On August 30, 2023, the U.S. Department of Labor (“DOL”) announced a proposed rule intended to “restore and extend overtime protections to 3.6 million salaried employees.” If finalized, the proposed rule would raise the salary levels that must be paid to certain employees for them to be exempt from overtime pay requirements under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (“FLSA”). The full Lathrop GPM Client Alert on the subject can be found here.
Specifics of Proposed Rule
The proposed rule, if finalized, would raise the guaranteed weekly salary that must be paid to “white ...
The answer after the Stericycle ruling is likely “both.”
As the composition of the NLRB (National Labor Relations Board) changes, the roller coaster continues, making it difficult for businesses – whether private, non-profit, non-union or union and beyond – to draft and implement compliant policies, reduce risk, conduct or oversee investigations, and more. The result of this swing will likely be more confusion for all employees – union or not – as to whether common policies actually comply with the law, and more litigation involving employees who are disciplined for ...
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”) has released its enforcement and litigation statistics for FY2022. In summary, the EEOC’s data shows that there were 73,485 charges of discrimination filed in FY2022, which represents 12,154 more charges than were filed in FY2021. Of those charges, retaliation continues to be the most frequently cited claim -- accounting for 51.6 percent of all charges filed in FY2022. Race, color and sex discrimination claims increased marginally while religious discrimination claims more than sextupled from the prior fiscal ...
As we have previously reported, the most recent Minnesota legislative session resulted in a number of new laws that affect employers with Minnesota-based employees. We have issued client alerts about Minnesota’s new law banning noncompete agreements, as well as new and/or expanded laws regarding earned sick and safe time, paid family and medical leave, parental leave, pregnancy accommodation, lactating employees, and recreational adult-use marijuana. But the Minnesota Legislature did not stop there. Additional developments - including an amendment to Minnesota’s ...
In a memorandum released on May 30, 2023, the National Labor Relations Board (“NRLB”) General Counsel opined that noncompete agreements may violate the federal National Labor Relations Act (“NLRA”). In doing so, the General Counsel joins the Federal Trade Commission and a growing number of states in attacking the ability of employers to use these agreements.
Section 7 of the NLRA Act protects, among other things, the right of non-management employees to organize and to act together to improve working conditions. The NLRB General Counsel takes the position that noncompete ...
Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, which prohibits employment discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex and national origin, requires employers with 15 or more employees to accommodate the sincerely held religious beliefs and practices of applicants and employees unless doing so would impose an “undue hardship on the conduct of the employer’s business.” 42 U.S.C. §2000e(j). On Thursday, June 29, 2023, the U.S. Supreme Court issued an opinion that clarified what “undue hardship” means in the Title VII religious accommodation context, raising the bar ...
For federal government contractors and their applicable subcontractors, your OFCCP Portal registration/certification deadline is now here for 2023 affirmative action plans (AAPs) – it is Thursday, June 29, 2023! The OFCCP has not extended this deadline as of yet and has indicated that, unlike last year, it most likely will not do so this year – so be alert. Previous updates on OFCCP compliance: January 26, 2023; June 24, 2022; January 28, 2022
Regarding the submission of the EEO-1 Report, an annual obligation of federal contractors and their applicable subcontractors, the EEOC ...
On May 9, 2023, the United States Department of Health and Human Services issued a press release announcing that the federal Public Health Emergency for COVID-19 would expire on May 11, 2023. The Public Health Emergency has been renewed 13 times since it was first issued on January 31, 2020, at a time when there were only six known cases of COVID-19 and no known deaths in the United States. In declaring the end of the Public Health Emergency, the Department of Health and Human Services cited the success of the Biden-Harris Administration in effectively implementing the largest adult ...
The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (the “PWFA”) goes into effect on June 27, 2023. Signed by President Joe Biden last year as part of the Fiscal Year 2023 Omnibus Spending Bill, the PWFA requires covered employers to provide reasonable accommodations to an employee’s known limitations related to pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions, unless the accommodations will cause the employer an undue hardship.
Who is a covered employer under the PWFA?
The PWFA covers employers with at least 15 employees, including both private and public sector employers, Congress ...
The current 2023 Minnesota legislative session has been a whirlwind of activity and may prove to be the most consequential year in recent history for many employers doing business in the state. Below is a summary of proposed new laws and one new law that has already passed – the Crown Act - that employers should pay attention to, as, if passed, they will directly impact compliance obligations and current operating procedures.
Paid Family and Medical Leave
The Minnesota House of Representatives recently approved HF2, a bill that would provide eligible employees with up to 18 weeks of ...
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