Close Print
Print

Stephen R. Woods

Shareholder || Greenville

Traditional Labor Relations, Employment Law, Litigation, RIF/WARN, Background Checks, Multistate Advice and Counseling
Healthcare, Retail, Financial Services

Stephen Woods represents and counsels companies on a wide range of labor and employment law issues—though a significant focus of his practice is on background checks (counseling and litigation), reductions in force (including the ADEA/OWBPA, WARN, and state mini-WARNs), and multi-state compliance. He assists national, regional, and local clients on preventive analysis and advice, class and single-plaintiff employment litigation, and EEOC and state agency charges. He is the chair of both the firm’s OD Comply compliance solutions group and the Background Checks Practice Group and the shareholder-author of the OD Comply: Background Checks subscription and the OD Comply: E-Signatures materials. He is a founding member and past co-chair of the firm’s national RIF/WARN Practice Group. He is a member of the firm’s small COVID-19 leadership team responsible for providing client advice and colleague assistance during the pandemic.

Stephen lives by a client-centric mantra that combines prevention and practicality to create innovative, business-centered, legally-compliant solutions. Making national clients happy takes a unique skill set, which Stephen has developed and honed during his 25+ years with the firm.

Before becoming a lawyer, Stephen served as the Manager of Administrative Services at The Greenville News (Greenville, SC), where he managed the HR function of this 500-employee newspaper publishing company.

Traditional Labor Relations, Employment Law, Litigation, RIF/WARN, Background Checks, Multistate Advice and Counseling
Healthcare, Retail, Financial Services
Learn more about Stephen R. Woods

Stephen is a practical, plain-English counselor on a variety of subjects, including the following:

On the litigation front, Stephen represents employers on a variety of labor & employment issues, including national background check class actions.  Recently, he successfully settled a background check class action with one of the largest classes and lowest per-member payouts in history.  He also has successfully opposed the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s attempts to enforce an overly broad subpoena seeking national information from a client with operations in all 50 states.

Stephen is a top-rated, repeat speaker to groups and companies throughout the country on labor & employment topics.  He can make even the driest legal topic (think: the Fair Credit Reporting Act, FMLA, etc.) relatable and relevant to an employer’s current workplace and employment situations.

Education

Admission to Practice

Professional Activities

  • South Carolina Bar Association (Labor & Employment section)
  • Greenville (SC) Bar Association
  • National LGBT Bar Association

Speeches

Insights by Stephen R. Woods

State flag of California

California’s New Background Check Regulations: 10 Frequently Asked Questions

California has implemented new regulations, effective October 1, 2023, that significantly change the employer criminal background check process for California applicants and employees. The following answers to ten frequently asked questions provide an explanation of how California’s new regulations will expand the California Fair Chance Act.

Man and woman discussing analytics document with gavel on table.

Court of Appeals Stays OSHA’s Emergency Temporary Standard

On November 6, 2021, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit granted a stay of the Emergency Temporary Standard issued this week by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. The ETS would require employers with 100 or more employees to implement policies mandating that employees be vaccinated or provide documentation of a negative COVID-19 test at least every seven days.

Document with title "Criminal Background Check."

Supreme Court Provides Additional Guidance on FCRA Standing

On June 25, 2021, the Supreme Court of the United States issued a ruling that provides additional guidance related to the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), a federal law that regulates the collection of consumers’ credit information and access to their credit reports. In the employment context, the FCRA most frequently applies to background checks, including class actions alleging the most common background check claim—unlawful disclosure and authorization screens/forms (usually because of too much or too little information)—resulting in an informational injury.

Surgeon adjusting hairnet.

CDC Revises Quarantine (Following Close Contact) Recommendations

On December 2, 2020, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced that it is revising its COVID-19 quarantine guidelines, offering an alternative to the prior blanket 14-day quarantine recommendation for individuals coming into close contact with positive or presumed-positive individuals.

View All