Labor and Employment Law Commons^™

Forced Labor In The United States: A Contemporary Problem In Need Of A Contemporary Solution, Chrissey Buckley

Human Rights & Human Welfare

Legal slavery ended in the United States in 1865, yet the practice of forcing individuals to work against their will, oftentimes in inhumane conditions, continues today. Currently there are around 50,000 people working in forced labor situations in the United States (Bales 47). Although this number is smaller than it was during the 18th century, finding and freeing these individuals is difficult because they are hidden away and exploited. The United States is now at a critical juncture in its struggle to end forced labor. In 2000, the U.S. Government enacted legislation that holds perpetrators of forced labor accountable, and …

Workers, Information, And Corporate Combinations: The Case For Non-Binding Employee Referenda In Transformative Transactions, Matthew T. Bodie

All Faculty Scholarship

Employees present a curious puzzle for corporate law. The success of a corporation depends on its employees, from the chief executive officer down to the front-line production or service worker. But for the most part, corporate law relegates employees to the sidelines. Perhaps nowhere is this difference as dramatic as in the realm of mergers, acquisitions, and other transformative transactions. Such transactions are usually negotiated at the highest levels of management, approved by the board, and ultimately approved by the shareholders. In contrast, employees at most may be able to bargain about the effects of the merger through union representatives; …

The Truth Is Out There: Revamping Federal Antidiscrimination Enforcement For The Twenty-First Century, Marcia L. Mccormick

All Faculty Scholarship

Employment discrimination laws in the United States have not created full equality in the workplace, although that was their goal. Real change requires greater accountability for those who make employment decisions and greater transparency to bolster that accountability. To provide that transparency and accountability, we need greater federal involvement in enforcement and a mechanism to publicize the state of the nation's workplaces. To accomplish this, I propose taking private sector employment discrimination disputes away from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission entirely, and starting with a new agency. The current model, with the EEOC writing compliance guidelines, encouraging mediation, and acting …

Ask, Don’T Tell: Ethical Issues Surrounding Undocumented Workers’ Status In Employment Litigation, Christine N. Cimini

Articles

The presence of an estimated 11.5 million undocumented immigrants in the United States, of which an estimated 7.2 million are working, has become a flashpoint in the emerging national debate about immigration. Given these statistics, it is not surprising that many undocumented workers suffer injuries in the workplace that are typically legally cognizable. Even though undocumented workers are entitled to a number of legal remedies related to their employment, seeking legal relief often raises heightened concerns about the disclosure of their status. This article explores lawyers' increasingly complex ethical obligations with regard to a client's immigration status in the context …

The Evolution Of "Fred": Family Responsibilities Discrimination And Developments In The Law Of Stereotyping And Implicit Bias, Joan C. Williams, Stephanie Bornstein

Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Civil Rights And Related Decisions, Eileen Kaufman

Scholarly Works

This article analyzes two cases from the October 2006 Supreme Court Term, Ledbetter v. Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. and Gonzales v. Carhart. The cases have much in common, even though Ledbetter concerns pay disparity claims based on gender and Gonzales concerns second trimester abortions. Both are five-four decisions which demonstrate how profoundly the appointment of Justice Samuel Alito to occupy Justice Sandra Day O'Connor's seat has affected the balance of power on the Court. The net result of this shift has been a devastating setback for women's rights. Both decisions prompted Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg to uncharacteristically read aloud …

Mandatory Retirement: Termination At 65 Is Ended, But Exceptions Linger On, Anthony F. Sheppard

All Faculty Publications

In employment law, mandatory retirement ("MR") is the compulsory termination of employment as a result of the employee having reached a specified age. In legal circles, MR is regarded as retirement rather than dismissal, though an individual who wishes to continue to work beyond a specified age might disagree. The elimination of MR in British Columbia resulted from the deletion of five little words in the definition of "age" in section 1 of the British Columbia Human Rights Code, RSBC 1996, c 210 (BCHRC). Section 1 of the BCHRC formerly defined "age" as meaning "an age of 19 years or …

Economic Analysis Of Labor And Employment Law In The New Economy, Kenneth G. Dau-Schmidt, Alan Hyde, Michael Risch, Jagdeep Bhandari, Richard Block

Articles by Maurer Faculty

No abstract provided.

Think Twice Before You Type: Blogging Your Way To Unemployment, Scott R. Grubman

Georgia Law Review

Over the last several years, "blogging" has taking the Internet world by storm and is now one of the most popular online activities among Americans. With the rising popularity of the Internet, and the blogging phenomenon in particular, both employees and employers have developed new concerns regarding the activities of employee-bloggers. The concerns emanating from both sides of the equation are quite reasonable given the stakes at issue-for the employee-blogger, his or her job; for the employer, its reputation and bottom line. While there are very few, if any, specific statutes designed to protect the activities of employee-bloggers, there are …

Domestic Violence And The Workplace: The Explosion Of State Legislation And The Need For A Comprehensive Strategy, Deborah A. Widiss

Articles by Maurer Faculty

In recent years, domestic violence legislation has migrated out of its traditional locus in family law and criminal law to include a rapidly growing body of employment law. The new laws respond to a relatively simple problem: Economic security is one of the most important factors in whether a victim of domestic violence will be able to separate from an abusive partner, but domestic violence often interferes with victims' ability to maintain jobs, thus causing job loss that further traps victims in abusive relationships. By providing supports to victims and empowering employers to take direct legal action against perpetrators of …

Integrating Accommodation, Elizabeth F. Emens

Faculty Scholarship

Courts and agencies interpreting the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) generally assume that workplace accommodations benefit individual employees with disabilities and impose costs on employers and, at times, coworkers. This belief reflects a failure to recognize a key feature of ADA accommodations: their benefits to third parties. Numerous accommodations – from ramps to ergonomic furniture to telecommuting initiatives – can create benefits for coworkers, both disabled and nondisabled, as well as for the growing group of employees with impairments that are not limiting enough to constitute disabilities under the ADA. Much attention has been paid to how the integration of …

Labor And Employment Law, W. Melvin Haas Iii, William M. Clifton Iii, W. Jonathan Martin Ii, Glen R. Fagan

Mercer Law Review

This Article surveys recent developments in state statutory and common law that affect labor and employment relations between Georgia employers and employees. Accordingly, it surveys published decisions from the Georgia Court of Appeals and the Georgia Supreme Court from June 1, 2006 to May 31, 2007, as well as selected cases decided by the United States District Court, which purported to refine principles of Georgia employment law. This Article also highlights specific revisions to the Official Code of Georgia Annotated ("O.C.G.A.").

Beyond The Cat’S Paw: An Argument For Adopting A “Substantially Influences” Standard For Title Vii And Adea Liability, Tim Davis

The University of New Hampshire Law Review

[Excerpt] “Susan, an African-American nurse, has worked for a large group of physicians for nearly twenty years and is nearing the end of her career. Susan’s boss has recently retired and has been replaced by a man with an animus toward African-Americans. This has put Susan in a precarious situation.

Instead of overtly discriminating against her, Susan’s supervisor complains to the large medical practice’s personnel committee that Susan’s work is substandard and she no longer is a productive worker. The committee, based on the supervisor’s report, fires Susan.

When Susan goes to court to assert her right not to be …

Presenter, “The Bca And The Ncaa: How Title Vii May Level The Playing Field In The Collegiate Coaching Ranks”, N. Jeremi Duru

Presentations

In January 2007, only 5% of the 119 head coaches in Division I-A college football teams were minorities. This number is startling in light of the fact that in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) football teams 55% of the student-athletes are from minority groups. Even the president of the NCAA, Myles Brand, has stated that this organization has had a “dismal record of hiring people of color into head coaching positions, especially in the sport of football.” The disparity between the numbers of coaches and players has prompted an action brought by the Black Coaches & Administrators (BCA). The BCA …

Labor And Employment Law, W. David Paxton, Gregory R. Hunt

University of Richmond Law Review

No abstract provided.

Contributory Disparate Impacts In Employment Discrimination Law, Peter Siegelman

William & Mary Law Review

An employer who adopts a facially neutral employment practice that disqualifies a larger proportion of protected-class applicants than others is liable under a disparate impact theory. Defendants can escape liability if they show that the practice is justified by business necessity. But demonstrating business necessity requires costly validation studies that themselves impose a significant burden on defendants-upwards of $100,000 according to some estimates. This Article argues that an employer should have a defense against disparate impact liability if it can show that protected-class applicants failed to make reasonable efforts to train or prepare for a job related test. That is, …

Cep V Bell Aliant Regional Communications Llp, Innis Christie

Innis Christie Collection

This is a Union grievance regarding the scheduling of part-time employees and whether temporary student employees should be regarded as part-time for scheduling. The student's total annual work hours could be reduced under the Union's interpretation. The Employer does not include student employees as 'part-time' in the interpretation of the collective agreement.

Re Canada Post Corp And Cupw (Stone), Innis Christie

Innis Christie Collection

The Grievor refused to work in what she considered an unsafe situation. After the Employer investigated she was ordered to return to work. Her refusal resulted in a two day suspension. The letter of suspension indicates that the Employer's decision was, in part, based on a similar suspension in her personal file, which is also being grieved. The Union claims the suspension was without just cause and wants the Employer to pay damages for what was lost as a result of the suspension and removal of all related documents in the personal file.

Re Canada Post Corp And Cupw (Morgan), Innis Christie

Innis Christie Collection

The Grievor was suspended with pay until a complaint by a co-worker could be investigated. The complaint dealt with a conversation regarding serial killers, which upset the co-worker and caused the Employer to be concerned about workplace safety. After the investigation the Grievor was placed on sick leave until she could provide medical proof that she was not a danger to her co-workers. The Union believes the Employer breached the collective agreement by imposing the suspension without just cause and, as remedy, wants the Employer to pay damages to compensate the Grievor for what was lost by the suspension, a …

Re Canada Post Corp And Cupw (Morgan), Innis Christie

Innis Christie Collection

The Grievor was suspended for inappropriate behaviour towards co-workers. The Union claims the three day suspension was without just, reasonable and sufficient cause and sought a remedy which would pay damages due to the suspension and removal of all related documents from the Grievor's personal file.

The grievance succeeds in part. Discipline was appropriate. There was nothing in the Grievor's personal record to support a three day suspension and one of the complaints warranted no discipline. The suspension is reduced to two days and the Grievor is to be compensated for losses resulting from the third day.

Re Canada Post Corp And Cupw (Morgan), Innis Christie

Innis Christie Collection

The Grievor was given a three day suspension (two waived, one served) for inappropriate behaviour and comments to both a co-worker and a supervisor. The Union claims the Employer breached the collective agreement by not following prescribed procedure and depending on hearsay evidence. As remedy the Union wanted the Employer to pay damages for what was lost due to the suspension and removal of all related documents from the Grievor's personal file.

Kav Laoved V. National Labour Court, Eliezer Rivlin, Dorit Beinisch, Edmond E. Levy, Asher Grunis, Miriam Naor, Edna Arbel, Esther Hayut, Salim Joubran, Ayala Procaccia

Translated Opinions

Facts: Palestinian workers filed claims in the Labour Courts against their Israeli employers with regard to their employment in the Israeli enclaves in Judaea and Samaria. These claims gave rise to the question whether these employment relationships were governed by Israeli law or by the local law of Judaea and Samaria, which is Jordanian law, the significance of this question being that Israeli law grants workers more rights and protection than Jordanian law.

The National Labour Court held on appeal that in the absence of any stipulation on this issue in the employment contracts, these employment relationships were governed by …

Vol. 24, No. 4, Sara D. Jay, Patricia J. Aletky Ph.D, L.P.

The Illinois Public Employee Relations Report

Contents:

Psychological Evaluation in Labor Arbitration, by Sara D. Jay and Patricia J. Aletky

Recent Developments

Further References, compiled by Yoo-Seong Song

Paying For The Sins Of Their Clients The Eeocs Position That Staffing Firms Can Be Liable When Their Clients Terminate An Assigned Employee For A Discriminatory Reason, Daniel P. O'Gorman

Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Mark Curthoys' Governments, Labour, And The Law In Mid-Victorian Britain: The Trade Union Legislation Of The 1870s, Robert J. Steinfeld

Book Reviews

No abstract provided.

Invisible Actors: Genetic Testing And Genetic Discrimination In The Workplace, Susannah Carr

University of Arkansas at Little Rock Law Review

Current federal and state law is inadequate to protect employees from employer's misuse of their genetic information. Genetic information is knowledge of a person's genome that indicates a predisposition towards an illness, disease, or medical condition, where symptoms of the condition have yet to manifest themselves. Federal law protections are insufficient, and relevant state laws vary in their scope and application. Not only are employees unevenly protected across the United States, but varying standards also make complying with the law difficult for interstate employees.

To give employees sufficient protection and to facilitate employer compliance, Congress should pass a law specifically …

Toward A Foundational Theory Of Workers' Rights: The Autonomous Dignified Worker, Anne M. Lofaso

Law Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

A More Employee Friendly Standard For Pretext Claims After Ash V. Tyson, Deanna C. Brinkerhoff

Nevada Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Corporate Social Accountability Standards In The Global Supply Chain: Resistance, Reconsideration, And Resolution In China, Li-Wen Lin

Cardozo Journal of International and Comparative Law

This Article provides a view on corporate social accountability standards from a Chinese perspective, a slightly different angle from that of legal scholars in the United States. The legal literature in the United States typically only focuses on the importance and effectiveness of corporate social accountability standards to regulate the conduct of multinational companies in the era of globalization. However, the views of the outsourced companies in the developing countries, on which the multinational companies impose the standards, have seldom received attention. This Article tries to fill this void by examining the situation in China. As shown in this Article, …

The New Massachusetts Health Law: Preemption And Experimentation, Edward A. Zelinsky

William & Mary Law Review

The Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) preempts major features of the new Massachusetts health law. Although regrettable, this conclusion is mandated by ERISA's statutory terminology and the controlling case law. Other states, in fashioning their health care policies, are looking at elements of the new Massachusetts law. Just as ERISA preempts the individual and business contribution mandates of the Massachusetts statute, ERISA will preempt any similar provisions adopted by other states.

Because state experimentation with health care is particularly desirable today, Congress should, at a minimum, amend ERISA to validate the new Massachusetts health law. More comprehensively, …