The Labor & Employment Blog provides employers with breaking news, insights, and legal analysis on the wide range of labor and employment issues facing employers and businesses. While the Blog provides a general summary of regulation updates, it is not intended to be, and should not be relied upon as, legal advice. The labor & employment attorneys at Chamberlain Hrdlicka stand ready to counsel employers on the issues they face.
Larry Carbo, Shareholder and Co-Chair
Kellen Scott, Shareholder
Minakshi Swaminathan, Associate
Elizabeth Feeney, Associate
AmyJo "AJ" Foreman, Associate
Hannah Strawser, Associate
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Chamberlain Hrdlicka Blawgs
In a highly anticipated ruling with national impact for the oil and gas industry, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals late Thursday concluded that directional drilling engineers can be classified as independent contractors and not employees. This ruling sets binding precedent in the Fifth Circuit for decided, pending and future wage and hour cases, validating the oil and gas industry’s use of contract workers and protecting companies against future litigation. Annette Idalski, a Chamberlain Hrdlicka shareholder and chair of the firm’s national labor and employment ...
The #MeToo movement has rightfully prompted employers to reevaluate their policies on sexual harassment: An appropriate and effective response to sexual harassment allegations can minimize the risk of a future lawsuit, promote a better work environment, and provide the basis for avoidance of liability or limiting damages if a lawsuit does occur.
It cannot be denied that we are now living in a new era with regard to sexual harassment allegations. The #MeToo and #TimesUp movements are motivating employees to speak out about sexual harassment in the workplace at record numbers. According to the EEOC, the number of charges filed by individuals alleging they were victims of workplace sexual harassment increased by 12 percent in fiscal 2018 from the prior year.