Bills Seek to Expand Training Opportunities to Certain Laid Off Employees

On December 12, 2014, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) implemented the long- anticipated “ambush election” rules, which govern the procedures for union representation elections. The new rules go into effect on April 14, 2015 and arguably constitute the most sweeping regulatory change ever implemented by the Board.

The Massachusetts Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, enacted in July of 2017, will take effect on April 1, 2018. The Act prohibits Massachusetts employers from denying pregnant women and new mothers reasonable accommodation for their pregnancies and any conditions related to their pregnancies, regardless of whether the pregnancies or related conditions constitute disabilities under existing federal or state discrimination law.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit recently ruled that prohibitions against discriminatory employment practices against the LGTBQ+ community under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 are inapplicable to religious, private, for-profit companies that possess sincere, religious objections to gender nonconforming conduct.