Employment Law

Bill Introduced to Allow Alternate Workers’ Compensation Programs Through Collective Bargaining

December 14, 2012

On November 19, 2012, a bill (A3423) was introduced that seeks to authorize the establishment, through collective bargaining, of alternate workers’ compensation programs. Such programs would include alternate dispute resolution systems for such claims, the creation of light duty, joint labor-management occupational safety and health committees, and benefits supplementary to those provided under workers’ compensation or temporary disability insurance. The Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Labor would be required to monitor any such programs reached through bargaining. The bill would also permit groups of employers participating in Taft-Hartley trust funds to apply to the Commissioner of Banking and Insurance for approval to agree to pool their workers’ compensation liabilities for the purpose of qualifying as members of a group plan for self-insurance.

A New Argument for Negotiating a Social Plan in France

A Plan de Sauvegarde de l’Emploi (PSE) is a mass redundancy or reduction-in-force plan that companies employing 50 or more employees in France must have in place before dismissing 10 or more employees in a layoff. Such a plan is designed to mitigate the effects of a mass layoff or redundancy.

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CEPA Reasonableness Requires Consideration of Plaintiff’s Background, New Jersey Appellate Division Holds

To prevail on a claim under the Conscientious Employee Protection Act (CEPA), a plaintiff must prove that he or she “reasonably believed” the employer’s conduct was in violation of the law. In Gonzalez v. City of Camden et al., 2012 N.J. Super. Unpub. LEXIS 2672 (N.J. App. Div., Dec. 10, 2012), the New Jersey Appellate

Illinois Becomes Second State to Enact Social Media Password Ban

On August 1, 2012, Illinois Governor Pat Quinn signed a new law that will make it unlawful for employers to ask job applicants and current employees to provide passwords or log-in information for their social networking websites. Under the law, employers will be prohibited from obtaining any information about a prospective or current employee that

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A New Argument for Negotiating a Social Plan in France

CEPA Reasonableness Requires Consideration of Plaintiff’s Background, New Jersey Appellate Division Holds

Illinois Becomes Second State to Enact Social Media Password Ban