The Fair Labor Standards Act (“FLSA”), the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act protect against retaliation in the workplace. What if an employer takes an adverse action against an employee who complains about unlawful...
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Independent Contractor vs. Employee: How to Classify Workers
On January 10th, 2024 the United States Department of Labor (“DOL”) put out a final rule that revised the classification criteria for independent contractors and employees under the Fair Labor Standards Act (“FLSA”). This new rule will go into effect on March 11th,...
What is Maryland “FAMLI” Leave?
On January 1, 2026, the Maryland Family and Medical Leave Insurance (“FAMLI”) program will go into effect. This program provides all Maryland employers and employees with updated paid family and medical leave procedures. This new leave shall be utilized either...
What to Know: Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964
As student reports of antisemitic and Islamophobic discrimination are on the rise on campuses across the nation, the U.S. Department of Justice and U.S. Department of Education have released informational resources for the public. These resources include webinar...
Congratulations to Linda Hitt Thatcher – Named to The Daily Record’s 2023 Employment Law Power List
Thatcher Law Firm is proud to announce that Linda Hitt Thatcher has been named to The Daily Record's 2023 Employment Law Power List. This honor is bestowed upon the top 25 employment attorneys in Maryland, based on peer recognition of excellence. The Power List...
New Proposed Federal Rule Could Make Millions of Workers Eligible for Overtime
Under the Fair Labor Standards Act, employees who work more than 40 hours a week are entitled to overtime pay. However, there are a few exceptions to this general rule. Under the law, employees are exempt from overtime pay if they: Works in a "bona fide executive,...
Free Speech vs. Hate Speech: When Can You Get Fired for Expressing your Opinion?
In the last few weeks many employees, including high-level executives, have been terminated for sharing their own opinions, reposting memes, articles, and Xes (formerly known as Tweets), through social media or other means. Is this a violation of First Amendment...
Is it Unlawful to Fire an Employee with a Religious Objection?
Brownsburg High School initially offered an accommodation to a music teacher who raised a religious objection to the use of transgender students’ preferred names and pronouns. When the accommodation, using last names only, did not solve the issue, the school told the...
What Does the New PUMP Act Provision Mean For Employers?
Last year, President Biden signed the PUMP for Nursing Mothers Act (“PUMP Act”) into law. The PUMP Act serves to expand existing protections for breastfeeding parents through the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). Although some portions of the PUMP Act go into...
EEOC Sues ExxonMobil for Lack of Action on Racially Discriminatory Nooses in Its Workplace
In January 2020, a Black employee at an ExxonMobil chemical plant in Louisiana reported finding a hangman’s noose at his workstation. It was, at the time, the fourth time a noose had been found at the plant. A fifth noose was found that December. According to the...