Reimbursing Employee Business Expenses with Additional Income
January 29, 2008
On Nov. 5, 2007, the California Supreme Court issued its long-awaited decision in Gattuso v. Harte-Hanke Shoppers, Inc., S139555, confirming an employer's ability to satisfy its obligation under Labor Code ' 2802 to reimburse employees for all their business expenses with additional income. This article provides an analysis of the ruling.
The Latest on 'No-Match' Letters
January 29, 2008
In the wake of a failed attempt to negotiate legislation for comprehensive U.S. immigration reform with Congress, the Bush Administration recently announced a series of 'regulatory' reforms to tighten immigration enforcement. Perhaps the most significant and controversial of those reforms is the Department of Homeland Security's new regulation addressing 'no-match' letters. Although the new regulation has been temporarily enjoined pending a hearing in federal court, employers should begin considering how they will comply with it if an injunction is not granted.
Key Employee Retention under BAPCPA
January 29, 2008
Given that the raison d'etre of KERPs was to retain top management, it is perhaps ironic that debtors now must show that a compensation plan is not retentive ' or at least that retention is not its primary purpose ' in order to obtain bankruptcy court approval. This article offers a complete explanation and analysis.
Pleading Standards in Patent Litigation After Bell Atlantic Corp. v. Twombly
December 27, 2007
<i>Bell Atlantic Corp. v. Twombly</i>, a recent Supreme Court decision which addressed the sufficiency of pleadings for a claim under Section 1 of the Sherman Act, has prompted defendants in a wide variety of actions, including patent cases, to file motions urging district courts to apply the 'new' Twombly pleading standard to dismiss the actions against them.
The Older Workers Benefits Protection Act
December 21, 2007
Part One of this article discussed releases and covenants not to sue, the issues raised by the OWBPA (Older Workers Benefits Protection Act) and EEOC Regulations, and <i>Thomforde v. International Business Machines</i>, 406 F.3d 500 (8th Cir. 2005). The conclusion herein discusses the <i>Syverson</i> case and considerations for employers in preparing releases. <i>Syverson v. International Business Machines</i>, 461 F.3d 1147 (9th Cir. 2006).
The Pregnant Employee in the Hazardous Workplace
December 21, 2007
It is well settled that the company may not transfer the employee against her wishes to another job or force her to take a leave of absence. This rule was stated clearly by the Supreme Court in <i>International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America v. Johnson Controls, Inc.</i> So what to do?
Business Not As Usual
December 21, 2007
The majority of employers know that employment discrimination based on gender is illegal. Many employers, however, are unaware that discrimination based on stereotypical views of women as 'mothers' and men as 'fathers' may also be actionable. Although caregivers are not a protected class under federal anti-discrimination statutes, courts are recognizing with increased frequency that inappropriate considerations and decisions about 'caregivers' might constitute unlawful treatment under various federal laws.
Mental Illness and the ADA
December 21, 2007
A potentially dangerous situation employers struggle to understand arises when an employer neither knows nor recognizes an employee's mental disability, and has cause to terminate that employee, but, prior to termination, discovers the disability. This article discusses the pitfalls and solutions.
Crystal Ball Required?
December 21, 2007
As experienced Chapter 11 bankruptcy practitioners know, when a company suffers severe financial distress and faces the prospect of imminent bankruptcy, its record-keeping procedures can break down, even if they were previously adequate. To prevent future litigation difficulties from arising in connection with the prosecution of avoidance actions, it is important for a practitioner advising a company heading into or newly in bankruptcy to begin to preserve all electronic data immediately.
