Insights Archive

Federal District Court in Virginia Rejects Familiar Two-Step FLSA Collective Certification Approach

On April 14, 2023, the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia (Ellis, J.) declined to conditionally certify a collective of USA Today sports website editors, ruling that the familiar two-step Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) collective certification process would lead to irrelevant parties learning of and potentially joining the lawsuit. The decision in Mathews represents a growing trend against the familiar two-step approach to certification of collective actions under the FLSA.

Monica L. Lacks Cleveland Author

Jimmy F. Robinson, Jr. Richmond Author

Samuel H. Ottinger Cleveland Author

FMLA Interference: Court Finds Defendants’ Motion to Dismiss to Be Premature

In Smith v. School Board for the City of Norfolk, Virginia, et al., No. 2:21-cv-138 (November 5, 2021), the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia refused to grant a motion to dismiss to the Norfolk School Board and individual defendants, finding that discovery was necessary to determine whether outreach to the plaintiff office manager while she was on leave under the Family and Medical Leave (FMLA) constituted more than de minimis contact.

Lisa Stephanian Burton Boston
Portland (ME) Author

Jimmy F. Robinson, Jr. Richmond Author

FDA’s Full Stamp of Vaccine Approval Delivers Progress, but Issues With Vaccine Passports and Policies Are Looming

On August 23, 2021, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted full approval to Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine. Moderna’s expedited application for full approval is still pending, and Johnson & Johnson plans to submit its application for full approval sometime later this year.

James M. Paul St. Louis
Tampa Author

Jimmy F. Robinson, Jr. Richmond Author

COVID-19 Variants and Key Government Actions Accelerate Employer Vaccination Policy Implementation

With transmission of the Delta variant on the rise, many employers are revisiting plans to implement COVID-19 vaccination policies. As we have previously explained, employers may encourage and mandate vaccination against COVID-19, subject to exceptions for covered disabilities under the Americans with Disabilities Act and sincerely held religious beliefs under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Guidance that the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) recently issued has been consistent with this position and federal courts have recently affirmed the same.

James M. Paul St. Louis
Tampa Author

Jimmy F. Robinson, Jr. Richmond Author

Twisting Arms to Get Jabbed, White House Says: ‘Vaccination Incentives All Around!’

On April 21, 2021, in a further push to encourage COVID-19 vaccinations for those individuals who have been hesitant, the White House issued a fact sheet titled, “President Biden to Call on All Employers to Provide Paid Time Off for Employees to Get Vaccinated After Meeting Goal of 200 Million Shots in the First 100 Days.” This announcement further signals the administration’s dedication to vaccinating the U.S. population and its willingness to offer incentives to employers that support their employees in becoming vaccinated. Employers that have remained neutral on this issue could be persuaded to “take up arms” and join the fight against COVID-19.

Michael K. Mahoney Morristown
New York Author

James M. Paul St. Louis
Tampa Author

Colin H. Hargreaves Minneapolis Author

Goodbye COVID-19 Priority Phases and Tiers, Hello Battles With Vaccine Passports!

On Tuesday, April 6, 2021, while touring a vaccination site in Alexandria, Virginia, President Joe Biden imposed a deadline on every state to open up vaccination eligibility to all adults by April 19, 2021 (moving up the previous target date of May 1, 2021). The White House COVID-19 coordinator, Jeffrey Zients, told governors also on April 6, 2021, that more than 28 million doses of vaccines will be delivered to all of the states the week of April 4-12, 2021. The president’s directive matches Dr. Anthony Fauci’s estimate in November 2020 that the earliest a vaccine would be available for most nonprioritized Americans would be April 2021.

James M. Paul St. Louis
Tampa Author

Jimmy F. Robinson, Jr. Richmond Author

Virginia Issues Permanent COVID-19 Standard

In July 2020, the Safety and Health Codes Board of the Virginia Department of Labor and Industry approved an emergency temporary standard for COVID-19. In so doing, Virginia became the first state to issue such a temporary standard. On January 13, 2021, the Virginia Safety and Health Codes Board enacted a permanent standard for COVID-19. The “Final Permanent Standard for Infectious Disease Prevention of the SARS-CoV-2 Virus that Causes COVID-19” will be enforced by the Virginia Occupational Safety and Health program (VOSH) and is anticipated to take effect on January 27, 2021.

W. Kyle Dillard Greenville Author

Jimmy F. Robinson, Jr. Richmond Author

Can Employers Fire Rioters? Employers’ Rights in Policing Employee Off-Duty Conduct and Employment Law Consequences of the Capitol Riots

Within days of the January 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol, employees who were observed as part of the mob entering the Capitol were discharged by their employers. Some of the individuals involved in the events at the Capitol were knowingly filmed as part of the insurrection (and many were seen posing for selfies).

Jimmy F. Robinson, Jr. Richmond Author

COVID-19 Vaccinations Arriving For the Holidays: What Employers Need to Know and Can Do

As we discussed in a previous post, employers have already been planning for the arrival of a vaccine—and for good reason given the array of issues to consider when implementing vaccination-related policies. Although mandatory vaccination policies are legal (possibly subject to two limited categories of exemptions and variations in state laws), implementing such policies may prove challenging, at least in the near term.

James M. Paul St. Louis
Tampa Author

Jimmy F. Robinson, Jr. Richmond Author

Mandatory COVID-19 Vaccination: Is It Legal and Is It Right for Your Workplace?

By all accounts, the availability of a vaccine for COVID-19 is a matter of when, not if. According to the World Health Organization, as of August 25, 2020, 173 potential vaccines are currently being developed in labs across the world, 31 of which have advanced to clinical stage testing on humans. Drug manufacturers estimate that a vaccine will be ready and approved for general use by the end of this year or early 2021.

James M. Paul St. Louis
Tampa Author

Jimmy F. Robinson, Jr. Richmond Author

Social Media Posts During Turbulent Times: FAQs on Employee Rights and Employer Responsibilities

Many people have commented on social media regarding the anti-racist movement that has been gaining strength in the wake of police officers killings around the country. Unfortunately, some of these posts are inflammatory, derogatory, offensive, or racist. Even though employees are generally posting on their personal social media pages and are often doing so outside of work time, coworkers and even community-members to employers are increasingly complaining about offensive comments employees are posting on various social media platforms. While sometimes the conduct is so severe that employers can easily determine the appropriate consequences, in other cases employers must balance a variety of legal requirements, employee and public relations concerns, and their own company values. The following are answers to frequently asked questions about these issues.

Jimmy F. Robinson, Jr. Richmond Author

Christine Bestor Townsend Milwaukee
Chicago Author

New Virginia Amendment Requires Employers to Produce Certain Employment Documents

On March 21, 2019, Virginia Governor Ralph Northam approved an amendment and reenactment of Virginia Code § 8.01-413.1. The amendment requires employers to produce certain employment documents upon receipt of a written request from a current or former employee or employee’s attorney and awards possible damages to the employee if the employer fails to do so within the prescribed timeframe. Since the amendment became effective on July 1, 2019, Virginia employers are seeing an uptick in requests for the applicable documents.

Jimmy F. Robinson, Jr. Richmond Author

Ogletree Governmental Affairs State Round-Up

In the past few months, a number of state and local developments have emerged that are likely to resonate across the country. The following is a tour of some of the most recent and significant state-specific legislation, legal rulings, and other developments occurring around the United States.

Christopher W. Olmsted San Diego Author

Diane M. Saunders Boston Author

William M. Lawson St. Louis Author

Jimmy F. Robinson, Jr. Richmond Author

J. Clay Rollins Richmond Author

Blocked: Managing Social Media at Work Under Virginia’s New Privacy Law

With social media pervading all facets of society (no less than 67 percent of Americans are regular users), businesses have long been concerned with their employees’ potentially detrimental social media activities. As these concerns proliferated among Virginia’s business community, many employers saw fit to demand access to their applicants’ and employees’ social media accounts. Privacy activists cried foul and, in response, Virginia joined dozens of other states last month by imposing limits on employer access to such accounts. This new law demands careful response by employers and those advising them.

Jimmy F. Robinson, Jr. Richmond Author

J. Clay Rollins Richmond Author

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