Since the pandemic disrupted U.S. life in March 2020, the number of Americans who have worked remotely, at least in part, has more than doubled.[1] After over a year of proof that telework is possible, workers have gained fodder for legal arguments that remote work is a reasonable accommodation for their disabilities without undue burdens for employers.[2] As vaccines have become more…
Today (July 14) is International Non-Binary People’s Day. According to a June 2021 study conducted by the Williams Institute, 1.2 million adults in the United States identify as non-binary.[1] “Non-binary” is an identity embraced by people who do not identify exclusively as men or women.[2] A non-binary individual may identify as both a man and woman, somewhere in between, or as…
One year ago this week the Supreme Court decided Our Lady of Guadalupe School v. Morrissey-Berru,[1] a case in which the Court determined that two Catholic elementary school teachers were “ministers” and therefore not covered by federal anti-discrimination statutes.[2] The Court based its decision on the “ministerial exception.” A First Amendment doctrine, the ministerial exception exempts religious employers from certain types of employment…
As of today, July 4, 2021, fast-food workers in New York City are free from at-will employment, one of the oldest and least worker-friendly rules in employment law. At-will employment means that an employer can discharge workers at will “for a good reason, a bad reason, or no reason at all.”[1] This rule generally applies to all private employees in America…
Maryland recently took an important step in the fight against tax dodgers, as it enacted a bill that creates a tax whistleblower program similar to the successful programs administered by the Internal Revenue Service and the District of Columbia. The policy created by Maryland House Bill 804, which was enacted on June 1, 2021, and scheduled to take effect later…
Everyone deserves the right to choose a job where they are treated squarely and paid fairly for their hard work. Unfortunately, some abusive employers—whether businesses or individual bosses—violate this basic human right with exploitative working conditions. By abusing or mistreating workers, however, these employers may also be breaking the law; and therefore, be liable financially to workers for damages. A…