Labor

Expert Analysis

• Watson Discipline Case Shows NFL's Power In Labor Disputes

  

  While the six-game suspension a disciplinary officer recently ordered against Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson aligns with labor law standards, the NFL has authority to increase the punishment with little to no recourse for Watson or the NFL Players Association — thanks to the 2016 “Deflategate” case, says Michael Elkins at MLE Law.

• Why Gig Platforms Should Be On Alert

  

  The Federal Trade Commission and state attorneys general have set their sights on the gig economy and practices they view as deceptive and unfair, which will open gig platforms to more scrutiny — and past cases against gig-economy giants including Uber and Instacart are cautionary tales to keep in mind, say attorneys at Venable.

• What New Captive Audience Law Means For Conn. Employers

  

  Given a new Connecticut law that allows employees to opt out of captive audience meetings where employers share religious or political opinions, companies will need to address the liability risks posed by this substantial expansion of employee free speech rights, say attorneys at Shipman & Goodwin.

• More Employment Regs May See 'Major Questions' Challenges

  

  The U.S. Supreme Court's recent use of the major questions doctrine to strike down regulation has already been cited in lower court cases challenging U.S. Department of Labor authority to implement wage and hour changes, and could provide a potent tool to litigants seeking to restrain federal workplace and labor regulations, say Jeffrey Brecher and Courtney Malveaux at Jackson Lewis.

• Wage Theft Bill Would Increase Risk, Severity Of FLSA Claims

  

  A recently introduced bill would amend the Fair Labor Standards Act in extreme ways that go well beyond the commonsense idea that people should be paid the wages they have earned, thereby sharply increasing the threat of claims against employers, with implications for arbitration, collective bargaining and more, say Christopher Pardo and Beth Sherwood at Hunton.

• 4 Labor Relations Lessons From Soccer League CBA

  

  As a resurgent labor movement prompts employers to consider how to respond to unionization efforts, the first collective bargaining agreement between the National Women's Soccer League and the union representing its players provides important insights, says Chris Deubert at Constangy Brooks.

• 3rd Circ. Ruling Shows Limits Of Regulating Employer Speech

  

  It is clear that the current National Labor Relations Board wants to regulate employer speech more strictly in the context of union organizing campaigns, but the courts may not be ready to allow that expansion, as demonstrated by the Third Circuit's recent First Amendment decision in FDRLST Media v. NLRB, says Daniel Johns at Cozen O'Connor.

• Memo Shows NLRB's Pro-Union Property Access Agenda

  

  A recent memo from the National Labor Relations Board's Division of Advice recommended overturning two 2019 decisions that limited union access to public worksites, which could give unions an important advantage in the current wave of retail and health care organizing, say Alek Felstiner and Natalie Grieco at Levy Ratner.

• Combating Micro-Units In The Age Of A Pro-Union NLRB

  

  As the increasingly activist, pro-union National Labor Relations Board is poised to revive an Obama-era standard allowing small groups of employees to form bargaining units, employers must adopt proactive strategies to avoid a workplace fractured by micro-units, says James Redeker at Duane Morris.

• The Prospect Of NLRB Shift On Employers' Anti-Union Speech

  

  National Labor Relations Board General Counsel Jennifer Abruzzo recently urged the board to restrict captive-audience meetings that allow employers to attempt to dissuade employees from unionizing, so employers may want to prepare for that potential enforcement shift and proactively revisit their meeting and communication practices and policies, say attorneys at Nixon Peabody.

• Growth Of Cannabis Industry Raises Labor Law Questions

  

  As more states legalize cannabis cultivation, manufacture and use — which remains illegal federally — there may be a wave of new workers in the industry, and businesses will need to consider what law will govern the employer-employee relationship and what role unions will play, say Gabriel Jiran and Sarah Westby at Shipman & Goodwin.

• 5 Tips For Employers Regulating Employee Speech Online

  

  A series of recent cases illustrates the challenges businesses face when employees post potentially controversial or offensive content on social media, but a few practical questions can help employers decide whether to take action in response to workers’ online speech, says Aaron Holt at Cozen O'Connor.

• Mitigating Labor Antitrust Risks As Enforcement Ramps Up

  

  The U.S. Department of Justice's Antitrust Division and the Federal Trade Commission are prioritizing antitrust enforcement in the labor markets with a multipronged enforcement approach, so companies should take three steps to evaluate and mitigate risk from both government enforcement and private litigation, say attorneys at Paul Hastings.