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 Disputes
What Can We Expect from the Next Supreme Court Justice?
Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson is poised to become the first Black woman to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court. Throughout her confirmation hearings this week, the topic of Judge Brown Jackson’s race was raised on more than one occasion, and some have questioned whether...
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...
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...
A Few Tips On Interviewing Employees For An Investigation
When an employee makes a complaint about a co-worker or supervisor, it's crucial to get to the truth. After all, employers must take reasonable steps to protect employees from discrimination and harassment, which are among the most common complaints. At the same time,...
Walmart Sues Senior Executive Over New Job, Noncompete Agreement
When employees believe they aren't bound by noncompete agreements, employers often receive little warning when those agreements are about to be violated. Most employees don't disclose to their employers when they are job hunting, and they may accept new positions...
Is it a good idea to track or respond to a fired employee’s social media?
Terminating an employee is never easy, even when it is an employer's only reasonable option. Making matters more complicated is the fact that a fired employee has many avenues on social media to make negative comments about his or her former employer. Employers are...
Federal Contractors: Don’t Get “Blacklisted”
Last month, new rules went into effect that will soon require federal contractors to disclose labor and employment law violations. On July 31, 2014, President Obama signed the Fair Pay and Safe Workplaces Executive Order. The Executive Order requires prospective...
Uber will pay up to $100 million to settle driver class action lawsuit involving independent contractors
Uber, the online ride-sharing company, has become a major player in the transportation industry in recent years. Uber relies on hundreds of thousands of drivers to transport passengers. These drivers are classified as independent contractors, and not as employees....
The process of valuing an employment dispute
When you take a vehicle to a Washington D.C. area car dealer and ask for a valuation, you expect tires to be kicked and mileage to be examined, among other things. A similar kind of evaluation takes place when you go into an employment law attorney’s office to discuss...