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Employment Law

Court: ACA requires plans to cover gender reassignment

01/02/2019
A recent decision by the federal court in charge of Minnesota cases has ruled that health plans that exclude gender reassignment coverage violate the Affordable Care Act.

8th Circuit refuses to entertain sweeping expansion of religious discrimination claims

01/02/2019
The EEOC has argued that merely requesting a religiously based reasonable accommodation is protected activity and that any adverse employment action that follows may be retaliation for making the request. But the 8th Circuit declined the invitation.

Travel reimbursements could be FLSA wages

01/02/2019
Under IRS rules, employers that provide a payment for travel expenses in lieu of requiring proof that workers incurred expenses don’t have to withhold taxes or contribute to and remit Social Security taxes based on the payment. But the Fair Labor Standards Act treats such payments differently.

Boss comments on pregnancy? Tell ‘em to zip it!

01/02/2019
When an employee announces that she’s pregnant, there is only one appropriate response: Congratulations! Any further comments usher in the risk of litigation.

Affair with subordinate leads fire chief to resign

01/02/2019
The longtime fire chief of Apple Valley, Minnesota, has resigned after admitting to a sexual relationship with a junior city employee in violation of city employment rules.

Government shutdown forces EEOC to scale back operations

01/02/2019
Until Congress and President Trump can agree on a funding scheme to fully reopen the government, EEOC staff members are not available to respond to public inquiries.

Document precise reason for termination

01/02/2019
Detailed documentation is your best defense if a fired employee sues for discrimination. You will be able to show that your reasons were not motivated by bias.

DOL serious about nursing mother protections

12/20/2018
The U.S. Department of Labor has issued one of its first milk-expression break citations on the Trump administration’s watch.

Pregnancy bias: Make training idiot-proof

12/20/2018
Never discount the possibility that some of your supervisors may be completely clueless about the legal trouble they might cause.

New DOL opinion letters address wage-and-hour issues

12/18/2018
The DOL issued four opinion letters in early November in response to employer requests. All the letters dealt in some way with how to comply with the FLSA.