Employment Laws

DOD Finalizes Whistleblower Rule for Employees of Federal Contractors

Worker Blowing Whistle

The Department of Defense has published its final rule addressing protections for federal contractor employees who disclose information to government officials regarding waste, mismanagement, danger to public health or safety, Read more

Recession Means More Litigation, Increased Litigation Costs, Says Law Firm Survey

Blank Check

Corporate lawyers are projecting a big year of litigation next year, reports the law firm of Fulbright & Jaworski, LLP.

According to Fulbright’s 6th Annual Litigation Trends Survey of corporate law d Read more

Governor’s Veto List Includes Card Check and Other Business-Unfriendly Bills

State Capitol

Hawaii Governor Linda Lingle’s list of bills she will likely veto includes a number of bills that would be detrimental to local employers or businesses.

The list of intended vetoes includes legislation that wo Read more

Employee Demoted After Polygraph Test Can Proceed with Suit

A manager who was demoted after a voluntary polygraph showed “deception” on his part and who subsequently resigned can proceed with his lawsuit against the company for violations of the Employee Polygraph Protection Act, a federal district court rules.

During an investigation into alleged employee misconduct, the manager was asked to submit to a voluntary polygraph test. Read more

USDOL Issues Final Privacy Rule Under Davis Bacon

The U.S. Dept. of Labor has issued its final rule aimed at protecting the personal privacy of laborers and mechanics employed on federal construction contracts under the Davis-Bacon Act and the Copeland Anti-Kickback Act.
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Hawaii Democrats to Push for Living Wage, Union-Friendly Legislation

State Legislature Building A bill aimed at requiring private contractors and service providers receiving government funds to pay workers a “living wage” is likely to be pushed in the upcoming session of the State Legislature according to the Hawaii Democratic Party web Read more

Federal Contractor Requirement to Use E-Verify Finalized, Effective Jan. 15, 2009

Signing of Contract Federal contractors and subcontractors will be required to begin using the U.S. Read more

DHS Files Motion to Lift No-Match Injunction, Hearing Scheduled for Dec. 12

The Dept. of Homeland Security filed a motion on Nov. 6 asking a federal district court to lift its preliminary injunction on the controversial no-match regulation now that its supplemental final rule has been published in the Federal Register. Read more

IRS, DOL Seeking Comments on Genetic Discrimination Law

The Internal Revenue Service, the Dept. of Labor’s Employee Benefits Services Administration, and the Dept. of Health and Human Services are seeking comments for rules under the recently enacted Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act.
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DOL Seeks Limit on Workers’ Personal Information in Davis Bacon Reports

confidential stamp The Dept. of Labor proposes to revise regulations under the Davis-Bacon Act and the Copeland Anti-Kickback Act to better protect the personal privacy of laborers and mechanics employed on covered federal construction contracts.
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No Match Letters Do Not Equate to Illegal Workers, Ninth Circuit Rules

SSN Card A company which received a letter from the Social Security Administration indicating that 48 employees did not match the information in SSA’s database did not have just cause to terminate 33 of the workers when they did not timely comply with the company’s requirement to get new social security cards, the Ninth Circuit hol Read more

Federal Contractors Must Use E-Verify

By President Bush’s Executive Order, federal contractors must agree to use the Dept. of Homeland Security’s E-Verify system to verify the employment eligibility of their U.S. workers and those assigned to work on the federal contract in the U.S.
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Genetic Discrimination Law Approved May 21

Colored Test Tubes A bill designed to protect personal genetic information from misuse by employers and insurance companies has been signed into law by President Bush. Read more