NEW YORK (October 9, 2024) – Littler attorney Michael Paglialonga testified before the New York City Council’s Committee on Consumer and Worker Protection today on behalf of Littler’s Workplace Policy Institute^® (WPI^®), the firm’s government relations and public policy arm.

Joy C. Rosenquist, Rick Reyes and Blair C. Senesi examine California’s new Freelance Worker Protection Act (FWPA), which aims to provide greater protections to freelance workers.

Wolters Kluwer

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The Illinois Department of Labor (IDOL) has just issued some much-needed guidance, through Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs), on whether enrollment and use of E-Verify is prohibited in Illinois for private employers that do not have federal contracts. The answer is NO.

FRESNO, Calif. (November 4, 2024) – Littler, the world’s largest employment and labor law practice representing management, has added Seth G. Mehrten as a shareholder in its Fresno office. Mehrten joins the firm from Barsamian & Moody.

(November 7, 2024) – For the 15th consecutive year Littler, the world’s largest employment and labor law practice representing management, has achieved “National Tier 1” rankings for the following practice areas in the 15th edition of Best Law Firms^®, ranked by Best Lawyers^®:

Alyesha Asghar and Julian G.G. Wolfson explain “background circumstances,” which are required as evidence in cases of reverse discrimination, and the implications for employers and IE&D.

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Emily Haigh, U.S. Army veteran and co-founder of Littler's Veterans Initiative, speaks with Littler attorneys Michael Kibbe, Caroline Lutz and Jonathan Heller, about how their military experience has had a positive impact on their legal practice.
  

Stacey James and Jamie L. Santos discuss a California amendment that seeks to allow restaurants to support higher wages and benefits while clearly disclosing service fees to consumers upfront.

Wolters Kluwer

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Deborah Margolis, Jan-Ove Becker and Stephan Swinkels discuss AI’s impact on the global economy and the workforce.

International Employment Lawyer

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Australia’s Senate on Thursday, February 8, 2024, passed a bill that would prevent an employer from contacting employees outside of work hours. The bill gives the employee the right to refuse to monitor, read or respond to contact, or attempted contact, from an employer outside of the employee’s working hours without fear of being penalized, unless the employee’s refusal is unreasonable.

The Brazilian Data Protection Law (LGPD) in effect since 2020 is starting to show its effects in the litigation landscape.

Multinational employers operating in China have been waiting since September 2023 for the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) to finalize proposed revisions to its complex and burdensome rules for cross-border data transfers.  Relief arrived on March 22, 2024, when the CAC published the “Provisions on Promoting and Regulating Cross-border Data Flows” (the “Approved Provisions”), which went into effect on the same day.

Niloy Ray and Alice H. Wang say California’s Senate Bill 1047 represents another significant step forward in the state’s wide-ranging efforts to regulate the development and use of AI.

Daily Journal

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2024 promises to be a consequential year for employers. The U.S. is preparing for an election that could significantly impact the future of employment and labor law. At the same time, businesses continue to wrestle with cultural changes stemming from the pandemic and are confronting newer challenges such as the disruptive impact of artificial intelligence (AI).

(May 8, 2024) – In an election year that could significantly impact the future of employment and labor law, U.S. employers expect heightened regulatory enforcement as they navigate a host of workplace issues, including the disruptive impact of artificial intelligence (AI) and managing divisive political beliefs among employees.

Niloy Ray says employers should be intentional about their generative AI usage, not only with regard to whether they use it at all, but also how, why and when. 

HR Dive

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UPDATE: On May 17, 2024, Colorado Governor Jared Polis signed Senate Bill 24-205 into law, although not without reservations. Governor Polis sent a letter to the members of the Colorado General Assembly encouraging them to reconsider and amend aspects of Senate Bill 24-205 before it takes effect on February 1, 2026.

Zoe Argento says the use of AI to evaluate or assess applicants or employees is the highest risk use of AI in the workplace, and it’s also where she’s seeing the most amount of regulation.

Law Week Colorado

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Bradford Kelley, Kellen Shearin and Michael Lotito say employers must consider employees' rights — and limits on those rights — related to political speech and activities in the workplace.

Law360

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Hot off the press – here is Littler’s mid-year report!  As federal regulators, states and cities continue to pass new workplace regulations through the calendar year, we summarize each state’s notable labor and employment law updates. Some states, like Maryland, have at least a dozen new laws and regulations taking effect this summer, tackling everything from vaping at work to pay discrimination.  Other states have just one, such as the state of West Virginia, which now restrains employers from acting against employees who store firearms in their vehicles on company property.

Zoe M. Argento, Philip L. Gordon, Kwabena A. Appenteng, Orly Henry and Alyssa Daniels discuss the Biometric Amendment, an amendment to the Colorado Privacy Act that requires employers to obtain consent before collecting and using biometric information.

SHRM Online

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On August 2, 2024, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker signed into law Senate Bill 2979 (the “Amendment”), implementing long-awaited, highly anticipated reform to the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA). The Amendment is a milestone in the broader ongoing effort to resolve BIPA’s vague statutory language and courts’ expansive interpretations of the law, which have resulted in businesses across Illinois paying hundreds of millions of dollars to settle the 1,000+ BIPA class actions filed in state and federal courts to date.

Bradford Kelley and James McGehee discuss the potential risks for employers when employees use social  media for political purposes.

Law360

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Joycelyn Stevenson shares four key points employers should consider when it comes to politics at work.

Nashville Business Journal

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Michael Lotito comments on states banning captive audience meetings.

Law360

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Marko Mrkonich discusses findings in Littler’s AI C-Suite Survey Report that explains why it’s essential for employers to implement workplace generative AI policies.

Corporate Compliance Insights

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Stephan Swinkels, Jan-Ove Becker and Deborah Margolis discuss findings from Littler’s 2024 European Employer Survey Report.

International Employment Lawyer

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Stephan Swinkels discusses key findings in Littler’s 2024 European Employer Survey Report, including AI use and politically charged issues in the workplace.

Law360

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Stephan Swinkels and Deborah Margolis discuss key findings in Littler’s 2024 European Employer Survey Report and what they mean for employers.

The Global Legal Post

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Stephan Swinkels and Jan-Ove Becker discuss workplace issues that European employers are struggling with, including geopolitical events, political debates and LGBTQ+ rights. 

Human Resources Director Asia

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Erin Webber talks about how her father inspired her future career in labor and employment law and recalls her journey to become the Managing Director of Littler. 

MIZZOU Magazine

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Joy Rosenquist says a new law enshrining the principle of intersectionality in California’s anti-discrimination statutes will have a substantial impact on equal pay litigation.

Law360 Employment Authority

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Paul Piccigallo says the Second Circuit panel's unanimous ruling in Herrera v. Comme Des Garçons Ltd has resulted in the filing of fewer motions to dismiss at the initial responsive pleading stages in overtime lawsuits.

Law360 Employment Authority

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Stephan Swinkels discusses a major reversal in reforms to Dutch tax law that would have impacted the recruitment and mobility of highly skilled foreign talent.

Global Mobility Lawyer

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Alex MacDonald says the US Labor Department’s ability to use in-house judges to resolve claims may have to be addressed by the US Supreme Court because circuit splits threaten to limit the judges’ power. 

Bloomberg Law

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Bradford J. Kelley and James McGehee say employees’ controversial posts on social media can damage brand reputations and expose companies to discrimination and harassment claims.

Financial Times

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Michael Lotito says to expect clashes between the populist and business-friendly wings of the GOP over Trump’s labor nominations.

Bloomberg Law

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Jim Paretti says the Trump administration’s previous agenda and stance toward IE&D will likely repeat when he returns to office.

Bloomberg Law

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