Practical Considerations in Employment Terminations

A strong workforce is a critical component for an employer’s success, and work is at least as important for employees. Work is a source of much more than income. It is a source of dignity and self-worth for employees. As a result, employment terminations can have high stakes, because of the risks of litigation and …

The Employment Malpractices at the Yellowstone – Dutton Ranch: “Damn Right I Did It!”

With Season 4 of Yellowstone in the books, and having time to fully process the impact of the U.S. Supreme Court’s OSHA vaccine mandate decisions, we thought we would kick off the 2022 All Things HR Blog by taking a deeper dive into some of the eye-raising employment practices at the Yellowstone – Dutton Ranch. …

2022 Checklist for Ontario Employers

New for 2022 Ontario employers should already have a written Workplace Vaccination Policy and those with more than 25 employees will have until June 2, 2022 to implement and provide employees with a copy of their written Disconnecting from Work Policy. Additionally, Ontario employers can no longer enter into non-competition agreements with non-C suite employees. …

U.S. Supreme Court Splits the Baby as It Stays the Private Employer Vaccine or Test Mandate but Keeps the Healthcare Vaccine Mandate in Place

On January 13, 2022, the United States Supreme Court (“Court”) issued two critical decisions: one staying the OSHA ETS vaccine or test mandate, the second allowing the OSHA CMS vaccine mandate for healthcare facilities to move forward. THE OSHA ETS IS STAYED By way of background, the OSHA ETS requires all employers with more than …

Private Employer Vaccine Mandate Moves Forward as Sixth Circuit Dissolves Fifth Circuit’s OSHA ETS Stay

On December 17, 2021, the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, which was chosen via lottery as the federal appellate court to decide whether the OSHA ETS, i.e., the private employer vaccine mandate, would go into effect, dissolved the stay that the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit had issued, allowing …

EEOC Lawsuit Reminds Employers of the Legal Issues Involved in Creating and Implementing Remote Work Policies

This fall, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (the “EEOC”) filed a lawsuit against a San Antonio-based workplace experience and facility management company, alleging that the defendant company unlawfully denied its employee’s request to work from home to protect herself from COVID-19.  This suit, which is the EEOC’s first of its kind, is a reminder to …

The Private Employer COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate is Here: What Employers Need to Know

On Thursday, November 4, 2021, the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (“OSHA”) and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (“CMS”) rolled out temporary emergency standards (“ETS”) implementing COVID-19 vaccine mandates, which are expected to become effective November 5, 2021. These emergency rules are intended to address the “grave danger of COVID-19 in the workplace.” …

Knowledge is Power: Information Available to Contributing Employers in Multiemployer Fringe Benefit Plans

Employers that contribute to multiemployer fringe benefit plans are generally aware of the financial risks associated with these plans.  In addition to making regular contributions to these plans required by their collective bargaining agreements, these employers are subject to periodic contribution audits by the plans, potential surcharges or increased contributions owed to pension plans in …

AM I MY BROTHER’S KEEPER: RELIGIOUS ACCOMMODATIONS AND VACCINE MANDATES UNDER TITLE VII

On September 26, 2021, the NBA denied Andrew Wiggins’ religious accommodation request to be exempt from taking the COVID-19 vaccine. After being denied, Wiggins stated his “[b]ack is up against the wall, but I’m just going to keep fighting for what I believe. . . I’m going to keep fighting for what I believe is …

What do a newly married employee, a long-term employee, and a change of 401(k) recordkeepers have in common? Beneficiary Designation Forms.

A participant in a 401(k), 403(b), or other account-style retirement plan may name a beneficiary to receive his or her account balance after the participant’s death. A recent case, Moore v. NCR Corp. Plan Admin. Comm. (USDC N.D. Ga., Aug. 30, 2021) is a reminder that retirement plan beneficiary forms need to be reviewed and …