On July 25, 2017, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) announced that nationwide retailer, Bass Pro Outdoor World, LLC, agreed to pay $10.5 million and provide other relief, including a nationwide agreement addressing hiring and recruitment. How did we get here? On September 21, 2011, the EEOC filed a lawsuit against Bass Pro alleging that Bass Pro engaged in a pattern or practice of … [Read more...] about Wondering What Discrimination Lawsuits Could Cost Your Business? EEOC Announces Bass Pro to Pay $10.5 Million and Enter In Nationwide Agreement
This Just In: The Department of Labor’s Silence on Overtime Finally Breaks (and it Sounds Like Good News!)
As you may recall, the DOL previously issued a Final Overtime Rule that was set to increase the minimum salary threshold for white collar exempt/salaried employees from $455 per week or $23,660 annually to $913 per week or $47,476 annually. On November 22, 2016, a Texas Federal Court judge issued a nationwide preliminary injunction stopping the Department of Labor (DOL) from implementing and … [Read more...] about This Just In: The Department of Labor’s Silence on Overtime Finally Breaks (and it Sounds Like Good News!)
Medical Marijuana Employment Case in Massachusetts Could Foreshadow Potential Claims to Come for Pennsylvania Employers
In a fascinating case out of Massachusetts, it was found that an employee could sue her former employer for disability discrimination due to the failure of the employer to create an accommodation that would exempt her from drug testing for her use of medical marijuana outside of the work day. The case, which appears to be the first the country to allow such a claim to proceed, notes the growing … [Read more...] about Medical Marijuana Employment Case in Massachusetts Could Foreshadow Potential Claims to Come for Pennsylvania Employers
Third Circuit Court of Appeals Finds That the Single Use of a Racial Slur May be Sufficient to Create a Hostile Workplace
Employers are well advised to take steps to create a safe work environment. In the case of Castleberry v. STI Group, No. 16-1313 (3d Cir., July 14, 2017), the Third Circuit Court of Appeals (which covers Pennsylvania) joined several other Courts of Appeals in finding that a single use of a racial slur can be sufficient to show a hostile work environment on the basis of race. In Castleberry, the … [Read more...] about Third Circuit Court of Appeals Finds That the Single Use of a Racial Slur May be Sufficient to Create a Hostile Workplace
PA Supreme Court Leaves School District Right to Appeal Underassessed Properties Intact, So Long As Appeal Not Based on Property Type
Last week, after much anticipation, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court issued a decision that told everyone what they already knew. In the matter of Morgan Properties Abrams Run Owner LP, et al v. Upper Merion Area School District, et al, a group of apartment complex owners filed a lawsuit against the School District alleging the District’s process of selecting only under-assessed commercial … [Read more...] about PA Supreme Court Leaves School District Right to Appeal Underassessed Properties Intact, So Long As Appeal Not Based on Property Type
Sperm Donor Agreement and Adoption Decree May Be Necessary to Ensure Donor’s Parental Rights Are Terminated
As the law varies from state to state, the definition of legal parentage is applied differently, which may impact how the law applies to known donors. In Pennsylvania, a genetic link to a child can be a determining factor in parentage and may require legal action to ensure legal parentage to avoid unexpected consequences of the donation. As the birth certificate is only an administrative … [Read more...] about Sperm Donor Agreement and Adoption Decree May Be Necessary to Ensure Donor’s Parental Rights Are Terminated
