Latest from Law and the Workplace
NYC Employers Take Note – “Workers’ Bill of Rights” Website and Poster Released
The New York City Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (“DCWP”) has published its “Workers’ Bill of Rights” website and associated “Know Your Rights at Work” poster, which NYC employers will be required to begin distributing to employees beginning in July 2024. As we previously reported, the NYC Council approved a bill (returned unsigned by Mayor Eric … Continue Reading
Race Discrimination Claims by Broadway Actor Sent Back to the Underworld in the Face of Producer’s First Amendment Rights
A federal court in New York has held that a Broadway musical’s casting decisions—specifically replacing one actor with another actor of a different race—are shielded by the First Amendment from employment discrimination claims, in a decision that could have implications across the entertainment industry. In Moore v. Hadestown Broadway LLC, the plaintiff, a Black woman, brought … Continue Reading
New York and New Jersey Legislatures Introduce Bills That Seek to Regulate Artificial Intelligence (“AI”) Tools in Employment
Employers who rely on artificial intelligence driven tools for their recruiting and hiring processes may face new regulations in New York and New Jersey. In the past few weeks, three bills have been proposed (two in New Jersey and one in New York) that follow New York City’s Local Law 144 (“Local Law 144”), a … Continue Reading
Reminder: Illinois Equal Pay Registration Certificate Deadline Approaching
The Illinois Equal Pay Act (“IEPA”) was previously amended to require private businesses with more than 100 employees in Illinois to obtain an Equal Pay Registration Certificate (“EPRC”) by March 23, 2024, and every two years thereafter. We previously posted about this requirement here and here. Since the IEPA was amended, the Illinois Department of … Continue Reading
Fifth Circuit Vacates $365 Million Punitive Damages Award for Title VII Discrimination and Retaliation Claims
In Harris v. FedEx Corp. Servs., Inc., No. 23-2003, a Fifth Circuit panel vacated a $365 million punitive damages award in race discrimination and retaliation case, finding that the plaintiff Jennifer Harris (“Harris”) failed to show that Fedex Corporate Services, Inc. (“Fedex”) acted with malice or reckless indifference when it terminated her for poor performance. … Continue Reading
Delaware Supreme Court Validates Forfeiture-For-Competition Provision in Unanimous Reversal of Chancery Court
In a win for businesses that rely on restrictive covenants to protect their assets and investments, on January 29, 2024, the Delaware Supreme Court unanimously reversed a Chancery Court decision that invalidated a “forfeiture-for-competition” provision in Cantor Fitzgerald’s limited partnership agreement. As we previously reported on this blog, last January the Chancery Court invalidated the … Continue Reading