The National Labor Relations Board, by a 3-2 vote, just reversed legal precedent to declare that workers have a right to use their employers’ email systems for non-business purposes, including union organizing. The Board specifically stated, “We decide today that employee use of email for statutorily protected communications on nonworking ... Read More »
Category Archives: Employment law
Feed Subscription<Revisions to the UK Code
December 16, 2014
The Financial Reporting Council (the FRC) is the gatekeeper for the standards of corporate governance for the largest listed companies on the London market. The FRC regularly reviews and refreshes the UK Corporate Governance Code (the UK Code) and has done so again recently. The September 2014 revision of the ... Read More »
Metro Louisville minimum wage increase – can the metro council really do that?
December 15, 2014
We’ve all heard about the Metro Louisville Council’s proposed ordinance to raise the minimum wage to over $10 an hour. Aside from the relative merits of that proposal, can the Metro Council legally do that? Jefferson County Attorney Mike O’Connell thinks it can, concluding that “a local government can pass ... Read More »
The Scope of the Employer’s duty to investigate sexual harassment complaints
December 9, 2014
To what extent must an employer investigate allegations of sexual harassment? This question comes to the fore as a result of a recent episode of CBC’s The Fifth Estate, The Unmaking of Jian Ghomeshi, in which the Executive Director of Radio at CBC, Mr. Chris Boyce, defended his decision to ... Read More »
Malkay Mackay investigation – mob-handed approach to mobile use?
December 8, 2014
Following this summer’s press interest in the allegations facing former Cardiff City boss Malkay Mackay, who was reported to have sent potentially discriminatory texts on his personal mobile phone about others in the football profession, we examine the right an employer has to monitor and take action on the basis ... Read More »
Employee incentives – frequent issues
December 3, 2014
Employee share incentives can be a valuable tool in motivating, rewarding and retaining employees. They can also be tax efficient and in most cases, tailored to the clients’ goals and objectives. However, navigating the structures and plans available can be challenging and at times perplexing! The table below gives examples ... Read More »
New OSHA reporting requirements go into effect January 1, 2015
December 1, 2014
Beginning January 1, 2015, employers will need to comply with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) new requirements for reporting employee fatalities and severe injuries. The new rule requires employers to report to OSHA all work-related fatalities within 8 hours and all work-related hospitalizations of one or more employees, ... Read More »
E-verify update regarding 10-year record deletion
November 27, 2014
Employers who have been using E-Verify for more than 10 years must be aware that as of January 1, 2015, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will be deleting any transaction records in the E-Verify system that are more than 10 years old. As of January 1, 2015, employers will no ... Read More »
Coming soon to a theater near you: new DOJ closed-captioning rules
November 21, 2014
The price of movie tickets could be going up soon. Under new proposed regulations issued by the Department of Justice, movie theaters with digital screens would be required to show films with options for closed captioning (for hearing impaired patrons) and audio descriptions (for visually impaired patrons). Movie theaters would ... Read More »
Why can’t men have babies?
November 20, 2014
It’s now time for businesses to start planning how they are going to deal with Shared Parental Leave, as the legislation comes into force on 1st December 2014. Shared Parental Leave (SPL) will apply in relation to children who are due to be born on or after 5th April 2015. ... Read More »
5 Steps for prudent employers when discharging employees, part one: before termination
November 17, 2014
The process of discharging employees can be chaotic and emotional. However, if employers are proactive and prepared when the time comes, many hassles can be avoided down the road. Following are five prudent steps to take before discharging employees. Step #1: Review Documents Employers should review all relevant documents prior ... Read More »
Amendments provided for the Labour law of Latvia
November 13, 2014
On 23rd of October 2014 the parliament of the Republic of Latvia supported and adopted the law “Amendments to the Labour law”, which is going to come into force on the 1st of January 2015. Major changes to the Labour law are intended with these amendments, which are going to ... Read More »
Damage resulting from employee disability: can you recover losses and reintegration costs from the liable party? How does it work again?
November 13, 2014
If your employee has been rendered unfit for work because of an accident, you as employer could be facing hefty losses. For instance, Article 7:629 of the Dutch Civil Code requires an employer to continue paying its employee’s wages for a period of two years if the employee is sick, ... Read More »
OSHA Strengthens Whistleblower Retaliation Enforcement
October 28, 2014
Recently, OSHA announced that it would be lowering the burden of proof for whistleblower claim investigations from “reasonable cause” to a mere “preponderance of the evidence.” As a result, employees need only show that, more likely than not, there was an adverse employment action as a result of an OSHA complaint, ... Read More »
The new CBA for contracted players in professional football
October 15, 2014
The new CBA for contracted players in professional football Introduction The new Collective bargaining agreement (CBA) for contracted players in professional football has entered into force as from 1 July 2014. The CBA lays down a number of terms and conditions of employment as well as general rules concerning the ... Read More »