New England Biz Law Update

Artificial intelligence holds a distinct lure for HR, with its promise of streamlined and efficient hiring. But while the technology promises efficiency, it introduces new challenges of potential bias and discrimination. In August 2023, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) ...

In a scathing rebuke of the National Labor Relations Board, a federal appeals court in the District of Columbia has overturned the Board’s ruling in two unfair labor practice claims against Stern Produce Company. The decision, which twice referred to ...

The U.S. Department of Labor has published a final rule clarifying employees’ rights to authorize a representative to accompany an OSHA compliance officer during an inspection of their workplace. The rule goes into effect on May 31, 2024. The Occupational ...

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has released its Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 Office of General Counsel (OGC) Annual Report and a new data dashboard featuring selected cases that have been resolved over the past five fiscal years. In FY 2023, which ...

A Texas federal judge has vacated the National Labor Relations Board’s (NLRB) controversial joint employer rule. The rule, which would have made it more likely for two entities to be deemed joint employers, was set to take effect on March ...

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD) is publishing industry-specific guidance to help employers comply with the 2022 Providing Urgent Maternal Protections for Nursing Mothers Act (PUMP Act). The PUMP Act extends the Fair Labor Standards Act ...

Maria Gatchalian, a former charge nurse in a neonatal intensive care unit, has been awarded $41.49 million in her wrongful termination and retaliation lawsuit against Kaiser Permanente. Gatchalian had worked in the NICU at Kaiser Permanente Woodland Hills Medical Center ...

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has announced the launch of a 90-day “policy sprint” as it works to develop a rewards program for whistleblowers who report corporate and financial misconduct. The program, announced by Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco ...

In a recent decision, Massachusetts’ highest court has upheld an award of unemployment benefits to a home health aide whose employment with Fallon Community Health Plan was terminated after her request for a religious exemption from the company’s COVID-19 vaccination ...

A farm in Tennessee is facing allegations of retaliation against employees who exercised their legally protected right to inquire about their wages. The Department of Labor (DOL) has filed a complaint and motion seeking a temporary restraining order to prevent ...