United States: EEOC Gets Schooled: Court Expels Challenge To College’s Separation Agreements

For the second time in less than two months, a federal district court judge has dismissed a U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) challenge to an employer’s separation agreement due to the agency’s failure to conciliate.  On December 2, a federal district court judge in Colorado dismissed the portion of a lawsuit against CollegeAmerica alleging that the college’s separation and release agreements interfered with employees’ rights under the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA). […]

By | December 15th, 2014 ||

United States: How Does The "Cromnibus" Bill Impact Employers?

Update: On Saturday, December 13, 2014, the Senate approved the funding legislation in a bipartisan 56-40 vote.

In an eleventh-hour attempt to avoid a government shutdown, the House of Representatives narrowly approved in a 219-206 vote a measure that would fund the federal government through September 20, 2015, with the exception of funding for immigration enforcement, which receives shorter-term “continuing resolution” funding. The Senate is expected to do the same. Part continuing resolution and part […]

By | December 15th, 2014 ||

Australia: Are public servants responsible if a government contractor breaches work safety laws?

Key Points:

The punitive powers of the Federal Work Health and Safety Act 2011 may stretch very far.

The Commonwealth’s health and safety duties can extend to cover workers employed by private companies that the Government contracts to provide services. When considering that the vast array of contracted services includes construction, engineering and other inherently risky work, it is clear the Commonwealth’s potential liabilities have increased significantly – and, with them, the individual liability of some […]

By | December 14th, 2014 ||