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For those bored at home and needing a little “light” reading, the EEOC has issued Covid-19 guidance for employees and has also updated its 2009 Pandemic in the Workplace Guidance (who knew there was such guidance?)  These two pieces basically explain how the EEOC anticipates the Americans with Disabilities Act applying to Covid-19 situations in the workplace and answers some …

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Congress passes Coronavirus Response Act to help employees weather this storm.

In addition to changing the way we work, the coronavirus has also created tension and unease (to put it mildly) for employees and business owners everywhere.  The fact that we are all in this together does little to ease the mind of an employee worrying about losing her job or …

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I love reading books and listening to podcasts about workplace happiness.  I am fascinated by the microcosms that are our offices and what makes people happy or unhappy in them.  In our business, we see a lot of what makes people unhappy.  Oftentimes the issues our clients come to us with are blatant (discrimination, retaliation, etc) but, other times, we …

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Employees can be the first line of defense against workplace violence but only if they know what to look for and what to do about it.

On February 15 an employee at an Aurora, Illinois manufacturing plant walked into work believing he was going to be fired that day.  Those of us in the Chicagoland area know what happened after that–he …

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Early indicators say yes.

Yesterday afternoon I had the pleasure of serving as a moderator at the American Bar Association’s 2019 National Symposium of Technology in Labor and Employment Law.  I moderated a panel of three brilliant lawyers talking about Artificial Intelligence in the workplace.  And, as those of us in attendance learned, it’s a brave new world out there.

A picture …

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Perhaps you saw the news this weekend that on the eve of launching her new book, Omarosa Manigault Newman (former White House political aide and reality-TV alum) has produced what she contends is a secret workplace recording of White House Chief of Staff, John Kelly, firing her.  Just this morning Omarosa released another tape which appears to be President Trump …

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The ADA turns 28 today.  

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was signed into law 28 years ago today by President George H.W. Bush.  (Remember when we used to have presidents who believed people with disabilities were worthy of respect and protection rather than ridicule?)

Since 1990 the Act has provided people with disabilities protections from discrimination at work and access …

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The recent arbitration decision could backfire on employers.

The Supreme Court really stuck it to employees in their recent Epic Systems decision.  We’ve written about arbitration provisions in general here and why they can be bad for employees.   As if giving up your right to a jury trial wasn’t bad enough, arbitration agreements also sometimes contain class action waivers.  Employers …

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Employees are often wrong about the FMLA.  

As employment lawyers we often talk with people (clients, friends and family alike) that think the Family and Medical Leave Act (“FMLA”) does things for them that it doesn’t.  Employment lawyers on both sides of bar agree that the Act can be one of the most nuanced and confusing employment statutes out there.  …

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After years of disappointing LGBT rights employment decisions things are looking up!

It’s been a good couple of weeks for LGBT rights in the workplace.

First, on February 26 the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals joined our own Seventh Circuit in holding that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act prohibits sexual orientation discrimination in the workplace.  We’ve been watching this case for …

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