The pandemic has prompted many employees to reevaluate their work-life balance and career goals, leading to “The Great Resignation.” The current U.S. unemployment rate is 3.6% and there are myriad factors causing a labor shortage. Despite these challenges, employers...
Employment Issues For Employers
Employment Issues For Employers
Handling Whistleblowers in the Post-Pandemic Workplace
Some changes caused by the pandemic were predictable, but others have been unforeseen. Many were likely surprised in 2020 when there was a 35% increase in tips sent to the Securities Exchange Commission (SEC). These tips, complaints, and referrals led to hundreds of...
My Employees Are At-Will…Right?
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...
Update Your Company’s Hiring Protocols to Address Remote Interviews
The COVID pandemic changed how almost every organization functions. For many, this involves the extensive use of video conferencing, to the point where many who work in offices are comfortable running meetings online. It has even bled into our personal lives, where...
“Hail Zorp!”: Lessons from Parks and Recreation on How to Handle Religious Exemption Requests
On Parks and Recreation, Amy Poehler plays Leslie Knope, the Deputy Director of the Parks and Recreation Department in Pawnee, Indiana. In season 3, she is desperate to have a local plot of land preserved as a National Park. She admits, “I’m looking for anything to...
Companies Need Hiring Protocols that Accommodate use of Video Platforms
Many things have changed over the last few years. One major shift has been working from home and conducting meetings via video conferencing. While some are happy to be back in the office, it is likely that video conferencing is here to stay. Managers and HR staff also...
Biden’s Vaccine Mandates Continue to Face Challenges: What Does This Mean for Employers?
As we previously blogged, President Biden’s mandate for large employers has been put on hold by the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals, because in the Court’s words, the Plaintiffs have alleged “’grave statutory and constitutional issues” with the mandate. In response,...
Vaccine Mandates Continue to Face Challenges in Federal Court
As we previously blogged, a federal court in Texas recently issued a temporary restraining order halting the enforcement of United Airlines’ vaccine mandate. The Judge was clear “the Court [was] not currently ruling on the merits of the parties’ arguments.” Rather,...
The gender-based pay gap is still a problem
Many businesses tout a model where employee pay is based on merit, skill and experience. However, the much-admired Pew Research Center released a new study on gender and pay in 2020. It found that women earn 84% of what men earn for similar work. This number remains...
OSHA Unveils Highly Anticipated Vaccine Mandate Standard
As we previously blogged, President Biden recently announced that all employers with more than 100 employees will be required to implement a vaccine policy. This order is estimated to impact roughly 80 million Americans. The Occupational Safety and Health...