It's the Last Week in September, So Be Ready for EEOC vs. ...

Posted 1:29 PM by Michael Fox

In looking at recent cases filed, I noticed the first EEOC suit in Texas in what is traditionally a very busy week for EEOC filings. U.S. Concepts which was sued yesterday in the Western District of Texas gets that small prize.

It is fairly clear that what makes this the week in which a large number of EEOC suits are filed is that September 30 is the end of the government's fiscal year, which also means the end of the period for such metrics as the "numbers of cases filed." Although it may not make a difference on whether a case is ever filed, it is quite clear that the end of the fiscal year impacts the timing of the September surprise that many companies may soon be receiving.

Labels: EEOC

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Wal-Mart vs. Wage and Hour Litigation

Posted 10:20 AM by Michael Fox

Wal-Mart has been under a siege of litigation over its payment practices both under the FLSA and various state laws. One of its relatively few victories, the decertification of a 10 year class in Massachusetts has now been taken away by the Supreme Court of the Commonwealth. Salvas v. Wal-Mart (Mass. 9/23/08).

I know that given all the adverse publicity and some of the evidence of practices by some Wal-Mart managers, they may not be the poster child to call for reform of litigation in these type cases. However, just a reading of this opinion and seeing other courts struggle with how to handle these cases, makes me think that the overall system is in need of a massive restructuring.

One problem is that relatively few cases make it for appellate review, since the cost pressures of fighting them make settlement often an economically viable option. Anytime a system has that principle, it becomes very hard for the court system to separate the good from the merely mercenary cases. The Salvas opinion unfortunately, does nothing to advance the cause but is likely to lead to more litigation, make it more difficult (hence more costly) to defend and the downward spiral continues.

For all employers, not just Wal-Mart this is no longer an idle threat, but is now a major problem.

Labels: FLSA

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Sunday, September 07, 2008

Florida's Gun Law - Mostly OK Legally, But Good Policy?

Posted 4:43 PM by Michael Fox

The challenge to one of the most recent laws prohibiting employers from banning firearms from their parking lots is summed up well in a post on the Florida Employment Law Blog, Florida Judge Upholds Most of "Bring Gun to Work" Law; Rejects Customer Section as Unconstitutional. I agree, to a point, with the author's analysis of the decision:

I think Judge Hinkle got it right when he concluded that whether the statute will lead to an increase or decrease is not clear, but that its effects will be marginal in any event.

I think that is accurate in that there will be relatively few incidents where a gun will actually make its way from the parking lot to a role in the workplace incident.

That still doesn't change my view that such laws are bad policy. First, the consequences of the one time that a gun is used so overshadows the times that it is not used, as to counterbalance all except the most potent of arguments. And I am not a big believer in the "deterrence effect" which seems to be the only argument made in support of such legislation.

Since I haven't really looked at the underlying legal arguments, I am not in any way arguing that Judge Hinkle got it wrong. A judge, doing his or her job properly, doesn't get to make value judgments about whether something is good public policy. My beef is with the Florida legislature and their counterparts in the nine other states that have passed such legislation. See, Employer Firearm Policies: Parking Lots, State Laws, OSHA, And The Second Amendment for a discussion of the currently enacted statutes.

Comments:

I used to work in a pretty nasty section of Pittsburgh. My employer prohibited me from having a gun on company property, even if I kept it in my vehicle. At the time I had all of the permits that were necessary, including a certification to work as an armed guard.

About three months after I started there, our receptionist was raped. The rapist hid in her car while it was in our company parking lot. We found this out only after the Police reviewed the tape from the security cameras.

I do know that she hired a lawyer and initiated a lawsuit against the company for failure to provide security. The owner of the company settled and it never went to court.

I have no problem with a company banning guns on it's property, but if anything happens to me that could have been prevented by my carrying a gun, I am going to hold the company responsible. That includes anything from the time I leave my house, untill I return home.

# posted by

Anonymous : 2:44 PM