Legal Updates

09/26/2023 06:55 PM

New California Background Check Requirements Take Effect Oct. 1
California employers will need to make changes to their background check and criminal history review process thanks to new Fair Chance Act (FCA) regulations taking effect Oct. 1.
Failure-to-Accommodate Claim Proceeds to Trial Under ADA
The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals determined a deaf employee could proceed to trial over an employer’s failure to provide text message summaries of safety meetings and an interpreter at a disciplinary hearing as accommodations.
Police Dispatcher’s Resisting Arrest Justifies Termination
A federal trial court upheld a police dispatcher’s termination for failing to appropriately disclose her arrest for resisting a police officer, providing false information on her untimely written report of the incident and for being convicted of violating state law.
Hollywood Writers Reach Tentative Deal with Studios
Hollywood studios and the screenwriters’ union, the Writers Guild of America (WGA), have struck a tentative deal. The writers participated in a lengthy strike over pay...
California’s Overtime Rules May Supersede Federal Law
California’s law on overtime pay differs substantially from the proposed rule on overtime pay recently issued by the U.S. Department of Labor, so employers will need to...
UAW Widens Strike Against GM, Stellantis
UAW's president said that if significant progress isn’t made in contract negotiations with General Motors, Ford Motor and Stellantis by noon Sept. 22, the strike against...
DOL Can Keep Su as Acting Secretary
The U.S. Government Accountability Office on Sept. 21 concluded that Julie Su can continue serving as the acting secretary of the U.S. Department of Labor. The DOL can...
Boost in OSHA Inspections Expected for High-Risk Retailers
The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced a National Emphasis Program to focus on identifying and eliminating health and safety hazards...
EEOC Partners with DOL on Legal Enforcement
The U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division and the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) will be working more closely together to enforce...
Government Shutdown Would Disrupt Employers and Workers
A federal government shutdown, now feared to happen soon, would be disruptive not only for federal employees but also employers and workers.
Government Shutdown Outages Aren’t the Only Challenge with E-Verify
Congress has until midnight Sept. 30 to avert a federal government shutdown, which could make the E-Verify system unavailable, as it has been during prior shutdowns....
Limited Visa Options Make Offshoring Attractive for Some Employers
Employing workers who live outside the U.S. can be an effective option for staffing hard-to-fill positions when there are no feasible U.S. visa options.
New Employee Handbook Did Not Rescind Previously Signed Arbitration Agreement
An employer’s issuance of a new employee handbook did not change an employee’s obligation to arbitrate workplace disputes, a California appeals court recently ruled.
Discrimination Claims Can Proceed Based on Employee Status
An editor-in-chief for a New York magazine owned by Cohen Media Group can go forward with her lawsuit claiming discrimination, harassment and retaliation, a federal...
Circuit Court Finds Puerto Rico’s Law 41-2022 Is Void
The 1st Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals recently affirmed the U.S. District Court for the District of Puerto Rico’s decision declaring a labor law null and void.