White and blue delivery trucks parked inside fence along road

'Contracts Of Employment' Next Arbitration Exemption Battle

Employers facing wage claims have been arguing that a federal arbitration exemption does not apply because workers did not have “contracts of employment,” an emerging issue that recently came up during oral arguments before the U.S. Supreme Court in a case exploring a related question. Here, Law360 takes a look at the issue.

a gavel resting on a block that reads LEGAL AID

Legal Aid Org. Defeats Ex-Atty's Race Bias, Retaliation Suit

The Legal Aid Society defeated a Black former staff attorney's lawsuit claiming she was fired for complaining that white colleagues disrespected and sidelined Black employees, with a New York federal judge saying Tuesday that her allegations were too flimsy to stay in court.

Missing EEOC Charge Topples Ex-L3Harris Worker's Bias Suit

A Texas federal judge tossed a former L3Harris engineer's suit claiming he was fired for his Christian beliefs, faulting him for failing to hand over his presuit U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission bias charge in order to show his claims were properly exhausted.

Expert Analysis

Spotlight On Legal Battles Over EEOC Subpoena Powers

Jonathan Meer and Angela Sekerka

Attorneys at Wilson Elser consider the spate of litigation over the past year, spurred by the Equal Employment Opp... (more story)

NFL Hiring Bias Ruling Signals Trend Away From Arbitration

Masood Ali

A New York federal court's recent decision in Flores v. NFL, declining to compel arbitration in a class action all... (more story)

Flashpoints In Focus: Harassment At Work After Epstein Files

Dawn Solowey and Gary Friedman

The recent release of millions of documents related to Jeffrey Epstein's sex trafficking scheme has renewed a move... (more story)

Labor More

SEIU Arbitration Suit Strains Order, Hospital Says

A Service Employees International Union unit is stretching an arbitrator's finding that a hospital unfairly punished a worker who tested positive for cannabis use by seeking to restrict drug tests going forwar... (more story)

Teamsters Deal Covering 17K At Bus Co. Averts Strike

The Teamsters union reached a tentative agreement with school bus operator First Student Inc., the union announced Tuesday, avoiding a nationwide strike that would have involved thousands of school bus employe... (more story)

black container ship featuring "APL" in white block letters on the side and carrying multicolored shipping containers
Calif. Cargo Workers Are Supervisors, NLRB Official Says

A group of workers at a California container shipping company can't vote on representation by the International Longshore and Warehouse Union, a National Labor Relations Board official ruled Tuesday, finding t... (more story)

Nurses Union Can't Force Arbitration, Mich. Hospital Says

A Michigan hospital has urged a federal court to toss a lawsuit alleging it is refusing to arbitrate claims that it removed more than $500,000 in retirement health account credits owed to registered nurses, ar... (more story)

VA Continues To Spurn Union Contract Despite Court Order

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has responded to a Rhode Island federal judge's order to resume complying with a union contract by shredding the contract and appealing the order, arguing that a White H... (more story)

Feds Slam Unions' AI Surveillance Challenge

The federal government urged a New York federal court to toss allegations that the Trump administration is using a surveillance system to find viewpoints it doesn't like and use the threat of immigration enfor... (more story)

NLRB Office Clears Netflix In Memo Over Social Media Case

Federal labor law didn't protect a Netflix worker's social media post that included a password-protected link to a meeting that contained confidential business information, National Labor Relations Board attor... (more story)

Discrimination More

Medical Center Ousted Worker Over Leg Injury, EEOC Says

A New Mexico medical center illegally fired an employee after failing to find her a new role that would have better accommodated her leg injury that caused lasting damage, according to a suit the U.S. Equal Em... (more story)

Wells Fargo Can't Duck Finance Manager's Disability Bias Suit

Wells Fargo has been denied an early exit from a finance manager's disability bias lawsuit, with a North Carolina federal judge saying Tuesday her complaint contained sufficient allegations to survive dismissal.

Photo illustration of a hand displaying a royal flush in a poker game, with chips visible though out of focus in the background
Card Room Co.'s Absence Policy Flouted PWFA, EEOC Says

A Florida poker room operator flouted the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act by enforcing a rigid attendance policy that pushed female staff who needed time off for pregnancy-related reasons out of their jobs, the ... (more story)

Butterball Fired Worker Over Cancer Absences, EEOC Says

Turkey producer Butterball fired an employee for missing shifts to attend chemotherapy appointments even though she requested medical leave to do so, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission claimed in... (more story)

Michigan Judge OKs Lawyers' Exit From Atty's Retaliation Suit

A Michigan federal judge has allowed a trio of lawyers to withdraw from representing an attorney accusing her former mentor of sexual harassment and her former law firm of retaliation.

Nursing Home Can't Dodge EEOC Pregnancy Bias Suit

A nursing and rehabilitation facility can't escape a U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission lawsuit claiming it effectively fired an employee who requested light duty during her pregnancy, with a Marylan... (more story)

Late Notice Dooms Fired Fox News Producer's Sick Day Suit

A D.C. federal judge tossed an ex-Fox News producer's suit claiming the network fired him for taking a sick day, ruling he isn't protected by the district's sick leave law because he failed to notify his boss ... (more story)

Wage & Hour More

Wash. Gov. Signs 2 Employment Bills For Immigrant Workers

Two new Washington laws aim to protect immigrants in the workplace, including by requiring employers to notify workers of upcoming immigration enforcement activity and by allowing state government workers to d... (more story)

Wage & Hour Features Revisited: Driver Carveout, DOL Rules

From the U.S. Supreme Court mulling what makes drivers interstate transportation workers and attorneys considering what the U.S. Department of Labor's joint employer rule could look like, to the Illinois high ... (more story)

Exterview view of the circuit courthouse
4th Circ. Revives Va. Worker's OT Retaliation Suit

A worker's suit accusing a production supervisor at a packaging company of firing him after he reported violations for unpaid overtime should have stayed alive, the Fourth Circuit ruled, saying a Virginia fede... (more story)

3D Printing Co. Misclassified Operators, Denied OT, Suit Says

A 3D concrete printing company misclassified equipment operators as exempt employees and failed to pay them overtime wages, according to a proposed collective action filed in Colorado federal court.

Colo. Judge OKs $2.5M Damages In Metal Workers' Wage Suit

The owner of a now-defunct metal fabrication and construction company will have to shell out $2.5 million in damages in a case seeking unpaid wages, a Colorado federal judge has ruled, agreeing with a magistra... (more story)

Wash. Gov. Signs Bills Expanding Powers Of State AG

Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson has signed two bills requested by the office of the state attorney general, including one aimed at enhancing its ability to demand document production and testimony in civil matter... (more story)

Ga. County's Fire Chief Not Entitled To Overtime, Court Rules

A Georgia county fire battalion chief is not entitled to overtime under federal wage law, a federal judge ruled, finding that his salary and job duties qualified him for a statutory exemption.