In recent years, there has been a growing trend amongst litigants of protecting documents filed as part of the judicial record from public view by sealing them by agreement under a protective order. However, a recent opinion out of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit criticizes this now-common practice.
Continue Reading The Fifth Circuit Criticizes the Practice of Sealing Documents by Agreement
With the ushering in of a new administration, several changes have quickly taken place at the National Labor Relations Board. Within hours of taking office, the Biden administration removed Trump appointee NLRB General Counsel Peter Robb and replaced him with interim General Counsel Peter Ohr.
Continue Reading Changes Afoot at the NLRB Under the New Administration
Since taking office, President Biden has issued Executive Orders covering topics from climate change to mask mandates. Some of these new Executive Orders are aimed at eliminating discrimination and promoting equity at the federal level. These directives will likely result in new requirements for private sector companies that are government contractors or subcontractors, and could require them to revise practices and policies in order to keep, or procure new, government contracts.
Continue Reading Executive Orders Impact Federal Agencies and Government Contractors
As Fall settles in and schools reopen, many employees with children (and their employers) are breathing a masked sigh of relief. Back to school means back to work, and back to work means increased productivity and greater job stability during a time when productivity and stability are needed.
Continue Reading With Schools Reopening, Employers and Employees Must Continue to Navigate a Patchwork of Federal and State COVID-19 Leave Laws
The COVID-19 pandemic continues to cause uncertainty for employers across the country, but, as the National Labor Relations Board reiterated on September 18, it does not excuse labor law violations.
Continue Reading NLRB Memo Reminds Employers: COVID-19 Does Not Excuse Labor Law Violations
The Department of Labor has released a new set of “Questions and Answers” for employers under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act. The guidance supplements the temporary rule issued by DOL in April; final regulations are still forthcoming.
Continue Reading DOL Updates Guidance on Coronavirus Paid Leave Law, Addresses Business Reopenings
Over the past 40 years, the National Labor Relations Board has grappled with the appropriate balance between an employer’s right to discipline an employee for abusive behavior and an employee’s right to engage in Section 7 activity. Much to the dismay of employers, this balancing act has historically tipped heavily in favor of protecting an employee’s right to engage in Section 7 activity at the expense of an employer’s right to discipline its employees for conduct such as using racial slurs while picketing, engaging in sexist behavior, or yelling obscenities at a supervisor while discussing wages.
Continue Reading NLRB Loosens Restrictions on Employee Discipline for Abusive Conduct and Speech
The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed employers to an influx of novel employment law issues. Many employers already have experienced an uptick in related internal complaints or litigation. We identify five particular employment law liabilities employers may be exposed to once the dust settles from the pandemic.
Continue Reading Top Five Employment Law Liabilities Facing Employers Post-Pandemic
One day before they were to go into effect, the U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C. blocked portions of the NLRB’s recently promulgated election rule, but left the agency free to implement the remainder.
Continue Reading NLRB: Elements of Election Rule are Blocked by Court, But Board Implements the Rest
In another decision recognizing employers’ rights to issue reasonable prohibitions even if they have some slight impact of employees’ right to engage in concerted activity under the National Labor Relations Act, a beverage manufacturer’s rules banning cell phones in food production and warehouse working areas was recently upheld by the National Labor Relations Board. Cott Beverages Inc., 369 NLRB No. 82 (2020).
Continue Reading NLRB: Employer Allowed to Ban Cellphones in Beverage Production and Warehouse Working Areas