COVID-19: FAQs on Federal Labor and Employment Laws

As part of their “COVID-secure” return to work plans, some employers in the United Kingdom are implementing temperature screenings for their employees.

A recent decision by the Second Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed a ruling by the lower court that the New York City Board of Education (BOE) violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act through its use of a discriminatory teacher certification exam that was not “job related” under the statute. With its decision, the Second Circuit added another chapter to long-running litigation involving efforts by a group of minority teachers to challenge the use of teacher certification tests that have allegedly had a detrimental effect on their careers.

On May 3, 2016, Vermont Governor Peter Shumlin signed into law a “ban the box” statute, which will take effect on July 1, 2017. The law will prohibit covered employers from inquiring about information pertaining to an individual’s criminal history record on an initial employment application. The law does, however, allow an employer to inquire about an applicant’s criminal history record (i) during a job interview or (ii) once the applicant has been deemed otherwise qualified for the position.