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Employment Law

Right to return after pregnancy depends on job

01/23/2018

Under California’s pregnancy discrimination protection laws, new mothers returning from pregnancy leave are entitled to return to their previous jobs, much as they are under the federal FMLA. However, there are real and practical limits to that right to return.

Tax reform bans deducting harassment settlement costs

01/23/2018

Confidential sexual harassment settlements will cost more under tax reform legislation enacted at the end of December.

Woebegone, Keillor says he was fired without investigation

01/18/2018

Former “Prairie Home Companion” host Garrison Keillor alleges his firing from Minnesota Public Radio was completed without a proper investigation of sexual harassment allegations made against him.

Court offers extra help when workers represent themselves

01/18/2018

The 8th Circuit Court of Appeals has signaled it will continue to give lots of leeway to employees who act as their own attorneys. 

Completing EEOC intake form starts right-to-sue clock

01/18/2018

Employees or applicants who want to sue an employer for discrimination generally have to file a complaint with the EEOC or the equivalent state administrative agency within 300 days of the alleged discrimination. Otherwise, they lose the right to do so.

Court: Reasonable fear of economic harm is enough to support constructive discharge claim

01/18/2018

Employees can’t quit and claim constructive discharge just because conditions at work became uncomfortable. But what level of discomfort is required?

No time records? Court will use workers’ tally

01/18/2018
It’s common for employers not to track the hours of independent contractors or exempt employees. That could end up being a serious mistake should one or more of those workers sue, arguing they were misclassified under the Fair Labor Standards Act.

$550,000 settles decade-old harassment case

01/18/2018

The GEO Group, which operates private prison facilities in the United States and several other countries, agreed to pay more than a half million dollars to alleged victims of sexual harassment. In exchange, the EEOC agreed to end efforts to litigate the charges.

Using GPS to monitor staff? Know legal risks and 5 best practices

01/18/2018

With the rise in GPS technology, employers have unprecedented access to their employees’ whereabouts. However, before an employer begins using GPS to monitor employees, it should consider the related legal ramifications and employee privacy issues.

Penalties rise for employment law violations

01/18/2018

A two-year-old law requires the U.S. Department of Labor to adjust the level of employment law fines each year based on inflation.