Last week, the president signed a new coronavirus emergency relief package into law. That package mandates up to two weeks of paid leave for many workers who need to take time off due to COVID-19, if they are: Ill with COVID-19 Quarantined Seeking a COVID-19 diagnosis...
Employment Law
Employment Law
Am I Essential? A Guide to Maryland’s Latest COVID-19 Order
Today, Governor Hogan issued an executive order closing all non-essential businesses in Maryland in order to slow the spread of COVID-19. The order, which goes into effect at 5pm today, explicitly states that it is not a Shelter-in-Place Order -- Maryland residents...
“Virginia Values Act”: A Major Victory for LGBT Employees in VA
Until now, options were limited for LGBT employees in Virginia. They could file a complaint with the EEOC, but only if their employer had more than 15 employees. And while there were protections for LGBT employees in the public sector and in certain Virginia...
Women Surpass Men In Percentage Of All Payroll Jobs
We reached a minor milestone earlier this month: women now hold more payroll jobs than men. They now hold 50.04% of these jobs, which exclude farm and household work, along with those who are self-employed. We say "minor" milestone because women have hit this mark...
Looking Back: A Few Of 2019’s Top Employment Law Stories
2019 brought forward a lot of important questions in employment law, for both employees and employers. Here are some stories that stuck out: Over 50? Chances are you will face age discrimination. Despite the passage of the Age Discrimination in Employment Act in 1967,...
House, Senate Agree To Offer Federal Workers Paid Parental Leave
The annual National Defense Authorization Act will contain a provision giving federal employees up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave to care for a new or sick child. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer announced an agreement between the House and Senate to include...
McDonald’s CEO Out After Acknowledging Relationship With Employee
Steve Easterbrook, McDonald's CEO since 2015, has been ousted by the board of directors after admitting to engaging in an allegedly consensual relationship with a subordinate. McDonald's, which has suffered from accusations of sexual harassment against many of its...
This Week, Supreme Court To Address LGBT Discrimination at Work
Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits discrimination "because of sex." Does that include closely related concepts such as gender identity, gender expression and sexual orientation? This week, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments on whether...
Employee Rights During A Government Shutdown
We are living through the most extended government shutdown in American history. Approximately 800,000 federal employees and 500,000 federal contractors have now gone without a paycheck, and there is no end in sight. Of the unpaid federal employees, more than 420,000...
New Hatch Act Guidance Limits Federal Workers From Certain Speech
Federal employees are prohibited from undertaking partisan political activity while on duty, in the federal workplace or when invoking official authority. This is due to the Hatch Act, a 1939 law aimed at preventing undue interference in elections by federal...