Allyn & Fortuna LLPMegan J. Muoio, May 21, 2014. Recent Supreme Court decisions and federal legislation have addressed the issue of when it is appropriate for employees to discuss pay and salary issues amongst themselves and what options, if any, do employers have to prevent disclosures made among employees. Many employers discourage or outright prohibit employees from disclosing or discussing pay and salary information. These prohibitions are often contained within employment handbooks or simply conveyed verbally to employees. However, despite their frequent use, pay and salary confidentiality rules have been prohibited…
Megan J. Muoio, April 23, 2014. On June 11, 2013, Judge William H. Pauley of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York issued a decision in Glatt v. Fox Searchlight Pictures that struck fear into the hearts of employers with unpaid internship programs in New York. The Court ruled that an employer had violated federal and state labor laws by classifying the plaintiffs as unpaid interns rather than employees and that the plaintiffs should have been paid for their work. The Glatt case…
Paula Lopez, April 2, 2014. Employers are not blind to employees’ use of social media in and out of the workplace and they have a business interest in protecting confidential information, brand/image, employee morale and productivity, and insulating themselves from legal liability. As a result, employers should establish a social media policy regarding their employees’ use of employer-issued devices and their social media activities. Creating a comprehensive social media policy is important. Such a policy should specifically identify permitted and prohibited conduct, without being overly restrictive, and should…