As technology continues to evolve, so do the dynamics of labor and employment. The Wage and Hour Division (WHD) of the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) recently issued Field Assistance Bulletin No. 2024-1 (FAB 2024-1). FAB 2024-1 is a groundbreaking document shedding light on how the DOL thinks artificial intelligence (AI) and automated
FMLA
Get Interactive! Searching for ADA Accommodations with Employees
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires covered employers to provide reasonable accommodations for employees with disabilities. To help determine effective accommodations, employers should use an “interactive process,” which simply means that employers and employees with disabilities who request accommodations work together to brainstorm accommodations. While it’s not a per se requirement, the law favors…
Curse Words and Customer Service: Sixth Circuit Affirms Dismissal of Tourette Syndrome ADA Claim
If an individual’s disability causes involuntary racist or profane utterances, what would a reasonable accommodation under the ADA look like? In Cooper v. Dolgencorp, LLC, the Sixth Circuit faced just such an inquiry.
ADA Primer
The ADA protects a qualified individual with a disability who can perform the essential functions of his or her…
Teaming Up? EEOC and DOL Announce Enhanced Enforcement Efforts
Last week, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and the United States Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (DOL) issued a memorandum of understanding (MOU) that announced they are partnering for the purpose of information sharing and joint investigations. As you know, the EEOC investigates and enforces allegations of discrimination and retaliation under Title…
Holiday Road! DOL Weighs in on Tracking FMLA Time Against Holidays
Tracking intermittent FMLA time — it’s every HR professional’s favorite thing to do. Do you come up with a total number of hours per employee or just count portions of the workweek? What do you do if an employee takes intermittent leave during a holiday week? If you have been wrestling with this issue, the…
Bueller? Bueller? EEOC Examining Attendance Policies for ADA Violations
Do you have a “no fault” attendance policy or some other way in which employees get points for absences? If so, be careful. A recent Eleventh Circuit matter, EEOC v. Eberspaecher North America, Inc. suggests that the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) wants to check out those policies to see if there is an ADA…
Workplace Violence: An Unfortunate Reality – Are You Prepared?
Mass shootings have been increasingly in the headlines in recent years, and many of these incidents have occurred in the workplace. Regardless of anyone’s politics, employers are having to face either the fear of, or the actual experience of, murder in their own offices, factories and schools. What steps should an employer take to keep their employees…
DOL Guidance Provides “FAB”ulous Insight as to How the Agency Will Apply the Protections under the FLSA and FMLA to Remote Workers
The United States Department of Labor recently issued Field Assistance Bulletin No. 2023-1 (FAB), which provides guidance to agency officials on a number of telework issues. The FAB addresses (1) paying workers who telework properly under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA); (2) reasonable break time for nursing employees to express milk while teleworking from…
Failing to Cite? Say Bye to Employment Claims in the 5th Circuit
Does a plaintiff have to specify not only the facts but also the law that applies? In Bye v. MGM Resorts, Inc., the Fifth Circuit looks at a common pleading issue: What do you do when a plaintiff pleads facts that may or may not state claims under more than one statute but only…
Are Your Employees Covered by a State Paid Family and Medical Leave Program? The CRS Can Tell You If They Are
Paid leave benefits are a hot topic these days. The Congressional Research Service (CRS) has issued an updated report on states that have Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) programs and how they work.
Federal FMLA and Unpaid Leave
We all know that the federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) requires employers with 50…