The Supreme Court has held that an employer can be found liable for terminating an employee when that employee’s fiance has engaged in a protected activity (Opposing discrimination, complaining about harassment, etc.) under Title VII (Discrimination). So what relationship needs to exist between the Third Party and the individual engaging in the protective activity to have an actionable claim? The Supreme Court has provided a factor test: Justice Scalia suggests that there are two factors that determine whether third-party retaliation is unlawful under Title VII: 1. The nature of the relationship; and 2. The severity of the employer’s action. Thus, he states: “We expect that firing a close family member will almost always meet the Burlington standard, and inflicting a milder reprisal on a mere acquaintance will almost never do so.” Read more on Unlawful Third Party Retaliation.
Discovery of Plaintiff Employee’s Facebook and Social Networking Profiles
Interesting article addressing discovery of employees’ social networking pages. People love to share personal information on Facebook. This “oversharing” can be prejudicial in a lawsuit. If you wouldn’t say it at your work or in public, then you probably shouldn’t post it on facebook. Click here to view full article.
Statute of Limitations Tolled During Time Motion for Conditional Certification Pending
In a recent case, a federal Court has held the Statute of Limitations tolled while a Motion for Class Certification is pending. Unlike the filing of a Class Action under Rule 23, the filing of a Collective Action does not toll the Statute of Limitations. Therefore, the 2 year (or 3 year if willful) statute of limitations continues to run and unpaid overtime or other violations may “fall off” until the Court tolls the Statute of Limitation or, as this Colorado Court held, a motion for Conditional Certification is filed. Read the Full Article Here.
Employer Requiring No Restrictions or To Be “100% Healed” before Returning to Work?
Is your employer requiring you to be 100% or requiring your doctor to release you back to work with no restrictions? This article deals with the potential legal violations associated with such requirements. For example, the Americans with Disabilities Act only requires you to be qualified. Qualified is defined as able to perform the essential functions of your job with or without a reasonable accommodation. Therefore, if you have restrictions but are able to perform your job with an accommodation, you are entitled to work. For other examples, Read the Full Article Here.
5 Critical Steps to Take Before Bringing an Employment Case
Thinking about filing a lawsuit against your current or former employer? This article lays out some crucial steps to take before your bring the action. Remember: make sure you put everything in writing. Even if you have a conversation, follow it up with an email to the person summarizing the contents of the conversation. Eliminate he said/she said! Read the Full Article Here.