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In a July 8, 2022 opinion, the Arizona Supreme Court rejected the State of Arizona’s argument that, as an employer, it could require its employees to undergo a 30-minute security screening process at the start of each shift, without paying for it.

On June 29, 2022, in Torres v. Texas Department of Public Safety, No. 20-603, the U.S. Supreme Court affirmed the right of service members to bring suit against state employers under the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA).

In Fowler v. OSP Prevention Group, Case No. 19-12277 (June 27, 2022), the appellate court considered whether property damage investigators performed administrative services or production work for their employer. Employers are required to pay overtime to employees who work more than 40 hours a week under the FLSA.

Effective July 1, 2022, the minimum wage in Washington, DC, increased from $15.20 to $16.10 per hour. The wage hike applies to non-tipped employees and is a result of the Fair Shot Minimum Wage Amendment of 2016. The minimum wage increased for tipped employees to $5.35 per hour.

The Chicago Commission on Human Relations recently amended the Chicago Human Rights Ordinance to expand sexual harassment protections and require employers to implement annual anti-harassment training programs for employees.

Represented by McGillivary Steele Elkin LLP, on June 21, 2022, IAFF Local 1366 President Scott Dix filed a federal lawsuit against the City of Cedar Falls and City officials asserting that the City violated his First Amendment right to free speech and association.

In a first of its kind appellate ruling, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled that the COVID-19 pandemic is not a “natural disaster” under the WARN Act.

Microsoft announced last week that it would implement changes to its employment policies related to “noncompetition clauses, confidentiality agreements in dispute resolution, pay transparency in [its] hiring practices, and the initiation of a civil rights audit.

After a multi-day jury trial, a California jury recently awarded a former Costco employee $1,700,000 in non-economic damages and $150,000 in punitive damages on her claims for disability discrimination.

The Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals, which serves the areas of Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin, ruled unanimously that an employer violates the Family and Medical Leave Act by discouraging workers from exercising their rights under the statute, even if the employer does not deny leave requests outright.