Shannon Meade talks about how the Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA) has affected employers in Illinois and how SB 2979 would update it and tweak its liability guidelines.

Law360

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Zoe Argento, Kwabena Appenteng, Alyssa Daniels, Philip Gordon, Rajko Herrmann, Soowon Hong, Renata Neeser, Naomi Seddon, Christina Stogov and Grace Yang share a comprehensive guide for how employers can ensure data protection as they implement artificial intelligence.

Corporate Compliance Insights

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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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Stephen Shore discusses a new law in Saskatchewan, Canada, that requires employers to create workplace violence prevention programs and inform employees about other workers who have a history of violent behavior.

International Employment Lawyer

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May 25th marked six years since the General Data Protection Regulation has been in effect.

Since it was implemented, GDPR has been regarded as the gold standard for data protection legislation across the world. The implementation of GDPR signaled the European Union’s firm stance on data privacy and security, demonstrated by the large fines introduced for businesses that violate GDPR standards. The GDPR is retained in the UK’s domestic law as UK GDPR, which sits alongside the Data Protection Act 2018.

Kristy Peters discusses how employment law attorneys can be critical partners for employers to help them identify challenges and opportunities for their business.

InBusiness Phoenix

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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.

Rod M. Fliegel and Cirrus Jahangiri discuss what a recent court of appeal decision means for employers in California, who are often restricted from access to employees’ public records, including criminal history 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.

In a significant decision focused on public employers, the Supreme Court of Canada (SCC) recently held that Ontario public school boards are “government” and, as such, they are subject to the provisions of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms (Charter), and their teachers are protected from unreasonable search and seizure in their places of employment. In York Region District School Board v.

Zoe Argento says more companies are using tools like artificial intelligence that incorporate biometric identifiers, and so new privacy laws are likely to apply to a larger swath of employers than might think they must comply with them. 

The Sum & Substance

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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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The Senate recessed, leaving two nominees key to the partisan balance on the National Labor Relations Board in limbo, and Michael Lotito says it’s a sign that their confirmations are not guaranteed.

Law360

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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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Marko Mrkonich says it’s important for companies to establish their AI compliance framework at the beginning, instead of after employees have already gotten used to deploying AI in certain ways.

Corporate Counsel

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Rebecca Goldstein and Terri Solomon comment on New York's Retail Worker Safety Act, which requires retail employers to adopt a violence prevention policy.

Law360 Employment Authority

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Ben Smith discusses a UK proposal to abolish the two-year qualifying period for employees to bring an unfair dismissal claim against their employer.

Law 360

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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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Kelly M. Cardin provides insight about why New York City is expanding its sick leave law to let workers use it to care for pets and service animals.

Law360

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Jim Paretti says resignations in the Labor Department are coming no matter who wins the 2024 election.

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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Jim Paretti and Shannon Meade discuss how the election will affect the fate of overtime and noncompete laws.

Forbes

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Jim Paretti says labor and employment attorneys need to look at amicus briefs because they provide good insight into how the EEOC will view certain things.

Law360 Employment Authority

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Shannon Meade says wage legislation on the hill has consistently failed and stalled in Congress, so states have been stepping up to fill the void.

Forbes

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Jorge R. Lopez says the Trump administration’s regulatory agenda was stymied by legal battles and a slow transition the first time around, but could move much quicker to implement its immigration priorities in his second administration.

Bloomberg Law

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While the state of Texas and businesses tries to convince a federal district court that the US DOL went beyond its authority with a rule expanding overtime protections, Jim Paretti says that if employers in Texas continue operating business as usual, they will be doing so at their own risk.

Bloomberg Law

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Amidst question marks with the NLRB and workplace regulations because of the new administration, Michael Lotito says employers should consult their counsel about preventative steps.

The American Lawyer

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Shannon Meade says Democrats and Republicans both want to make progress on paid leave, but no one is sure whether a national paid leave program will be among their priorities.

Corporate Counsel

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