In Episode 5 of the Hiring to Firing Podcast, Troutman Pepper Partners Tracey Diamond and Evan Gibbs sit down with Troutman Pepper Partners Ashley Hager and Lynne Wakefield to discuss the hit show The Handmaid’s Tale and lessons learned about corporate abortion policies. Tune in to hear a lively conversation about what companies can do if they want to offer abortion benefits, including travel benefits, and the risks and challenges of implementing such benefits.
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BLM Messaging on Face Masks in the Workplace
Q: Have any courts addressed a company’s ability to regulate the type of masks that employees wear at work?
A: At the height of the pandemic and after the death of George Floyd in June 2020, many employers grappled with whether they could and should regulate the type of face masks worn in the workplace. The appellate courts for the First and Third circuits recently addressed this issue, reaching different conclusions. The First Circuit ruled that an employer is permitted to discipline employees for wearing Black Lives Matter (BLM) face masks in the workplace in violation of its dress code. In a Third Circuit decision, the court enjoined the employer from enforcing a dress code policy, banning employees from wearing BLM face coverings. The differences in outcome can be attributed mainly to the fact that the employer in the First Circuit case was a private employer, and the employer in the Third Circuit case was a public employer.
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First Circuit Holds Antitrust Labor-Dispute Exemption Applies to Independent Contractors’ Protest Activities
Q: Does federal antitrust law bar independent contractors from engaging in a group boycott to increase wages and alter conditions of employment?
A: No. The First Circuit Court of Appeals recently held that an individual’s independent contractor status does not bar application of the labor-dispute exemption to antitrust law, which exempts collusion among potential competitors for the purpose of increasing wages or improving conditions of employment.
What Can the Show Severance Teach Us About Work-Life Balance?
Work-life balance — does it exist? In Episode 4 of the Hiring to Firing Podcast, Troutman Pepper Partners Tracey Diamond and Evan Gibbs sit down with Debbie Epstein Henry, best-selling author, public speaker, consultant, and host of the Inspiration Loves Company podcast, to discuss the hit TV show Severance and lessons learned about work-life balance. Tune in to hear a lively discussion about ways companies can help workers find work-life balance to increase happiness and satisfaction, while maximizing effectiveness.
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What Can Squid Game Teach Us About Confidentiality Agreements and Restrictive Covenants?
Why is confidentiality in the workplace so important? What employee information needs to be kept confidential? In Episode 3 of the Hiring to Firing Podcast, Troutman Pepper Partners Tracey Diamond and Evan Gibbs sit down with Richard Eskew, executive vice president, general counsel, and chief privacy officer of Accolade, Inc., to discuss the hit T.V. show Squid Game and lessons learned about confidentiality agreements and restrictive covenants. Tune in to hear a lively discussion about the balance between corporate confidentiality and employee engagement, different types of corporate confidential materials (and the methods used to maintain their secrecy), the risks of employees taking such materials, as well as what companies can do to protect themselves.
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What Can Moneyball Teach Us About People Analytics?
Are you making the best hiring and firing decisions? Is improving employee engagement and retention a challenge? How can you use data to leverage and get the most out of your most valuable asset – your employees?
In Episode 2 of the Hiring to Firing Podcast, Troutman Pepper Partners Tracey Diamond and Evan Gibbs sit down with Spring International CEO Fiona Jamison to discuss the hit movie Moneyball and the use of people analytics in the workplace.
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Widespread “Revival Statutes” Forcing Employers to Take Stock of Past Practices and Prepare for a Barrage of Sexual Misconduct Litigation: New York Becomes the Latest State to Enact Revival Legislation for Adult Victims
Q: What is New York’s Adult Survivors Act?
On May 24, New York State enacted the Adult Survivors Act, which provides a one-year “revival window,” commencing on November 24, 2022, for adult victims of sexual abuse. Enactment of such “revival statutes” (a/k/a revival window or lookback period statutes) is the latest trend for #MeToo era legislatures grappling with shifting societal views of limitations periods for sexual abuse claims. Although the parameters of revival statutes can differ, essentially, they provide a limited period, usually at least one year, for sexual abuse victims to file civil claims that would otherwise be time-barred. Often these statutes also include prospective enlargements of civil and criminal limitations periods or otherwise expand the scope of potential liability going forward. In recent years, nearly half of U.S. state legislatures have passed laws opening revival windows for sexual abuse cases.
Lessons Learned on National Origin Discrimination from Emily in Paris
In Episode 1 of the Hiring to Firing Podcast, Troutman Pepper Partners Tracey Diamond and Evan Gibbs sit down with European Metal Recycling VP of People and Deputy General Counsel Kate Puccio to discuss the hit show Emily in Paris and the lessons learned about national origin based on events from the show. This episode blends pop culture and fashion into a discussion about important and contemporary legal issues in the workplace.
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Introduction to Hiring to Firing Podcast
What do Emily in Paris, Squid Game, Severance, Ted Lasso, and Moneyball have in common? Find out by listening and subscribing to our Hiring to Firing Podcast hosted by Tracey Diamond and Evan Gibbs. The pair delve into hot-button labor and employment law issues with unique perspectives drawing on pop culture and hit shows and movies. Stay informed and entertained!
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Illinois Supreme Court Rules on Workers’ Compensation Act and BIPA
Q. Does the Workers’ Compensation Act bar a claim for damages under Illinois’ Biometric Privacy Act (BIPA)?
A. The Illinois Supreme Court recently issued an opinion, finding that the Workers’ Compensation Act does not bar a claim for damages under BIPA.
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