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Employment Law

Wearables at work: Big data or Big Brother?

06/18/2015
The ability to acquire biometric data is growing all the time, and yes, it will create employment law problems.

Extra leave isn’t always ADA accommodation

06/16/2015
The FMLA and the ADA are supposed to work together so employees who need some time off for serious health conditions and disabilities don’t lose their jobs. Fortunately for employers, there are limits to leave—especially for jobs that require regular attendance.

Court: No FLSA poster equals unlimited liability

06/11/2015
For want of a thumbtack, the Fair Labor Standards Act’s statute of limitations didn’t run. In a case involving a domestic worker’s pay dispute but equally applicable to any employment situation, a federal appeals court ruled that failing to display the Department of Labor’s minimum wage poster meant an employer was on the hook for years of wage-and-hour violations.

Saks sex bias case settled

06/09/2015
In a sudden reversal, New York-based Saks Fifth Avenue has elected to settle a sex discrimination complaint filed by a transgender employee at the company’s store in Houston.

Temporary injuries aren’t disabilities under the ADA

06/09/2015
Don’t assume that every injury is a disability. Many times, injuries heal within a few weeks or months with proper treatment and don’t end up as disabilities protected by the ADA.

Court gives pro se litigant one more chance to make her case

06/09/2015

Don’t think that just because an employee can’t find an attorney to represent her, you’ll easily get a case dismissed. When employees act as their own lawyers, courts try to give them a fair chance to make their case without benefit of counsel. As the following case shows, that can include giving pro se plaintiffs detailed instructions on how to make a winning argument.

EPA claim can’t rest on just one worker’s pay

06/09/2015
An employee who sues under the EPA can’t pick and choose to whom she compares herself—for example, by selecting a man who holds the same job who happens to make more. She must consider all men and women in the same job classification.

Telecommuting not always a reasonable ADA accommodation

06/09/2015
A federal appeals court has ruled that telecommuting is not always a reasonable accommodation under the ADA. The case involved a Ford employee suffering from a disability, but the court found that on-site attendance was an essential function of the plaintiff’s job.

Absent with no excuse? That’s willful misconduct

06/09/2015
Employees who are fired for willful misconduct aren’t eligible for unemployment compensation. Not following the employer’s call-off rules is willful misconduct and may bar benefits.

State lawsuit finished? Now brace for federal case

06/09/2015
Don’t assume case is over after state court case ends. A recent case shows that even after a decade of litigation, the former employee may add a second federal lawsuit.