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Collective wage/hour suits can turn relatively small and inexpensive problems into very large and very expensive ones, but there may be a technique that makes the collective action moot, says Attorney Deanna Brinkerhoff. In Genesis Healthcare Corp. v. Symczyk, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that, at least in this case, action by the employer to […]
Pre-authorization procedures, plan disclosures and geographical restrictions are just a few features group health plans will need to re-examine by the time the recently finalized mental health parity rules take effect. For calendar-year plans, this means Jan. 1, 2015 — less than a year away. The interaction of the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity […]
Major changes in the workplace will occur in 2014 as “old-school” management protocols and practices give way to fast-moving, as well as more productive and more satisfying, models for engaging employees, according to Fierce, Inc., leadership development and training experts. The insights and predictions are based on Fierce, Inc.’s training experiences with organizations ranging from […]
Due to an administrative error, an employer clearly did not provide a qualified beneficiary with a COBRA election notice. However, the qualified beneficiary also benefited from that mistake by receiving 11 months of free health coverage. For that reason, a federal district court in Iowa rejected claims that the employer should be subject to COBRA […]
When an employee is injured on the job, everyone’s first concern is ensuring they get immediate treatment. A close second is ensuring the best recovery. But how much influence do employers have over the recovery? More than you might think.
Recently, we celebrated the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Inarguably, he accomplished much during his lifetime, and there certainly are lessons we can learn from his approach to life and leadership. Oswald, CEO of BLR, offered his thoughts in a recent edition of The Oswald Letter. King was a man who developed a […]
by Peter D. Lowe and Connor Beatty On Thursday, January 30, Maine’s Supreme Judicial Court issued a groundbreaking and controversial decision. The Law Court ruled that a school district discriminated against one of its students when it told the student she couldn’t use the female restroom because she is transgendered. Although this decision directly affects […]
On Jan. 27, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that time U.S. Steel Corp. employees spend donning and doffing protective gear is not compensable under the Fair Labor Standards Act. The ruling affirmed a 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals decision in Sandifer et al v. U.S. Steel Corp. (No. 12-417). Sandifer dealt with whether time steel workers spent […]
Oswald, CEO of BLR, offered his thoughts in a recent edition of The Oswald Letter. King was a man who developed a followership that numbered in the hundreds of thousands—if not millions—made up of people compelled to follow his example of nonviolent civil disobedience to bring attention to the civil rights movement in the 1950s […]
by Mark I. Schickman Sometimes the Super Bowl is a great game, but more often, it’s a blowout long before the dip and punch disappear. In case we need something to hold our interest between the $8-million-a-minute commercials, here are some employment law points to think about as the Seahawks and Broncos square off, representing […]