Virginia News Tragedy: Prevention & Readiness for Workplace Violence

Reportedly, more than 1,700,000 workers are injured annually as a result of workplace violence.  We were recently reminded that disgruntled employees can be deadly. On August 26th, Vester Lee Flanagan, II murdered two of his former colleagues during a live news segment before taking his own life. This tragedy provides an opportune backdrop for employers to reassess preventative measures in place and disaster readiness in order to minimize the likelihood and impact of violence in the workplace.

According to reports, Flanagan worked …

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Is Obesity a Disability?

A case currently pending before the Eighth Circuit will address whether ADA protections should extend to obese workers. With more than 2/3 of the US adult population considered overweight, recognition of obesity as a disability under the ADA – defined as physical or mental impairment that substantially limits major life activities – will result in accommodations and protections in unprecedented numbers.

In January 2013, Melvin Morriss III filed suit in Federal Court in Nebraska against BNSF Railway Co. He alleged that BNSF rescinded its conditional …

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Employers: Adapt to Obergefell

Employers must adapt to Obergefell v. Hodges.  Prior to the Supreme Court’s June 26, 2015 decision, many states did not require employers to recognize and provide benefits for married same-sex couples. Only 36 states and Washington D.C. legalized same-sex marriage. Now, the Supreme Court determined that the 14th Amendment requires states to license same-sex marriages and to recognize lawfully licensed same-sex marriages performed out-of-state.  In light of this holding, employers must ensure that their policies, procedures and the benefits comport with federal law.…

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Attorney Lawsuit over Overtime Pay

Professionals often require additional assistance handling time-consuming, but routine, tasks.  This is particularly apparent in complex litigation that involves voluminous discovery and document review.  Not surprisingly, document review can quickly become one of the more labor-intensive and expensive stages of the case.  In order to meet this challenge, many firms will hire temporary attorneys to review the discovery for privilege and scope.  Before doing so, query whether these firms consider the overtime implications of the FLSA.

Law firms generally consider document review to be professional …

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Is a Single Threat Enough to Trigger Liability For Retaliation?

Retaliation claims account for almost half of all EEOC claims filed nationwide.  The 2014 EEOC Enforcement and Litigation data reflects that 42.8% of all EEOC charges are retaliation claims. Therefore, the crucial question when assessing the legal landscape for employers may be: what is enough to trigger liability for retaliation? The question of whether a threat to reduce pay constitutes an adverse employment action is before the Fifth Circuit. The underlying claim was dismissed at the trial level. A reversal of this decision could lead …

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What Constitutes Harassment? Impact of New Law

Retaliation and harassment are the most commonly filed employment law claims nationwide. After the Fourth Circuit’s recent decision in Boyer-Liberto v. Fountainbleau Corp., No. 13-1473 (4th Cir. May 7, 2015) lawsuits alleging hostile work environment and harassment will only be more difficult for employers to dispose of.  The Fourth Circuit held that a single instance of harassment may create an actionable hostile work environment claim, and that an employee can be protected from retaliation when complaining about harassment, even if the purported harassment is …

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Supreme Court Clarifies EEOC Conciliation Process

A growing concern of late among employers has been the often heavy-handed tactics of the EEOC with respect to its statutory obligations to pursue pre-suit conciliation processes.  Though the EEOC is required by Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to attempt settlement negotiations between an employer and the allegedly wronged employee prior to suing for a judicial intervention, many employers felt that the EEOC has been overly aggressive with its pre-suit tactics.  The end result for these employers has been a rise …

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Proposed Regs on Employer Wellness Programs

The vast majority of large employers offer some sort of wellness program, according to a recent survey. We’ve posted about the risks and benefits of these programs in the past. Now, more than ever, employers with such programs should take note. The EEOC recently issued its highly anticipated proposed regulations amending how the ADA applies to these increasingly popular programs. The proposed rule is designed to provide guidance on the extent to which the ADA permits employers to use incentives to encourage employees to participate …

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Anxiety Over the ADA

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is designed to protect people with disabilities from discrimination in the workplace.  Under the ADA, an employer must provide a reasonable accommodation to an employee with a disability if the employee requests an accommodation.  Employers should take note of a recent decision that includes a new class within the definition of disability.  In Jacobs v. N.C. Administrative Office of the Courts,  the court reversed the district court and found that social anxiety disorder is a protected disability under …

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Public and Private E-mails Don’t Mix

Hillary Clinton recently made headlines for using her personal email account for business purposes during her tenure as Secretary of State. This high profile example provides us with an opportunity to reflect upon what is commonplace for some.  It can be tempting for employees to use personal email accounts to conduct corporate business, particularly when working remotely.  However, the highly sensitive nature of Clinton’s job raised questions over the security of using a non-work email account to transmit information. Depending on the nature of your …

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