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Sunday, February 21, 2021
As we turn the page on 2020, we offer a brief look back at several significant employment decisions over the past year.
At the federal level, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a landmark decision in
Bostock v. Clayton County, 140 S.Ct. 1731 (2020), recognizing that sexual orientation and gender identity are protected by Title VII. Click here to read more on the decision.
In
Our Lady of Guadalupe School v. Morressey-Berru, 140 S.Ct. 2049 (2020), the U.S. Supreme Court also weighed in on the scope of the ministerial exception under federal anti-discrimination laws. At issue before the Court was whether the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution prohibits courts from intervening in employment disputes (e.g., discrimination claims under the ADA and ADEA) involving teachers at religious schools. The Supreme Court ruled that “
Sunday, February 21, 2021
One year into the pandemic, life feels as uncertain as ever. This uncertainty extends to questions about employee rights and protections in the workplace. Some new rights have come to be or may be on the horizon, and other existing rights have been illuminated. However, across the spectrum of employee rights and protections, there are still major gaps.
What’s New
While not specifically enacted in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, parts of the new Massachusetts Paid Family Medical Leave Act went into effect on January 1, 2021. Employees are now entitled to paid, job-protected leave for a number of reasons, including their own serious health condition, for which an employee is entitled to up to 20 weeks of paid leave per year. Beginning on July 1, 2021, employees will also become entitled to paid leave to care for a family member with a serious health condition for up to 12 weeks per year.
Sunday, February 21, 2021
For years now, it seems that every annual “hot topics & trends” list within the legal and business community has included restrictive covenants and non-competition reform in one form or another. In certain jurisdictions, including Massachusetts, legislatures have enacted specific statutory reforms, generally viewed as being more employee-friendly.
Amongst this debate and reform, the underlying common law principles regarding the enforceability of non-competition agreements should not be overlooked. As the recent decision in
Bradley v. Bradford & Bigelow, Inc., Suffolk Superior Court, Civil Action No. 2084CV02504-BLS1 (Nov. 13, 2020), reminds us, these common law principles include the material change doctrine.
The facts in
Thursday, February 18, 2021
A spate of recent legislation and IRS guidance promises to make 2021 an active year for any employer seeking to provide its employees with a competitive array of employee benefits. My “top 5” list of employee benefits that an employer should introduce or enhance in 2021, to improve retention and/or recruitment, is set forth below:
Student Loan Repayment by Employer under an Educational Assistance Program.
If there is one request that millennials and younger workers make repeatedly to their employers, it is this: Help us pay down our college/graduate school student loan debt! Under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Securities Act of 2020 (known as the CARES Act), as amended by the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 (the “