Protecting Older Workers Against Discrimination Act

Skip Sperry January 8, 2020Blog Leave a Comment

Senate Bill 485 and House Bill 1230, identical bills entitled “Protecting Older Workers Against Discrimination Act,” are currently before Congress. The House majority leader has indicated that the House Bill may be considered within the next week.

These bills seek to overturn the United States Supreme Court’s ruling in Gross v. FBL Financial Services, Inc., 557 U.S. 167, 129 S.Ct. 2343 (2009), which held that for plaintiffs to prevail in age discrimination cases,

Supreme Court to Decide if Title VII Protects LGBTQ Communities

Skip Sperry April 23, 2019Blog Leave a Comment

On Monday, April 22, 2019, the United States Supreme Court agreed to hear three cases regarding whether Title VII of the Civil Rights Act protects the LGBTQ communities from discrimination based on sex.

The Act does not specifically mention sexual orientation, gender identity, or transgender status, but many appellate courts and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission have read the prohibition against “sex” as covering these groups of people. Other appellate courts have insisted that the prohibition does not apply to these groups.

U.S. Supreme Court Upholds Class Action Waivers in Arbitration Agreements

Skip Sperry May 22, 2018Blog Leave a Comment

Yesterday, May 21, 2018, the United States Supreme Court finally resolved a split among the federal circuit courts regarding whether the National Labor Relations Act (“NLRA”) prohibits businesses from requiring employees to sign arbitration agreements that waive their right to engage in a class action against their employer. Epic Systems Corp. v. Lewis (No. 16–285).

At issue were two federal laws that appear to conflict with one another.