The Chartwell Chronicles: Employment Law
Managing the Size and Structure of Your Post-Pandemic Workforce
#WorkforceWednesday: OSHA ETS on Hold, Retaliation Claims Increase, "Vaccination Ambassadors" - Employment Law This Week®
Severance plans subject to the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended (“ERISA”) must satisfy certain compliance requirements, but federal law affords employers significant advantages in the event a...more
Among the first questions I ask when investigating a lawsuit accusing my client of discriminatory conduct is, “Who made the decision?” The reasons are simple. First, an adverse employment action – like termination,...more
Les risques d’allégations de congédiement déguisé demeurent une préoccupation importante pour les employeurs canadiens, en particulier dans le contexte de changements opérationnels. Les tribunaux considèrent qu’un...more
A California jury did it again! Last Thursday, a Los Angeles jury awarded $27.5 million to a former chief nursing officer of a hospital for the alleged post-traumatic stress disorder and other psychological problems she...more
Deivert v. Zartman and Borough of Northumberland, 2025 WL 83747 (M.D.Pa. 2025) - (Neither a municipality nor a municipal manager had immunity under the Pennsylvania Political Subdivision Tort Claims Act (“PPSTCA”) for the...more
The California Court of Appeal issued an important decision clarifying that an employee cannot recover damages for a defamation claim that is derivative of a wrongful termination claim. Defamation causes of action are often...more
Employees who sue their former employer for wrongful termination following a workplace investigation may feel compelled to bring a claim for defamation, based on their belief that the allegations and/or investigation findings...more
In an age where technology makes recording conversations easy and common, a recent wrongful dismissal case (Wan v H&R Block Canada Inc., 2024 ABKB 734) raises important questions about privacy, workplace ethics and the...more
In December 2024, the Court of Appeal for Ontario released its highly anticipated decision in Dufault v. Ignace (Township). The three-judge panel determined that the “for cause” termination clause contained in the employee’s...more
The Family and Medical Leave Act provides unpaid job-protected leave for a qualified employee to care for a spouse, parent, or child with a serious health condition. This means that FMLA protections do not extend to employee...more
The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals recently issued a significant decision regarding the interpretation of the mysterious “in loco parentis” relationships under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). Chapman v. Brentlinger...more
Wilds v. 1959612 Ontario Inc., 2024 ONSC 3452, involves a wrongful dismissal action in which the employee brought a motion for summary judgment. The court found the termination provisions in her employment agreement were...more
The Court of Appeal for Ontario found that settlement documents signed after an employee separated from employment prevented him from suing for the value of vested stock options....more
The arbitration award stemmed from the pro se complaint of Joseph Ruzindana for wrongful termination against his former employer, FCA US. In the arbitration, Ruzindana claimed that he was harassed and discriminated against by...more
Marshall v. Mercantile Exchange Corporation, 2024 CanLII 71128 (ONSC), is an action for wrongful dismissal where the employee claimed he could not mitigate his damages by seeking alternative employment indefinitely because...more
In De Castro v. Arista Homes Limited, 2024 ONSC 1035, Ontario’s Superior Court of Justice (Court) held the termination provision in an employment contract was unenforceable because it defined “cause” more broadly than does...more
On August 14, 2024, the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals issued an opinion reversing a prior decision of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of North Carolina regarding wrongful discharge under North Carolina law....more
When employers think of “medical leave,” most minds understandably jump to the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) or time off that employees may be entitled to under company-provided policies (sick leave, vacation, PTO, etc.)....more
On September 4, 2024, the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals, in Anderson v. Diamondback Investment Group, LLC, ruled on whether a former employee’s use of lawful hemp-derived products containing delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol...more
Last month, we reported on a decision from the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals (which includes Tennessee) concluding that an employee’s asthma did not constitute a protected disability under the Americans with Disabilities...more
Last week’s decision by the Third Circuit Court of Appeals, Morgan v. Allison Crane & Rigging LLC, stands as a reminder to employers to exercise caution in how they navigate accommodating employees with temporary medical...more
North Carolina is an at-will employment state, but recognizes a limited exception from that rule for terminations that violate the state’s public policy. Courts have wrestled for years over the meaning of public policy and...more
In Croke v. VuPoint System Ltd., 2024 ONCA 354, the Court of Appeal for Ontario (OCA) upheld the Superior Court of Justice – Ontario (SCJ)’s summary judgment decision that an employee’s refusal to comply with their employer’s...more
The Court of Appeal for Ontario (OCA) recently held that an employee may be awarded aggravated damages for an employer’s bad-faith conduct during the employee’s dismissal even in the absence of medical evidence identifying a...more
The Ontario Court of Appeal recently held that an employee’s failure to meet COVID-19 vaccination requirements imposed by a third party amounted to frustration of the employment contract. As a result, there was no obligation...more