Insights

On July 3, 2007, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, reversing its prior ruling, confirmed that damage awards for non-physical injury, such as emotional distress and injury to professional...

In a decision issued on May 29, 2007, the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that Title VII’s 180-day window for filing employment discrimination complaints bars claims that are based on the lingering effects of discriminatory...

On July 24, 2007 the federal minimum wage will increase from $5.15 to $5.85 per hour, the first increase since 1997. The “Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2007” provides for a three-step increase in the minimum wage,...

On April 16, 2007, the California Supreme Court ruled that payments mandated by California Labor Code § 226.7 for meal and rest period violations are “wages” and not “penalties.” The Court’s ruling that these...

A federal appeals court, affirming a decision of the National Labor Relations Board (the “NLRB”), has ruled that a personnel handbook provision which required employees to maintain the confidentiality of all...

It is customary in the hospitality industry for banquet operators to assess a “service charge” or a “service fee” of anywhere from 15% to 25% of the cost of food and beverage. Usually, most of the fee is paid to the...

On January 30, 2007, the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ruled that while employees may have a reasonable expectation of privacy in their workplace computers, an employer retains the ultimate authority to...

As reported on this website, last August the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit ruled, in Murphy et al. v. Internal Revenue Service, No. 03cv02414 (D.C. Cir. 2006), that damage awards for...

In general, matters relating to collective bargaining and labor relations are governed exclusively by federal law, the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA). As a result, state laws that venture into the area of labor relations...

In the November 2006 election, San Francisco voters overwhelmingly voted for Proposition F, referred to as the “Paid Sick Leave Ordinance.” (Proposition F, San Francisco Admin. Code, Section 12W.2(d).) As...