The Iowa Supreme Court has ruled that Iowa state law preempts the City of Waterloo’s restriction on employers’ use of applicants’ criminal record history when making hiring decisions.  Other aspects of the ordinance, however, remain legal and enforceable.  The case is Iowa Ass’n of Bus. & Indus. v. City of Waterloo, Case No. 20-0575,

The year 2020 is finally behind us!  We might not be able to breathe a sigh of relief just yet but the beginning of a new year is still a good time to pause and review your labor and employment law compliance for the year.  COVID-19 is still with us and demanding our attention but

When Jackson Lewis litigation attorneys looked back at cases, trials, and verdicts from the past year, we observed how companies can make themselves less of a target for claims.  Below are some New Year’s resolutions that can help lower the risk of employment litigation:

  • Train managers. Train employees. Keep a record of the training, including

 

A California state jury has handed down a $3 million award to a Caltrans (California Department of Transportation) employee in a case alleging harassment by supervisors.  John Barrie, a staff services analyst at Caltrans, alleged his supervisors harassed him by intentionally triggering his allergies through exposure to chemicals such as perfumes and cleaning solutions.

Barrie

A California jury in Superior Court of the State of California, County of Los Angeles, has ruled against an avionics technician, who filed a $6 million whistleblower claim against SpaceX – Elon Musk’s rocket startup company. Blasdell v. Space Exploration Technologies Corp., et al., No. BC615112.

Plaintiff Jason Blasdell alleged that his employment with