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On March 3, 2022, President Biden signed the Ending Forced Arbitration of Sexual Assault & Sexual Harassment Act. This law is one significant step forward in the fight to end arbitration contracts that deny access to the Courts for violations of fundamental workplace rights.
For far too long, countless survivors, workers, and consumers have been silenced by forced arbitration. Continue reading “The End of Forced Arbitration for Survivors of Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment”
News Update: Promised Waivers fall short. According to recent reporting, the waiver program was much smaller than promised. Although waivers for 55,000 more claimants is a good step forward, it fell short of the 382,000 promised and as of May 12, 2022 there is still no explanation about when or if more will be coming.
In a recently filed Class Action Complaint, Blanchard & Walker clients allege Michigan’s Unemployment Insurance Agency is illegally assessing “overpayments” and initiating collection activity against a broad class of UIA claimants who relied on pandemic unemployment assistance in 2020 and 2021. The lawsuit seeks injunctive and other relief to recover for unlawful actions that violate the due process rights of UI claimants.
UPDATE 5/1/2022: HEARING SCHEDULED ON PRELIMINARY INJUNCTION MOTION. The Michigan Court of Claims has scheduled the hearing on Plaintiffs’ Motion for Preliminary Injunction for May 17, 2022 at 1pm in the Lansing Hall of Justice. The hearing will be held in person and is open to the public.
Continue reading “UIA CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT-WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW “
Many companies require workers to use their own cars for work, yet fail to reimburse their drivers adequately for the use of the car. Here’s what you don’t know about Pizza delivery drivers. Delivery drivers end up putting thousands of miles of wear-and-tear on their cars, paying for gas and repairs — before they realize the true cost of delivery driver work. Continue reading “Delivery Driver Class Action Lawsuits at Blanchard & Walker”
There is an “Commission Sales” overtime exemption under Fair Labor Standards Act, 29 USC Section 207(i)… but are those payments really “commissions”?Under Section 207(i) commission sales employees are exempt from overtime requirements, but only if:
There are plenty of people that work under phony “commission plans” who actually should receive overtime pay at time and a half for their hours over 40. Continue reading “Should I be Getting Overtime Pay If I am Paid on Commissions?”
As Michigan employers prepare for a return to in-person work, Michigan’s Universities are leading the way on vaccination policies. On July 30, 2021, Both Michigan State University and the University of Michigan rolled out mandatory COVID-19 vaccination policies for all employees (and students) returning to campus this fall. Many hospitals and health-care settings have already announced similar policies. With proper exemptions in place, mandatory vaccination policies Continue reading “Public, Private Employers Roll Out Workplace Vaccination Requirements for In-Person Work”
Read about our client’s struggle in Time Magazine this week. Tamara Brown was denied the right to work from home during the COVID-19 pandemic and fired for having child care responsibilities. Despite federal law and leave rights, employers who did not keep up with the law have done wrong to so many Michigan workers: fired when they should receive paid leave; forcing working moms to choose between family safety and a right to keep a job. Nobody should be forced to make that choice.
Continue reading “Time Magazine: The Fight for Working Mothers”
The COVID-19 pandemic continues to present many challenges for the Michigan workplace. The law and circumstances are changing almost daily. We are regularly monitoring and updating workplace rights resources we have found helpful. Additional Blanchard & Walker Resource Pages and Factsheets provide more detailed discussion on specific COVID-19 topics:
Keep in mind this is not intended to be legal advice. Legal rights in any individual case need to be evaluated in consultation with an attorney. Continue reading “COVID-19 Employment Law Updates and Legal Resources (Updated 12/21/2020)”
For those who are working in public during the COVID-19 outbreak, effective workplace safety is a great concern. For everyone’s safety, violations should be reported to local public health departments and appropriate state agencies. Discrimination or retaliation for raising COVID-19 workplace safety concerns is prohibited.
Continue reading “RETURN-TO-WORK: WORKPLACE SAFETY PRECAUTIONS DURING COVID-19”
The COVID-19 pandemic continues to present many challenges for the Michigan workplace. The law and circumstances are changing almost daily. We are regularly monitoring and updating workplace rights resources we have found helpful. Additional Blanchard & Walker Resource Pages and Factsheets provide more detailed discussion on specific COVID-19 topics:
Continue reading “COVID-19 EMPLOYMENT LAW INSIGHTS AND RESOURCES”