Publications

Department of Labor Issues “Final Rule” to Raise Exempt Salary Rate 50% to $35,568/Year Employers will need to work fast this fall to prepare for the “Final Rule” on overtime pay, raising the minimum salary required to meet exemptions for overtime pay under federal law. The hike in the minimum salary from $455 per week […]

Don’t Let the Bed Bugs Bite – Complaint Supports Wrongful Termination Claim. Pennsylvania has an “extremely strong” presumption that employment is at will and can be terminated for any reason, but Pennsylvania courts have recognized a “very limited exception” for firings that threaten a “clear mandate of Pennsylvania public policy.” A federal court in Philadelphia

No Bra, No Job at Canadian Golf Club. 2018 brought us not-so-uplifting news out of Canada about a waitress in British Columbia who lost her job at the Osoyoos Golf Club for refusing to wear a bra at work. Members of the club reportedly complained about Christina Schell’s liberated appearance, in which she wore the

#MeToo Survey Reveals How Far the Sexes are Apart. A survey of 3,000 employees at businesses and law firms in 2018 reveals both an astounding level of sexual harassment in the workplace and a huge gulf in experience and perception between men and women. According to the survey by Working Mother and the ABA Journal,

The Fat Truth – Being Mean is Not Against the Law. A Massachusetts court in December dismissed a disability discrimination claim by an employee who claimed she was “regarded as” disabled because a co-worker called her a “fat pig” and other derogatory terms. In Bartier v. Local Motion, Inc., Yolenne Barlatier claimed race and disability

Jail Time for Messing with Employee Contributions to Retirement Plans. Every now and then we hear about a small business owner (not any of our clients) who is tempted, during tight times, to dip into employee contributions to retirement plans or tax withholdings as a “loan” until cash flow improves. Not a good idea. In

The Green-eyed Monster at Work Shakespeare coined the term “green-eyed monster” in his race-and-sex-themed play, The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice. Did the Bard know that his words would still resonate in the New World’s employment laws four centuries later? A recent court decision grapples with the issue of spousal jealousy at work.

A federal appellate court has issued the amazingly reasonable decision that a man with delusional paranoia and substance abuse issues, resulting in the loss of his security clearance, was not qualified for his job as an armed security guard at a nuclear power plant, and therefore did not suffer disability discrimination when he was fired.

Gender Gap, Racial Gap DecisionQuest continues to enlighten us with its National Juror Attitude Survey, disclosing the results from questioning more than 1,200 potential jurors. If you are representing a corporation going to trial in an employment case, you might want to inform your client of this finding: while 85% of males believe that corporate

Speaking of fast food, a federal court in Harrisburg, Pa., has issued a preliminary injunction against the owner of a Popeyes franchise after a district manager allegedly threatened workers, harassed federal investigators, and otherwise obstructed a U.S. Department of Labor investigation into wage payment violations at the restaurant. According to the Wage and Hour Division