016, entered a nationwide injunction barring the U.S. Department of Labor from enforcing its Persuader Rule. HOWEVER, because nothing is certain, Amundsen Davis encourages all employers to speak with its outside counsel on securing Legal Representation Agreements before July, 1st to help combat and further protect its long term interests as explained in our June 24, 2016 Blog Update.