Same-Sex Relationships and the Definition of Cohabitation
December 10th, 2015 by JBWK
Submitted by Berkley Foltz Virginia began issuing same-sex marriage licenses in October 2014. Now, for the first time since that date, the Supreme Court of Virginia will hear a case in which an ex-husband is arguing that he should no longer be required to pay spousal support under their property settlement agreement because his ex-wife […]
Delay in Overtime Exemption Rule
December 9th, 2015 by JBWK
Submitted by Attorney Robyn H. Hansen According to the U.S. Department of Labor’s (“DOL”) Fall 2015 Regulatory Agenda, the Fair Labor Standards Act’s white-collar overtime exemption rule will be issued in approximately July of 2016. The proposed rule, which was published in July 2015, proposed an increase in the salary threshold for exemption from the […]
Trick or Treat? S Corporations and Estate Planning
November 2nd, 2015 by JBWK
Submitted by Rebecca Shwayder Aman Small or closely held businesses can take one of several forms, including limited liability companies (“LLCs”), partnerships and S corporations (corporations which have made a special tax election with the IRS). To certain types of businesses, an S corporation offers the best of both worlds. Like LLCs and partnerships, an […]
Real Estate Update: 2015 Changes to the Settlement Service Process
November 2nd, 2015 by JBWK
Submitted by Matthew D. Meadows Effective October 3, 2015, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has instituted several changes to the terminology and forms employed in real estate settlements, which are regulated by the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (RESPA). Specifically, the revised regulations merge the Truth in Lending Act disclosure form with RESPA’s HUD-1 Settlement […]
Hoarding Tenants & Unit Owners Must Be Provided Reasonable Accommodations
August 10th, 2015 by JBWK
Submitted by Herbert V. Kelly, Jr. Compulsive hoarders present very serious problems for landlords, property managers, and homeowners associations. Hoarding often results in countless adverse and potentially life threatening circumstances for both the hoarder and their neighbors. One might assume, justifiably, that evicting or otherwise ridding themselves of a hoarding tenant or unit owner would […]
Service Animals in Housing & Public Common Areas: An Overview of the Requirements under the ADA and FHA
August 10th, 2015 by JBWK
Submitted by Herbert V. Kelly, Jr. Service animals are often essential to a disabled individual’s ability to function in society without constant human assistance. The benefits are well established and heavily enforced federal laws have been enacted to protect these disabled individuals’ rights to utilize service animals in public housing and places of public accommodation. […]
Local Establishments Face Dilemma as Copyright Enforcement Increases and Jazz Night, Karaoke & Cover Bands Become a Thing of the Past
July 13th, 2015 by JBWK
Submitted by Britney H. Maddux Music rights organizations have ownership rights in most of the music and songs customarily played in local restaurants, bars, and parks. These organizations have been entitled to demand royalty fees from establishments playing the music or songs they own for many years but have just recently started cracking down in […]
Always Read Carefully – Court Won’t Overturn “Unfair” PSA
May 26th, 2015 by JBWK
Submitted by Berkley D. Foltz A case came down recently where a judge found that although a document was “unfair” it was not unconscionable and thus required the parties to comply with its terms. A man had his ex-wife sign a property settlement agreement after telling her that it was a document allowing him to […]
Wallace B. Wason, Jr. named Super Lawyer for 2015
May 7th, 2015 by JBWK
JBWK congratulates Wallace B. Wason, Jr. for being named one of Virginia’s Super Lawyers for 2015. Wally was selected in the field of Personal Injury Medical Malpractice: Plaintiff. This year marks his second time being selected as a Super Lawyer. If you have a malpractice or personal injury case that you would like for us […]
Spying on Your Spouse? Think Twice!
March 19th, 2015 by JBWK
Submitted by Herbert V. Kelly, Jr. Tech-savvy spouses are becoming increasingly aware of spyware programs that can monitor and record smart-phone use to include phone calls, text messages, internet activity and photos. The use of these spyware programs may constitute a violation of Virginia Code § 19.2-62, a criminal statute, which makes it unlawful to […]
Light Duty Only for On the Job Injuries may be a Thing of the Past
March 5th, 2015 by JBWK
Submitted by Elizabeth S. Olcott Employers should keep an eye out for a ruling from the United States Supreme Court concerning pregnancy in the workplace and the potential for discrimination. In December, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments in Young v. UPS, in which the Plaintiff argued that she was the victim of gender and […]
The Gift that Isn’t a Gift: Loudoun County Circuit Court rules that ex-fiancée must return $46,646.00 engagement ring
February 6th, 2015 by JBWK
Zsa Zsa Gabor once said, “I never hated a man enough to give him his diamonds back.” Apparently, the defendant in a recent Loudoun County Circuit Court case agrees. With a price tag of $46,646.00, who can blame her? In the case of Peter v. Langley, the Court followed the majority of U.S. jurisdictions and […]
Worker’s Compensation: Employee Not Entitled to Both TTD and Retirement Benefits
January 21st, 2015 by JBWK
In McKellar v. Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding, Inc., 63 Va. App. 448, 758 S.E.2d 104 (2014), the Court of Appeals of Virginia recently held that a claimant who was injured on the job only two weeks before he was scheduled to retire was not eligible for temporary total disability (“TTD”). The claimant was injured but able […]
IRS Issues Guidance Expanding Cafeteria Plan Election Change Rules
December 23rd, 2014 by JBWK
The IRS recently issued guidance allowing cafeteria plans to allow election changes mid-year in two circumstances arising as a result of the Affordable Care Act. First, the guidance permits a prospective election change if an employee’s hours drop below 30 hours per week. Second, the guidance permits an employee to revoke a prior election to […]
EEOC Assault of Employer Wellness Plans
December 23rd, 2014 by JBWK
The EEOC has brought its third lawsuit in recent months challenging an employer sponsored wellness program under the Americans with Disabilities Act and Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act, asking a federal court in Minnesota to enjoin the implementation of any penalty or cost imposed on employees who decline to participate in the employer’s wellness program. In […]
Courts Issue Troubling Rulings Involving FMLA Notices
December 23rd, 2014 by JBWK
Two recent cases involving the method for delivering FMLA notices to employees have raised significant questions for employers. In August of this year, a federal Court of Appeals found that an FMLA notice sent to an employee through the U.S. Mail provided only a weak presumption that the employee had actually received the notice, which […]
Key Retirement Plan Limits for 2015 Announced
December 23rd, 2014 by JBWK
On October 23, 2014, the IRS announced cost-of-living adjustments to the monetary limitations for pension plans and other retirement-related items for tax year 2015. The table below lists the key 2015 limits and corresponding 2014 limits: 2015 2014 401(k)/403(b) elective deferral maximum $ 18,000 $17,500 §415 defined benefit dollar maximum $210,000 $210,000 §415 defined contribution […]
New Veterans Reporting Rule Issued
December 23rd, 2014 by JBWK
The Veterans’ Employment and Training Service issued a final rule effective October 27, 2014 revising the annual reporting requirements under the Vietnam Era Veteran’s Readjustment and Assistance Act of 1974 (VEVRAA). Federal contractors and subcontractors now must file a new VETS-4212 report, which replaces the existing VETS-100 and VETS-100A beginning in 2015. Significantly, contractors will […]
Marriage Questioned in Guardianship Case
December 23rd, 2014 by JBWK
In Virginia, marriages that are deemed either void or voidable are defective marriages which are legal nullities. Although both void and voidable marriages are improper marriages under the law, there are distinct differences in how they are remedied. A marriage which is void is one which can never be ratified and may be dissolved by […]
HB 791 and Homeowner’s Associations
December 23rd, 2014 by JBWK
A bill has recently been passed which affects Homeowner’s Associations. The bill, titled HB 791, makes several changes to Virginia Code sections 16.1-106 and 55-513. A majority of these changes benefit Associations, but owners benefit as well. The changes went into effect July 1, 2014. The most notable changes that Associations should be aware of […]
What is the authority of campus police beyond the campus? It depends on the circumstances.
December 23rd, 2014 by JBWK
Virginia Code § 23-234 (available here: https://leg1.state.va.us/cgi-bin/legp504.exe?000+cod+23-234) gives campus police powers on streets “immediately adjacent” to school properties. Some cities and counties have entered into mutual aid agreements with colleges and universities. State law also gives authority to campus police when in close pursuit of an individual but courts have limited this authority to cases […]
School Teacher Caught Drinking on Camera
December 23rd, 2014 by JBWK
A Federal District Court in Big Stone Gap, Virginia considered whether school officials who captured a middle-school special education teacher drinking alcoholic beverages on a camera hidden in a stuffed animal in his school office were excessively intrusive and unreasonable. The Court observed that the operational realities of a government office may limit or even […]
DUI in the Driveway: Supreme Court of Virginia affirms DUI conviction involving parked vehicle on private property
December 23rd, 2014 by JBWK
Based on the acronyms “DUI” and “DWI,” it’s easy to understand why most people think that you must be “driving” to be convicted of Driving While Intoxicated in Virginia (a violation of Virginia Code § 18.2-266). In fact, it is a violation of law to “drive or operate” a motor vehicle while intoxicated. “Operating a […]
IRS Issues Guidance Expanding Cafeteria Plan Election Change Rules
December 23rd, 2014 by JBWK
The IRS recently issued guidance allowing cafeteria plans to allow election changes mid-year in two circumstances arising as a result of the Affordable Care Act. First, the guidance permits a prospective election change if an employee’s hours drop below 30 hours per week. Second, the guidance permits an employee to revoke a prior election to […]
Don’t Ask Too Much of Your Non-Compete
September 22nd, 2014 by JBWK
http://www.forbes.com/sites/richardtuschman/2013/02/18/employee-non-compete-agreements-one-size-doesnt-fit-all/
EEOC Settles First GINA Lawsuit
May 25th, 2013 by JBWK
The EEOC has reached a settlement in its first-ever GINA lawsuit. Passed in 2008, GINA, the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act, prohibits employers from basing employment decisions on genetic factors, including an applicant’s family medical history. The case, which settled for $50,000, involved an employer-mandated physical for a job applicant. The doctor asked questions about the […]
New Virginia Employee Privacy Law
May 24th, 2013 by JBWK
Starting July 1, 2013, employers will not be required to hand out employees’ private information, including their phone numbers, email addresses, shift times, or work schedules, to third parties unless required by law. The Keeping Employees’ Emails and Phones Secure Act, or KEEP Act, mirrors a federal bill that stalled in Congress last year. Although […]
Another Blow to NLRB Recess Appointments
May 23rd, 2013 by JBWK
Although it didn’t make quite as much of a splash as the D.C. Circuit’s ruling, another federal appeals court has invalidated the President’s recess appointments to the National Labor Relations Board. The federal Third Circuit Court of Appeals, sitting in Philadelphia, adopted the same logic as the D.C. Circuit in invalidating the NLRB recess appointments. It ruled […]
OSHA Lets Unions In During Inspections of Non-Unionized Workplaces
May 20th, 2013 by JBWK
In a dramatic shift from its prior interpretations, the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration has released a new interpretation of its regulations allowing outside union representatives to accompany employees during OSHA inspections. Previously, employees in unionized and non-unionized workplaces could designate a representative to accompany the inspector during “walkaround” inspections. The representative typically had […]
NLRB Posting Rule Struck Down
May 16th, 2013 by JBWK
In what could be its death blow, the federal D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals struck down the National Labor Relations Board’s rule requiring every employer to display posters explaining employees’ union and organizing rights. After two federal trial courts invalidated the NLRB rule, the D.C. Circuit ruled that the Board exceeded its authority in mandating […]
$240 Million Win for Harassment Victims
May 8th, 2013 by JBWK
An EEOC lawsuit has resulted in a staggering $240 million award to 32 employees of a turkey processing facility in Iowa. (Alas, the company is now defunct, so the likelihood of recovery is slim.) The mentally disabled employees, who were paid 41 cents an hour and housed in a rodent-infested bunkhouse, were reportedly “abused, harshly […]
NLRB Mass Chaos, Part III
April 12th, 2013 by JBWK
As if the D.C. Circuit’s decision rendering the National Labor Relations Board ineffective and the pending cases in several other circuits haven’t caused enough confusion, more has been added to the mix. President Obama has nominated three nominees to the NLRB, but the Senate must confirm them. One is a current NLRB member and the two […]
Federal Court Lets “Gender Stereotype” Case Move Forward
April 12th, 2013 by JBWK
A federal court in Richmond ruled last week that an apparently effeminate, but heterosexual, male who was harassed based on “gender stereotypes” could take his case to trial. In refusing to grant the employer summary judgment, the trial court judge held that the complaint alleged harassment based on “failing to comply with accepted gender norms,” […]
Employers Make Changes to Avoid Health Insurance Coverage
April 12th, 2013 by JBWK
Reporting on a widely popular trend, the Wall Street Journal ran a piece last week on small businesses’ strategies to address the health-insurance mandate kicking in next year. The new law requires employers with 50 or more full-time employees to begin offering group health insurance to all full-time employees (those averaging over 30 hours a week). […]
4th Circuit Upholds Arbitration Agreement for FLSA Claim
April 5th, 2013 by JBWK
In a promising opinion for employers, the Fourth Circuit this week upheld an arbitration agreement restricting an independent contractor’s FLSA lawsuit arguing he was an employee. Shuttle Service, an airport taxi company, entered a “franchise agreement” with a driver. The driver was deemed an independent contractor under the agreement. In addition, the agreement contained a […]
Questions Remain in NLRB Recess Appointment Case
April 4th, 2013 by JBWK
Since the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals January 25 ruling invalidating President Obama’s recess appointments to the National Labor Relations Board, over 70 cases pending in federal appeals courts have cited it in attempts to undo adverse Board decisions. The D.C. Circuit Court opinion, which will affect not only the NLRB but every federal agency, […]
“European” Is Protected Class for National-Origin Discrimination
April 3rd, 2013 by JBWK
A federal case in Alexandria last month raised an interesting issue that’s caused conflict within federal trial courts: What does a reverse-discrimination plaintiff need to prove? The federal trial court, which ended up granting summary judgment to the employer, ruled that “Europeans” occupy a protected class under Title VII’s prohibition on national-origin discrimination. The employer […]
March Madness Office Pool = Jail?
March 22nd, 2013 by JBWK
Most workers don’t think twice about completing their brackets and throwing some money in the pot during the annual March Madness office pool. And they probably shouldn’t. But many employers probably don’t know they could wind up in jail–yes, jail–if they get busted. Gambling is illegal in almost every state, and a March Madness pool […]
The “Everything About Me” Folder
March 21st, 2013 by JBWK
In a startling decision a few weeks ago, a Colorado federal judge sanctioned the EEOC for failing to turn over a virtual “Everything About Me” folder for every plaintiff participating in a sexual harassment class-action case. The EEOC, which filed suit on behalf of a class of female employees allegedly harassed by a manager, initially resisted […]
Getting on Board with BYOD
March 20th, 2013 by JBWK
Soaring personal smartphone and tablet use has created a quandary for some human resources departments: when, and under what circumstances, should the company embrace a bring your own device–or BYOD–approach to connectivity. The benefits are obvious. An employee using his or her personal device saves the company money (by not having to provide a phone, […]
Think Twice About Your Severance Agreement
March 1st, 2013 by JBWK
In a probably-common but always-preventable situation, a former Hallmark executive was forced to return her entire $735,000 severance payment after she disclosed Hallmark’s confidential information under a consulting agreement several years after her non-compete expired. When Hallmark eliminated Janet Murley’s job, VP of Marketing, it offered her a fairly generous severance package: $735,000; health insurance; […]
One Size Does Not Fit All
March 1st, 2013 by JBWK
Employment contracts and non-compete agreements are now standard fare in many professions. They certainly serve a good business purpose, but a misguided or poorly drafted agreement can cause headaches down the line. In a recent Forbes column, employment lawyer Richard Tuschman raised a great question: Should you try to draft a non-compete agreement enforceable in […]
Discrimination is Legal
February 28th, 2013 by JBWK
Mostly. People tend to get fired up about discrimination at work. But they all too often get fired up about the wrong kinds of discrimination. It’s perfectly legal for supervisors, human resources managers, and every other level of employee to discriminate based on legal factors. If your boss loves the Redskins, he can axe all of the […]
Growing Complexity Is Big Win for HR Managers
February 22nd, 2013 by JBWK
What do the ADA, ADAAA, FMLA, Title VII, ADEA, WARN, FLSA, GINA, HIPAA, ERISA, EPA, PPACA, NLRA, and USERRA all have in common (aside from taking up an entire grocery aisle of alphabet soup)? They should be keeping your human resources department very, very busy. In that case, an aptly titled article called Employment Laws Keep […]
Employer Violated NLRA By Firing Employee For Discussing Salaries
February 20th, 2013 by JBWK
A Texas engineering firm landed itself in hot water with the National Labor Relations Board after firing an employee for discussing salaries with her co-workers. The Administrative Law Judge’s decision, which the NLRB affirmed, ruled that the employer’s policy prohibiting employees from discussing wages with their co-workers violated employees’ rights to discuss their working conditions […]
Who Needs A Lawyer?
February 18th, 2013 by JBWK
Most people are willing to pay for basic types of insurance: auto, health, life, disability, etc. They figure that the relatively small upfront cost will be dwarfed by the expected benefit in the event they have an accident, get sick, or die. On the other hand, many small business owners opt to be a jack […]
You Can Take It With You When You Go
February 8th, 2013 by JBWK
Your list of Twitter followers, that is. New York Times editor Jim Roberts, who had a list of more than 75,000 Twitter followers, announced he was taking them with him upon his early-retirement buyout. While he’ll likely have to change his handle to remove the NYT reference, he’s apparently free to keep his followers. CBS […]
Think Employment Law Doesn’t Apply to You? Think Again
February 7th, 2013 by JBWK
That’s the title of a short article from Inc. magazine, but well worth the two minutes it takes to read. It highlights the often-confusing framework of federal employment laws that can trap unwary employers, even small ones. Here’s the lead: Quick quiz: You have 35 employees. One of your junior analysts is pregnant. Do you have […]
Federal Court Dismisses EEOC’s Credit-Check Discrimination Case
February 6th, 2013 by JBWK
An Ohio federal court dealt the EEOC a major blow by dismissing its case against Kaplan Higher Education last week. The case had been the most notable one so far advancing the EEOC’s theory of “disparate impact” discrimination based on Kaplan’s use of credit reports in hiring. The court found largely technical problems with the […]
A Parting Gift to Remember
February 1st, 2013 by JBWK
When Minnesota grocer Joe Lueken wanted to retire at the end of 2012, he apparently had no trouble finding a succession plan: give away the company to the employees. For free. Leuken, who ran a local grocery store, created an employee stock ownership plan, or ESOP. Typically, employees have to contribute money to an ESOP […]