New England Biz Law Update

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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. ...

Like in any long-term relationship, by the time a landlord and tenant have decided to terminate a commercial lease, both parties are usually in a rush to go their separate ways. Regardless of why a landlord and tenant decide to ...

When COVID-19 struck, calendar software and videoconferencing became a viable, popular means of doing business. Unfortunately, cybercriminals got the memo and have begun pursuing a new and particularly dangerous line of attack. Email attacks have long been the hacker’s preferred ...

With the announcement of President Joe Biden’s new National COVID-19 Preparedness Plan, employers may need to review their workplace policies and protocols. The stated goal of the plan is to “enable America to move forward safely” from the COVID-19 pandemic. ...

The U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments recently in a case that involves damages in disability discrimination cases. In that case, Cummings v. Premier Rehab Keller, P.L.L.C., the court is considering whether plaintiffs who bring discrimination claims under Section 504 of ...