In February, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals (Ninth Circuit) handed down a ruling that may change the way employers treat short-term leave for military service. In Clarkson v. Alaska Airlines, Inc., the Ninth Circuit held that that employers who provide paid short-term leave for reasons like sickness, bereavement, and/or jury duty must also pay […]
On April 18th, the United States Supreme Court heard oral arguments in Groff v. DeJoy, a case in which the central question is what does undue hardship mean for religious accommodation in the workplace. Historically, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and courts have applied the de minimis standard to religious accommodation claims. However, if […]
It’s the first day at your new job. You aced the interview, got yourself some new work clothes, and are beyond excited to get started with your new position. Your new boss is great, and you’re excited to meet your coworkers. Mid-morning, your boss sends you a message: “Come to my office when you have […]
On December 29, 2022, the Providing Urgent Maternal Protections for Nursing Mothers Act (PUMP for Nursing Mothers Act or PUMP Act) was signed into law by President Biden as part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act 2023. The PUMP Act expands existing obligations to provide reasonable break time and a private space to express breast milk […]
Each year, on or before April 1st, the Labor Commissioner issues the annual minimum wage and daily overtime bulletins, which announce the rates that go into effect on July 1st of that year. The Labor Commissioner has released the bulletins for 2023 and, like last year, employers can anticipate an increase to both the minimum […]
Recently Congress passed the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA). This new federal law will go into effect on June 27, 2023, and applies to all employers with fifteen (15) or more employees. Under the new law, employers are required to provide reasonable accommodations to employees and applicants who have known limitations related to pregnancy, childbirth, […]
Just as we all have started to understand what quiet quitting is and how to address it, we have a new workplace trend we must grapple with — Bare Minimum Mondays. What is that exactly? Think of Bare Minimum Mondays as quiet quitting’s slightly more ambitious cousin. While quiet quitting refers to doing the absolute […]
“What are you wearing?” If you are going to work in 2023, the answers to this question may vary. Some of us are old enough to remember having to wear suits, heels and nylons to work, every day, for years. Personally, I led the fight at my workplace for casual Fridays and won, only to […]
On February 21st, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) issued a new decision regarding severance agreements that effects both unionized and non-unionized workplaces. In McLaren Macomb, 372 NLRB No. 58 (2023), the NLRB ruled that employers may not offer severance agreements that require employees to effectively waive their rights under Section 7 of the National […]
The United State Supreme Court (SCOTUS) issued a 6-3 ruling that an offshore oil rig worker making more than $200,000 a year was not exempt from the Fair Labor Standards Act’s (FLSA) overtime pay requirements. Michael Hewitt worked for Helix Energy Solutions as a tool pusher, which the company classified as a highly compensated worker […]
