Gibbons Law Alert

Gibbons Law Alert

Tagged: Policies/Handbooks

NJLAD Amended to Target Potential Pay Discrimination

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Posted in Discrimination / Policies and Handbooks

On October 3, 2013

On August 28, 2013, New Jersey Governor Christie signed Assembly Bill No. 2648, amending the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination (“NJLAD”) to prohibit employers from retaliating against employees who disclose to or request information from other employees or former employees regarding job title, occupational category, pay (including benefits), gender, race, ethnicity, military status and national origin for the purpose of investigating or taking legal action against potential pay discrimination. The amendment, effective immediately, does not require employees or former employees to divulge this information.

Governor Christie Signs Legislation Protecting Social Networking Accounts of Employees

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Posted in Policies and Handbooks / Privacy and Data Security

On September 25, 2013

On August 29, 2013, Governor Chris Christie signed a bill that prohibits most employers from requiring employees or prospective employees to disclose user names and passwords for social networking accounts like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. The new law, which goes into effect December 1, 2013, makes New Jersey the 13th state to enact legislation protecting the social networking accounts of employees. The Gibbons Employment Law Alert previously covered the proposed bill before it became law.

The Case for Getting Aggressive with Workplace Bullies

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Posted in Policies and Handbooks

On September 6, 2013

You have heard about bullying on the playground but, did you know it has moved into the workplace? Bullying is now an important employee relations issue for businesses and employers must be aware of the problem and address it. In their recent article published by The Metropolitan Corporate Counsel entitled “The Case For Getting Aggressive With Workplace Bullies,” Kelly Bird and Lindsay J. Jarusiewicz focus on the following concerns: What is workplace bullying? How can workplace bullying impact employers and employees? Are there any laws against workplace bullying? How can employers address the issue?

New Jersey Employers Required to Provide Domestic Violence Leave

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Posted in Policies and Handbooks

On August 6, 2013

On July 17, 2013, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie signed into law the New Jersey Security and Financial Empowerment Act (NJ SAFE Act). Effective October 1, 2013, the law requires private and public employers with at least 25 employees to provide unpaid leave to any employee who was a victim of domestic violence or whose child, parent, spouse, domestic partner, or civil union partner was a victim of domestic violence.

New Form I-9 To Go Into Effect On May 7, 2013

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Posted in Policies and Handbooks

On April 24, 2013

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) recently released an updated Employment Eligibility Verification Form I-9. Beginning May 7, 2013, the new Form I-9 must be used for all new hires, including reverification or rehires. The new Form I-9 denotes a revision date of March 8, 2013 in the lower left hand corner of the form and is available on the USCIS’s website. Employers are not required to complete the new Form I-9 for current employees if they have maintained properly-completed unexpired forms on file for those employees.

NLRA Impact on Non-Union Workplace Policies to Continue into 2013

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Posted in Policies and Handbooks

On February 14, 2013

At the Gibbons Second Annual Employment & Labor Law Conference last week, one panel discussion addressed the National Labor Relation Board’s (“NLRB”) recent activity, and offered a list of topics to watch in 2013. This blog post contains the highlights from that discussion as related to employer policies. Of prime interest in our predictions for 2013 is the “recess appointment” issue. Just three weeks ago, the District of Columbia Court of Appeals in Canning v. NLRB, No. 12-1115 (D.C. Cir. Jan. 25, 2013) held that three 2012 recess appointments of officers to the NLRB by President Obama were unconstitutional because they lacked the “Advice and Consent” of the Senate and were not authorized by the Constitution’s Recess Appointments Clause.

Employers are Required to Use New Form to Comply with the Fair Credit Reporting Act

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Posted in Policies and Handbooks

On January 25, 2013

Employers must use an updated form in order to comply with the Fair Credit Reporting Act (“FCRA”), which covers background checks for job applicants and existing employees. The new form is for use effective January 1, 2013. No other provisions of the FCRA have changed. The FCRA Regulates the Use of Consumer Information – The FCRA regulates the use of consumer information. Consumer Reporting Agencies (“CRAs”) compile consumer information into detailed “consumer reports,” which may be used by employers for hiring and retention decisions. Employers also may conduct their own investigative consumer reports, which are covered by the Act as well. The FCRA provides notice and authorization requirements for the use of consumer reports and investigative consumer reports.

Agreement to Arbitrate Trumped “Not a Contract” Language in Employee Handbook and Acknowledgement Form

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Posted in Policies and Handbooks

On January 16, 2013

The District of New Jersey recently held that a binding arbitration procedure contained in an employee handbook and the corresponding waiver in a signed acknowledgement form were enforceable despite a disclaimer in the handbook declaring the document to be unenforceable as a contract. In Brooks v. Brookdale Senior Living Communities, Inc., No. 12-CV-2821 (RBK/AMD) (D.N.J. Dec. 20, 2012), the defendant employer moved to dismiss the employee’s complaint and compel arbitration on the grounds that the employer had a binding arbitration procedure in its handbook and the employee executed a waiver of her right to sue the employer in court under two New Jersey statutes.

Time to Review Your Employee Policies and Training Programs

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Posted in Policies and Handbooks

On November 19, 2012

As we near the end of the year, now may be a good time to dust off your employee manual and training programs! An annual review of policies is a good best practice that can save your company both time and money in the long run. For instance, have you considered revising your policies or offering trainings in areas that have been the focus of recent legal activity such as: social media, confidentiality, reasonable accommodations, or bullying.

NLRB Weighs in on Permissible “At-Will” Employment Language

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Posted in Policies and Handbooks

On November 12, 2012

In light of recent guidance by the National Labor Relations Board (the “Board”), non-union employers should review the “at-will” language found in their handbooks (and many standalone policies) to make sure it does not constitute an unlawful waiver of an employee’s right to engage in union activity. By now, it should come as no surprise that the Board has an interest in non-union workplaces. From promoting a mandatory workplace posting requirement to challenging seemingly innocuous social media policies, the Board should be on the radar screen for all employers. Most recently, the Board has weighed in on at-will disclaimers found in most handbooks or manuals. Such disclaimers typically explain that the employment relationship is not a contractual one, and the employer or employee can end employment at any time for any reason so long as that reason is not unlawful.

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