The California Labor Code requires employers to reimburse employees for certain expenses, but it’s not always clear which expenses should be reimbursed by the employer, and which expenses should be borne by employees.  Here’s a list of Five Things to Remember About Employee Reimbursements to help California employers navigate this area of the law.
Continue Reading Five Things to Remember About Employee Reimbursements in California

On February 12, 2018, the EEOC released its Strategic Plan for Fiscal Years 2018-2022. In a press release, the EEOC indicated the plan “will serve as a framework for the Commission in achieving its mission to prevent and remedy unlawful employment discrimination and advance equal opportunity for all in the workplace.”
Continue Reading EEOC Releases Strategic Plan for 2018-2022 Fiscal Years

All employers have personnel data on their information technology systems and devices, making cyber insurance coverage one way to protect against the cost and exposure created by data breaches. In the second of this two-part interview, Hunton & Williams partners Emily Burkhardt Vicente and Walter Andrews discuss certain types of cyber insurance policies, potential gaps in coverage to watch out for, and other tips employers should keep in mind when considering cyber insurance coverage.
Continue Reading Labor & Employment Quick Takes: Top Insurance Issues Facing Employers, Part 2

The issue of whether workers are properly classified as independent contractors rather than employees is a common dispute in the gig economy, particularly in newer, technology-based industries, such as ride-sharing. That issue just became a much simpler one in Florida.
Continue Reading Florida Legislation Establishes That Ride-Sharing Drivers Are Independent Contractors, Not Employees

On April 22, 2014, the Sixth Circuit reversed the district court’s dismissal of an ADA case against Ford Motor Company, finding that there was a fact issue as to whether telecommuting most days is a reasonable accommodation. In EEOC v. Ford Motor Company (No. 12-2484), the court addressed an increasingly common, yet persistently difficult, question:  when must employees be allowed to work remotely, and when is physical, in-person attendance an essential function of a job?
Continue Reading Telecommuting May Be A Reasonable Accommodation, Even For Jobs With “Teamwork” Requirements

The growth of social media as a low-cost, widely-accessible form of communication has made it an ideal tool for businesses large and small to market themselves and reach out en mass to consumers in a manner more direct, personal, and in many ways effective than traditional media.  With Americans spending more time on-line than ever before, the value of such social media accounts can be considerable.  So when an employee who has used social media to develop his employer’s business and goodwill resigns, who owns the account, the contacts, and valuable consumer data that come with it?
Continue Reading Saving Face Over Facebook and Other Social Media: Ownership of Social Media Accounts Used to Promote Business

The United States Department of Labor (“DOL”) has announced the launch of its first application, or “app,” for smartphones to “help employees independently track the hours they work and determine the wages they are owed” in accordance with the Fair Labor Standards Act (“FLSA”). The application is available in both English and Spanish and allows employees to privately record regular work hours, break and meal times, and any overtime hours. The free app is currently compatible only with iPhone and iPod Touch; however, the DOL is exploring updates for compatibility with other smart phones such as Android and Blackberry phones.
Continue Reading DOL Announces Smartphone “App” To Help Employees Track Work Hours