Retaliation or, at least, the perception of retaliation is on the rise. Has a manager approached you saying an employee should be fired because that employee is abusing COVID leave? Has an employee claimed he… Read more
Legal knowledge. Valuable insights.
Our attorneys’ thoughts on the latest news and laws that affect you and your business.
Recent Posts
Estate Planning After The Presidential Election
“The best laid schemes of mice and men often go awry.” Robert Burns The estate planner’s corollary would be that Robert Burns was an optimist. Now that we have survived the 2020 presidential election, we… Read more
Collective Bargaining for Public Employees Arrives in the Commonwealth—Virginia HB 582
Public school teachers, firefighters, police officers, and most other local government employees will gain new rights next year. In May 2021, Virginia will permit local governing bodies to engage in collective bargaining with its employees…. Read more
DOL Revises FFCRA Regulations – Here we go again! (Coronavirus and the Law)
Just as we were getting used to COVID-related paid sick and family medical leave under the FFCRA, the DOL announced its revised regulations. The Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) requires all public employers and… Read more
Energy Regulation In Virginia: State Corporation Commission’s Broad Discretion
In July 2020, the Virginia Supreme Court affirmed the State Corporation Commission’s broad discretion pertaining to energy regulation. In Walmart Stores East, LP et al. v. State Corporation Commission et al., Walmart sought to combine… Read more
Increased Focus on University Researchers Demands More Substantial Compliance Efforts
The U.S. government continues to place an increasing emphasis on ensuring that American assets are not leveraged by foreign researchers to aid their own countries. Governmental bodies are actively enforcing federal rights against researchers in… Read more
Parents Not Eligible for FFCRA Leave for Remote Learning if In-Person Learning is Offered (Coronavirus and the Law)
The Department of Labor (DOL) issued long-awaited guidance on paid family leave and jobless benefits when schools are open for in-person, virtual, or hybrid learning. Workers, DOL says, are ineligible for virus-related paid family leave… Read more
What Happens When Employees Are Afraid of the Workplace? (Coronavirus and the Law)
An employee said he’s not coming to work because COVID-19 makes him “feel unsafe.” Do Virginia’s workplace safety standards really say he can do that? There is good reason to take precautions to protect your… Read more
A Safe Harbor for “Off-the-Clock” Telework Wage-Hour Claims? (Coronavirus and the Law)
DOL’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD) issued Field Assistance Bulletin No. 2020-5 (pdf) reiterating that pandemic or no, the FLSA requires employers to compensate employees for all hours worked remotely when the employer “knew or… Read more
Judge Strikes Down Some DOL Employee Leave Regulations Under FFCRA (Coronavirus and the Law)
State of New York v. United States Department of Labor On August 3rd, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York issued an opinion invalidating some fundamental aspects of the Families First… Read more