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Protections for pregnant workers and new moms are coming as part of new federal government funding

Last week, while many of you were in your offices with the doors closed, pretending to work before the holiday break, the Senate and House passed an omnibus spending package incorporating two separate pieces of legislation to protect pregnant workers and new moms. Pregnant Workers Fairness Act Introduced in May,…

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New Jersey’s Mini-WARN Act may get that employee-friendly overhaul sooner than you think.

Under a federal law called the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act, businesses with 100 or more employees must provide affected workers with 60 days’ notice before a big layoff. It’s a bit more nuanced than that. But, for this blog post, the details aren’t so important. What does…

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DOL’s new resources for workers impacted by cancer will help employers avoid FMLA missteps too

Earlier this month, the U.S. Department of Labor announced that it had released New Resources for Workers Impacted by Cancer. Cancer Moonshot week of action was the impetus for the new resources. The Cancer Moonshot initiative aims to reduce cancer’s death rate by accelerating treatment discovery. Labor Secretary, Marty Walsh,…

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Now, THIS is a retaliation lawsuit worthy of becoming a bar exam question.

Sometimes, when deciding whether to blog about a recent federal court decision, I skip the “Factual Background” section and go right to the “Discussion.” That’s where I usually find the most concise, “meat-and-bones” explanation of what the case is about. I did that last night when I read this Minnesota…

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Don’t sleep on state wage and hour laws in 2023, especially if you are a multi-state employer.

I like to tell people who will listen to me, which frequently isn’t even my kids, that I can go into most workplaces and sleuth out at least one wage-and-hour violation. The Fair Labor Standards Act, the complex federal wage-and-hour law, contains many hidden traps that ensnare even the most…

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Fired an employee for violating a social media policy, did you? You may have to pay their credit card debt and mortgage payments.

On Friday’s edition of The Employer Handbook Zoom Office Happy Hour — catch the replay here if you missed it —  we talked about 2022 changes in the law that could impact 2023 updates to your employee handbook. One talked briefly about how the pendulum at the National Labor Relations…

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Join us TODAY at Noon ET for The Employer Handbook Zoom Happy Hour: “The ESSENTIAL Employment Law Updates for 2023″

I don’t know about you, but the COVID-19 pandemic has warped my sense of timing. Still, it seems like a lot happened in 2022 that warrants some discussion about how employers should revise their employee handbooks for 2023. Covering 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico seems ambitious;…

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Pennsylvania’s employment laws appear to be inching closer to New Jersey’s (aka the California of the East)

When I think of Pennsylvania, it’s the Liberty Bell, cheesesteaks, and that putrid football team from Pittsburgh with the fans that wave yellow towels. I also think of employer-friendly employment laws. But one of those associations may soon be eroding. (Spoiler alert: not my opinion of the hapless Steelers). Last…

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Keeping open lines of communications, and other ways to demonstrate good faith under the ADA

A recent Eighth Circuit decision helps show how an employer can discharge its obligations to engage in the Americans with Disabilities Act interactive process in good faith. Remote work during flare-ups The case involves a plaintiff with multiple sclerosis who worked in customer service at a hospital, the defendant. After…