Raoul Parekh talks about current workplace issues reflected in Littler’s 2023 European Employer Survey Report, including remote work and a four-day work week.

Law360

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While the Department of Justice (DOJ) has initiated at least two new Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) enforcement actions against U.S. companies, it has also announced several decisions not to prosecute—most recently involving a U.S. biotech firm and its subsidiaries. The November 16, 2023, declination letter is instructive for companies concerned about protecting themselves against the consequences of employees who take it upon themselves to flout internal anti-bribery policies.

There have been significant recent developments to the rules on annual leave, with a decision from the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom followed by the publication of the draft Employment Rights (Amendment, Revocation and Transitional Provision) Regulations 2023 (the Employment Rights Regulations).

Stephen T. Melnick talks about a new bill that proposes to give a tax credit to businesses in Massachusetts that join a pilot program to explore the possible benefits of a shorter workweek.

WorldatWork

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2023 has undoubtedly been a busy year in the UK employment law space. But, as we bid adieu to this year, it is time to look to what 2024 will bring. In this Christmas pun-filled article (apologies in advance), we explore some of the key anticipated legislation to be implemented next year, grouped into four key categories below.

Spoiler alert – if the government plans continue as expected, then get ready to unwrap a gift of employment law changes in the coming year as the legal landscape gears up for a merry makeover!

In France, profit-sharing is the new black. After years of statutory value-sharing bonuses (starting in 2018) and the introduction of compulsory profit-sharing schemes in companies with at least 50 employees (since 2020), the government encouraged trade unions to finalize a national and intersectoral collective bargaining agreement (CBA) on the subject of profit-sharing. This led to a CBA signed in February 2023. The new Profit-Sharing Act of November 19, 2023 transposes this CBA into law and adds some new provisions.

The Supreme Court has ruled that transgender people are protected under the Civil Rights Act, and so Joycelyn Stevenson and Sarah Belchic say employers need to ensure that their health care plans are inclusive.

The Tennessean

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As Washington, D.C., prepares to join a growing group of state and local jurisdictions requiring pay transparency in job postings and recruiting practices, Joy Rosenquist comments on how the D.C. law is different. 

WorldatWork

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Erin Webber talks about the importance of networks, mentors and benefits for women and working moms in law firms.

Denver Business Journal

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In November 2023, soon after Illinois Governor JB Pritzker signed amendments to the Illinois Day and Temporary Labor Services Act (the “Act”), several staffing agencies and associations sued for an injunction against enforcement of certain provisions of the Act.  In Staffing Services Association of Illinois v. Flanagan, Case No. 23-CV-16208, these parties claimed that Sections 11, 42, and 67 of the Act were preempted by the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA), the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) and the due process clauses of the U.S.

Oregon’s Paid Family and Medical Leave Insurance Program (“Paid Leave Oregon”) generally provides eligible employees with up to 12 weeks of paid time off for leave that qualifies as family, medical, or safe leave. Since Paid Leave Oregon took effect on September 3, 2023, employees have been stacking Paid Leave Oregon leave benefits and Oregon Family Leave Act (OFLA) leave benefits, leaving employers frustrated with staffing shortages.

Sarah Bryan Fask says a long-awaited final rule from the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp. describing interest rate assumption requirements for employers who pull out of multiemployer pension plans would be “very significant.”

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Mark Callaghan says the new UK government should increase Statutory Paternity Pay “in excess of inflation,” because it would benefit businesses and families alike.

People Management

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Mikayla Almeida, Kimberly Doud and Anne Sanchez LaWer explain to employers about how implementing benefits related to women’s health and fertility could reduce turnover and retain talent.

ACC Central Florida

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Ellen Donovan McCann says post-employment benefits are often the first to be amended when businesses experience budget challenges, but employers may have to take more care in changing them if SCOTUS decides that former employees can sue over those benefits.

SHRM

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Chelsea Lewis provides recommendations for navigating the challenges that may arise when customers or clients refuse to abide by COVID-19 mandates.

ACC South Florida

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Erin Webber explains how a remote environment requires more leadership responsibility, skills and choices.

The American Lawyer

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Largely overshadowed by the rise in COVID-19 deaths and the January 6, 2021, siege on the Capitol, the Criminal Antitrust Anti-Retaliation Act of 2019 (“the Act”) became law on December 23, 2020. See 15 U.S.C. § 7a-3. The Act, which Senator Chuck Grassley sponsored, prohibits employers from retaliating against individuals who report criminal antitrust violations to their employer or the federal government, or who participate in a federal governmental criminal antitrust investigation or proceeding.  

Background

When Congress overrode President Trump’s veto of the National Defense Authorization Act on January 1, 2021, it enacted the Anti-Money Laundering Act (AMLA), which was part of the defense authorization bill.  In doing so, Congress implemented the most sweeping anti-money-laundering statute since the USA PATRIOT Act.  In addition to a number of regulatory reforms and new disclosure requirements, the AMLA has put into place new whistleblower protections, adding to the range of statutes that have effectively created anti-retaliation provisions for virtually every activity regulated by federal

Michael Lotito shares his predictions for workplace training and labor management under Marty Walsh’s leadership.

Law360

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On February 19, 2021, the U.S.

Jeanine Conley Daves and Alexa Laborda Nelson explain how employers can take steps to ensure they are in compliance with the recent COVID-19 relief plans and avoid potential whistleblower litigation.

Chief Executive

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Philip Berkowitz weighs in on the Anti-Money Laundering Act’s whistleblower protections that took effect this year.

SHRM Online

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Joon Hwang advises employers to review and scope the terms of their restrictive covenants and confidentiality agreements to ensure they are well defined to meet their business interests.

Pit & Quarry

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The recently enacted Anti-Money Laundering Act significantly increases the potential value of awards for whistleblowers under the Bank Secrecy Act. The challenge for a financial services employer is to establish that discipline against an employee in a compliance role is supported by evidence that the decision was based on the employee's incompetence or other inappropriate behavior, and that any whistleblowing activity he or she engaged in was not a consideration. Philip M. Berkowitz explores the issues in this edition of his Employment Issues column.

Terri Solomon talks to HR Dive about how employers can best handle mental health crises in the office.

HR Dive

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Steve Biddle examines the recently expanded Arizona Civil Rights Act (ACRA) as well as new ordinances passed by Arizona cities that expand protected categories and coverage.

SHRM Online

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Natasha Adom discusses measures FCA, PRA and BoE regulators are considering to improve diversity and inclusion in the financial services sector. 

Investment Week

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Compliance or internal audit departments frequently carry out audits intended to assure that business partners in an organization, such as human resources or legal departments, have in place policies and procedures that are effective for maintaining corporate compliance and consistent with the myriad laws with which the organization must comply, including employment, whistleblower, and anti-bribery and corruption.  These reviews are often not confined to policies but may also seek review of actual compliance events and sensitive contemporaneous records.  For example, in the case of an inte

Devjani Mishra discusses employers coming up with COVID-19 safety rules that are appropriate for their own workplace.

Law360 Employment Authority

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Michael Lotito and Bruce Sarchet share their thoughts on SB 93, a new California law that requires some employers in the hospitality industry to prioritize recalling workers who were laid off due to COVID-19.

SHRM Online

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Jorge Sales Boyoli answers questions about whether mandates requiring employees to get vaccinated are legal under Mexico’s labor laws.

Entrepreneur

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Stephanie Chavez offers advice to employers who are considering hiring individuals who have a criminal record.

Law360 Employment Authority

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Libby Henninger offers tips for employers paying disabled workers lower wages.

Law360 Employment Authority

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On December 23, 2021, President Joe Biden signed into law the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (the “Act”),¹ which bars the importation into the United States of products made from forced labor in the Xinjiang region of China.  This Act will significantly impact many multinational employers’ supply chains because raw materials from this region – such as cotton, coal, chemicals, sugar, tomatoes and polysilicon (a component in solar panels) – have found their way into many global supply chains.  Indeed, these materials arrive on U.S.

On April 1, 2022, a Los Angeles County Superior Court ruled that California Assembly Bill 979—a bill designed to increase diversity and improve the persistently low number of underrepresented groups on corporate boards—violated the Equal Protection Clause of the California Constitution and was therefore unenforceable. In its ruling, the court acknowledged the pitfalls of homogeneity in business and communities, but it cautioned against quotas and specific number requirements.

Miguel Arberas explains that those who lie about their training and training to get a job can be dismissed even if there is no damage. 

EL PAÍS

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