The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (“PWFA”) is a new law that expands protections for pregnant workers throughout the country. This law requires covered employers to provide “reasonable accommodations” to a worker’s known limitations related to pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions, unless the accommodation will cause the employer an “undue hardship.” Let’s breakdown the facets of this law. Covered Employer In this … [Read more...]
Accommodations in the Workplace for Managing Disabilities
Blog written by Makenzie Krause and Mack Reed. When an employee brings a claim against their employer for failure to accommodate a disability, the employer often argues it was not aware of the disability, and that in any event the employee never requested an accommodation. Because many employee/employer interactions occur through verbal conversations (either on the phone, via Zoom, or in person), employees often have little evidence … [Read more...]
How has the #MeToo movement impacted the workplace?
The “Me Too Movement” began in 2006 with Tarana Burke, who created the program to empower young women of color from marginalized communities who have been sexually abused, assaulted, or exploited. The movement went viral when Alyssa Milano tweeted “#MeToo” on October 15, 2017, subsequently sparking interest in the discourse surrounding the prevalence of sexual harassment and abuse in our culture. One social sphere that took extra notice to the … [Read more...]
Signs of Sexual Harassment in the Workplace
When I talk with friends and family about the work accomplished by Schaefer Halleen, so many people say to me, “But sexual harassment in the workplace can’t still be a thing, right? Don’t people know better by now?” Unfortunately, despite the surge in awareness prompted by the MeToo Movement, as well as various portrayals in film and television, sexual harassment in the workplace is still very much “a thing.” In fact, many of our clients come to … [Read more...]
Are you part of a mass layoff? Know your rights and your employer’s duty to WARN.
For employees who have been recently terminated as part of a mass layoff, they may feel as though their best options are to cut ties and move on from their former employer. Even where there may be dozens of former colleagues who are in the same boat, employees must remember that they still have rights when it comes to losing their position as part of a large scale layoff. The WARN Act The Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) … [Read more...]
