The rulings from the Supreme Court mean that same sex married couples in Washington will receive the same federal benefits as opposite sex married couples.
Blog
Employer Beware: NLRB Third Guidance Memorandum on Social Media
Over the past couple of years, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) has been active in scrutinizing and striking down employers’ social media policies to determine if they violate union and non-union employees’ Section 7 rights to discuss wages and working conditions.
New Washington Law Tightens Social Media Privacy Rights for Employees and Job Applicants
Governor Inslee recently signed into law a bill tightening the social media privacy rights of employees and job applicants. The new law makes it unlawful for employers to require an individual to give access to his or her social networking account as a condition of employment
Not All Charities Are Very Charitable
Last week the Tampa Bay Times, Center for Investigative Reporting and CNN released a report on America’s Worst Charities. While the fraud and abuse uncovered is disturbing, the report provides a stark reminder of the importance of performing due diligence prior to making a charitable donation or bequest and properly identifying charities in your estate planning documents.
White House Issues First Guidelines For Developing Emergency Operations Plans for Houses of Worship
Yesterday the White House issued the first guidelines to assist houses of worship in developing plans to deal with emergency violence situations. The report can be accessed here: FEMA Guidelines. Six federal agencies contributed to the formulation of these guidelines. Although we would like to think violence in our houses of worship is still unthinkable, […]
EEOC Issues Specific ADA Compliance Guidance
Both employers and employees often have questions as to how the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) deals with everyday workplace situations. The EEOC recently issued guidelines as to four specific areas of disability that are frequently the subject of inquiry.
Employer Rights and Responsibilities Under New Seattle Ordinance Regarding Criminal Records
The Seattle City Council has unanimously passed Bill 117796 aka Job Assistance Bill regarding employment actions as to persons with criminal records. The Council sent the Bill to the Mayor for approval. Seattle based employers need to understand the impacts and responsibilities under the Bill.
Fifth Circuit Rules in Favor of the EEOC on Lactation
The Fifth Circuit recently ruled in the EEOC’s favor by determining that “lactation” (not necessarily breastfeeding) is a condition of pregnancy, and thus prevents employers from taking adverse action against a female employee because she is lactating. See EEOC v. Houston Funding II LLC, (No. 12-20220).
Alternative Dispute Resolution – A Better Way to Resolve Many Disputes
Anyone who has been to Court knows that the process can be expensive, time consuming, uncertain and extremely stressful. Not many people who have been through a trial have enjoyed the process, even if they’ve won
Supreme Court Watch – First Amendment / Religious Litigation
The US Supreme Court has accepted review of Town of Greece v. Galloway, an Establishment Clause case that will examine the constitutionality of public prayer conducted before a civil Town Meeting.