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 »

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 »

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 »

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 »

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 »

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 »

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 »

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 »