Category: Labor

“Concerted Activity” Definition Expanded

Last week, in Parexel International, 356 NLRB No. 82 (2011) the National Labor Relations Board expanded its definition of “concerted activity” by holding that an employee who complained to a supervisor about wages and working conditions (and was subsequently terminated) was engaging in protected behavior. The NLRB reversed an Administrative Law Judge’s ruling that her […]

Two Supreme Court Labor and Employment Law Decisions

– City of Ontario, California v. Quon. This case involved  a police officer’s text messages being reviewed by the City.  The  Court sidestepped the question whether public employees have an expectation of privacy, but in any event unanimously found that the city’s search of a worker’s text messages at issue in the case was reasonable […]

Which Federal Employment Laws Apply to My Employer?

    Different companies are subject to different federal employment laws based on their size. Below is an overview of the federal employment laws that affect companies with certain numbers of employees.  There may be additional state laws that apply which are not discussed here. 1+ EMPLOYEES Although smaller companies are exempt from certain requirements, […]

City of Lakeland Unfair to Labor by Not Giving Pay Raise

In Utility Workers Union of America v. City of Lakeland, the Second District Court of Appeal,  on June 2, 2010, held that the City of Lakeland engaged in an unfair labor practice by altering the status quo pending collective bargaining.
For twenty years, the City has provided annual across-the-board wage adjustments to its employees.  In June […]