New England Biz Law Update

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has launched a new initiative to support workers from underserved communities who often do not seek the agency’s assistance when needed. Called the REACH initiative —“Enhancing OutREACH to Vulnerable Workers and Underserved Communities”— the ...

In a unanimous ruling, the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that whistleblowers need not prove that their employer acted with “retaliatory intent” to allow for protection under the federal Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX). The ruling in the case, Murray v. UBS Securities, LLC, is ...

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has released a new proposed role to address “the full range of hazards currently facing emergency responders.” The new Emergency Response Standard, proposed on February 5, 2024, replaces the existing Fire Brigades Standard ...

A pizzeria in the state of New York has agreed to pay $25,000 and provide other relief to settle a sex-based harassment lawsuit filed by the EEOC. The agency charged that a transgender cook at T.C. Wheelers Bar & Pizzeria ...

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has released a final rule intended to reduce the risk of fraud in the H-1B registration process. Employers must be aware of the new rules as the FY 2025 registration period begins at 12 ...

A state appeals court has decided that a plaintiff can sue her former employer in state court under the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) for conducting a pre-hire background check that did not technically comply with the FCRA’s disclosure ...

Library Hotel, a luxury boutique hotel in New York City, must pay $42,000 to a former front desk employee to resolve a disability discrimination lawsuit filed by the EEOC under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). According to the lawsuit, ...

A recent court case highlights why properly documenting employee disciplinary issues is so critical for employers. In Craig Price II v. Valvoline, a federal appeals court upheld Valvoline’s termination of Craig Price, a Black employee who claimed race discrimination and ...

The IRS has launched a new program for businesses that received an Employee Retention Credit (ERC) in error and want to return the funds. In late December, the IRS announced expansion of the ERC Voluntary Disclosure Program to include employers ...

The U.S. Department of Labor has published its final rule on how to determine whether a worker is an employee or an independent contractor under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). The rule, which becomes effective on March 11, 2024, ...