Labor & Employment Blog

Due to the economic downturn associated with the spread of the coronavirus, many employers have been forced to significantly cut their workers' hours.  As a result, there has been a significant spike in partial unemployment insurance ("UI") applications.  This client alert provides a broad overview of partial UI benefits in Georgia and Texas.

GEORGIA

            The Georgia Department of Labor ("GDOL") has recently mandated that Georgia employers must file partial unemployment insurance claims on behalf of their eligible employees whenever it is necessary to temporarily reduce work hours or ...

In light of the significant impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, this Memorandum advises on the differences between layoffs and furloughs and the legal and practical ramifications for employers and certain employee protections in connection with the reduction of employee headcount. In addition, this Memorandum addresses other considerations in connection with a possible reduction in force.

FURLOUGHS

The term 'furlough' is generally defined as a temporary leave of absence from employment duties without pay typically caused by exigent circumstances, such as a lack of funds or ...

Due to the threat posed by COVID-19, the Georgia Department of Labor ("GDOL") has recently mandated that Georgia employers must file partial unemployment insurance claims on behalf of their eligible employees whenever it is necessary to temporarily reduce work hours or when there is no work available for a short period. Any employer found to be in violation of this rule will be required to reimburse GDOL for the full amount of unemployment insurance ("UI") benefits paid to the employee. This Alert provides an overview of workers' eligibility for partial UI benefits.

           As an initial ...

The Families First Coronavirus Response Act (H.R. 6201) was signed into law on March 18, 2020. The Act takes effect on April 2, 2020, and ends on December 31, 2020. The Secretary of Labor is expected to provide additional guidance with respect to implementation of the paid leave provisions within the next few days.

Covered Employers: The paid leave provisions discussed below only apply to employers with fewer than 500 employees. In addition, the Secretary of Labor has authority to (i) exempt small businesses with fewer than 50 employees when compliance with the leave requirements ...

Employers with employees who work in San Antonio or Dallas should be prepared for the earned paid sick leave ordinances that are set to take effect for most employers on August 1, 2019. Barring a court enjoining the ordinances from taking effect, employers soon must begin allowing employees who perform at least eighty hours of work for pay in the cities in a year to accrue paid sick leave. 

Last year, the City of Austin led the way in Texas by requiring private employers to provide employees with paid sick leave. Shortly thereafter, Texas legislators promised to pass a bill that would outlaw ...

In many respects, social media has become the new water cooler; employees utilize it to engage with co-workers, complain about their bosses and discuss their discontents. Many times, conference calls involve employees contemporaneously texting or group-chatting with each other, keeping up a running commentary of those things they would only say to each other and never to the boss.

With work bleeding into life more than ever (and vice versa), one issue commonly facing employers today is how to regulate off-duty social media comments made by employees that negatively ...

In a highly anticipated ruling with national impact for the oil and gas industry, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals late Thursday concluded that directional drilling engineers can be classified as independent contractors and not employees. This ruling sets binding precedent in the Fifth Circuit for decided, pending and future wage and hour cases, validating the oil and gas industry’s use of contract workers and protecting companies against future litigation. Annette Idalski, a Chamberlain Hrdlicka shareholder and chair of the firm’s national labor and employment ...

The #MeToo movement has rightfully prompted employers to reevaluate their policies on sexual harassment: An appropriate and effective response to sexual harassment allegations can minimize the risk of a future lawsuit, promote a better work environment, and provide the basis for avoidance of liability or limiting damages if a lawsuit does occur. 

It cannot be denied that we are now living in a new era with regard to sexual harassment allegations. The #MeToo and #TimesUp movements are motivating employees to speak out about sexual harassment in the workplace at record numbers. According to the EEOC, the number of charges filed by individuals alleging they were victims of workplace sexual harassment increased by 12 percent in fiscal 2018 from the prior year.