A new proposal announced by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) would add a requirement that employers submit data on employees’ pay ranges and hours worked on federal EEO-1 forms beginning in September 2017. Companies with more than 100 employees and federal contractors are currently required to annually submit an EEO-1 report that includes information
Supreme Court declines to review validity of forum selection clauses in ERISA plans
On Jan. 11, 2016, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to accept review of Smith v. Aegon Companies Pension Plan, a case in which the Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit found forum selection clauses in ERISA plans to be valid and enforceable. The holding of the Sixth Circuit, the only court of appeals
Restrictive covenants: One size does not fit all
A recent Illinois Appellate Court decision serves as a good reminder that when it comes to restrictive covenants, one size does not fit all. A consistent theme in recent court decisions has been that “form” employment agreements with overly broad restrictions not anchored to the employee’s job responsibilities and related to the employer’s protectable interests
State legislatures react to NLRB’s broad joint employer standard
In the aftermath of a significant change in the joint employer standard this year, several states are attempting to address how franchisors are affected.
In August, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) released a decision in Browning-Ferris Industries of California, Inc. d/b/a BFI Newby Recyclery, 362 NLRB No. 186 (Aug. 27, 2015), drastically expanding
Greensfelder team wins jury verdict for Edward Jones on discrimination claim
A team of Greensfelder, Hemker & Gale attorneys obtained a unanimous jury verdict in favor of client Edward Jones and one of its supervisors on all counts in defending the investment company against a former employee’s discrimination and whistleblower claims.
In the seven-day trial that ended Dec. 15 in St. Louis County Circuit Court, jurors
Missouri Human Rights Act does not prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation, court rules
On Oct. 28, 2015, the Missouri Court of Appeals for the Western District held that discrimination based on sexual orientation is not prohibited under the Missouri Human Rights Act (MHRA).
James Pittman worked as a controller at Cook Paper Recycling Corp. and alleged he was harassed and eventually terminated because of his sexual orientation. Among
Minimum wage increase halted in city of St. Louis
Employers avoid higher wages for now, but the city is set to appeal the decision
Just hours before a St. Louis minimum wage ordinance was to take effect Oct. 15, St. Louis Circuit Judge Steven R. Ohmer struck it down. Ohmer determined that the city ordinance violates state law and declared it void and unenforceable.
The NLRB agrees: Boeing’s quest for confidentiality infringes on employee rights
The National Labor Relations Board has long held employers cannot stifle employee communications about the conditions of their employment in general handbook confidentiality clauses, but on Aug. 27, the NLRB took that prohibition one step further.
In a 2-1 decision, the board ruled The Boeing Co.’s confidentiality restriction for employees under HR investigations violated the
Employers may see shift after EEOC ruling on sexual orientation discrimination
In a groundbreaking ruling released recently, Unknown v. Anthony Foxx, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission confirmed that allegations of sexual orientation discrimination necessarily state a claim of sex discrimination under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VII).
In doing so, the EEOC acknowledged that Title VII does not explicitly
Life is short: Update your email and computer use policies
Whether it’s using a company laptop at home or accessing social media and other personal sites via an office desktop computer, the lines between an employee’s personal and work lives are increasingly blurred.
As revealed by the recent Ashley Madison website hack, many employees across the United States use business computers and business email accounts