Quirky Questions

Real Life Employment Law

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A New Question Every Week

Nearly every day, executives and managers, and the in-house counsel and Human Resources professionals who work with them, are confronted with unanticipated questions regarding the workforce. Just when they think they have "seen it all," along comes a new and often stranger scenario involving an odd twist to an area they thought they fully understood. These individuals often find themselves back at square one when trying to construct an appropriate response and devise a creative solution to the problem presented. Sometimes these "Quirky Questions" can be resolved easily; other times, they implicate practical and legal issues that are not immediately apparent.

This Quirky Employment Questions Blog addresses unanticipated questions regarding the workforce.

We encourage you to submit your thoughts and reactions to the questions presented. We also encourage you to submit questions that you would like to see addressed, subject to these guidelines.

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Category: General

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Can employers require employees to accept confidentiality and non-disparagement obligations in exchange for severance pay?

Can employers require employees to accept confidentiality and non-disparagement obligations in exchange for severance pay?

 

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Employee reductions and terminations are an unfortunate result of economic downturns. Even during good economic times, many companies face the need to reduce their workforce or terminate the employment of individual employees. In such circumstances, employers may seek to offer severance pay in exchange for certain releases and promises by the departing employee requiring a severance agreement. The drafting of...

VIEW ALL POSTS ABOUT: Employee Handbook / Policies, General, Labor Law, Post-Employment Restrictive Covenants
Can Officers and Directors Be Held Individually Liable Under State Law for Causing Employers to Violate the WARN Act?

Can Officers and Directors Be Held Individually Liable Under State Law for Causing Employers to Violate the WARN Act?

 

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In the face of recent reductions-in-force and predictions of a recession (Harriet Torry & Anthony DeBarros, Economists Now Expect a Recession, Job Losses by Next Year, Wall St. J., Oct. 16, 2022), employment lawyers are dusting off their research regarding the federal Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act, 29 U.S.C. 2101 et seq., and similar state laws (the WARN Acts). These...

POSTED IN General

What Obligations do Employers have to Provide Employees with Time off to Vote?

 

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With the 2022 midterm elections fast approaching, and sky-high interest in voting this election cycle, more employers than ever may be considering their obligations to provide employees time off to vote.  As it stands, 29 states require employers to provide some kind of voting leave.  But with the rise in popularity of mail and early voting during the pandemic taking...

POSTED IN General

What is the EEO-1 Report and What Are My Obligations?

 

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The EEO-1 report, commonly referred to as either “Equal Employment Opportunity Compliance Report” or simply “EEO”, is a reporting requirement for many U.S. employers. Mandated by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), it aims to provide a demographic breakdown of the employer’s workforce by race/ethnicity, sex and job categories. The data submitted is kept confidential by the EEOC unless...

POSTED IN General

What Types of Pay Equity Laws Should I Be Aware of and How Can I Best Comply?

 

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Dear QQ: I am the HR Director for a technology company.  We have offices in three states and hire employees from all over the country.  Since 2020 we have let employees work remotely from the state of their choice.  I’ve been hearing a lot about pay equity, but am not clear on the different types of laws and where they...

POSTED IN Employee Handbook / Policies, General, Wage and Hour Issues

Unlimited PTO in California – Is This Actually a Good Idea to Retain Employees?

 

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The COVID-19 pandemic sparked an ongoing upheaval in the California (and greater U.S.) labor market. Extensive job losses early in the pandemic have led to a tight labor market, which arose in part due to the phenomenon now known as the Great Resignation. With employees resigning from positions at a record rate, employers are left scrambling to retain and recruit...

POSTED IN General

Next on the Chopping Block: In Light of Recent Removals of the Agricultural Exemption from State Wage and Hour Laws, Employers Are Wondering Which Employees Are Exempt and for How Much Longer?

 

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Agricultural employers are often at the mercy of nature which causes constant fluctuations in labor needs. Given the unique nature of the agricultural industry, their workers have historically been exempt from minimum wage and overtime requirements. These requirements differ from state to state, and employers are noting a change in the agricultural exemption. Some states have removed, or are considering...

POSTED IN Food & Agriculture Industry Group, General, Wage and Hour Issues
As States Reopen, Can Employees Refuse to Return to Work Based on Fear of Exposure to COVID-19?

As States Reopen, Can Employees Refuse to Return to Work Based on Fear of Exposure to COVID-19?

 

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As many states progress through different phases of reopening, companies are preparing for their employees to return to work. Employers are also noting, however, that some states are seeing COVID-19 cases surge.  This has generated some concerns from employees who do not want to return to the work place. Can employers require employees to return to work if the employees...

VIEW ALL POSTS ABOUT: California Questions, Disability Discrimination, General, Labor Law, Retaliation, Unemployment Benefits
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What Do Employers Need to Know Following the Passage of California’s New Law on Independent Contractor Misclassification?

 

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On September 18, 2019, Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law Assembly Bill 5, which clarifies when workers should be considered “employees” under the California Labor Code and the California Unemployment Insurance Code, thereby entitling them to the protections afforded by those laws. The bill codifies the standard set out in last year’s California Supreme Court decision, Dynamex Operations West, Inc....

VIEW ALL POSTS ABOUT: California Questions, General, Independent Contractors, Labor Law
Litigation may be Key in Response to Rising Denials of Employment-Based Visas. What Strategies Should Employers Consider when Hiring or Retaining Noncitizen Professionals?

Litigation may be Key in Response to Rising Denials of Employment-Based Visas. What Strategies Should Employers Consider when Hiring or Retaining Noncitizen Professionals?

 

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Many U.S. employers have recently experienced frustration over legal obstacles to keeping high quality foreign-national employees. These valuable employees have often been with the company since finishing a degree and sometimes even interning with the employer. Other employers experience delays in hiring foreign nationals needed for specialized positions despite the obvious qualifications of the candidate. These employers’ frustrations reflect the...

POSTED IN General, International Employment Law, Labor Law, Litigation Issues