New England Biz Law Update

Many employers rely on background checks when making important hiring decisions. In doing so, they need to comply with a patchwork of local, state, and federal laws. While federal law does not generally bar criminal background checks, state and local ...

A former Delta flight attendant has lost her bid to sue the airline over an alleged sexual assault by a pilot. The plaintiff argued that the airline was liable because the pilot was a supervisor, but a federal district court ...

The Department of Justice (DOJ) has announced it’s taking a tougher stance on corporate wrongdoing and white collar crime. Messages from the DOJ indicate that the agency is stepping up enforcement in virtually all areas of white collar crime. Two ...

The U.S. Supreme Court recently heard arguments over whether Southwest baggage handlers are “engaged in interstate commerce” and therefore exempt from the Federal Arbitration Act. The Arbitration Act generally requires courts to uphold contracts that include forced arbitration clauses. However, ...

A staffing firm is facing a $1.5 million fine after an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) found the company liable for I-9 violations. The family-owned staffing agency has offices in Washington and Oregon. While they employ fewer than 50 fulltime employees, ...

A Massachusetts judge sitting in the state’s Superior Court Business Litigation Session has ruled that an email from a client to its litigation counsel seeking feedback on a draft press release embedded in the email’s text was protected by the ...

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) issued a reminder that employers who discriminate against caregivers in the workplace may violate federal law. While caregivers are not explicitly called out in federal employment laws, certain assumptions can lead employers to ...

The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) may be updating its framework for workplace rules and employee handbooks. A ruling is expected within the next several months that could affect any number of HR policies. The NLRB framework has implications for ...

While questions abound as to their final form, the Securities and Exchange Commission is expected to adopt some version of ambitious climate disclosure rules proposed last month. And whatever their final form, securities experts say the forthcoming regulatory regime promises ...

A proposal from the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) would return prevailing wage calculations under the Davis-Bacon Act to the system last used 40 years ago. Employers’ groups say the proposal unfairly favors union labor, while union groups say it ...