Taking Care of HR Business

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        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...

        by Tawny L. Alvarez on January 14, 2016

        Recently, the National Labor Relations Board reviewed upscale grocer Whole Foods' policy within its General Information Guide ("GIG") which banned...

        by Tawny L. Alvarez on January 12, 2016

        Last week, the United States District Court for the District of New Mexico issued a memorandum and order granting Tractor Supply Company's Motion to...

        January 12, 2016

        On Monday, the Supreme Court heard oral argument in a case that could significantly inhibit public unions' abilities to collect dues from...

        January 11, 2016

        Well, this just got interesting. Tracking a position it took last summer in an agency decision involving a federal employee, the EEOC recently filed...

        by Tawny L. Alvarez on January 11, 2016

        Last week, the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed an Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission holding that an employer was liable for...

        by Tawny L. Alvarez on January 6, 2016

        Last week Judge Joseph N. Laplante of the United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire issued a decision in Posteraro v. RBS...

        by Elizabeth Connellan Smith on January 6, 2016

        Loyal blog readers may recall our post last August reporting on an Ohio company that required its workers to swipe into and out of the restroom at...

        by Tawny L. Alvarez on December 23, 2015

        Last week, a Massachusetts state court ruled on a motion for summary judgment finding that an all-girls Catholic School (Fontbonne Academy in Milton,...

        by Tawny L. Alvarez on December 21, 2015

        In the holiday song that I most often picture sung by the woman portrayed in Madonna's Material Girl, this year my mind shifted away from diamond...

        December 21, 2015

        Dear reader, the powers that be at Blog HQ have decreed that all posts between now and next Friday adhere to a holiday theme. So while you're...

        December 18, 2015

        If you have had the feeling that the creators and enforcers of the ACA speak with forked hoof, just see how the Federal Government speaks about...

        December 17, 2015

        When was the last time you reviewed the "minimum lifting requirements" in your job descriptions? In several cases this year, courts have looked...

        by Tawny L. Alvarez on December 15, 2015

        Because of how often we hear from clients regarding requests for "emotional support" animals to accompany employees to work, we figured a refresher...

        by Elizabeth Connellan Smith on December 15, 2015

        We're all familiar with the holiday tune that recounts Grandma's unfortunate encounter with Santa and his reindeer. She's found the next day with...

        by Tawny L. Alvarez on December 10, 2015

        Debbie Friedman's "The Latke Song" has a wonderful message regarding remembering those who are less fortunate than ourselves during the holiday...

        by Tawny L. Alvarez on December 9, 2015

        Last year we brought you a lively selection of labor and employment-related tips insofar as my true love gifted me presents (or failed to gift said...

        by Tawny L. Alvarez on December 9, 2015

        As Jose Feliciano wishes us a Merry Christmas from the bottom of his heart, it is important that we as employers recognize that in order to maintain...

        by Tawny L. Alvarez on December 3, 2015

        In the wake of the San Bernardino shooting, less than a week after the Planned Parenthood shooting in Colorado Springs, news reports show that in the...

        by Douglas P. Currier on November 24, 2015

        As most employers know by now, the U.S. Department of Labor ("DOL") has proposed amendments to the Fair Labor Standards Act's ("FLSA") "white collar"...

        by Tawny L. Alvarez on November 20, 2015

        While this blog does attempt to bring humor to employment law, we by no means make light of the difficult issues that corporations are faced with...

        by Tawny L. Alvarez on November 10, 2015

        You, like I, may not have been up-to-date on Methadone's street names—but now you are. After that brief (but important) education, we turn to why...

        November 10, 2015

        Do you want your employees to work during working hours? Do you want your employees to keep confidential information private? Do you have policies...

        by Tawny L. Alvarez on October 21, 2015

        Last month a group of individuals filed a class action lawsuit accusing the former H.J. Heinz Co. (now Kraft Heinz) of breaching an agreement the...

        by Tawny L. Alvarez on October 15, 2015

        Earlier this week I found myself in a car dealership in the middle of the day watching daytime television and waiting for a ride; Wendy Williams was...

        by Tawny L. Alvarez on October 6, 2015

        Yesterday the Supreme Court refused to grant certiorari in Yeager v. FirstEnergy Generation Corp., No. 14-1302 (cert. denied 10/5/2015), the case we...

        by Tawny L. Alvarez on October 6, 2015

        My four-year-old spent the vast majority of the weekend publically announcing (louder than her grandparents and I would have preferred) "excuse me I...

        by Tawny L. Alvarez on October 2, 2015

        Recently, New Mexico employer Presbyterian Healthcare Services successfully defended a claim of disability discrimination after terminating a...

        by Tawny L. Alvarez on October 1, 2015

        While normally EEO-1 reports have a filing deadline of September 30 (yes that was yesterday), this year the EEOC Joint Reporting Committee extended...

        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...