Taking Care of HR Business

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        by Tawny L. Alvarez on April 29, 2016

        BNA Bloomberg is currently reporting that yesterday word was leaked from a Washington staffer that the DOL white collar salary threshold will be in...

        April 26, 2016

        On Monday, Stephen comes into work dressed like a pirate. As his employer, you think this is strange, and maybe pushing the limits of the dress code,...

        April 25, 2016

        Are reports of the death of the manager's rule greatly exaggerated? Gentle reader, as you know, the manager rule is a common defense to...

        by Tawny L. Alvarez on April 20, 2016

        Earlier this month, a District of Massachusetts court issued an opinion which held in part that that a hospital's refusal to permit an employee to...

        by Tawny L. Alvarez on April 20, 2016

        Oftentimes clients ask, "When we think an employee is high, can we fire him?" My answer is consistently the same, "That depends." It depends on a...

        by Tawny L. Alvarez on April 19, 2016

        So often we post about the affects of the legalization of marijuana (a.k.a. "pot") in the workplace, but today's post is a bit different; today we...

        by Roger A. Clement, Jr. on April 19, 2016

        "Can I be personally liable?" Directors, officers, and managers of business entities frequently ask that question of their attorneys. A recent...

        by Tawny L. Alvarez on April 13, 2016

        MaineBiz reports that yesterday U.S. Senator Angus King wrote a letter to the Office of Management and Budget voicing his concerns on the DOL's...

        by Tawny L. Alvarez on April 6, 2016

        Yesterday, the Eighth Circuit issued an opinion in Morriss v. BNSF Railway Co., No. 14-3858 (April 5, 2016), rejecting the plaintiff's argument that...

        by Tawny L. Alvarez on April 1, 2016

        Last month, a federal judge in the Eastern District of Michigan denied the U.S. Postal Service's Motion to Dismiss a claim of sex, military, and...

        March 31, 2016

        Interesting story that developed on Wednesday: some of the biggest names in U.S. women's soccer filed a wage discrimination claim with the EEOC,...

        March 30, 2016

        On March 29, 2016, the Supreme Court issued a one sentence decision in Friedrichs v. California Teachers Association: "The judgment is affirmed by an...

        by Elizabeth Connellan Smith on March 28, 2016

        Apparently it is going to be a lot less fun to work at Zenefits, a health insurance brokerage start-up, than it used to be. A month ago, David Sacks,...

        March 24, 2016

        We love boat cases! We also love it when our colleagues makes clever arguments, even if those arguments are a bit of a stretch. The casino ship...

        by Elizabeth Connellan Smith on March 23, 2016

        On March 18, the CDC finally issued much-anticipated guidelines for the prescription of opioids in chronic pain management "outside of active cancer...

        by Tawny L. Alvarez on March 17, 2016

        We laugh about employee engagement and productivity on the day after the Super Bowl; we joke about productivity on Black Friday; welcome today to a...

        by Tawny L. Alvarez on March 17, 2016

        Father and Son and Baseball is like . . . well it's actually not like anything else, it is America. Have you seen #FamilyFirst and the publicity that...

        by Tawny L. Alvarez on March 16, 2016

        Previously, we published a blog post on the DOL's 2015 proposal to more than double the threshold under which salaried exempt employees are eligible...

        by Tawny L. Alvarez on March 10, 2016

        The last few weeks have been filled with filings and decisions in federal courts across the country regarding sexual orientation as a basis for a...

        by Tawny L. Alvarez on March 10, 2016

        Yesterday, March 9, 2016, Vermont Governor Peter Shumlin signed into law a bill that will require paid sick leave to be offered to an estimated...

        by Tawny L. Alvarez on February 26, 2016

        Earlier this week the New Hampshire Supreme Court issued a decision in EEOC v. Fred Fuller Oil Company, Inc., finding that New Hampshire's...

        February 26, 2016

        As employment lawyers we have seen some pretty awful examples of behavior in the workplace. If we are involved, we are usually helping our clients...

        by Elizabeth Connellan Smith on February 25, 2016

        Many of you are aware of the Medicare Secondary Payer Act, or MSP. It was enacted to stop cost-shifting from a third party who is responsible for...

        February 12, 2016

        Since its passing in 2010 the clarion call of Obamacare opponents was that the employer mandate would incentivize employers to cut hours so as to...

        February 9, 2016

        Hey Tex, when is a sailor not a sailor? According to the Fifth Circuit, when the sailor's primary duty is unloading cargo. When we New Englanders...

        February 4, 2016

        Update regarding an issue we've previously blogged about. The Eighth Circuit assumed without deciding that individuals can sue for retaliation or...

        by Tawny L. Alvarez on February 3, 2016

        Last week American Greeting Corporation settled a wage and hour class action under the FLSA and California state wage and hour laws in Smith v....

        February 3, 2016

        Interesting employment law angle to Yahoo's announcement yesterday that it would explore "strategic alternatives," including a possible sale of some...

        February 3, 2016

        On January 29, 2016 the NLRB issued a decision in which it changed (under the guise of clarifying) one of the election rules for mail-ballot...

        by Tawny L. Alvarez on January 29, 2016

        Today the EEOC announced proposed changes to the EEO-1 form that will affect federal contractors and all employers who employ over 100 individuals....

        About the Blog

        Human resource professionals, supervisors, and company executives are constantly confronted with a changing legal landscape. Verrill’s Taking Care of HR Business blog is designed to keep you informed about the latest and most significant legal developments that affect employers.

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        About

        Human resource professionals, supervisors, and company executives alike face a constantly changing and evolving legal landscape. Verrill’s Taking Care of HR Business blog is here to keep you up to date on the newest and most important legal developments for employers.

        Verrill’s employment and labor attorneys are based throughout New England but practice on a national stage. In addition to regular appearances in state and federal courts, they often appear before state and federal agencies that create and enforce the various frameworks that regulate the employer-employee relationship. The Group has a wide range of experience in all aspects of labor and employment law and is frequently tapped to serve on state and national legal organizations, participate in industry seminars, and contribute to professional journals, thereby continually adding value to their client relationships. Learn more about Verrill’s Employment and Labor Group.

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        Firm Highlights

        Blog

        Working 9 to 5? It’s a Way to Make a Livin’, so Make Sure You’re Payin’ for Every Minute: A Maine Employer’s Guide to Stacked Wage & Hour Rules

        Four decades after Dolly Parton gave us both the namesake anthem of the American workday and the film about three fed-up office workers’ dreams of...
        Alerts and Newsletters

        Can AI Pass the Doctor Test? FDA Considers Physician-Inspired Evaluation of GenAI Devices and Other Regulatory Measures

        AI is entering healthcare with indomitable will. It promises to increase efficiency, reduce administrative burden (which healthcare providers so...
        Press Releases

        Verrill Attorney Annabel Rodriguez Named Top Women of Law by Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly

        BOSTON, Massachusetts – Verrill attorney Annabel Rodriguez has been recognized as a Top Women of Law by Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly, and will be...
        Blog

        What Employee Benefits Lawyers Do (and How to Make the Best Use of Us)

        What do employee benefits lawyers do all day and how can clients make the best use of them? This post offers an overview of the kinds of things...
        Media Mentions

        Bloomberg Law Quotes Robert Keach on Expanded Access to Small Business Reorganization

        Verrill attorney Bob Keach was recently featured in Bloomberg Law, discussing legislation that would raise debt limits for bankruptcy relief and...
        Blog

        Phil Bartlett to Step Down as Chair of the Maine Public Utilities Commission

        On September 15, 2026, Governor Janet Mills announced that Phil Bartlett will step down as Chair of the Maine Public Utilities Commission (PUC)...
        Published Works

        Jay McCormack and Michael Fee Co-Author AHLA Article on Skin Substitute Enforcement Trends

        Verrill Partners Jay McCormack and Michael Fee co-authored an article for the American Health Law Association's Fraud and Abuse Practice Group...
        Press Releases

        Verrill Welcomes Health Care & Life Sciences Attorney Elpida Velmahos

        BOSTON, Massachusetts – Verrill is pleased to announce that Elpida Velmahos has joined the firm’s Health Care & Life Sciences Group as an...
        Press Releases

        Verrill Welcomes Litigation & Trial Attorney Emma Pooler

        PORTLAND, Maine – Verrill is pleased to announce that Emma Pooler has joined the firm’s Litigation & Trial Group as an Associate, resident in...
        Published Works

        Four Verrill Attorneys Co-Author Massachusetts Trends and Developments Chapter for Chambers and Partners Child Relocation 2026 Guide

        Verrill attorneys Mary H. Schmidt, Rachel A. Deering, Hannah R. Zukoff, and Mariah G. Tappan co-authored the “Trends and Developments” chapter...
        Blog

        A New Protected Class in Maine: Holders of Final Protection Orders

        In the lead-up to Domestic Violence Awareness Month in October, employers may be taking a closer look at how their policies and practices respond to...
        Alerts and Newsletters

        Verrill Secures SJC Victory for Boston Legacy FC in White Stadium Litigation

        Verrill has secured a significant appellate victory for Boston Legacy FC in the litigation challenging the redevelopment of White Stadium in...