OSHA has literally opened the door for union organizers to enter an employer’s non-union facility during an OSHA walkaround inspection. In a February 21, 2013 interpretation letter, Richard E. Fairfax, OSHA’s Deputy Assistant Secretary, opined that employees without a collective bargaining agreement may designate a person affiliated with a union or community organization to act […]
To maintain its relevancy and expand the scope of its authority, the NLRB continues its attack upon non-union employers’ policies. This time the NLRB has positioned its cross-hairs upon employers’ “at-will” employment policies or statements. Most non-union employers include within their employee handbook a statement that employees’ employment is “at-will,” meaning either the employee or […]
The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) has taken the position, in a recent Advice Memorandum dated January 29, 2013, that an employer’s confidentiality rule may unlawfully interfere with employees’ Section 7 rights. Section 7 of the National Labor Relations Act (29 USC § 157) guarantees employees the right to engage in concerted activities for the […]
On July 8, 2011, Governor Walker signed 2011 Senate Bill 93 into law as 2011 Wisconsin Act 35. More commonly referred to as the “Concealed Carry Law,” this new law will be codified as Wisconsin Statute § 175.60. While the Concealed Carry Law will not be effective until November 1, 2011, Wisconsin businesses should understand […]
Two recent decisions have surprised both employers and legal analysts evaluating what measures employers must take under the law. In one case, the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals concluded, in Ekstrand v. School District of Somerset, that a teacher suffering from “seasonal affected disorder” has a “disability” under the American with Disabilities Act and that […]
It has been over 40 years since Congress passed Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (“Title VII”) prohibiting workplace discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, and national origin. Since the passage of Title VII, employers have developed diversity and affirmative action programs to open the American workplace to historically […]
