Insights Archive

Sixth Circuit Adopts New Certification Process in FLSA Collective Actions

On May 19, 2023, in Clark v. A&L Home Care and Training Center, LLC., the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit rejected the familiar two-step certification procedure in collective actions under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), instead requiring lead plaintiffs to demonstrate a “strong likelihood” that other employees they seek to represent are “similarly situated” to the original plaintiffs. In so ruling, the Sixth Circuit became just the second circuit court to expressly reject the familiar two-step certification procedure in FLSA collective actions.

Chris R. Pace Kansas City Author

Margaret Santen Charlotte
Atlanta Author

Monica L. Lacks Cleveland Author

Samuel H. Ottinger Cleveland Author

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

Supreme Court Declines to Resolve Circuit Split on Exercise of Personal Jurisdiction in FLSA Collective Actions

On June 6, 2022, the Supreme Court of the United States declined to hear petitions seeking review of whether federal courts may exercise personal jurisdiction over claims of nonresident plaintiffs who join Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) collective actions when their claims are not connected to the defendant’s activities in the forum state.

Margaret Santen Charlotte
Atlanta Author

Monica L. Lacks Cleveland Author

Samuel H. Ottinger Cleveland Author

Sixth Circuit Limits Exercise of Personal Jurisdiction in FLSA Collective Actions

On August 17, 2021, the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals became the first federal appellate court to expressly rule on the application of the Supreme Court of the United States’ decision in Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. v. Superior Court of California to Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) collective actions.

Monica L. Lacks Cleveland Author

Samuel H. Ottinger Cleveland Author

Opioid Addiction and the ADA: The EEOC Provides Timely Guidance

It is established that an employee’s drug addiction may qualify as a disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), provided the employee is not currently using illicit substances. In the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s (EEOC) Technical Assistance Manual on the Employment Provisions (Title I) of the Americans with Disabilities Act, the EEOC states that “[p]ersons addicted to drugs, but who are no longer using drugs illegally and are receiving treatment for drug addiction or who have been rehabilitated successfully, are protected by the ADA from discrimination on the basis of past drug addiction.” While the EEOC’s nonregulatory pronouncements do not have the force of law, courts addressing the issue generally have adopted this position.

Monica L. Lacks Cleveland Author

Copier Victor Victorious: Sixth Circuit Clarifies Plaintiffs’ Evidentiary Burden in FLSA Cases

In Viet v. Copier Victor, Inc., No. 18-6191 (March 10, 2020), the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit affirmed summary judgment for Copier Victor and its founder, Victor Le, on an employee’s overtime claims under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), finding the employee’s testimony regarding the number of hours he worked on a weekly basis too vague and conclusory to withstand summary judgment.

Samuel H. Ottinger Cleveland Author

Monica L. Lacks Cleveland Author

Eighth Circuit Holds Independent Agreements for Attorneys’ Fees in FLSA Settlements Are Not Subject to Judicial Review

Last month, in Barbee v. Big River Steel, LLC, No. 18-2255 (June 20, 2019), the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit held that an independent agreement for attorneys’ fees in connection with a Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) settlement does not require court approval—without intimating any position on the current circuit split as to whether FLSA settlements in general require judicial approval.

Monica L. Lacks Cleveland Author

Cuyahoga County, Ohio Employer of Four or More? Ordinance Expands LGBTQ Protections

Employees in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, now enjoy more expansive protections against discrimination than they do under Ohio and federal law.

Monica L. Lacks Cleveland Author

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