Author: Kristin Starnes Gray, FordHarrison

Harvey Weinstein: beauty and the beastly mogul

Over the last week, the fallout from a New York Times article regarding Harvey Weinstein has been swift and significant. On October 5, the Times published an explosive story about Hollywood producer and media mogul Weinstein’s alleged sexual harassment spanning decades. More and more women have been coming forward since the story broke to accuse […]

New law bans New York City employers from asking for salary history

by Charles H. Kaplan and Theresa M. Levine Employers in New York City will be prohibited from asking applicants about their previous salary when an amendment to the New York City Human Rights Law (NYCHRL) goes into effect on October 31. The amendment prohibits employers from asking about applicants’ wages, salaries, benefits, and other compensation […]

Make sure employees know what to do if ICE raids your workplace

by Lori Chesser You employ a large number of seasonal workers, many with temporary work visas, at several different sites. You also have a main office. You would like to train your frontline employees on what to do if U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) shows up with a warrant for an immigration raid. What […]

New guidance shifts federal policy on religious liberty in employment

New guidance from Attorney General Jeff Sessions on religious liberty in employment “signals a shift in federal employment law and policy,” according to an attorney who focuses on employment law. Sessions issued the new guidance to all administrative agencies and executive departments on October 6. It identifies 20 principles that administrative agencies and executive departments […]

Trump administration expands exemptions to ACA contraceptive mandate

On October 6, the Trump administration released two interim final rules that will vastly expand the availability of exemptions to the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) rules requiring employer coverage of contraceptives. The ACA requires employers and insurers that offer group health plans to employees to cover certain approved contraceptive methods—at no additional cost to employees—or […]

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Leaders must do what’s best for the greater good

by Dan Oswald The Japanese surprise attack at Pearl Harbor caught the U.S. military completely off guard. Months after the bombing in Hawaii, the U.S. military was still reeling and on its heels. American citizens were shocked by their country’s vulnerability as the Japanese brought the fight to them. Confidence in the U.S. military’s ability […]

Justice system failed the victims of Radiohead stage collapse

by Norm Keith On September 5, 2017, Justice Nelson of the Ontario Court of Justice stayed all charges against the accused in the deadly stage collapse at the Radiohead concert in Downsview Park on June 16, 2012. These charges under the Occupational Health & Safety Act (OHSA) are the latest in a series of serious regulatory […]

Sessions memo changes DOJ position on transgender discrimination

by Tammy Binford U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ announcement changing his department’s position on transgender employment discrimination marks a change in the legal landscape, but it doesn’t alter employer obligations under various state and local laws or the position taken by other federal agencies. In an October 4 memo to U.S. attorneys titled “Revised Treatment […]

10 traits of an effective workplace investigator

by Ryann E. Ricchio Workplace investigations are of critical importance to employers for many reasons. Done correctly and thoroughly, an investigation can, among other things, resolve ongoing and future workplace problems, mitigate your organization’s liability, prevent third-party intervention, demonstrate good faith, and preserve evidence that may be needed in the future. Of course, a central […]

Providing grief relief in age of mass shootings

The headlines rang out early Monday morning as many of us were preparing to leave home for work: DEADLIEST MASS SHOOTING IN US HISTORY. Coffee. IT WAS MADNESS. Toasted bagel. 50+ KILLED, MORE THAN 500 INJURED. Orange Juice. THERE WAS BLOOD EVERYWHERE. Sunday night at the highlight concert of the Route 91 Harvest Festival, 64-year-old […]