The global COVID-19 pandemic has fundamentally transformed how many of us live our lives. One of the most notable developments, perhaps, is how the outbreak has radically transformed the nature of our U.S. workforce. An “office” could now be a local coffeeshop, a public library, or even one’s bedroom. Thanks...
By Jill Kahn Marshall and Anna Beckelman In April 2024, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) issued a final rule banning noncompete agreements nationwide, with the intent of “protecting the fundamental freedom of workers to change jobs, increasing innovation, and fostering new business formation.” While the ban is set to take...
Last month, California’s Civil Rights Department concluded a three-year-long investigation with Snap Inc. with a $15M settlement, $14.5M of which will be going directly to the victims. Snap Inc., who is owner and developer of the American multimedia instant messaging app Snapchat, had been undergoing investigation since 2021 when the...
On July 1, 2024, despite ongoing litigation challenging its validity, the Department of Labor's (DOL) rule increasing certain exempt employees’ salary threshold went into effect, with further salary threshold increases slated for January 1, 2025. This rule relates to exempt employees, namely those who are exempt from overtime pay requirements. ...
Recently, in Rajaram v. Meta Platforms, Inc., the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit held that 42 U.S.C. § 1981 bars discrimination against U.S. citizens in hiring decisions when such decisions are made on the basis of their U.S. citizenship. The holding directly conflicts with a prior federal...
Last Friday, in Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo, the United States Supreme Court overruled a 40-year-old judicial deference doctrine known as “Chevron deference,” named after the 1984 Supreme Court ruling in Chevron v. Natural Resources Defense Council, which instructed courts that they should defer to federal administrative agencies’ readings on...
By Jill Kahn Marshall and Anna Beckelman With the passage of its most recent budget bill in April 2024, New York became the first state in the nation to require employers to provide paid leave specifically for prenatal care, separate from other paid sick leave requirements. Additionally, New York will...
A recent survey has shown that 78% of Americans do not use their maximum amount of paid time off (PTO), and employers are concerned about the risk of employee burnout. This CNBC article explores why employees may either choose not to or feel unable to take time off, and considers...
RPJ Partner Deena R. Merlen was interviewed by Forbes for an article published recently, titled "All Hands Memo: Why Activism At Work Could Get You Fired." As noted in the article, “Forbes spoke with legal experts about the protections employees have – and don’t have – when it comes to...
As protest and political speech continue to enter the workplace, employees are questioning what, if any, legal rights they possess to express and respond to politics at work. The recent CNBC article featuring Page explores this question, where she importantly notes that “It’s not considered illegal for an employer to...