Tag: Al Vreeland

DOL poised to release new overtime final rule

The long-awaited final rule making millions more employees eligible to earn overtime pay is likely to be released on May 18, and if its contents match recent reports, employers and employees alike are in for big changes. The Politico news organization reports that Vice President Joe Biden, Labor Secretary Tom Perez, and Ohio Senator Sherrod […]

Alabama Legislature puts a stop to Birmingham’s higher minimum wage

by Albert L. Vreeland ************************ UPDATE 2/26/16 ************************ As expected, on Thursday, February 25, the Alabama Legislature passed a bill preempting any local legislation (city or county) imposing a higher minimum wage or mandating a minimum level of employee benefits.  The bill was signed into law by Governor Robert Bentley shortly thereafter, rendering the Birmingham […]

New Alabama noncompete law starts in January

by Al Vreeland A bill signed into law over the summer will significantly strengthen Alabama employers’ ability to enforce noncompete agreements when the law takes effect January 1, 2016. The state’s old noncompete statute makes a broad statement that noncompete agreements are void. It then creates several exceptions into which courts have shoehorned the modern […]

Attacking Motherhood and Apple Pie: Pregnancy Discrimination in the Workplace

by Al Vreeland What could be more noxious to the American soul than an assault on motherhood? We all have a mother (though some might question the genetic origin of lawyers). Many of us return to her apron strings when we need reassurance that we haven’t become fat and stupid (or at least completely so). […]

Changes in Employment Law and the Workplace Under Obama and New Congress

by Al Vreeland As with old girlfriends, we don’t always appreciate what we have in life until we don’t have it anymore. Employers have enjoyed pretty smooth sailing for almost a decade now. The feds have imposed relatively few new regulations, the courts have looked at most employment lawsuits with a skeptical eye, and unions […]

The Electronic Time Bomb on Your Desk

by Albert L. Vreeland Recently, your job as Shepherd of All Things Employment became a lot more complicated (and legally risky) — for reasons you may not even be aware of. On December 1, 2006, the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure were amended to include specific provisions for handling electronically stored information. That may sound […]