Employment Laws

Employment law covers all rights and obligations within the employer-employee relationship — whether current employees, job applicants, or former employees. Because of the complexity of employment relationships and the wide variety of situations that can arise, employment law involves legal issues as diverse as discrimination, wrongful termination, wages and taxation, and workplace safety. Many of these issues are governed by applicable federal and state law. This is FindLaw’s collection of Employment Laws articles, part of the Human Resources section of the Corporate Counsel Center. Law articles in this archive are predominantly written by lawyers for a professional audience seeking business solutions to legal issues. Start your free research with FindLaw.

Human Resources

Employment Laws Articles

Travel Compensation Rates: Did You Know?

Did you know you know that you are entitled to be reimbursed at the rate of $.31 per mile for reasonable transportation expenses for medical examinations requested by the employer as well as all medical treatment or trips to the pharmacy. If a day ...
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Two Discrimination Cases Address Unique and Common Situations

In a case before the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, the Sixth Circuit ruled that the Americans with Disabilities Act ("ADA") does not require accommodation of an employee based upon that employee’s "association" with the ...
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U.S. Supreme Court and New Jersey Superior Court Rulings Pave the Way for More Employee Lawsuits

On June 22, 1999, the United States Supreme Court and the Superior Court of New Jersey handed down separate rulings which will further encourage employees to file lawsuits charging harassment. In Kolstad v. American Dental Association, the United ...
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U.S. Supreme Court Clarifies Employer Liability for Sexual Harassment by Supervisors

In two opinions issued on June 26, 1998, Burlington Industries Inc v Ellerth and Faragher v City of Boca Raton, the U.S. Supreme Court clarified when an employer can be held liable for sexual harassment engaged in by a supervisor. In Ellerth, the ...
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U.S. Supreme Court Clarifies Evidence Needed To Sustain Jury Verdicts in Employment Discrimination Cases

In Reeves v Sanderson Plumbing Products, Inc (June 12, 2000), the U.S. Supreme Court, in a unanimous opinion, clarified the kind and amount of evidence necessary to sustain a jury's verdict in an employment discrimination case.In most employment ...
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U.S. Supreme Court Concludes Disparate Impact Claims are Viable Under the ADEA

In a watershed decision on March 30, 2005, the United States Supreme Court held an employer may be held liable for age discrimination based on a facially neutral employment policy that has a disproportionate effect, or "disparate impact," on older ...
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U.S. Supreme Court Decides on COBRA: Employers Must Provide COBRA Even if Participant has Other Coverage at Time of COBRA Election

Assume a former employee has been covered under his or her spouse's coverage, or a former employee accepted another job and has since started group coverage with that employer before electing COBRA. Must COBRA coverage be extended once the ...
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U.S. Supreme Court Enforces Strict Compliance with OWBPA Requirements

On January 26, 1998, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that an employee could sue her employer for age discrimination under the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) despite having signed a release because the release did not comply with the ...
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U.S. Supreme Court Holds Title VII Prohibits Same-Sex Harassment

In a brief, unanimous decision, the United States Supreme Court last week held that Title VII prohibits same-sex sexual harassment. As the Court explained, nothing in the language of the statute, nor in Supreme Court jurisprudence, bars such a ...
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U.S. Supreme Court Issues Important Rulings on Employer Liability for Sexual Harassment

On June 26, 1998, the U.S. Supreme Court issued two rulings that will make it easier for employees who are sexually harassed by supervisors to sue their employers for money damages. These rulings will require changes in the steps employers take to ...
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