Significant new whistleblower legislation is coursing its way through a special session of the Missouri Legislature and, if passed, will drastically broaden the definition of employer to expose businesses and government entities to whistleblower suits claiming punitive damages. House Bill 21 (HB 21) purports to be an emergency clause bill, which would go into effect immediately upon passage.

On August 8, 2020, President Trump directed the U.S. Secretary of the Treasury “to use his authority to defer certain payroll tax obligations with respect to the American workers most in need." Presidential Memoranda: Memorandum on Deferring Payroll Tax Obligations in Light of the Ongoing COVID-19 Disaster (August 8, 2020).

Following a recent panel hearing comprised of Judges Fisher, Accurso, and Rose, the Appellate Division of the Superior Court of New Jersey issued a published opinion in Eileen McNellis-Wallace, et al. v. Joseph Hoffman, Jr., Esq., et al., 2020 N.J. Super. LEXIS 195 (App. Div. 2020), regarding successor liability in a legal malpractice action.

With the school year commencing, a common question is whether distance or online learning constitutes a school closure under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA), which provides paid leave for covered employees who are unable to work due to certain COVID-19 related reasons.

On August 3, 2020, the Supreme Court of California (the Court) ruled that in order to state a claim for interference with an at-will contract, the plaintiff must allege that the defendant engaged in an independently wrongful act. Ixchel Pharma, LLC v. Biogen, Inc., 2020 Cal. LEXIS 4876, *1.

The SAFE TO WORK Act pending in the United States Congress would create a sea change as to potential liability for COVID-19 related claims as it would create broad immunity for healthcare providers, businesses and schools from claims related to COVID-19.

After a noticeable pause in activity in many offices across the country, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) announced this week that it will re-commence issuing Notice of Right to Sue letters, a process that was suspended for four months because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Philadelphia City Council has passed the Wage Equity Ordinance in an attempt to narrow the gender wage gap. According to the Ordinance, a 2015 United States Census Bureau report found that women in Pennsylvania were paid seventy-nine cents for every dollar a man earned.