In an issue of first impression for the court, the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has upheld the dismissal of an individual’s claim under the “associational discrimination” provision of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Stansberry v. Air Wisconsin Airlines Corp., 6th Cir., No. 09-2499, July 6, 2011. In that case, an employee claimed that
To invoke FMLA protection for care of another, some geographic proximity is required by the employee.
In an unpublished opinion, the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has held that an individual who requests FMLA leave to care for a seriously ill family member must have some role in providing the “care” required by the relative’s illness. According to the Fifth Circuit, a father who left his seriously injured daughter in
Plaintiff must demonstrate prejudice in order to be entitled to relief under the FMLA.
The 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has upheld an employee’s termination for job abandonment, in spite of the fact that the employee argued that he was on FMLA leave at the time of his termination. The court based that holding on the fact that the employee was unable to return to work at the
Firing replacement workers to allow striking employees to return is not a “mass layoff” under WARN Act.
The Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act requires a 60-day notice to employees before a “mass layoff” can take place. A mass layoff is a reduction in force which is not the result of a plant closure, but which results in an employment loss of at least 50 full-time employees at a single site.
Employer’s actions have unintended consequences in Texas whistle-blower case.
In one of the most dramatic and convoluted scenarios ever seen in a whistle-blower case, a doctor has been disciplined by a medical board; a hospital administrator has been jailed; two nurses have been fired, criminally charged, acquitted, and then awarded $750,000; and a local sheriff has been removed from office and sentenced to jail
The NLRB is making clear its position regarding social media communications.
The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) has issued another complaint alleging unlawful termination of an employee for posting photos and comments on Facebook. . . .
Continue Reading The NLRB is making clear its position regarding social media communications.
Insufficient medical information justifies refusal of FMLA leave.
The federal regulations that support the Family and Medical Leave Act require that an employee submit to his or her employer certain medical facts within the knowledge of the employee’s health care provider, including information related to the incapacitation, examination, or treatment that may be required by a health care provider. The 9th U.S. Circuit
The NLRB takes its Internet battle to a non-unionized workplace.
On May 9, 2011, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) issued a complaint alleging that Hispanics United, a Buffalo non-profit that provides social services to low-income clients, violated the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) when it fired five employees after they used Facebook to criticize working conditions. This complaint comes on the heels of two
How many hours have you worked this week? Check your phone.
The Department of Labor has entered the digital age with a splash, and has announced the launch of its first application for smartphones. That app is a timesheet to help employees independently track regular work hours, break time and any overtime hours for one or more employers. Individuals also can access a glossary, contact information
Fifteen minutes may be adequate time to review employment separation agreement.
The 3d U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has held that 15 minutes was a sufficient amount of time for the plaintiff, a public school teacher, to review a separation agreement and release negotiated in connection with her resignation. Gregory v. Derry Twp. Sch. Dist., 2011 WL 944424 (3d Cir., March 21, 2011)
Rhauni Gregory