Massachusetts employers are reminded that the provisions of the Massachusetts Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (the PWFA) take effect April 1, 2018. The PWFA was signed into law in July 2017, and a previous GT Alert summarizes the law’s major provisions. The PWFA amends the Massachusetts statute prohibiting employment discrimination (MA General Laws Chapter 151B) to … Continue Reading
On July 27, 2017, Massachusetts Governor Charles Baker signed into law “An Act Establishing the Massachusetts Pregnant Workers Fairness Act.” The new law (i) prohibits discrimination against employees on the basis of pregnancy or a condition related to pregnancy and (ii) requires employers to provide reasonable accommodations to expectant and new mothers in the workplace. … Continue Reading
In two long-awaited decisions, the Florida Supreme Court declared several provisions of the state’s workers’ compensation statutes unconstitutional, weakening legislative reforms approved in 1994 and 2003 intended to curb the system’s growing costs and higher premiums for employers and businesses. The rulings, in Castellanos v. Next Door Company and Westphal v. City of St. Petersburg … Continue Reading
In an important “win” for employers that has potentially widespread implications, the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals, sitting en banc, reinstated summary judgment dismissing claims asserted by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) that Ford Motor Company failed to accommodate a former employee’s request under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to telecommute up to … Continue Reading
Written by Dorothé Smits and Johan Nijmeijer. According to Eurostat, during the last decade, the population that is overweight in the European Union (EU) Member States has increased significantly, which has resulted in more than half of the EU population being overweight or obese. Last year the European Court of Justice (ECJ) was asked in … Continue Reading
In an important decision, the Third Circuit recently held in Lupyan v. Corinthian Colleges, Inc. that an employee’s sworn statement — and nothing more — that she did not receive management’s mailed notification that her leave was designated as qualifying under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), created a fact question precluding summary judgment … Continue Reading
The GT Alert — 2013 California Employment Law Legislative Update: Things You Need to Know for 2014 was prepared by James M. Nelson, Angela Diesch and Jennifer Holly. This Alert discusses how California’s legislative changes will affect management of employment in California for 2014 and beyond. The authors offer insight on the more significant employment-related … Continue Reading
With Ryan C. Bradel The U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) recently released two final rules updating the Affirmative Action regulations regarding the recruiting and hiring of veterans and persons with disabilities, which are mandatory for federal government contractors. Pending since April 2011, the rules are expected to be published … Continue Reading
The Seventh Circuit recently examined whether an employee could assert disability discrimination based on a failure to accommodate where a non-disabled employee requested an accommodation to care for her disabled child. Magnus v. St. Mark United Methodist Church, No. 11-3767 (7th Cir. August 8, 2012). In the case, the employee sought an accommodation to take … Continue Reading
With the enactment of the ADA Amendments Act, there has been much attention focused on the expanded definition of a disability in which many, if not most, medical conditions qualify as a disability under the Act. However, perhaps overlooked, is that an employee who is disabled must still be qualified to perform the essential functions … Continue Reading
A bill has been introduced in the House of Representatives that would end the issuance of special certificates that allow employers to pay employees with disabilities below minimum wage.
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The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was enacted in 1990 to prevent employment discrimination on the basis of an employee’s disability. While the definition of disability has not changed with the enactment of the ADA Amendments Act of 2008 (ADAAA) and the final regulations promulgated thereunder, the scope of the definition has been expanded with specific … Continue Reading
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The ADA Amendments Act (ADAAA) became law on January 1, 2009, but in reviewing some recently reported decisions, you would not know it. That is because almost all courts have held that the ADAAA does not apply retroactively. Thus, many recent court decisions have been decided under the ADA as it was constituted prior to the amendments. … Continue Reading
One of the most vexing areas in employment is the interaction of the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Family and Medical Leave Act for individuals on a leave of absence because of a disability. If an employee has a disability and needs to take a leave of absence, the employer may provide qualified employees with … Continue Reading
