Practical HR Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
In August, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld an injunction to the Department of Education’s recently issued rule implementing Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972. Title IX prohibits sex-based discrimination in any school or any other education program that receives funding from the federal government. This order—coupled with its decision overruling Chevron deference—signals the […]
When the Supreme Court decided SEC v. Jarkesy, it only decided one of the issues in the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals decision. As we noted in “NLRB’s Administrative Law Judges Face Existential Challenges,” the 5th Circuit in Jarkesy also ruled that the Securities and Exchanges Commission’s (SEC) administrative law judges (ALJs) were unconstitutionally […]
Whenever an employer investigates employee misconduct, there’s a chance it will find—and may have to disclose—negative facts. This is true when a hospital investigates the medical conduct of a doctor, or an employer investigates an employee for potential harassment. In both instances, and in the absence of malice, those investigations are protected by the litigation […]
Immediately after the Supreme Court’s decisions in SFFA v. Harvard/UNC eliminating the use of race in higher education admissions, questions were raised about corporate diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs. Edward Blum—founder of the organization Students for Fair Admissions (SFFA) that won the Harvard/UNC decision—and former Trump administration staffer Stephen Miller have aggressively challenged corporate […]
Recreational touring companies are seeking U.S. Supreme Court review of the U.S. 10th Circuit Appeals Court decision upholding President Joe Biden’s $15 minimum wage requirement for federal contractors. The companies claim the wage hike was beyond the president’s authority under the Procurement Act. According to the companies, the “legal problem the mandate creates is straightforward: […]
Since the Supreme Court’s rulings in Loper Bright and Jarkesy, employers have wondered to what degree the High Court’s rulings would affect the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), which has long regarded itself as being apart from the concerns facing other agencies. Recent actions by the courts, however, have begun to challenge the Board’s self-regard. […]
Question: We have an employee who is undergoing fertility treatments out of town and misses days sporadically. Do these absences fall under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)? Answer: Great question; complicated answer. The answer is complicated because a question about FMLA leave is always the start of a longer conversation about whether other […]
With the departure of Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) Commissioner Keith Sonderling (R), the Democrats on the Commission have a 3 to 1 majority. It’s unlikely this change will make any difference for the remainder of President Joe Biden’s term, but things could change after President Donald Trump takes office. EEOC Has Received Nearly 2,000 […]
On September 6, 2024, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) confirmed its cybersecurity guidance applies to all employee benefit plans, including health and welfare plans. In 2021, the DOL issued guidance providing best practices in cybersecurity for plan sponsors, plan fiduciaries, recordkeepers, and plan participants. The retirement plan industry took notice and has generally made […]
Question: Is there a statute of limitations regarding when employers must inform employees of an overpayment of wages, and can employees be held legally accountable for paying the overpayment back? Answer: The Federal Labor Standards Act (FLSA) doesn’t address how long an employer has to recover overpaid wages. In the absence of federal law, state […]