A recent settlement between the American Civil Liberties Union (“ACLU”) and a national employer highlights the importance of ensuring that paid parental leave benefits provided by employers are not just written in a gender neutral policy, but also administered on gender neutral terms. The employer will pay $5 million to fathers who claim they were […]
On Monday, April 22nd, the U.S. Supreme Court said that it will hear three cases that turn on whether existing civil rights bans on discrimination in the workplace under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 include discrimination based on sexual orientation and transgender status. The decision will determine the issue that has […]
Recently, a federal jury awarded a City of Tucson Fire Department paramedic $3.8 million after it found that the department violated the Fair Labor Standards Act (“FLSA”) and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (“Title VII”) when it failed to provide her with a private space to lactate, denied her requests to […]
Yesterday, the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”) released its Enforcement and Litigation Data for Fiscal Year (“FY”) 2018, which began October 1, 2017 and ended September 30, 2018. According to the data, the EEOC received 76,418 charges of workplace discrimination in FY 2018, with retaliation the most frequently filed charge, followed by sex, […]
Can an employer terminate the employment of a medical marijuana cardholder who tests positive after a work-related injury? A recent decision tackles this question and represents a first look at the legal issues under Arizona’s medical marijuana law. Employers and their counsel should familiarize themselves with this decision. For more information, read on here.
The first edition of the Workplace Word for 2019 has been published! In this edition, we take a look at three critical issues for employers during the hiring process – Form I-9 Compliance; Disability Inclusion and ADA Compliance; and What Not to Ask in Interviews. The Workplace Word is a quarterly publication from Snell & Wilmer’s […]
Yesterday, the Supreme Court of the United States unanimously held in Mount Lemmon Fire District v. Guido that the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (“the Act”) applies to state and local government employers, regardless of their size. The Act defines “employer” as “a person engaged in an industry affecting commerce who has twenty or more […]
A common observation from in-house attorneys is that, unlike those in private practice, many lack the luxury of being able to focus on a specific area of law. Rather, they are often expected to understand and provide legal advice on a myriad of complex topics that differ from their ordinary practice. This program, requested by […]
Governor Jerry Brown signed into law four new bills addressing harassment and discrimination in the workplace. Senate Bill 826 mandates that public companies based in California have at least one woman on their board of directors by the end of 2019. That number increases in 2021 depending on the size of the board. Senate Bill […]
The California legislature is looking to pass a host of bills aimed at decreasing sexual harassment in the workplace and increasing rights of victims of sexual harassment: SB 820 bans confidential settlement agreements in cases involving sexual assault, sexual harassment or sex discrimination. This bill would make any such confidential settlement agreement void as a […]