NLRB

In a positive development for businesses, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) has published a final rule setting a new, stricter standard for determining joint employer status under the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA). The new rule, which takes effect on April 27, 2020, comes on the heels of a recent rule published by the Department of Labor narrowing the scope of joint employment under the Fair Labor Standards Act.

The new NLRB rule specifies that a business will be deemed a joint employer of another entity’s employees only if the business has “substantial direct and immediate control” over one or more essential terms of employment. Essential terms of employment are wages, benefits, hours of work, hiring, discharge, discipline, supervision, and direction.Continue Reading NLRB Issues Final “Joint-Employer” Rule

We previously noted that the National Labor Relations Board (“NLRB”) takes the position that the National Labor Relations Act (“NLRA”) protects employees’ use of social media for certain purposes, and these protections apply regardless of whether the employees are covered by a collective bargaining agreement.  Our colleagues at InsidePrivacy recently posted a blog post discussing

Many employers have been surprised by recent rulings that two common employment policies run afoul of the National Labor Relations Act (“NLRA”).  These rulings apply to policies covering all non-management employees, including employees who are not covered by a collective bargaining agreement.  Based on a legitimate interest in preserving proprietary business information, confidentiality, and privacy, many employers have adopted social media policies limiting what employees may post on Facebook or Twitter about their work, their employer, or their co-workers.  Based on privacy considerations, employer procedures for investigating sexual harassment and other complaints often place restrictions on what employees may reveal to their co-workers or others about the allegations.  According to recent decisions, however, both policies may violate Section 7 of the NLRA, which permits employees to engage in “concerted activity” for “mutual aid and protection.”
Continue Reading Social Media and Other Policies Struck Down By NLRB Even for Non-Union Employees