Employment Law Blog

School's Out, Work's In--Considerations for Seasonal Employment

As summer approaches, many businesses will be thinking about hiring seasonal employees. Whether those are high schoolers looking for pocket change, college students in need of internship credits, or just more sets of hands to assist with the busy months, specific considerations need to be made for your seasonal workers to assure legal compliance. More >

NLRB GC Seeks to End Captive Audience Meetings

In yet another bid to weaken employers’ stance in the face of organized labor, NLRB General Counsel Jennifer Abruzzo has issued a memo calling for an end to employer-led “captive audience” meetings. This move by the NLRB threatens one of employers’ key tools for curbing unionization in the workplace and is yet another foreboding sign of the Biden administration’s pro-labor agenda. More >

Because of Winn-Dixie—New DOJ Guidance for Website Accessibility and ADA Compliance

When most employers and business owners think of their obligations under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), they think of reasonable accommodations for employees and accessibility in their physical public spaces, such as automatic doors or Braille. A recent decision from a federal appellate court and recent guidance from the Department of Justice (DOJ), however, should cause business owners to also think about their accessibility in another kind of public space—the internet. More >

Amazon Workers Vote to Unionize, Paving Way for New Labor Woes for Employers

For the first time in the U.S., an Amazon facility’s workers have voted to unionize. The workers at the Staten Island warehouse “JFK8” voted 2,654-2,131 to be represented by the Amazon Labor Union (ALU). After years of unsuccessful organizing attempts across the country, this breakthrough victory portends a growing labor movement, and employers should be ready for what it may bring. More >

EEOC Updates Caregiver Guidance for Employers

Though we are now two years into the pandemic, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) is still not finished issuing COVID-related guidance for employers. The Commission’s latest statement involves issues of bias regarding employees with caregiver responsibilities, especially such responsibilities relating to or resulting from the pandemic. Employers should be aware of how caregiver bias may manifest itself and how to avoid illegal discrimination per new EEOC guidance. More >

Boeing, Boeing, Gone! NLRB GC Recommends Reversal of Employer Handbook Standards

With any new administration in Washington comes changes to the National Labor Relations Board. From the start, Biden’s NLRB has made clear their goal to reverse the employer-friendly handbook standards established by the Boeing decision, and the General Counsel’s March 7^th post-hearing brief includes recommendations that take further steps towards that goal. More >

Working from Home is Here to Stay—Here’s How Employers Should Adapt

Over the past two years, the letters “WFH” have become a familiar shorthand as more people than ever worked from home due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, though many employees are returning to their workplaces, many are choosing—or requesting—to continue their remote work configuration. One thing is clear—though working from home may have seemed like a temporary fix at the outset, it’s here to stay. Employers should consider reviewing and updating their policies to be better equipped for the continued presence of remote work and ensure continued success and safety. More >

Mandatory No More – New Law Removes Arbitration Requirements from Sexual Harassment Disputes

Update: President Biden signed the Ending Forced Arbitration of Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment Act into law on March 3, 2022.

On February 10^th, the U.S. Senate passed the Ending Forced Arbitration of Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment Act. This bill, which is expected to be signed into law by President Biden, will bar employers’ mandatory arbitration agreements from applying to cases of sexual assault or sexual harassment, opening the door for in-court litigation in such situations. Employers should prepare for the changes that this new law will bring to dispute resolution policies. More >

Employer Update: Keeping Up with COVID

Nearly two full years into the pandemic, employers are still struggling to keep up with ever-evolving guidance, requirements, and recommendations regarding the virus—and for good reason, as the advice for how to keep employees safe while staying in business has been constantly evolving.  As the Omicron variant creates even more problems, some employers are suffering now more than ever. We have rounded up crucial updates for employers so you can handle the ongoing impacts of the pandemic to the best of your ability. More >

Employer Update: What You Need to Know about OSHA ETS Compliance and Vaccine Mandates

Since President Biden’s vaccine plan was first announced in September, employers have had lots of questions, and very few answers, about the Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) that would require employers with 100 or more employees to implement “vaccine or test” policies aimed at controlling the spread of COVID-19. Since its official release, the ETS, issued by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), has been paused and un-paused and been kicked from one court to the next, finally landing in the United States Supreme Court. As employers wait for the Supreme Court to rule, the January 10 deadline for ETS enforcement has passed. What does all this mean for Kentucky employers—and what action should they be taking? More >