Author: Washington Employment Law Letter

Washington state latest to pass social media privacy law

Employers in Washington state should take note of a new law prohibiting them from requiring current or prospective employees to provide access to their social media accounts. Washington is the eighth state to pass such a law, and the National Conference of State Legislatures says 33 states are considering similar bills this year. The federal […]

Expansion of workplace harassment and violence reprisal complaints?

By Rosalind H. Cooper Most occupational health and safety statutes across Canada contain provisions that prohibit employer reprisals for workplace health and safety matters. While the outcome of complaints made by workers regarding employer reprisals is always fact specific, employers had been taking comfort from several recent decisions. Those decisions suggested that complaints regarding employer […]

What makes a good employee: education, experience, or something more?

It doesn’t seem to make sense: Employers complain of a lack of suitable applicants despite being inundated with a glut of highly educated jobseekers. Applicants are confused, too. A recent study from McKinsey & Company’s Center for Government found that 44 percent of young U.S. jobseekers included in a survey weren’t sure that their postsecondary […]

D.C. insight: federal legislative roundup

by Sophie E. Zdatny Recently, the Employers Counsel Network (ECN) met in Alexandria, Virginia, where several notable speakers stopped by to provide their insights on current developments in the employment arena at the national level and to share their predictions for President Barack Obama’s second term. The first post looked at the personnel turnover at […]

Time to say goodbye (for now)

Series Litigation Value: various harassment, discrimination, and bizarre workers’ compensation matters = astronomical; future employment matters due to Dwight taking over as Regional Manager = enough to keep Dunder Mifflin’s attorneys busy for many years to come; seeing the older, hopefully wiser, family man version of Michael in the final episode = priceless. After years […]

New regulations change details on workplace wellness programs

Final rules from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on employment-based wellness programs raise the maximum reward that may be offered by certain wellness programs and expand nondiscrimination protections for sick employees. The final rules under President Barack Obama’s Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act were issued May 29 and will be effective […]

Tips for a successful summer internship program

It’s summer, a time when you may have some new faces around the workplace. Eager college or even high school students are taking their place alongside experienced workers in the hopes that a summer of real-world experience will give them valuable insights into their chosen careers and maybe even give them a leg-up when they […]

DC insight: NLRB undaunted, EEOC empowered

by Sophie E. Zdatny Recently, the Employers Counsel Network (ECN) met in Alexandria, Virginia, where several notable speakers stopped by to provide their insights on current developments in the employment arena at the national level and to share their predictions for President Barack Obama’s second term. This is the second post in a three-part series […]

New Mexico pay equity law takes effect

by Robert P. Tinnin, Jr. New Mexico’s Fair Pay for Women Act (FPWA) goes into effect June 14, affecting all employers with at least four employees. The law prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex “by paying wages to employees . . . at a rate less than the rate that the employer pays wages […]

U.S. employment agreement ruled inapplicable after transfer to British Columbia

By Katherine Pollock A recent decision of the British Columbia Court of Appeal, Stanley v. Advertising Directory Solutions, considered the rights of an employee of a U.S. company who was working for a Canadian subsidiary when terminated. The court found she was entitled to notice or pay in lieu of notice upon termination according to […]