As previously discussed, in March the European Parliament approved the EU Artificial Intelligence Act (the “Act”), creating the world’s first comprehensive set of rules for artificial intelligence. On July 12, 2024, the Act was published in the European Union Official Journal, which is the final step in the EU legislative process.

Renata Neeser says Brazil’s efforts to reduce the gender pay gap are in line with the current global trend and ahead of other Latin American countries.

SHRM

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Zev Eigen comments on the increasing importance and role of data analytics in the legal industry.

Financial Post

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Aaron Crews and Michael McGuire answer questions about cybersecurity, eDiscovery and other data topics.

The Cybersecurity Law Report

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Bloomberg Law’s^® Daily Labor Report^® news team at the Littler Executive Employer^® Conference interviewed panelists about a broad spectrum of employment and labor topics addressing significant developments, emerging trends and challenges facing in-house counsel, employee relations professionals and human resources executives.

Scott Rechtschaffen shares the thought process behind Littler's KnowledgeDesk, a system through which the firm's attorneys ask a question and human researchers find the answer.

Law360

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Scott Rechtschaffen suggests law firms interested in building and selling technology products should become more nimble. 

ABA Journal

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Jennifer Youpa, a shareholder in Littler’s Dallas office, and Kevin O’Neill, Senior Director of Littler’s Learning Group, discuss the importance of harassment complaint investigations in the #MeToo climate. As Jennifer and Kevin explain, investigatory responses can no longer be “one size fits all,” especially with the possibility of the viral disclosure of allegations or incidents through social media. In this podcast, Jennifer and Kevin reveal strategies and trends they have seen as they conduct training for employers on sexual harassment and related issues.

In this podcast, Littler attorneys Michael Kessel, Russ McEwan and Alan Model, out of our Newark office, discuss the importance of cultivating “employee engagement” to foster a productive, invested workforce. They also describe the new Littler Positive Employee Relations Series, which offers customized, intensive training to supervisors on the causes of negative morale and then arms them with practical tools to spot and handle problems before they get out of hand.
 

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit has spoken, and employers that once relied exclusively on McDonnell Douglas might need to rethink their litigation strategy in employment-discrimination cases.

In London District Catholic School Board v.

Jim Paretti comments on a recent boost in EEOC commissioner charges.

Bloomberg Law

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Robert W. Pritchard comments on the dismissal of a longstanding dispute between Uber and its former drivers.

The Legal Intelligencer

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The Philadelphia Protection of Displaced Contract Workers Ordinance offers job protections to workers providing security, janitorial, building maintenance, food and beverage, hotel service, or health care services who are employed by service contractors, and are displaced when the service contract is terminated and awarded to another service contractor.¹  A recent amendment to the Ordinance significantly expands its scope to impose obligations on a business that decides to no longer utilize its

In Pham v.

For In-house Counsel or HR professionals in Asia, what are some key issues to be aware of when implementing a business restructure?

There are some key areas you will want to focus on when restructuring a business operation in the APAC region.

Dear Littler,

 We are a professional services company with employees in various states. During the pandemic we shifted to fully remote work. As the pandemic subsided, we still leaned into remote work to attract and retain talent who preferred remote work. We also shifted our focus almost exclusively to digital services that did not require an in-person presence since our clients were also remote. We kept most of our physical offices intact but downsized some square footage to reduce our overhead.

Jorge Sales Boyoli discusses the Participation of Workers in the Utilities (PTU) in Mexico and how it is affecting employers and employees this year.

El Heraldo de Aguascalientes

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Rhonda Levy and George Vassos discuss a recent British Columbia Supreme Court case that directed an employee’s CERB payment to be deducted from wrongful dismissal damage awards.

Human Resources Director Canada

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Lee Schreter comments on why raising the overtime salary threshold might not be a good idea with a recession on the way.

Law360 Employment Authority

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The state of epidemic emergency in Poland will be lifted on July 1, 2023, and Paweł Sych explains how this will affect workers and employers.

interia biznes

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With 2023 in the rearview mirror, Connecticut employers may want to confirm they have implemented the necessary changes to address legislative developments that became effective January 1, 2024.

Connecticut Minimum Wage

On March 11, 2021, President Biden signed into law the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, which includes the Butch Lewis Emergency Pension Plan Relief Act of 2021.  This law is designed to forestall the insolvency of approximately 100 multiemployer pension plans that were expected to run out of money necessary to pay vested benefits over the next 20 years.  Included among these funds is a particularly large fund that – absent congressional intervention – would have gone insolvent by 2025, leaving millions of retirees without their expected monthly pension. 

A federal court in New Jersey recently applied the arbitrary and capricious standard of review for a denial of benefits claim despite the enactment of an anti-discretionary statute in Minnesota, which governed the benefit plan policy. Hocheiser v. Liberty Mut. Ins. Co., 2021 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 32154 (D.N.J. Feb. 22, 2021).

The U.S. Supreme Court declined to review the Second Circuit’s decision in Laurent v. PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, which held that retirees could receive money damages in the form of recalculated benefits in a class action over how the company’s cash balance pension plan calculated lump-sum benefits.

(November 3, 2022) – Littler, the world’s largest employment and labor law practice representing management, has earned “Law Firm of the Year” status in the category of Employment Law – Management on the 2023 U.S. News – Best Lawyers^® “Best Law Firms” list. The firm also received “National Tier 1” rankings for the 13th consecutive year in the following practice areas:

Shannon Meade examines the key labor and employment regulatory actions included in the Biden administration’s long-awaited Fall 2022 Unified Agenda of Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions.

SHRM Online

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A recent federal appeals court case clarifies that, under ERISA, the regulations governing disability plans’ claims review procedures apply to claims that predate the 2018 changes to the regulations. The decision also serves as a reminder for plan administrators to review their claims review procedures to ensure compliance with the current requirements for a “full and fair review” benefits appeal process.

The Claims Review Regulations

Littler, the world’s largest employment and labor law practice representing management, was named “Law Firm of the Year” for Labor Law - Management in the 14th edition of Best Law Firms^®, ranked by Best Lawyers^®. The firm also earned “National Tier 1” rankings for the 14th consecutive year in the following practice areas:

In honor and celebration of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, Littler attorney, Judy Iriye (L.A. – Century City) talks with fellow Littler attorney, Kevin Yam (New York) and Littler alum, Fran Barbieri (Chief Counsel, Litigation and Employment at World Wide Technology in St Louis, Missouri), about personal experiences where they were able to overcome feelings of foreignness to achieve personal and professional success.
 

As Pride Month comes to a close, we are celebrating with a very special podcast that features the personal stories and perspectives from two members of the Littler family.

Littler Knowledge Management Counsel, Betsy Cammarata (GSC – Kansas City) talks with Littler alum, Bennett Kaspar-Williams (Corporate Counsel for Labor Relations at Amazon Studios) about:

Before offering a foreign national a permanent position, an employer must demonstrate to the Department of Labor that it tested the market and could not find a U.S. worker to fill the role. How can an employer show it properly tested the U.S. labor market to satisfy the DOL’s requirements under the Program Electronic Review Management (PERM) process?

Emily Haigh, U.S. Army veteran and co-chair of Litter's Veterans Affinity Group, speaks with Littler attorneys William Anthony, Tracy Leidner, and Emily Arnett, who each have a family member currently serving in active duty.
  

As February comes to a close, Littler is capping off our celebration of Black History Month with a special podcast highlighting the voices of some of our Black attorneys. Kimberly Dobson (Long Island, NY) talks with fellow Littler attorneys, Kim Carter (San Diego, CA), Jason Byrd (New York City, NY), and Taylor Lawson (Memphis, TN) about how they’ve experienced – and seen the impact of – Black resistance in their personal and professional lives.
 

The Massachusetts Department of Industrial Accidents (DIA) has published a revised workers’ compensation Notice to Employees, which Massachusetts employers should use starting September 16, 2024.

Last fall, California enacted Senate Bill 525, which substantially raises the base minimum wage for health care workers over time to $25 per hour.  The first incremental increase above the general state minimum wage was scheduled to occur on June 1, 2024.  However, there were several delays and amendments to the law due to its impact on the California budget.  After the last delay in late June, health care employers did not have a clear answer t

What is it?

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (TRC) was established in 2008 to document the history and legacy of residential schools, which were operated between the late 1800s and the late 1990s by the federal government and Christian churches as part of a federal policy to assimilate Indigenous peoples into Canadian society.

Paul Bateman and Erin Webber share how Bateman’s new role will encourage Littler’s social justice initiatives.

Law360

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As more and more employers take steps to improve Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the workplace, there’s an increasing demand to know if those measures are successful. In this podcast, Alyesha Dotson, Littler Shareholder, discusses ways in which employers can track progress in their DE&I efforts without tripping over legal hazards, and gauge individual and organizational change.
  

Littler Principal Cindy-Ann Thomas and her special guest, Pranam Lipinsk, a dedicated scholar of Generation Z and co-founder of Door of Clubs, delve into the (unofficial) rule book for attracting and retaining these young professionals. They will: