The U.S. Supreme Court recently ruled that a highly compensated employee who was paid a guaranteed daily rate but not a guaranteed weekly rate was not properly paid “on a salary basis” and, therefore, was not correctly classified as exempt from overtime pay. In other words, an employee who made in excess of $200,000 a year was still owed overtime pay. The decision highlights the importance of employers meeting the “salary basis” test to satisfy what is commonly referred to as the white-collar exemptions from overtime pay.
Healthcare Mergers Involving Unionized Workforces
I recently provided insight for a Modern Healthcare article about health system M&A transactions and how these companies navigate merging with unionized workplaces. The article references various regulatory hurdles a company may endure when acquiring or merging with a unionized workforce that may be a deterrent in a potential transaction. However, some argue there are opportunities in this situation.
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Appeals Court Rules Transgender Workers May Be Covered by the Americans with Disabilities Act
The Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals recently held the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) covers individuals with “gender dysphoria.” According to the American Psychiatric Association, gender dysphoria describes an uncomfortable conflict between a person’s assigned gender and the gender with which the person identifies.
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Key FMLA Legal Issues for Employers
I enjoyed attending the recent 2021 Tennessee Society for Human Resource Management (TN SHRM) Conference & Expo last month and was thrilled to host a session titled “FMLA Cases Presenting Cutting Edge Legal Issues: Are You Prepared to Defend Your Organization from Challenge to Your FMLA Administration?”
Following my session, I had the opportunity to
Tennessee Expands (Minimally) Medical Marijuana Law and Establishes Cannabis Commission
Tennessee recently enacted a minimal expansion of its medical marijuana law. The law took effect May 27, 2021, and it slightly enlarges the medical conditions for which persons may possess a very limited amount of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Previously, Tennessee law allowed only those diagnosed with intractable seizures or epilepsy to possess a limited amount of medical cannabis oil. The law also creates a commission to study the possibility of future medical marijuana legalization.
The new measure allows individuals who have the following medical conditions to possess CBD oil containing less than 0.9% of THC:
- Alzheimer’s disease.
- Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).
- Cancer, when such disease is diagnosed as end-stage or the treatment produces related wasting illness, nausea and vomiting, or pain.
- Inflammatory bowel disease, including Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.
- Epilepsy or seizures.
- Multiple sclerosis.
- Parkinson’s disease.
- Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS).
- Sickle cell disease.
Labor & Employment Law Update: Recent Developments for Employers
Join us for a virtual seminar in which Bass, Berry & Sims labor & employment attorneys will address a broad range of recent employment law developments and anticipated issues significant to employers and provide practical guidance for understanding the associated impacts and legal challenges.
Topics covered during the webinar will include:
- Return to work update
Students May Unionize After All: NLRB Withdraws Proposed Rule
The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB or Board) recently announced it was changing course on whether students should be considered employees and therefore can unionize. This change of course returns to previous Board precedent from case law that graduate students, and perhaps any students employed for pay, can be considered employees. This change of course
Supreme Court Rules that Title VII Protects LGBTQ Employees
The U.S. Supreme Court issued a landmark decision on Monday, June 15, in the case of Bostock v. Clayton County, ruling that the prohibitions against discrimination “because of sex” contained in Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VII) extend to protect gay and transgender employees against workplace discrimination. Justice Neil Gorsuch delivered the opinion of the Court with Justices Alito and Kavanaugh each issuing dissenting opinions. In each of the three consolidated cases upon which this opinion was rendered, an employee had been terminated from employment for being gay or transgender.
The three employees brought suit in three different jurisdictions. In one case, the Eleventh Circuit ruled that Title VII’s protections did not prohibit employers from firing employees for being gay, and dismissed the lawsuit. In the other two cases, the Second Circuit and Sixth Circuit ruled that Title VII did provide the alleged protections and had permitted the cases involving those two employees to proceed. These inconsistent rulings, therefore, set the following question before the Court:
Is it legally permissible under Title VII’s language prohibiting discrimination “because of sex” for an employer to take an adverse action against an employee merely because the employee is gay or transgender?
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Employers Beware – Union Neutrality Requirements in New Stimulus Package
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act), the new stimulus package recently passed by Congress, includes a “union neutrality” mandate for mid-sized employers who accept loan proceeds. This union neutrality commitment would be in place for the life of the loan. Mid-sized employers are defined as those with 500 to 10,000 employees.
For many years, to assist their organizing efforts, unions have demanded of certain multi-state employers that they commit to “stay neutral” in union organizing campaigns at other company sites. Such neutrality demands have included asking the employer not to express opinions which disfavor the union’s organizing efforts, or not to hold captive audience speeches during the union’s organizing drive, or to accept a showing of majority status by way of checking authorization cards (i.e., that the employer not demand a secret-ballot election to determine if the union has majority support).
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Nashville Mayor John Cooper Announces Safer at Home Order
On Sunday, March 22, Nashville Mayor John Cooper announced the “Safer at Home Order,” issued by the Medical Director pursuant to the Metro Public Health Department’s declaration of a Health Emergency. This order closes non-essential businesses and encourages residents throughout Davidson County (Tennessee) to stay home when possible and avoid gathering in groups of more than 10 people for non-essential purposes. The Order does not restrict or limit any employer’s right to ask employees to work from home.
Until further notice, all businesses not performing essential services have been ordered closed for 14 days beginning at 12:01 a.m. Monday, March 23.
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