Adam Friedland

Within hours of his inauguration, President Biden broke with tradition by firing the General Counsel of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) after he refused to resign.  Some companies have claimed that this decision was improper and left the acting General Counsel named in his place without legal authority to act, setting up an anticipated wave of legal challenges.… Continue Reading

In October 2020, Pennsylvania regulations took effect that increased the salary threshold for exempt employees to the federal level, and would have increased the threshold above the federal minimum beginning in October 2021.

However, a recent budget compromise between Democratic Governor Tom Wolf and a Republican-led state legislature has resulted in the regulations’ repeal.… Continue Reading

On July 9, 2021, the White House issued an executive order (“EO”) with the stated objective of countering anti-competitive forces throughout the economy.  One specific directive is the limitation of non-compete agreements, which include not only restrictive covenants, but also “other clauses or agreements that may unfairly limit worker mobility.”  Potentially, this could include customer and employee non-solicitation provisions, which some courts construe in the same manner as employee restrictive covenants. … Continue Reading

June is Pride Month and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has issued timely guidance on the protections extended to LGBTQIA+ workers under Title VII.

In June 2020, the Supreme Court determined that Title VII’s prohibition against discrimination based on sex extended to sexual orientation and gender identity.  Bostock v. Clayton County was a landmark case with immediate import, as fewer than half of the states had laws protecting LGBTQIA+ workers from employment discrimination.… Continue Reading

In April 2020, an executive assistant at a Staten Island health care provider was allegedly terminated for raising COVID-19 related safety concerns about an in-person meeting.  In what may be a sign of litigation to come, the Department of Labor has filed suit against the employee’s former employer alleging violation of the whistleblower provisions of the Occupational Safety and Health Act. … Continue Reading

On May 18, the IRS released Notice 2021-31. The notice contains detailed guidance on subsidies employers must provide COBRA beneficiaries pursuant to the American Rescue Plan Act (“ARP”), and uses a Q&A format to illustrate several specific examples and potential issues regarding the subsidies. For employers, one of the many issues of interest addressed in this notice is the determination of which employee departures qualify as involuntary terminations triggering COBRA assistance.… Continue Reading