Category Archives: HR Law

Overtime Rule Blocked by Court

This article is from the December 2024 issue.

According to this article, in November 2024, the Federal District Court for the Eastern District of Texas issued a ruling striking down the United States Department of Labor’s 2024 regulation that had increased the minimum salary levels required to support exempt status under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). The Judge’s order invalidates the rule nationwide. The order further invalidates the entire 2024 rule, a portion of which went into effect for most of the country in July 2024.… Read the rest

NLRB Rules Captive Audience Meetings Are Unlawful

This article is from the November 2024 issue.

With a ruling that captive-audience meetings are illegal under the National Labor Relations Act, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB; the Board) overturned a 1948 decision on November 13, 2024.

The ruling indicates that an employer violates the National Labor Relations Act by requiring employees under threat of discipline or discharge to attend meetings in which the employer expresses its views on unionization. 

The Board explained that such meetings—commonly known as captive-audience meetings—violate the Act because they have a reasonable … Read the rest

Library of Congress Avoids Lawsuit

This article is from the November 2024 issue.

According to recent legal news, a federal judge has ruled that the Library of Congress does not need to face a nearly 20-year-old lawsuit. The ruling on the lawsuit which was filed by African American employees alleging workplace harassment and discriminatory practices, effectively dismisses the case due to the age of the claims and the lack of sufficient evidence to support them. 

Key points about the case:

  • Claim of discrimination:

The lawsuit accused the Library of Congress of systematically placing … Read the rest

SECURE 2.0 Act — Changes Taking Effect Soon

This article is from the October 2024 issue.

The SECURE 2.0 Act of 2022 is a law designed to improve retirement savings options in the U.S. It builds on the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement (SECURE) Act of 2019. SECURE 2.0 was signed into law by President Biden on December 29, 2022, as part of the U.S. Congress “H.R.2617 – Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023.” The changes take effect on a staggered timeline, which started on January 1, 2023, and completes in 2027. Listed … Read the rest

DOL Issues Final Rules Strengthening Access to Mental Health, Substance Use Disorder Benefits

This article is from the September 2024 issue.

To ensure people with private health coverage have equitable access to mental health and substance use disorder care, the Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS), Labor, and the Treasury (collectively, the Departments) released the final rules implementing the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA) earlier this month. 

The new rules add additional protections against more restrictive, nonquantitative treatment limitations for mental health and substance use disorder benefits as compared to medical or surgical benefits. Nonquantitative treatment limitations … Read the rest

Consider Health Problems Before Firing for Failing to Call Off

This article is from the September 2024 issue.

Have you ever felt yourself getting sick before you actually were sick? You know, times when your body just didn’t feel right. Perhaps your throat felt sore, you had chills, and everything felt achy. This is what happened to me while I was attending a recent conference. Instead of going to my hotel room, I tried to push through and continue attending meetings. Near the end of the day, I felt absolutely awful. I also sounded terrible as I began … Read the rest

What You Post on Social Media Can Be Used Against You

This article is from the August 2024 issue.

We live in a time when social media tends to dominate much of our lives. Many people post information about every area of their lives, including professional concerns, personal thoughts, mental health challenges, etc. You name it, someone will post about it. Some people have no boundaries when it comes to posting on social media outlets. This might not be such a good idea when it comes to information related to employees’ issues. In fact, depending on the circumstances, some … Read the rest

Lawsuit Filed to Block New U.S. DOL Salary Regulation

This article is from the June 2024 issue.

In last month’s (May 2024) issue of Library Worklife, we discussed the U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) release of its long-awaited final rule under the  Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). The final rule, which is scheduled to take effect July 1, 2024, will expand overtime protections for millions of the nation’s lower-paid salaried workers by increasing the salary thresholds required to exempt a salaried bona fide executive, administrative or professional employee from federal overtime pay requirements. 

According to this … Read the rest

EEOC Releases Final Enforcement Guidance on Harassment in the Workplace

This article is from the May 2024 issue.

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has released new final guidance on workplace harassment, replacing five previous guidance documents. 

The guidance document addresses how harassment based on race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions; sexual orientation; and gender identity), national origin, age (40 or over), disability, or genetic information is defined under EEOC-enforced statutes and the analysis for determining whether employer liability is established. The guidance document is thorough in its explanations and provides … Read the rest

New Guidance for COVID Isolation

This article is from the March 2024 issue.

At the beginning of this month, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released updated recommendations for how people can protect themselves and their communities from respiratory viruses, including COVID-19. The CDC is making updates to the recommendations now because the U.S. is seeing far fewer hospitalizations and deaths associated with COVID-19. While it remains a threat, it is considered far less likely to cause severe illness because of widespread immunity and improved tools to prevent and treat the … Read the rest