As part of its $1.7 trillion end-of-year spending bill, Congress passed two laws that provide new rights and protections for pregnant workers and nursing mothers – the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA) and the Providing Urgent Maternal Protections for Nursing Mothers Act (PUMP Act). Summaries of each law are provided below.
PWFA
Modeled after the
A federal judge in New York recently ruled that a FedEx driver’s claims for failure to accommodate under the Americans With Disabilities Act can proceed to trial. The court’s opinion provides helpful guidance for employers seeking to navigate the difficult issues that can arise when an employee is unable to immediately return to work after
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”) recently issued guidance and online resources to aid employers in avoiding sexual orientation and gender identity discrimination in the workplace. The guidance coincides with the one-year anniversary of the Supreme Court’s decision in Bostock v. Clayton County, finding that firing individuals because of their sexual orientation or transgender
Originally effective on April 1, 2020, the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (“FFCRA”) required certain employers with fewer than 500 employees to provide their employees with paid sick leave or expanded family and medical leave for specified reasons related to COVID-19. The FFCRA specified an effective date through December 31, 2020. While many anticipated that
On June 17, 2020, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) updated its Technical Assistance Questions and Answers to clarify that employers may not require COVID-19 antibody testing before permitting employees to re-enter the workplace. Antibody tests can show whether the subject had a past infection or has recovered from the virus that causes COVID-19. Currently,
McDonald’s recent termination of its highly-regarded CEO Steve Easterbrook provides employers with another high-profile reminder of shifting attitudes regarding workplace romances, even voluntary ones. As most are now aware, McDonald’s board of directors determined that their CEO had violated company policy and shown “poor judgment” by having a romantic relationship with a subordinate employee.
While
As previously reported in the Labor & Employment Law Navigator, the Wage and Hour Division (WHD) of the Department of Labor reinstituted its practice of issuing opinion letters in April of last year. Recently issued opinion letters continue to provide helpful guidance for employers on a number of wage and hour issues.
Certain Paralegals May
On April 12, 2018, the Wage and Hour Division (WHD) of the Department of Labor reinstituted its practice of issuing opinion letters, providing the Agency’s interpretation of discrete issues under the Fair Labor Standards Act. The Obama administration had suspended the longstanding practice nearly a decade ago. Two of the opinion letters issued on April
In recent weeks, reports of sexual harassment allegations against high-profile individuals have emerged on an almost daily basis. From Hollywood A-listers, to politicians, to celebrity chefs, the list of powerful individuals accused of sexual harassment and assault continues to grow. As a result, the national conversation surrounding the topic of sexual harassment in the workplace
Last week workers across the United States participated in a national protest aimed at President Trump’s immigration policies. Organized by advocacy groups and promoted largely through social media, “A Day Without Immigrants” involved an organized effort to urge workers to stay home in protest of the new administration’s immigration policies and actions, including recent enforcement