Archives
The FTC’s New Rule on Non-Compete Agreements: What You Need to Know
On May 7, 2024, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) made headlines by passing a new rule that aims to ban most non-compete agreements. This move is part of a broader effort to promote fair competition and protect workers’ rights. However, due in large part to news outlets inaccurately understanding and reporting on the rulemaking process, the initial excitement surrounding this …
Illinois House Approves Workplace Protections For Cannabis Consumers
Is it High Time to Protect Cannabis Users?
On March 3rd, 2022, the Illinois House approved a bill containing workplace protections for employees who are legal cannabis consumers. This bill aims to ensure that workers are not fired for legally using cannabis during off hours.
Many employers still choose to drug test employees. Since Illinois legalized recreational marijuana use, employees have been …
- Jan 26 2022
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- Coronavirus, Employment Law, Mandatory Vaccines, Vaccines
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U.S. Supreme Court Blocks OSHA Vaccine Mandate
Despite Supreme Court’s ruling, employers may still develop their own vaccine mandates.
On January 13, 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court blocked OSHA from enforcing its COVID-19 vaccine and testing mandate for employers with 100 or more workers. Read below to see what this means for employers and employees.
The ETS initially required employers with 100 or more employees to develop mandatory vaccination …
- Nov 11 2021
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- Coronavirus, Employment Law, Uncategorized
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Covid-19 is not “Transitory and Minor” disability exempted from ADA protections
Federal Court Decides Covid-19 is Not a “Transitory and Minor” Disability Exempted from ADA protections
What happens if fired for testing positive for COVID
First, trust that you are not alone in worrying about this. Employment lawyers have been wondering the same thing. Since the expiration of the FFCRA last December, there has been nothing explicitly prohibiting termination of a Covid positive …
- Jul 25 2019
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- Blog, Employee Rights, Employment Law
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Chicago’s New Fair Workweek Ordinance: Here’s What You Need to Know
After two long years of planning, advocacy, and negotiations, Chicago City Council has passed the Fair Workweek Ordinance. The Ordinance protects employees from last minute shift changes and gives low wage earners some predictability in their schedules and, as a result, some degree of financial stability. This is a huge win for Chicago’s employees and we are excited to see …
- Jul 24 2018
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- Blog, Employment Contracts and Agreements
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Arbitration Agreements & Class Action Waivers
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 …
- Jul 24 2017
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- Blog, Employee Rights, Employment Law, Practical Tips, Workplace Defamation, Libel, Slander and Invasion of Privacy
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Off Duty Privacy: Do Employees Have Any Rights?
An incident regarding Ivy League students behaving poorly on social media serves as a cautionary tale for employees about the limits of off duty privacy.
Last month, multiple news outlets reported that Harvard revoked the acceptances of ten incoming students after they posted offensive comments on social media. This is a reminder that oftentimes we do not have the rights to off …
- Apr 11 2017
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- Employee Rights, Sexual Orientation Discrimination, Uncategorized
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Major Victory for LGBT Employees
The Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals hands down a seminal ruling holding that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act protects LGBT employees from workplace discrimination.
I have long bemoaned the fact that federal law does not protect LGBT employees from discrimination. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act outlaws discrimination based on “sex” but courts have always interpreted that to refer …
- Aug 29 2016
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- Blog, Employee Rights, Legislative Advocacy
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Nannies, Housekeepers, and Other Domestic Workers Welcome Civil Rights
Illinois Passes Domestic Workers’ Bill of Rights Act
As Summer nears its close, we celebrate another advancement for Illinois employees. Notably, on August 12, 2016, Illinois passed the Domestic Workers’ Bill of Rights Act. This new law gives employment rights to nannies, housekeepers, caretakers, and other domestic workers. This Act comes just weeks after Illinois adopted the Child Bereavement Leave Act. Hence, our home …
- Jul 7 2015
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- Blog, Workplace Discrimination
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Small Businesses and Anti-Discrimination Laws
Small Businesses Not Immune to Anti-Discrimination Laws: Employees Should Know Their Rights
In recent years, the number of small businesses has exploded. There are an estimated 28 million small businesses currently in the U.S., increasing about 49% since 1982.[1] Indeed, as of 2013, businesses employing less than 50 workers comprised about 96% of companies in the U.S.[2] The obvious corollary to these figures is …
