Monthly Archives: July 2018
NLRB Rules Employer Did Not Break Law by Terminating Employee Who Violated Security Protocols
In a late February decision, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) issued a significant decision for employers and employees alike in the case of KHRG Employer, LLC dba Hotel Burnham & Atwood Café. Evan Demma worked for two years in efforts to organize the Hotel Burnham & Atwood Café in Chicago. In 2014, he participated […]
NYC Council Passes New Law Aimed at Stopping Sexual Harassment in the Workplace
The New York City Council recently passed the Stop Sexual Harassment in NYC Act, a series of bills with the goal of addressing and preventing sexual harassment in work environments. Mayor Bill de Blasio signed the act into law. The act amends the New York City Human Rights Law (NYCHRL) and the New York City […]
Psychological Study Highlights Why Sexual Harassment Victims Often Don’t Speak Up Immediately
One of the most common methods used to undermine victims of sexual harassment or assault is to criticize the amount of time they waited before reporting the incident. The insinuation is that because the victim didn’t speak up right away, either the situation couldn’t have been “that bad,” or the victim suddenly has something to […]
The #MeToo Movement and Reporting Sexual Harassment
As the combined forces of the #TimesUp and #MeToo movements have continued to gain momentum throughout 2018, more people than ever are having frank conversations about incidents of harassment in the workplace. Employers across all industries must face the fact that sexual harassment is a far more pervasive problem than some realized — or were […]
Judge Throws Out Trade Secret Theft Claims Based on Whistleblower Immunity
In what is believed to be a first-time occurrence under the Defend Trade Secrets Act, a U.S. District Judge tossed out claims against a person accused of stealing trade secrets based on the DTSA’s rules for immunity for confidential disclosures to attorneys while investigating suspected legal violations. Under the DTSA, trade secret disclosures made in […]
The SEC’s Groundbreaking Settlement with Yahoo
On April 24, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) announced a settlement with the Altaba, Inc., formerly known as Yahoo! Inc., worth $35 million. The figure settled charges that the company deliberately misled investors by waiting a full two years to release information about a data breach that resulted in hackers gaining access to personal […]
Judge Rules Google Pay Discrimination Case Can Proceed
A class action lawsuit filed against Google alleging pay discrimination based on gender will move forward after a ruling by California Superior Court Judge Mary E. Wiss. The original lawsuit was dismissed in December after a judge ruled the plaintiffs defined the classes of workers affected by the policy too generally. The plaintiffs then filed […]
Teacher Receives $388,000 in Whistleblower Claim Against School District
Pennie Davis, a longtime teacher for Jackson Public Schools in Michigan, won a whistleblower lawsuit that alleged the district retaliated against her when she talked to police rather than letting school officials deal with her claims of being assaulted in a classroom. The jury in the case awarded Pennie Davis $388,485 in damages from Jackson […]
Police Vest Whistleblower Gets a $5.7 Million Settlement
According to the Justice Department, a Michigan college professor who alerted the government to defective material in police vests will receive $5.7 million. The award is just one part of a larger $66 million settlement with a Japanese company, Toyobo, and its American subsidiary. Toyobo was alleged to have knowingly sold defective Zylon fiber that […]
