The holiday season is nearly upon us. I’ve seen the TV commercials, and big box retailers have filled holiday sections with glitter and lights. The holidays seem to arrive earlier every year. To quote Alfred, the Macys janitor from my favorite holiday movie “Miracle on 34th Street” (1947 version): “Yeah, there’s a lot of bad […]
It’s as predictable as the departure of hummingbirds and return of frosty mornings each autumn in Western Colorado. The National Labor Relations Board has once again changed the standards by which it determines whether or not workplace rules infringe on employees’ rights to engage in concerted activity to address the terms and condition of their […]
Late 2023 and early 2024 will bring several changes to Colorado employment laws. While most employers remain focused on the new Protecting Opportunities and Workers’ Rights Act (POWR), other changes have flown under the radar. Senate Bill 23-105, the Ensure Equal Pay for Equal Work Act (EEPEWA), was signed into law on June 5 and […]
I explained in a column published in June how the flexibility measures enacted during the COVID-19 pandemic related to the inspection of identity and work eligibility documents were scheduled to end July 31. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) required employers to physically inspect identity and work eligibility documents used to support an I-9 […]
The United States Supreme Court has significantly raised the bar for employers arguing that accommodating religious activities creates undue hardships. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act requires employers to accommodate “all aspects of religious observance and practice as well as belief, unless an employer demonstrates that he is unable to reasonably accommodate an employee’s […]
Flexibility measures enacted during the COVID-19 pandemic related to the inspection of identity and work eligibility documents are scheduled to end July 31. That means employers must physically inspect identity and work eligibility documents used to support an I-9 form completed remotely during the pandemic by Aug. 30. In March 2020, the U.S. Department of […]
Many organizations experience what employment attorney Jillian Cutler describes as flexibility fatigue. Speaking at a conference of the American Bar Association Section of Labor and Employment Law in November, Cutler said exasperated managers demand more boundaries and structure to remote and hybrid work. Many organizations that gave greater freedom to telecommuters during the COVID-19 pandemic […]
It’s been more than two years since the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services created a new normal for employers in declaring a public health emergency (PHE) in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The effort included new employment laws and new interpretations of existing laws while increasing telecommuting and other alternative arrangements. Since the […]
After a snowy — at least by Grand Valley standards — winter, spring and proposed legislation are in the air. The Colorado Legislature has introduced numerous bills that could affect employers. Here’s a look at a few of the most significant measures. House Bill 23-1118 would have required predictive pay and scheduling by large retailers […]
Because of the COVID-19 pandemic and societal changes, a growing number of employees work from home or other locations rather traditional office settings. As the pandemic wanes, however, many employers demand their employees return to the office. This has resulted in some resistance from employees who’ve grown fond of the comforts of home, including working […]