New England Biz Law Update

Federal officials are embarking on a new endeavor to protect workers from illness and injury from heat exposure after the Biden administration announced the move last year. The Occupational Safety and Health administration last week introduced its National Emphasis Program ...

Where a West Virginia business closed two of its art studio locations because of the governor’s Covid-19 executive order, its claim for lost business income and other expenses was denied because there was no material destruction or harm to its ...

As the world enters year three of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”) has issued a warning to employers of yet another risk to their businesses: caregiver discrimination claims. It is no surprise that the pandemic has ...

As international tensions rise, the issue of cyberattacks — and by extension preventing such attacks — becomes critical. So much so, in fact, that 78.95% of small business respondents to a new national survey from Provident Bank said that media ...

WorldatWork’s “2021 Total Rewards Inventory Programs & Practices” survey reveals compensation practices are starting to return to normal at most organizations. Market-based adjustments (not COLA) are rising to pre-pandemic levels and, similarly, hazard/call-in pay are beginning to level back down. ...

The Fair Labor Standards Act and the Family and Medical Leave Act are robust laws. For some employers, it’s not always clear when employee activities are protected under these laws. The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) recently released guidance to ...

When faced with an OSHA citation, it is not uncommon for an employer to acknowledge that a rule was violated, accept the citation, pay the penalty, and move on. Often, evidence that a rule was violated is easily obtained by ...

Hate symbols create a hostile work environment. Offensive imagery may include swastikas, confederate flags, 14/88 numerology, nooses, or other hostile slogans that target someone’s race or identity. Employees who are subjected to hate symbols in the workplace may have grounds ...

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) prohibits employers from discriminating against someone because of their disability. Under the ADA, an employer is expected to make reasonable accommodations that would allow the employee to perform the essential functions of a job. ...

The White House Task Force on Worker Organizing and Empowerment issued a report last month outlining proposals for increasing union participation and strengthening the right to organize. The report detailed more than 60 recommendations for revising labor laws and regulations. ...