Like most states in the country, Maryland, Virginia, and D.C. are all at-will employment jurisdictions. This means that employees and employers can terminate the employment relationship at any time, for any reason (or no reason at all), and without notice. Of...
Employment Contracts
Employment Contracts
Companies Can No Longer Use Arbitration for Harassment and Assault Cases
Any partisan bill is newsworthy in today's political landscape. Still, President Joe Biden made news by signing the bipartisan Ending Forced Arbitration of Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment Act of 2021 on March 3, 2022. This law ends companies' use of arbitration...
How Can Employers Reduce Their Risk of Wrongful Termination Lawsuits?
Maryland is an "at-will employment" state, which means that either the employer or the employee can terminate the employment relationship, unless a binding contract stipulates otherwise. In the absence of a contract, a resignation or dismissal can be for any reason or...
U.S. Women’s Soccer Team Scores Goal for Equal Pay
Earlier this week, the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team reached a settlement in its class action lawsuit against the U.S. Soccer Federation. According to the complaint, which was initially filed back in 2016 and brought claims under Title VII and the Equal Pay Act,...
He said, SHE SAID!: Another Victory for the #MeToo Movement As Congress Invalidates Forced Arbitration Agreements
Employers commonly include mandatory arbitration clauses in their employees’ employment contracts, which prevent their employees from filing employment related claims in court. While these clauses are often touted as promoting efficiency, they have come under fire in...
Non-competes should only go so far
It makes sound business sense for companies to include non-compete agreements in their onboarding or exit package. The goal is to prevent proprietary information and trade secrets from falling into the hands of direct competitors. Nevertheless, turnover is...
Amazon Settles Drivers’ Wage Theft Charge For $61.7 Million
By many accounts, wage theft is among the most common crimes in the United States. The theft of wages comes in many forms. Most often, we see wage theft in the misclassification of employees as independent contractors or as exempt from the Fair Labor Standards Act...
Do I Still Need to Honor My Contracts in The Time Of COVID-19?
If COVID-19 has thrown a wrench in your business' operations, you're not alone. Across the country, businesses have had to determine whether they can still perform under their pre-existing contracts, or whether there is some way to be freed from their obligations. If...
Yes, You Can Negotiate Your Severance Package
Although the economy is strong now, layoffs are still a reality in many industries. When you are hit with a layoff, your employer will probably offer you some kind of severance package to make things easier. They are not doing this out of the goodness of their hearts....
Maryland employers: Are your contracts ready for October?
Changes are coming for Maryland employers in terms of how they handle sexual harassment claims. In fact, the new Disclosing Sexual Harassment in the Workplace Act of 2018 goes into effect October 1, 2018. Employers who fail to take action by then could find themselves...