Coronavirus relief bill would lower FMLA eligibility bar, expand paid leave

Reduced hour and tenure requirements would "ensure high unemployment and furloughs do not leave workers unable to qualify for non-emergency FMLA."

By Kate Tornone • May 13, 2020

IRS allows employers to claim tax credit for paying furloughed employees' health premiums

The employee retention credit is one of a few financial options available to employers during the pandemic.

By Ryan Golden • May 13, 2020

Post-discrimination complaint claims release may have been retaliation, 11th Cir. says

Relevant case law made clear that employers retaliate by "conditioning continued employment on a release of claims and firing the employee for refusing."

By Katie Clarey • May 13, 2020

Call center and staffing agency fired workers due to pregnancies, EEOC says

The agency views discrimination on the basis of pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions as a prohibited form of sex discrimination.

By Lisa Burden • May 13, 2020

Court OKs FedEx's $3.3M settlement in failure-to-accommodate suit

EEOC alleged in the 2014 lawsuit that the employer failed to provide sign language interpretation and modified equipment.

By Kate Tornone • May 13, 2020

5 considerations for the 'tele-summer job' season

A good first step is to assess whether the influx of new summer workers will help or hinder current operations, attorneys from Epstein Becker Green write.

By Jeffrey H. Ruzal, Adriana S. Kosovych and Carly Baratt • May 13, 2020

ADA doesn't entitle workers to preferred accommodations, 3rd Cir. says

The plaintiff had requested permission to work from home two days per week; the employer provided other accommodations instead.

By Lisa Burden • May 12, 2020

Court dismisses US women's soccer team's equal pay suit

The players' discriminatory working condition claim will be allowed to continue, however.

By Kate Tornone • May 11, 2020

Amazon to pay $11M to settle security search pay claim

The suit alleged violation of California law, which generally provides stronger protection for workers than federal wage and hour law.

By Lisa Burden • May 11, 2020

As states loosen telehealth regulations, employers spot 'a game changer'

Regulatory and behavioral changes could make it difficult to return to healthcare's pre-pandemic status quo, sources told HR Dive.

By Ryan Golden • May 7, 2020

EEOC delays EEO data collections due to COVID-19

The change will allow filers to be "better positioned to provide accurate, valid and reliable data in a timely manner," the agency said in a press release.

By Katie Clarey • May 7, 2020

Kroger worker alleges termination for COVID-19 absence violated FMLA, FFCRA

Despite employing more than 500 workers, the plaintiff alleged Kroger rendered itself subject to the FFCRA when it expanded its leave policies.

By Lisa Burden • May 6, 2020

DoorDash partners with Pennsylvania AG to extend financial, childcare benefits

Expanded benefits include financial assistance for Dashers who have tested positive for COVID-19 and for top Dashers who have primary childcare responsibilities for children whose schools and day cares have closed.

By Alicia Kelso • May 6, 2020

Worker sues after being fired for refusing to violate shelter-in-place order

Experts say employers can expect a wide variety of claims in the coming months and years as a result of the pandemic.

By Kate Tornone • May 6, 2020

More than half of US workers worry about COVID-19 exposure on the job

The reopening of workplaces has proven politically contentious in the U.S. even as some states have begun to do so.

By Ryan Golden • May 6, 2020

Leaving work sick is not protected activity under Title VII, 7th Cir. rules

The employee only alleged retaliation, however, declining to pursue a discrimination claim in her pro se complaint, the court noted.

By Katie Clarey • May 6, 2020

Appeals court revives pregnant EMT's failure-to-accommodate claim

The PDA requires that employers treat pregnant applicants and employees the same as non-pregnant individuals.

By Lisa Burden • May 5, 2020

5 compliance tips for reopening the workplace

The recall of employees could present a series of legal pitfalls for the unprepared, attorneys with Cozen O'Connor said.

By Ryan Golden • May 4, 2020

Courts can't rule on claims raised outside of EEOC charge, 11th Cir. says

A Waste Management worker alleged he endured retaliation due to his sex, but his filing with the EEOC "simply said nothing about sex discrimination."

By Katie Clarey • May 4, 2020

The pandemic reshaped work, but anti-discrimination laws remain

Federal agencies have stressed the importance of EEO laws to employers as the situation surrounding the novel coronavirus has evolved.

May 4, 2020

11th Cir. affirms $300K jury award to assistant claiming demotion stemmed from national origin bias

One month after an election rendered the city commission mostly Jamaican, the plaintiff allegedly was told the employer needed someone who could "communicate better" with the new commissioners and mayor.

By Lisa Burden • May 4, 2020

Whataburger to settle allegations manager was told to hire only white applicants

Employers cannot rely on customer or client preferences that are discriminatory as the basis for negative employment actions, the EEOC has said.

By Lisa Burden • May 1, 2020

Supreme Court won't define ADA's discrimination standard

Courts have retreated from the motivating factor standard of causation in ADA cases, the 9th Circuit noted.

By Jennifer Carsen • May 1, 2020

Baltimore County to pay $5.4M to settle long-standing EEOC suit over age bias in pensions

The ADEA bars discrimination against workers over 40 on the basis of age — a prohibition that includes employee benefits, EEOC says.

By Lisa Burden • April 30, 2020

New York City forms team to fight pandemic-related bias, harassment

The city's Commission on Human Rights said it received 248 reports since February, 40% of which alleged anti-Asian harassment or discrimination.

By Lisa Burden • April 29, 2020