Category Archives: Employee Rights
Administrative Review Board Upholds $1.1 Million Maritime Whistleblower Award
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Administrative Review Board (ARB) decided to uphold a $1.1 million whistleblower award issued to a ship captain who lost his job after reporting safety violations on his vessel. The captain, John Loftus, filed a whistleblower lawsuit against Horizon Lines, Inc., his former employer, under the Seaman’s Protection Act. In the […]
Harley-Davidson Punished for Collective Bargaining Violation
The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) recently ruled that Harley-Davidson Motor Co. should have allowed the International Association of Machinists (IAM) to engage in bargaining negotiations before the company offered incentives for employees to resign from their positions. According to reports, a collective bargaining agreement the company had with IAM Lodge 175 gave Harley-Davidson the […]
Planning is Important When Dealing with Workplace Harassment Complaints
The age of #MeToo has shed light on just how important it is for businesses and organizations to plan out robust harassment reporting and investigation policies and to be proactive in preventing workplace harassment. Below are a few tips for companies to consider as they develop and implement their harassment policies: Make it easy to […]
$54.5 Million Settlement Reached in Overtime Violation Case
Bloomberg LP and a settlement class of help desk representatives reached a $54.5 million settlement in a federal court in New York earlier this summer. The representatives alleged the company wrongfully exempted them from overtime pay. The case in question was brought by a former employee of Bloomberg’s analytics department on behalf of all the […]
Former Employee of Ice Cube’s Basketball League Describes ‘Toxic’ Work Environment
Ice Cube’s BIG3 three-on-three basketball league has provided a fun environment on the court for players to showcase their skills. However, the league has also had its fair share of scandal. A former employee has filed a lawsuit against the league, claiming that co-founder Jeffrey Kwatinetz created a hostile work environment. The employee, Kainoa Henry, […]
Supreme Court Rejects a Longstanding FLSA Exemption ‘Narrow Construction’ Rule
The U.S. Supreme Court has maintained a standard of construing exemptions to the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) narrowly for more than 70 years. However, on April 2, 2018, it issued a ruling in Encino Motorcars, LLC v. Navarro that broke this tradition. The court ruled 5-4 that the employees involved in the case were […]
Court Rules Internal Investigation Reports Prepared by an Outside Counsel are Subject to Work Product Protections
In the recent case of Lassiter v. Hidalgo Medical Services, a former employee of the medical service provider aimed to compel the company to produce reports from an outside counsel, in addition to findings of an internal investigation into workplace harassment claims. The court denied this discovery demand, finding that the documents were protected by […]
Whistleblower Alleges Wrongful Termination by Med Health Services
A woman in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, claims her supervisors at Med Health Services Inc. in Monroeville illegally retaliated against her after she raised concerns about illegal activity in the workplace to federal authorities. In documents filed in Allegheny County Common Pleas Court, Belvia Levkus claims her supervisors harassed and ultimately filed her after discovering she […]
Whistleblower at Pennsylvania Hair Salon Alleges Wrongful Termination
The U.S. Department of Labor filed a lawsuit against a hair salon in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, claiming the business owners terminated an employee because her husband reported workplace safety and health issues to the federal government. According to prosecutors, employees of Blown Away Dry Bar and Salon were exposed to chemicals and sewage after a […]
Tips for Preventing Harassment Claims in the Restaurant Industry
Many high-profile figures have been accused of sexual harassment within the last year and essentially seen their careers come to an end as a result. In this environment, it is important for business owners in all industries, including the restaurant industry, to have frank discussions about the state of their harassment policies and, if they […]
