In this episode of the Hiring to Firing Podcast, Partners Tracey Diamond and Evan Gibbs sit down with Fawn Collingwood, VP of Human Resources at United Safety, about the essence and importance of “grit” in the workplace. With clips from the classic movie, A League of Their Own, they explore how resilience, determination, and teamwork can shape a modern work environment.

Continue Reading Grit in the Workplace: <em>A League of Their Own</em>

Building on the foundation laid in the first episode, the second installment of this series uses additional examples from the TV show The Office to delve deeper into the intricacies of noncompetes. This time, Troutman Pepper Partners Tracey Diamond and Evan Gibbs join Labor + Employment Partner Matt DelDuca and Employee Benefits + Executive Compensation Partner Jim Earle to focus on the concept of “forfeiture for competition.” Key points that were highlighted include:

Continue Reading Navigating Noncompetes: A Comprehensive Guide – Part 2

In the first episode of this two-part series, our Labor + Employment and Employee Benefits + Executive Compensation practices join forces and provide a comprehensive overview of noncompete agreements. Troutman Pepper Partners Tracey Diamond and Evan Gibbs join Partners Constance Brewster and Jim Earle to discuss the popular TV series, The Office, and the basics of noncompetes, their legal implications, and their role in the modern business world, all while drawing interesting parallels to situations from the TV series. Key topics covered include:

Continue Reading Navigating Noncompetes: A Comprehensive Guide – Part 1

Atlanta Seminar: Thursday, November 30 | 7:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

Philadelphia Seminar: Tuesday, December 5 | 7:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

Join the Troutman Pepper Labor and Employment Team as they delve into a diverse array of pressing labor and employment topics shaping the modern workplace. Benefit from their firsthand experiences as they shed light on the complexities and implications of these issues. The seminar is designed to provide a comprehensive overview of the latest developments in labor and employment law, and to equip you with knowledge and tools to navigate the ever-changing legal landscape.

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Explore the complex intersection of agency inquiries and workplace confidentiality in this episode of the Hiring to Firing Podcast. Troutman Pepper Partners Tracey Diamond and Evan Gibbs join Partner Abbey Hazlett to delve into the challenging decisions employers face when agents come knocking, seeking information about purported criminal activity by the company or an employee.

Continue Reading Navigating Workplace Confidentiality and Compliance When Government Agents Come Calling

Should artificial intelligence be used in hiring processes? Many Americans are skeptical, raising fears of a ‘Matrix’-style dystopian future, but AI, and particularly generative AI, is becoming an increasingly important tool for workplace efficiency and management. In the Matrix, AI-powered machines took over the world, using human beings as their energy source.  In their latest article, Troutman Pepper’s Tracey Diamond, Evan Gibbs and Alison Grounds discuss the potential for dystopian results from generative AI and outline the significant opportunities and challenges that generative AI present in the workplace.

Continue Reading Generative AI in the Workplace: It’s Not ‘The Matrix’ Reloaded

This summer, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois further bolstered Illinois’ Biometric Information Privacy Act’s (BIPA) nearly unfettered private right of action in Lewis v. Maverick Transportation. In a simple but firm four-page ruling, Judge Rosenstengel denied the defendant’s motion to dismiss, holding that a cause of action under BIPA does not require a plaintiff to plead that data collected is used for identification purposes. The ruling serves to highlight the apparent lack of any real technical defenses to the statute — making it imperative that companies focus on strict compliance before they find themselves in court.

Continue Reading Illinois Court Eliminates Another BIPA Defense

Q: Can Fourth Circuit plaintiffs be granted “surcharge” as a remedy for breach of fiduciary duty under ERISA?

A: Not anymore. In a divided-panel opinion issued Tuesday, September 12, in Rose v. PSA Airlines, Inc., 2023 WL 5839282, — F.4th — (2023), the Fourth Circuit narrowed the scope of remedies available to plaintiffs in ERISA breach of fiduciary duty claims in this circuit. In short, the Fourth Circuit held that “surcharge” is not an available remedy. Instead, monetary recovery under 502(a)(3) is only available when a plaintiff points to specific funds that the plaintiff rightfully owned but that the defendant possesses as a result of unjust enrichment. This is a reversal of prior Fourth Circuit decisions, which had previously authorized recovery of surcharge as a form of “appropriate equitable relief” under § 502(a)(3).

Continue Reading Can Fourth Circuit Plaintiffs be Granted “Surcharge” as a Remedy for Breach of Fiduciary Duty Under ERISA?

Q: I heard New York City is adding height and weight as protected categories. What does that mean for employers?

A: Effective November 22, height and weight will be added as protected categories under the New York City Human Rights Law. Employers will be prohibited from discriminating against applicants or employees based on their height or weight. There are no definitions for height or weight, meaning these categories are like race or religion, and all ranges of height and weight are protected.

Continue Reading NYC to Prohibit Employment Discrimination Based on Height and Weight

On September 8, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) announced that it settled charges against Monolith Resources LLC, a privately held technology and energy company headquartered in Nebraska. The SEC’s enforcement action alleged that Monolith had been using restrictive employee separation agreements that violated the SEC Whistleblower Protection Rule 21F-17. Without admitting or denying the SEC’s findings, Monolith agreed to revise its separation agreements and pay a $225,000 penalty, among other remedial actions.

Continue Reading SEC Charges Privately Held Monolith Resources for Violating Whistleblower Protection Rules