The annual Frantz Ward Labor & Employment Seminar is consistently a great learning experience for both clients and guests and for the presenters from our Labor & Employment Practice Group. This year’s program, at the new Stillwater Place facility at the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, was no exception. Our audience of HR professionals, business owners, and
House Passes Bill to Repeal Obamacare – Senate Approval Uncertain
Embattled House Republicans were able to muster enough votes on May 4, 2017 to push their health care reform bill, known as the American Health Care Act (H.R. 1628), to the Senate. The passage marks a recovery for party leaders after they jettisoned a previous bill to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act for
The MacArthur Amendment and Employer Health Plans
Representative Tom MacArthur (R-NJ), a leader of the so-called “Tuesday Group” of moderate Republicans, introduced an amendment to the American Health Care Act (“AHCA”) (Kaiser Family Foundation summary) after negotiations with the Freedom Caucus, the group of conservative House Republicans. The MacArthur Amendment does several things designed to obtain conservative support for the
Sexual Orientation Discrimination Deemed Illegal Under Federal Law
Yes, federal law prohibits employers from discriminating against employees and applicants based on their sexual orientation. Yes, employers who allow discrimination or harassment based on sexual orientation can be forced to pay a full range of damages, including punitive damages.
Employment and civil rights lawyers have struggled to find clear answers to these questions for
Obama “Blacklisting” Rule Blocked By Trump
On March 27, 2017, President Donald Trump signed a resolution that permanently blocked an executive order previously issued by President Obama, which had required federal contractors to disclose labor law violations.
The Fair Pay and Safe Workplaces executive order signed by President Obama in 2014 had been called the “blacklisting” order by those in the
Comments to Proposed Harassment Guidance Critical of EEOC’s Position on LGBT Bias
Before the expiration of the extended deadline last week, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission received over 100 comments to its proposed Enforcement Guidance (“Proposed Guidance”) on workplace harassment. The revised guidance is the first revision to the EEOC’s workplace harassment guidance since the 1990s and the result of the July 2016 report by the
President Trump’s Budget Hits Labor Department’s Grant Programs
The Office of Management and Budget released President Trump’s “America First” budget blueprint for discretionary spending earlier this morning. Overall, it increases spending on defense, veterans’ health, immigration enforcement and combatting opioid abuse while decreasing civilian discretionary spending. Hardest hit are programs such as the National Endowment for the Arts, the Legal Services
Although Uncertain, the Results from a Periodic Checkup on the ACA Indicate that It May Not Have Long to Live
Republican leaders in the U.S. House of Representatives have introduced a bill intended to replace certain key provisions contained within the Affordable Care Act (commonly referred to as “Obamacare”). The Republican-sponsored legislation is named The American Health Care Act (“AHCA”). President Donald J. Trump has placed his support behind the bill.
Republicans revealed the proposed
Responding to Employee Absences Linked to Political Protests
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
Raising the I-9 Compliance Stakes in the Trump Era
It’s no secret that Donald Trump is fulfilling his signature campaign promise to address immigration reform. So far, most of the media attention has been on the U.S.-Mexico border wall and the travel/refugee ban. For employers, however, other issues require attention.
One major issue requiring employers’ attention is I-9 compliance. In an Executive Order issued