FordHarrison LLP, one of the country’s largest management-side labor and employment law firms, is pleased to announce that the firm has been named a Compass Award winner by the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity (LCLD). The Compass Award recognizes law firms and corporations that show a strong commitment to building more diverse organizations and a more inclusive legal profession.
California Serves Up Another Headache for the Restaurant Industry
Executive Summary: Beginning January 1, 2024, restaurant employers in California will be required to pay their workers for all costs associated with obtaining a food handler card, including treating the time spent obtaining the certification as hours worked. The new law will also require employers to relieve their employees of all duties during the time needed to complete training and will prohibit employers from requiring applicants to have an existing food handler card as a condition of employment.
“Justices’ Coming Fisheries Ruling May Foster NLRA Certainty,” Law360
St. Louis attorney Corey Franklin authored the Law360 Expert Analysis piece, “Justices’ Coming Fisheries Ruling May Foster NLRA Certainty.” The article discusses the everchanging interpretation of federal labor law by the NLRB and the potential challenge to the use of Chevron deference in reviewing NLRB decisions in court.
EntertainHR: Tortious Interference from the Spirit Realm
Spooky season is officially upon us, so this seems like the perfect time to cover one of my new favorite shows: Ghosts on CBS. The show follows Sam (a journalist) and Jay (a chef), city dwellers who think they’ve hit the jackpot when Sam inherits a gorgeous country estate
New California Employment Developments for 2024
Executive Summary: Employers should look forward to another round of changes to the Golden State’s employment standards this year, the most challenging of which will be addressing employee protections for off-premises cannabis use, expanded paid sick leave benefits, and further restrictions on the use of noncompete agreements.
FordHarrison Accolades & Additions: Third Quarter 2023
Sixty-Five FordHarrison Attorneys Listed in the 2024 Best Lawyers in America and Thirty-One Listed in Ones To Watch
California Amends its Existing Paid Sick Leave Law to Provide More Paid Sick Leave
Executive Summary: On October 4, 2023, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law SB 616, which amends the Healthy Workplaces, Healthy Families Act of 2014 (HWHFA) (California Labor Code Section 245.5) to provide nearly all employees working in California with two additional days or 16 additional hours of paid sick leave. This new law goes into effect on January 1, 2024.
Kristin Gray Selected to Profiles in Diversity Journal’s 2023 Women Worth Watching List
FordHarrison LLP, one of the country’s largest management-side labor and employment law firms, is pleased to announce that Kristin S. Gray, Partner in the firm’s Spartanburg, SC office was recognized by Profiles in Diversity Journal in its 2023 Women Worth Watching issue. The prestigious award is in its 22nd year and is featured in the publication’s third quarter issue.
Six FordHarrison Partners Named to Lawdragon’s 500 Leading Corporate Employment Lawyers Guide
FordHarrison LLP, one of the country’s largest management-side labor and employment law firms, is pleased to announce that six partners, Geetha N. Adinata, Frank L. Day Jr., Patricia G. Griffith, Kimberly Ross, Mark Saloman, and Dawn Siler-Nixon were listed in Lawdragon’s 500 Leading U.S. Corporate Employment Lawyers Guide in 2023. The list honors more than 200 attorneys who specialize in employment litigation, defending trade secret, discrimination, ERISA, wage and hour and other claims. Also, included are 75 immigration specialists and a similar number of employee benefits and executive compensation gurus. To view Lawdragon’s full 500 Leading U.S. Corporate Employment Lawyers Guide, click here.
EntertainHR: Don’t Be Punk’d Without a Workplace Violence Policy
I have a confession to make.
To the embarrassment of my family, especially my wife, I continue to watch professional wrestling. I’m a sucker when an entire arena is directing “heat” (negative reactions like booing) at a “heel” (the “bad guy”). And when the “babyface” (the “good guy”) is about to
Noncompete News: The More Things Change, the More They Remain the Same: Georgia Supreme Court Addresses Choice of Law Provisions in Noncompete Context
Historically, Georgia courts have declined to apply another state’s law to determine whether to enforce restrictive covenants against a Georgia employee, regardless of whether the agreement stated that another state’s law controlled (choice-of-law provision). So, too, Georgia’s law has long distinguished between restrictive covenants that are reasonable (in scope, duration, and geographic reach) and those that are unreasonable; the former are enforceable, while the latter are considered “in general restraint of trade.” Contracts that are “in general restraint of trade” are “deemed to be contrary to public policy” and “cannot be enforced” in Georgia. O.C.G.A. 13-8-2(a).
A Continuing Discussion on the Opioid Epidemic and the Workplace – Part 1
Executive Summary: As promised, this is the first of multiple Alerts that will explore the details of the ongoing opioid epidemic, identify relevant issues for employers to analyze, and provide suggestions on how to effectively navigate this complicated and highly problematic issue.
Lizzo Lawsuit Shows Employers ‘It’s About Damn Time’ They Train Their Managers
Recently, one of my favorite artists, Lizzo, made headlines when three of her backup dancers filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court against her, her tour company (Big Grrrl Big Touring Inc.), and her dance team captain. There are various allegations in this lawsuit, but I want to
DOL’s New Proposed Overtime Rule Would Drastically Increase the Salary Threshold for the White Collar Overtime Exemption
Executive Summary: Under a new proposed rule from the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), released on August 30, 2023, more than 3.4 million workers would be newly eligible for overtime pay unless employers pay a much higher salary threshold. Currently, workers who are paid a salary of at least $35,568 annually and work in a “bona fide executive, administrative, or professional capacity”—often called “white collar” or “EAP” exceptions—are not covered by the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) requirements for employees to receive overtime at a rate of one-and-one-half their regular rate of pay for time worked beyond 40 hours in a week.
OFCCP Announces New Scheduling Letter for Federal Contractors
On August 25, 2023, OFCCP issued a new Scheduling Letter and Itemized Listing (the “Scheduling Letter”) effective the day before publication and applicable to all compliance reviews initiated on or after August 24, 2023.