By Erin Dougherty Foley and James Nasiri*
Seyfarth Synopsis: On February 18, 2022, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit affirmed a district court decision granting a municipal employer’s motion for summary judgment in a case brought by a former garbage man alleging race discrimination under Section 1983. The Court’s decision, which is rooted in the Town’s
Continue Reading First Circuit Sides with Employer in Race Discrimination Suit Brought by Former Garbage Man
Seyfarth Synopsis: The key issues affecting Australian workplaces bear a strong resemblance with those in the United States. While generalizations suffer from the limitations of being just that, here are five issues HR and workplace leaders in Australia are grappling with in a two-minute read.
Almost one in
Continue Reading Five Key Issues in the Australian Workplace—Highlights for Multinational Employers
By Ted North and A. Scott Hecker
On March 11, 2022, the Department of Labor (DOL) announced a notice of proposed rulemaking (“NPRM”) related to the Davis Bacon Act (the “Act”), entitled “Updating the Davis-Bacon and Related Acts Regulations.” The move to modernize the Act’s regulations looks to deliver changes promised by President Biden to use the Act and its
Continue Reading Back To The Future: Department of Labor Reanimates Prior Davis-Bacon “Prevailing Wage” Definition
By Daniel B. Klein, Christina Duszlak, and Alex J. Reganata
Seyfarth Synopsis: The Massachusetts Department of Unemployment Insurance has announced that the Massachusetts COVID-19 Emergency Paid Sick Leave (“MEPSL”) will expire on March 15, 2022. Employers have until April 29, 2022 to file their applications for reimbursements.
On May 28, 2021, a temporary Massachusetts law providing
Continue Reading Massachusetts COVID-19 Emergency Paid Sick Leave Will Expire On March 15th
By Ashley Cano, Brandon Dixon, and Ala Salameh
About the Program: We welcome our clients and friends back to our offices for this informative and timely in-person event. Please join our attorneys from Seyfarth’s Chicago Labor & Employment group to learn about important considerations and best practices for employee performance management. This program, designed for both legal and
Continue Reading You’re Invited! Employee Performance Management: Important Considerations and Best Practices to Minimize Legal Risk – March 8, 2022
By A. Scott Hecker, Brent I. Clark, James L. Curtis, Mark A. Lies, Adam R. Young, Patrick D. Joyce, Daniel R. Birnbaum and Craig B. Simonsen
Seyfarth Synopsis: OSHA has withdrawn its private employer COVID-19 Vaccination and Testing ETS, effective Tuesday, January 25, 2022.
On Tuesday, January 25, 2022, the federal Occupational Safety
Continue Reading OSHA Acknowledges Reality; Withdraws COVID-19 Vaccination and Testing ETS
Seyfarth Synopsis: On January 14, 2022, the Supreme Court of New Hampshire reversed a trial court decision that dismissed a former employee’s complaint alleging his employer failed to consider whether it could reasonably accommodate his use of marijuana for medicinal purposes. New Hampshire joins a growing number of other jurisdictions that have found an employer
Continue Reading Supreme Court of New Hampshire Weighs in On Reasonable Accommodations for Medical Marijuana Users
By Pamela Q. Devata and Jennifer L. Mora
Seyfarth Synopsis: Each year, employers revisit and possibly modify their background screening policies and practices to account for newly enacted ban-the-box and other laws impacting background screening. Last year, we saw some major developments, which are highlighted in this blog.
Illinois
Illinois amended the Illinois Human Rights Act to make it
Continue Reading Another Busy Year for Employment-Purposed Background Checks: What Happened in 2021?
By Minh N. Vu
Seyfarth Synopsis: We predict 2022 will look a lot like 2021 with roughly the same number of lawsuits and DOJ pushing the boundaries of the ADA.
Like 2020, 2021 was a tough year for businesses. Still dealing with the constantly-changing COVID-19 landscape, businesses were also bombarded with what may be another record number of ADA
Continue Reading Crystal Ball 2022: More Aggressive DOJ Enforcement, More Lawsuits, and Maybe a New Rulemaking
Seyfarth Synopsis: Every year, employers find themselves revisiting their marijuana and drug testing policies to account for newly enacted laws at the state and local level. Now is no different. Below are some highlights of what happened in 2021.
Connecticut
On June 22, 2021, Connecticut legalized recreational marijuana use by adults 21 years and older.
Continue Reading Marijuana Laws Impacting Employers Spread Like a Weed in 2021: A Year in Review