The U.S. Supreme Court will decide in Murray v. UBS Securities, LLC whether a whistleblower must prove that an employer acted with “retaliatory intent” to be protected under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. The Court’s decision will settle a split between the circuit courts, which will impact how employers defend against Sarbanes-Oxley Act retaliation claims.
Category: Counseling & Compliance Training
Child Labor Law Violations: U.S. Department of Labor Issues New Assessment Procedures for Calculating Civil Monetary Penalties
On November 28, 2023, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division announced that it will assess child labor civil monetary penalties for nonserious injury and noninjury violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act on a per-violation basis, rather than on a per-child basis as it had previously done, significantly increasing the aggregate of potential penalties.
To view the full alert, visit the Faegre Drinker website.
Menopause in the Workplace: A Multi-Faceted Issue
Menopause is something that approximately 50 percent of the workforce will experience during their working lives, but it is still infrequently discussed or considered in the workplace and many of us are unaware of how menopause can affect those going through it. However, employers are seeing an increase in employees concerned about menopause and their experience with it at work. This is a multi-faceted issue that encompasses a range of potential employment law issues.
Discrimination
Most countries do not recognise menopause as a characteristic that is specifically protected by discrimination laws. But employees experiencing menopause may be protected by discrimination laws relating to age, sex, disability and gender reassignment. Generally, people experiencing menopause are women aged between 45 and 55 so any unfavourable treatment (whether direct or indirect) towards an employee experiencing menopause could amount to sex and/or age discrimination. Gender reassignment discrimination may also be relevant if the employee experiencing menopause is transgender.
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DOJ Settles Discrimination Claims Involving Apple’s Recruitment and Hiring Practices Related to the PERM Process
The U.S. Department of Justice announced a $25 million settlement agreement requiring that Apple Inc. (Apple) pay toward a civil penalty and a back-pay fund to compensate certain individuals who were allegedly discriminated against in Apple’s Program Electronic Review Management process.
To view the full alert, visit the Faegre Drinker website here.
New California Laws for 2024 and Beyond: What Employers Should Know
California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed several laws impacting California employers in 2023. Some of the new laws became effective immediately and others, including some that were signed into law just weeks ago, take effect January 1, 2024, or later. These new laws address several topics, including expanding paid sick leave, leave of absence for reproductive loss, minimum wage increases for fast-food restaurant employees and health care workers, restraint on trade, and workplace violence prevention standards.
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A Tale of Two Cases – DEI Programs Under Scrutiny
Last month, two courts reached different conclusions about the legality of companies’ diversity equity and inclusion programs under Section 1981. The cases display different tactics and defenses and raise questions about how different courts will respond to these kinds of claims in the future.
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