Taking Care of HR Business

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        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 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 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 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...

        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 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...

        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....

        by Tawny L. Alvarez on January 19, 2016

        On Friday, the United States Supreme Court granted certiorari in a case where it will determine "whether 'service advisors' at car dealerships are...

        January 19, 2016

        In September 2014, amid "deteriorating financial health" and a "desperate" financial situation, Atlantic City, New Jersey's Trump Taj Mahal filed for...

        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

        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...
        Blog

        Hurry Up and Wait

        This is the third in a series of Verrill blog posts on Maine’s packaging extended producer responsibility (“EPR”) law[1]. In July we reported...
        Media Mentions

        Robert Keach Discusses First Brands Chapter 11 Case in Law360

        Verrill attorney Robert Keach was recently quoted in a Law360 article examining the rejection of First Brands Group's Chapter 11 plan and the...
        Media Mentions

        Cybersecurity and AI Governance: Scott Anderson Featured in Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly

        Verrill Managing Partner Scott Anderson was recently featured in Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly discussing how law firms can build attorney buy-in for...
        Blog

        Section 530A Account Update: ERISA Status of Trump Accounts

        The Department of Labor has issued important guidance addressing whether employer programs that permit contributions to Section 530A accounts (and...
        Press Releases

        97 Verrill Attorneys Recognized by Best Lawyers® 2027, Including Four Named Lawyers of the Year

        AUGUSTA, Maine, BANGOR, Maine, BOSTON, Mass., PORTLAND, Maine, and WESTPORT, Conn., (August 20, 2026) – Verrill is proud to announce that 97...
        Alerts and Newsletters

        SEC’s Proposed “Reg Crypto”: What Founders Need to Know

        Startup founders and emerging-growth companies have a number of options for raising capital under the federal securities laws, including Regulation D...
        Blog

        After 45 Years, the IRS Speaks on DCAP Nondiscrimination Testing – And It’s Good News

        Employers that provide a Dependent Care Assistance Program will be pleased to learn that for the first time in 45 years, the IRS has issued guidance...
        Media Mentions

        U.S. Courts Highlights Annabel Rodriguez’s Journey from Fellow to Mentor

        Verrill attorney Annabel Rodriguez was featured in a recent U.S. Courts article titled “From Fellows to Mentors: Alumni Share Lasting Lessons from...
        Media Mentions

        Robert Keach Discusses Bankruptcy Auction Strategy in Law360

        Verrill attorney Robert Keach spoke with Law360 article examining the complex bankruptcy auction process that resulted in the sale of 23 summer...
        Media Mentions

        Martha Gaythwaite Featured in Portland Press Herald Coverage of Sig Sauer Trial Victory

        Verrill attorney Martha Gaythwaite was highlighted in media coverage of a federal trial in Bangor involving firearm manufacturer Sig Sauer. As...
        Media Mentions

        Law360 Quotes Robert Keach on Senate Bill Affecting Small Business Restructurings

        Verrill attorney Robert Keach was recently quoted in a Law360 article discussing federal legislation that would permanently restore the $7.5 million...