Legal Solutions At Work

Maryland: Effective January 1, 2020, Maryland’s statewide minimum wage increased from $11.00/hour to $11.75/hour for employers with 15 or more employees. For employers with fewer than 15 employees, the new rate is $11.60/hour. The $3.63/hour rate for tipped employees remains unchanged. Montgomery County: Annual wage rate increases in Montgomery County will take effect as scheduled… More

As originally enacted in March 2020, the Families First Coronavirus Relief Act (FFCRA) required employers to provide 10 days of sick leave and up to 10 weeks of family leave for COVID related absences, and provided a payroll tax credit to reimburse employers. (A quick review of the 6 qualifying reasons for the leave, some… More

On December 22, 2020, the United States District Court for the Northern District of California issued a nationwide injunction as to Sections 4 and 5 of the President’s Executive Order on Combatting Race and Sex Stereotyping (the “Executive Order”), which apply to federal contractors and entities which receive federal grants. This means that, for now,… More

Last week, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) published a new rule Implementing Legal Requirements Regarding the Equal Opportunity Clause’s Religious Exemption, seeking to clarify for federal contractors the interplay between recent Supreme Court interpretations of religious freedom claims under Title VII and existing Executive Orders prohibiting discrimination in… More

On January 15, 2021, employers in Montgomery County, Maryland will be subject to a new workplace discrimination law passed by the Montgomery County Council. This law represents a significant departure from traditional employment law that will make it easier for plaintiffs to win cases before administrative agencies and in court. Montgomery County employers are encouraged… More

Just when we all got used to a required 14 day quarantine for COVID exposure—the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has changed the rules on us.  The agency issued revised guidance this week for asymptomatic individuals.  Specifically – if you (or your employee) had close contact with an infected person, the quarantine is now 10… More

On November 19, 2020, the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) published the above-titled final rule to establish clear parameters for OFCCP resolution procedures and enhance the efficient enforcement of equal employment opportunity laws. The OFCCP’s goal is to increase the number of contractors it can evaluate and improve its allocation of agency resources… More

This spring the D.C. Council passed the Transportation Benefits Equity Amendment Act of 2020 in an effort to encourage employees driving in to D.C. for work to consider more environmentally friendly alternatives. “Parking cash-out” laws such as this typically target employers who give employees free or subsidized parking benefits and require that they offer cash… More

Last month, in accordance with its zero tolerance policy, DC radio station 106.7 The Fan announced the termination of sports radio host Chad Dukes owing to “racist and other inappropriate comments” made by Dukes on his personal podcast. In a public statement regarding the firing, parent company Entercom emphasized that, “[o]ur air talent are ambassadors… More

Princeton University has agreed to pay over $1 million in back pay and future wages to a group of female employees, following findings by the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP), that between 2012 and 2014, female employees in full professor positions were paid less than their male counterparts…. More