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A Department of Labor Daily Labor Report article on fluctuating work schedules for first responders features quote from MSE managing partner Gregory McGillivary:

On May 8, 2020, the parties submitted their $4.69 million settlement agreement for preliminary approval in this Fair Labor Standards Act and Pennsylvania Minimum Wage Act hybrid collective and class action for unpaid overtime wages. The parties reached the agreement before either class was certified. This settlement is featured in Bloomberg Law and Law360.

The Commonwealth of Virginia has enacted 22 new pro-worker laws. Among them are a phased increase to Virginia’s minimum wage (from $7.25 to $12.00), the ability to bring a lawsuit for unpaid wages, and an extension of protections to employees wrongly classified as independent contractors.

MSE attorney Megan Mechak was quoted in the Wall Street Journal on May 2, 2020, in an article about wearing masks when returning to work.

Several states and local jurisdictions are expanding sick leave laws to ease the financial burden workers are experiencing due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Many Virginia public employees will soon have new rights to bargain regarding their working conditions, pay, and benefits in the workplace. On March 22, 2020, the Virginia General Assembly passed legislation that grants certain public sector workers the right to collectively bargain, marking a huge step forward to bringing bargaining rights to Virginia’s workers.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, many federal agencies expanded the availability of telework to their employees to enable non-essential employees to work remotely. On April 20, 2020, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) issued a memorandum to the federal agency heads instructing them to “ramp back up government operations to the maximum extent possible” and return federal employees to work at government facilities.

Last week, Virginia expanded the Virginia Human Rights Act and passed anti-discrimination protections specific to the LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer) community.

The Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 (ADEA) protects certain applicants and employees who are 40 years of age and older from discrimination based on age in hiring, promotion, discharge, compensation, or terms, conditions, or privileges of employment. 29 U.S.C. § 623, and § 633a (federal employees).

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has proposed changes to its longstanding regulations interpreting the scope of the Back Pay Act.