New England Biz Law Update

The U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee has approved a bill that would limit the enforcement of nondisclosure agreements (NDAs) in cases of sexual harassment and assault. The Speak Out Act (S.4524) is similar to laws already in place in California, New ...

A contractor retaliated against an immigrant employee who sustained an injury at work, leading to the employee’s detention by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), a federal jury has found. The jury awarded the employee $50,000 in compensatory damages and $600,000 ...

The Department of Labor (DOL) recently clarified what effect remote workers have on the application of the federal Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act (the “WARN Act”) and related state regulations. The guidance addresses when remote workers count in the ...

The National Labor Relations Board has ruled that Tesla cannot stop factory employees from wearing clothing with union insignia while on the job. The board, in a 3-2 decision, overruled a 2019 NLRB decision involving Walmart and union clothing. A ...

The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) has issued a notice of proposed rulemaking that would change the joint employer standard. The joint employer standard defines when two employers who do business together are “joint employers,” making them liable for one ...

In a recent case, an officer was up for promotion until his superiors heard a concerning rumor. The department conducted an additional round of interviews for the job and ultimately awarded the promotion to someone else. The officer claimed retaliation ...

In August, the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals issued a decision holding that Walmart’s policy of refusing to provide light duty assignments to pregnant workers did not violate current law. In the case, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) ...

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has ordered Dollar General to pay approximately $1.3 million over workplace safety issues at three Georgia stores. The news of these significant fines is a wake-up call for employers nationwide to ensure they ...

The yearly quota for H-1B visas has been reached for fiscal year 2023. The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) accepts petitions for H-1B visa and H-1B visa advanced degree applicants. The H-1B visa cap for fiscal 2023 is 65,000 ...

A provision in the Massachusetts state budget would have amended the state’s Paid Family and Medical Leave Act (PFMLA). But the governor has not signed the amendment. Legislation would have allowed employees to use their accrued paid leave to supplement ...