President Trump issues Executive Order targeting “disparate impact liability”
5/9/25
By: Shane Miller
President Trump recently issued an Executive Order stating that “disparate impact liability” violates principles of equal treatment and equal opportunity under the law by creating “a near insurmountable presumption of unlawful discrimination” if “there are any differences …
New Jersey appellate court reinforces limitation on whistleblower claims
4/7/25
In a recent reported decision, the Appellate Division of the Superior Court of New Jersey reaffirmed that New Jersey’s whistleblower statute, the Conscientious Employee Protection Act (“CEPA”), does not apply to conduct that occurred after the …
President Trump’s Executive Order 14236 revokes $15-per-hour federal contractor minimum wage
4/4/25
On March 14, 2025, President Donald Trump issued Executive Order 14236. This Executive Order revoked 18 prior executive orders and actions issued by former President Joe Biden. One of these prior executive orders was Executive Order …
4/3/25
In Smith v. BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee, the Tennessee Supreme Court rejected a retaliatory discharge claim based on an employee’s exercise of a constitutional right to petition.
Smith was an at-will BlueCross BlueShield (BCBS) …
EEOC and DOJ issue guidance on “DEI-Related Discrimination”
3/26/25
By: Shane Miller
As we noted in Freeman Mathis & Gary’s previous blog posts, the Trump Administration is seeking to eliminate certain Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) programs (or particular aspects of such DEI programs) from the workplace, including for …
3/19/25
On February 21, 2025, the federal district court for the district of Maryland issued a preliminary injunction prohibiting the Trump Administration from enforcing key aspects of two executive orders aimed at eliminating diversity, equity and inclusion …
The growing legal threat of 401(k) forfeiture class actions: What plan sponsors need to know
3/18/25
By: Thomas R. Starks
While ERISA class action lawsuits have been a growing concern for plan fiduciaries, a recent trend is the surge of class action lawsuits challenging the handling of 401(k) plan forfeitures.
Understanding 401(k) Plan Forfeitures
Some …
2/18/25
By: Carli L. Smith
The NLRB is once again in the news: on Friday, acting National Labor Relations Board General Counsel William Cowen rescinded a series of memos issued by the previous General Counsel Jennifer Abruzzo. The rescission of the …
2/11/25
By: Shane Miller
In Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware, employers must compensate employees for work-related travel during the workday, including travel time from one job site to another. Employers may face significant monetary penalties if they fail to do so.…
New administration’s anti-DEI initiatives and impact on employers
2/10/25
By: Chloe C. Zidian
On January 21, 2025, amidst a flurry of others, the new president signed an Executive Order abolishing federal contractors’ affirmative action requirements, reducing other DEI programs for federal employees, and discouraging DEI efforts in the private …
California appellate court rejects “Headless PAGA” as a way to avoid arbitration
1/13/25
By: John K. Rubiner
At the very end of 2024, the California Court of Appeal for the Second District issued its opinion in Leeper v. Shipt (Cal. App. December 30, 2024) 2024 WL 5251619. This is an important case concerning …
Navigating SECURE 2.0: What’s new for ERISA plan sponsors in 2025
1/9/25
By: Thomas R. Starks
The SECURE 2.0 Act, which amends ERISA and parts of the Internal Revenue Code, includes several provisions that will take effect in 2025. To ensure compliance, 401(k) plan sponsors must ensure that these provisions are implemented. …