United States: Maryland Court Signals The State's Wage Payment And Collection Law Is A "Strong" Public Policy And An Out-Of-State Employer's Choice Of Law Provision Will Not Likely Be Enforceable

On January 27, 2015, the Maryland Court of Appeals in Cunningham v. Feinberg stated in dicta that the Maryland Wage Payment and Collection Law (“MWPCL”) reflects a “strong” public policy of Maryland and urged Maryland courts to hold that future out-of-state employer’s choice of law provisions contained in employment agreements be held unenforceable under state law.  In doing so, the Maryland Court of Appeals expressly rejected several contrary holdings, including the U.S. Court of […]

By | February 18th, 2015 ||

United States: Employer Concerns Regarding The Spread Of Measles And Other Infectious Diseases

Action Item: Based on the rising number of issues related to highly communicable diseases like measles, mumps, flu, and Ebola, employers should be proactive rather than reactive in preparing and implementing an infectious disease response policy. Remember, when the issue presents itself in the workplace, it usually is at a critical point requiring immediate action and response by the employer.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (“CDC”) announced recently that “[f]rom January 1 to […]

By | February 18th, 2015 ||

United States: Massachusetts Expands Parental Leave Rights for All Employees

The Massachusetts Parental Leave Act (“PLA”) recently expanded to provide parental leave rights to all employees regardless of gender. The PLA takes effect April 7, 2015, and requires employers with six or more employees to provide a minimum of eight weeks of job protected leave to employees for: (1) the birth of a child; (2) the adoption of a child under 18 or under 23 if the child has a mental or physical disability, […]

By | February 18th, 2015 ||