As employers begin laying the groundwork for reopening and returning their businesses to “normal,” a large threat of a different form looms on the horizon. The Plaintiffs’ bar is poised for – and has been discussing preparation of – class actions over denied wage, discrimination during furloughs and lay-offs, and exposure to unsafe working conditions.… Continue reading The Coming Surge of Workplace Class Actions in the Wake of COVID-19
Tag: EPLI
Coronavirus and the Workplace: Guidance for Employers Resuming Operations
As states and localities begin to relax shelter-in-place requirements and allow businesses to reopen, the coronavirus pandemic presents new challenges for employers. In addition to operational and logistical questions surrounding reopening, employers must navigate issues relating to workplace safety, medical privacy, hiring and re-hiring, preventing discrimination and harassment, employee time off, reasonable accommodations, and flexible… Continue reading Coronavirus and the Workplace: Guidance for Employers Resuming Operations
Workers Sue McDonald’s Over Harassment at Florida Stores
Two McDonald’s workers in Florida are filing a $500 million class action lawsuit against the company, claiming a “systemic sexual harassment problem” at company-owned stores. The lawsuit was filed Monday in federal court in Illinois, where McDonald’s is based. In the complaint, current McDonald’s employee Jamelia Fairley and former employee Ashley Reddick say they were… Continue reading Workers Sue McDonald’s Over Harassment at Florida Stores
Harvey Weinstein Sentenced to 23 Years
Harvey Weinstein, the once-powerful and internationally acclaimed Hollywood producer, was sentenced to 23 years in a New York state prison Wednesday following a conviction stemming from sexual-assault allegations that sparked the #MeToo movement. The sentence marks a shocking turn for Mr. Weinstein, 67 years old, who was viewed as one of Hollywood’s most skilled executives… Continue reading Harvey Weinstein Sentenced to 23 Years
Weinstein Convicted of Sex Assault, Rape in ‘New Era’ for #MeToo
Harvey Weinstein was convicted Monday of rape and sexual assault but acquitted of the most serious predatory charges, a verdict hailed as a historic victory by the #MeToo movement against sexual misconduct. The 67-year-old was remanded in New York’s notorious Rikers Island jail after the jury of seven men and five women found the once… Continue reading Weinstein Convicted of Sex Assault, Rape in ‘New Era’ for #MeToo
Wells Fargo Ends Mandatory Arbitration in Sexual Harassment Cases
Wells Fargo announced that it will no longer require employees who allege workplace sexual harassment to go to arbitration rather than court. The $1.9 trillion-asset bank changed its policy after an investment firm that advocates for progressive causes wrote a shareholder proposal focusing on the use of mandatory arbitration in sexual harassment cases. That proposal,… Continue reading Wells Fargo Ends Mandatory Arbitration in Sexual Harassment Cases
Models Demand ‘Meaningful Action’ from Victoria’s Secret after Harassment Claims
More than 100 models have signed a letter to Victoria’s Secret CEO John Mehas demanding that the lingerie company increase efforts to “protect the people they profit from.” The Model Alliance’s call to action comes less than a week after a damning report by The New York Times detailed accusations of “misogyny, bullying and harassment”… Continue reading Models Demand ‘Meaningful Action’ from Victoria’s Secret after Harassment Claims
House Okays Age Discrimination Protections
The U.S. House of Representatives voted last week to enact new protections against age discrimination in the workplace, approving a bill that supporters say will give older workers the same safeguards other protected groups enjoy. The House voted 261 to 155 to approve a bill known as the Protect Older Workers Against Discrimination Act. Every… Continue reading House Okays Age Discrimination Protections
New Joint Employer Liability Rule to Curb Lawsuits by Franchise Workers
Workers could have more difficulty suing large companies for wrongdoing by contractors or franchisees under a rule announced on Sunday by the Labor Department. Under the rule, which will take effect in March, employees of a fast-food franchise like a McDonald’s restaurant, for example, may struggle to win a legal claim against the parent company… Continue reading New Joint Employer Liability Rule to Curb Lawsuits by Franchise Workers
Harvey Weinstein on Trial: A #MeToo Reckoning Two Years in the Making
More than two years and a lifetime ago, Hollywood’s open secrets about Harvey Weinstein finally spilled into public view. Few back then could have predicted all that would follow or where the #MeToo movement would go. Now, for Weinstein, a reckoning is at hand: His criminal trial, on five felony counts, including predatory sexual assault… Continue reading Harvey Weinstein on Trial: A #MeToo Reckoning Two Years in the Making