Missed meal breaks in the workplace are coming under increasing legal scrutiny. To be clear, an employee has no absolute entitlement to a meal break under federal wage laws (although this may be different under some state laws). But, if an employee is given a meal break period, either the employee must be completely relieved from his or her duties for more than twenty minutes, or the employee must be paid for the break time. In many instances, employers unintentionally fail to pay employees for compensable meal breaks. In this…
Read MoreThompson v. North American Stainless, LP: Title VII’s Retaliation Protections Extend to Third Parties
On January 24, 2011, the Supreme Court of the United States unanimously extended Title VII’s protections to an individual who was terminated after his fiancee filed a charge of discrimination with the Equal Employment Opportunity Office. The facts of the case are relatively straight forward. Until 2003, both petitioner Eric Thompson and his fiancee, Miriam Regalado, were employees of respondent North American Stainless (NAS). In February 2003, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) notified NAS that Regalado had filed a charge alleging discrimination. Three weeks later, NAS fired Thompson. Thompson…
Read MoreNew Posting Requirement For Federal Contractors
The U.S. Department of Labor has issued a final rule specifying the contents of a new required notice for federal contractor and subcontractor employees. The notice, to be titled “Notification of Employee Rights Under Federal Labor Laws,” is intended to advise employees of their rights under the National Labor Relations Act. The details of the notice are prescribed by the DOL. Among other things, contractors are required to advise employees specifically that they have the right to “organize a union to negotiate” with their employer, to “form, join or assist…
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