WSNYC Blog: The Latest in Employment Law

Last month, Alysa Butler, a Coinbase employee, informed the New York Times about racial discrimination and exclusivity in the workplace. Butler was one of 15 black employees at the company who complained to the human resources department about ongoing issues around racism before leaving the company last year. Coinbase, a prominent cryptocurrency start-up in the United States, is not the first tech company that has had racial diversity problems. The tech industry has a reputation for placing a glass ceiling

Last month, the New York Times published an article mentioning a recent law that was passed in New Jersey regarding recreational marijuana usage. New Jersey residents voted to amend the state constitution and legalize the use of marijuana for adults 21 and older. The new bill is expected to take full effect on January 1st, 2021. New Jersey is anticipated to become one of the most prominent marijuana markets in the United States. This projection has urged neighboring states, like New

Earlier this month, National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) prosecutors accused Google of anti-union actions in violation of the NLRB’s ban on punishing workers for engaging in organizing activity. These accusations come a year after five Google employees filed a series of charges with the NLRB claiming that the company violated rights protected under the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA), such as terminating workers for organizing fellow employees. The board claims that Google violated federal labor law when the company recently

After nearly 9 months since the Coronavirus pandemic hit the United States, the FDA has approved two vaccines. As more and more Americans get vaccinated, people are wondering whether employers can require all employees to be vaccinated before returning to the workplace. Some employers may want to force employees to be vaccinated to help ensure the safest working environment possible. But do employers have the right to dictate an employee’s medical choices? This is a very important question in light

Last week, Pinterest agreed to settle a gender discrimination and retaliation lawsuit filed by former Chief Operating Officer Françoise Brougher for $22.5 million, making it one of the largest publicly announced, individual gender discrimination settlements. Pinterest and Brougher have agreed to donate the $22.5 million to charities and organizations that promote and fund education and advocacy for women and minorities in the tech industry. Brougher’s lawyer, David Lowe, noted that this settlement stands out because of “its size, its charitable

Last October, New York City put Int. 136-A into place, a law that provides further legal protection for independent contractors and freelancers in NYC. The law allows for employment protections under the New York City Human Rights Law (NYCHRL) to be extended to independent contractors and freelancers, meaning that these workers can now bring harassment, discrimination, retaliation, and other complaints to the NYC Commission on Human Rights or file a lawsuit in court. The law went into effect in January

Last week, Amazon warehouse worker Michelle Posey filed a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) accusing the company of pregnancy and disability discrimination in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Pregnancy Discrimination Act. Both of these pieces of legislation protect employees from discrimination on the basis of a disability or pregnancy. According to Posey’s filing, Amazon routinely either ignores or drags its feet in responding to requests for workplace accommodations. Additionally, she points out that

Claims filed by soccer players of the U.S Women’s National Team (USWNT) alleging worse travel accommodations and working conditions than the U.S. Men’s National Team (USMNT) have been settled according to court documents filed last week. As a result of this settlement, U.S. Soccer is amending its policies to include changes such as an equal number of charter flights for the men’s and women’s teams and an effort to have women’s matches played in top tier venues and on grass