The Employment Brief

A federal court in Chicago has found a Teamsters Union local liable for wage increases its members “would have received” had the local requested bargaining.  Under the collective bargaining agreement, either the union or the employer could have requested a wage reopener by giving written notice to the other.  The union, who did not track the date for doing so, gave late notice.  The employer, within its right, said “no.”  Members sued the...

A federal court in Kentucky will permit a female employee to proceed with her hostile environment sexual harassment claim based on gross, sexual conduct by another female coworker.  Bradford v. Dep't of Community Based Services, No. 09-206 (E.D. Ky., February 2, 2012).  In the overwhelming majority of hostile environment cases, male employees are accused by female employees of engaging in the offensive behavior.  The court in Bradford merely...

Lisa Meade was diagnosed with a latex allergy in 1998.  In 1999, she learned that the staff at her two year-old son’s preschool wore powdered latex gloves when changing the children’s diapers.  Meade spoke with the School Administrator about her allergy, and her concerns about the use of powdered latex gloves, which included potential airborne exposure, and secondary exposure, as latex particles may attach to the powder disbursed when the...

Section 215(a)(3) of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) makes it unlawful for a covered employer to "discharge or in any manner discriminate against any employee because such employee has filed any complaint or instituted or caused to be instituted any proceeding under or related to this chapter, or has testified or is about to testify in any such proceeding." In Minor v. Bostwick Laboratories, Inc., (4th Cir., No. 10-1258, 1/27/12), the U.S. Court...

In 2005, James Hazen was a partner in a New York law firm.  One of the perks of being a partner was a corporate credit card, which Hazen could use for personal reasons, so long as he paid for the charges.  In December 2005, the firm’s accounting department reported that Hazen failed to submit any itemization of personal charges for the fourth quarter.  Rather than give an explanation, Hazen stopped going to the office, claiming that he needed to...

In August 2011, the National Labor Relations Board’s Acting General Counsel had issued a report on employee use of social media and online communications, and under what circumstances such behavior can be protected concerted activity under the NLRA.  That report also set forth the NLRB’s position on permissive and over-reaching language in employer social media policies.  That report was based on an analysis of the cases that had been decided...

A heating and air technician, who suffered from depression, advised one of the company owners of this fact in conjunction with a discussion regarding a customer complaint filed against the  tech.  The owner never made any comments to anyone regarding the depression or discussed it as an issue.  Shortly after the conversation, the owner did instruct his shop manager to cut overhead expenses, which resulted, in among other changes, the plaintiff...

Hopefully serving as a sign that courts will not regard the Americans With Disabilities Act Amendments Act of 2008 (ADAAA) as license to find every complaint or condition a “disability” under the ADAAA, the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit recently held that a plaintiff who was diagnosed with migraine headaches was not “disabled” under the ADAAA.  The plaintiff experienced migraines and admitted that she could suffer...

The FMLA entitles eligible employees to take up to twelve weeks of unpaid leave for the birth or placement of a child or for a serious health condition of the employee or the employee’s spouse, child, or parent.  “Eligible employees” are those who have worked at least 1,250 hours in the past 12 twelve months and have been employed by the employer for a total of at least 12 months as of the date the FMLA leave is to start.  The FMLA also...