A recent federal appellate court decision highlights some of the complexities of employment discrimination claims. It is a stark reminder for companies that even well-intentioned reorganizations can lead to legal challenges if not handled transparently and consistently. The Backstory The plaintiff was terminated from her role as Associate Director during a…
Articles Posted in Hiring & Firing
Retaliation Station: When Harassment and Termination Claims Take Different Tracks
Last night, I read an Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals decision in which the court tackled the tricky terrain of retaliatory harassment and termination claims under Title VII. The former is not something I encounter too often, and there was enough “there there” in this case to send the claim…
When the Employment Lawyer Becomes the Plaintiff: Lessons from an ADEA Case
In a recent decision, the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York granted summary judgment in favor of the defendant, dismissing the plaintiff’s age discrimination claims under the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA). This case serves as a critical reminder for employment lawyers and human…
Let’s revisit Friday’s post about what state’s laws apply to a remote NJ worker’s employment claims
Back by popular demand. I see that Friday’s post threw some of you for a loop. Perhaps you were always told (or just assumed) that if your business has employees working from home in another state, then that state’s law would apply to some or all claims they may have…
Blunt Reality: NJ cannabis users cannot sue over rescinded job offers
Think you can sue your employer for not hiring you because you tested positive for cannabis? Think again. The Third Circuit just made it clear that New Jersey’s recreational marijuana law does not provide job applicants with a private cause of action. The plaintiff, who applied for a job with…
Join me and my friends on Wednesday, December 11 for HR Festivus. (And it’s free)
At Noon ET, Amy Epstein Gluck, Michael Elkins, and I will present “What the Legal Landscape Looks Like for 2025.” Come hang with us for an hour while we cover key legal updates for 2025. Our friends at HR Learns, who are hosting this event, have pre-approved our sesh for…
Can companies exit bias lawsuits by arguing that the same person hired and fired the plaintiff?
Suppose your company hires a black man only to fire him less than a year later. If the man claims that his race motivated the termination decisions, would arguing that the same person made both employment decisions create a viable defense? It’s called the “same-actor inference.” As a New York…
New Jersey joins the club of states with pay transparency laws.
Sorry, 50 Cent, not that club. On Monday, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy signed legislation (Senate Bill 2310) requiring certain businesses to disclose wage or salary information and description of benefits in job postings. Here are five things employers need to know about this new law: It covers private businesses…
Join us today at Noon ET on Zoom to learn how November’s election results may impact employment laws in 2025
In the wake of election results earlier this month that will result in a Republican president and a Republican-controlled Congress in 2025, it’s reasonable to expect some changes in employment law. I’ve assembled an all-star panel of employment lawyers to explore them, including my partners Amy Epstein Gluck and Dessi Day and two…
Did this employee get caught trying to pull a fast one? Or did the company interfere with his FMLA rights?
Stop me if this sounds familiar. An employee has a bad day at work. His supervisor assigned him work that he didn’t want to perform. Clearly upset with the situation, the employee begrudgingly completes the assignment and promptly announces that he will go on vacation for a few days. However,…