Labor

Expert Analysis

• Handling Severance Pact Language After NLRB Decision

  

  Following the National Labor Relations Board’s recent ruling that severance agreements with broad confidentiality or nondisparagement provisions violate federal labor law, employers may want to consider whether such terms must be stripped from agreements altogether, or if there may be a middle-ground approach, says Daniel Pasternak at Squire Patton.

• Eye On Compliance: Service Animal Accommodations

  

  A Michigan federal court's recent ruling in Bennett v. Hurley Medical Center provides guidance on when employee service animals must be permitted in the workplace — a question otherwise lacking clarity under the Americans with Disabilities Act that has emerged as people return to the office post-pandemic, says Lauren Stadler at Wilson Elser.

• Joint Employment Mediation Sessions Are Worth The Work

  

  Despite the recent trend away from joint mediation in employment disputes, and the prevailing belief that putting both parties in the same room is only a recipe for lost ground, face-to-face sessions can be valuable tools for moving toward win-win resolutions when planned with certain considerations in mind, says Jonathan Andrews at Signature Resolution.

• A Look At NLRB GC's Memos On Misleading Employees

  

  The National Labor Relations Board's general counsel recently confirmed her plan to limit what she considers coercive and misleading statements by employers during union organizing drives, and provided some guidance for employers that, if recognized and followed, may keep a company out of legal trouble with the NLRB, says Rebecca Leaf at Miles & Stockbridge.

• Water Cooler Talk: Termination Lessons From 'WeCrashed'

  

  Tracey Diamond and Evan Gibbs at Troutman Pepper chat with Fulton Bank’s Allison Snyder about how the show “WeCrashed” highlights pitfalls companies should avoid when terminating workers, even when the employment is at will.

• Labor Law Reform Is Needed For Unions To Succeed

  

  Though support for unions is at an unprecedented high, declining union membership levels expose the massive disconnect between what Americans want from unionizing and what they are actually able to achieve, primarily due to the disastrous state of U.S. labor law, say Sharon Block and Benjamin Sachs at Harvard Law School.

• How Cos. Can Avoid Sinking In The Union Organizing Storm

  

  Faced with a new NLRB administration and pandemic-fueled employee unrest, employers must deal with the perfect storm for union organizing by keeping policies up-to-date and making sure employees’ voices are heard, says Daniel Johns at Cozen O'Connor.

• Eye On Compliance: Employee Biometric Data Privacy

  

  Following recent high-profile developments in Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act lawsuits and an increase in related legislation proposed by other states, employers should anticipate an uptick in litigation on this issue — and several best practices can help bolster compliance, say Lisa Ackerman and Laura Stutz at Wilson Elser.

• Examining Employer Best Practices For Reserved Gates

  Excerpt from Practical Guidance

  

  Joshua Fox at Proskauer discusses the legal implications of employers establishing a reserved gate system for union picketing — which creates a separate worksite entrance for employers not involved in the dispute — with a focus on rights and obligations under the National Labor Relations Act, and preventing disruptions toward secondary employers.

• 6 Antitrust Compliance Tips For Employers From MLB Probe

  

  Major League Baseball's recent investigation into possible collusion between the Mets and Yankees — involving then-free agent Aaron Judge — can teach employers of all types antitrust lessons in a time when competition for top talent is fierce, says Mohamed Barry at Fisher & Phillips.

• Water Cooler Talk: Trade Secret Lessons From 'Severance'

  

  In light of the recently enacted Protecting American Intellectual Property Act, attorneys at Troutman Pepper chat with Tangibly CEO Tim Londergan about trade secret protection as it relates to the show “Severance,” which involves employees whose minds are surgically divided between their home and work lives.

• 4 Ways Nonunion Employers Can Make Workers Feel Heard

  

  With employees less likely to join the recent surge of unionizations if management proactively responds to their concerns, companies should cultivate positive relationships with their workers now, lest employees feel they must organize to amplify their voices, say Stacey McClurkin Macklin and Grant Mulkey at Stinson.

• Independent Contractor Laws Are Ignoring Economy's Evolution

  

  Over the last year, federal and state approaches to independent contractor classification have demonstrated an inability to adjust to changes in the economy — save for a 12-factor test proposed in New York City, which would have balanced gig economy prosperity and worker protections, say attorneys at Greenberg Traurig.