While one may not automatically equate dress codes with workplace civility, dress codes do have a role in promoting a respectful and professional workplace culture. Conversely, a dress code policy can lead to discord among employees and even violate employees’ legal rights under some circumstances. Employers may enforce job-related dress code policies that apply equally to all employees, regardless of protected Read More

A former risk management director has filed a wrongful termination lawsuit against Netflix, alleging that the streaming service giant fostered a sexual workplace culture that subjected her to unwanted sexual advances. The case is Jessica Combs v. Netflix Inc., Case Number 24STCV18761, Superior Court of the State of California, County of Los Angeles. Jessica Combs recently filed claims of discrimination, Read More

An Illinois federal district court judge has given final approval to a $9.39 million settlement in a lawsuit against White Castle by a group of employees who claimed that the company had violated their rights under the Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA). The case is Latrina Cothron et al. v. White Castle System Inc. et al., Case Number 1:19-cv-00382, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Read More

Employers should be aware of recent federal legislation that has created new rights for pregnant and nursing employees. Some states also have passed state legislation that creates new or additional rights that employers must follow, depending on the states in which they operate. What follows is a summary of new legislation that impacts pregnant and nursing employees in the workplace. Federal Laws Congress Read More

James Williams, an animation technician who had worked at Universal Studios Hollywood since 2022, has sued NBCUniversal under California’s Fair Employment and Housing Act. Williams claims that after his employer reprimanded him for missing work due to illness, he was fired two days after submitting paperwork for intermittent leave under California’s Family Rights Act based on his HIV status. The case is Williams v. Read More

A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit affirmed the summary judgment dismissal of a former worker’s FMLA retaliation and interference case in favor of Baltimore Gas & Electric Co., parent company Exelon Corp., and several individual employees. The Court ruled that the gas company’s suspicions of dishonesty concerning the former mechanic’s request for medical leave based on Read More

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit recently ruled that whether an employee failed to follow her employer’s procedures for requesting leave was due to “unusual circumstances” was a factual matter for the jury to decide. That factual question would determine whether the employee could sue the employer for violating the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). The case is Crispell v. FCA, No. 23-1114 (June 18, Read More

Although the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas has blocked the U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) new overtime rule for Texas state employees, the initial salary threshold increases under the new rule went into full force and effect for the rest of the United States on July 1, 2024. The overtime rule raises the minimum salary threshold for employees classified as “exempt” under the Fair Labor Read More

The U.S. Supreme Court overturned a 40-year-old precedent in striking down the so-called “Chevron” test, which instructed courts when they should defer to federal agencies’ interpretations of law in rulemaking. In its 6-3 ruling, the Supreme Court discarded the analysis first adopted in its 1984 decision in Chevron v. Natural Resources Defense Council, holding that the test improperly elevated the executive branch’s Read More

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit affirmed the lower Court's grant of summary of judgment in favor of a radiology practice in a lawsuit brought by a former doctor at the practice. Jason Browning alleged that he was fired after requesting medical leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). However, the Eleventh Circuit ruled that the district court did not err when it failed to allow the Read More