The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has initiated enforcement of the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA) following the release of its final rule and interpretative guidance in April 2024

The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals recently declined to comment on the National Labor Relations Board’s (the “Board”) McLaren Macomb decision which took aim at overbroad non-disparagement and non-disclosure agreements.  

Massachusetts has passed into law An Act Relative to Salary Range Transparency (the “Act”), which means that pay transparency and pay data reporting requirements will soon become official.  In advance of the effective dates in 2025, covered businesses must understand and prepare for  new compliance obligations. 

We previously wrote about this Act in its legislation phase here.  In addition, information regarding other jurisdictions requiring wage transparency, such as California, New York, and Washington, are available in our previous articles here and here.

Mintz’s Employment Practice will continue to monitor any future developments and legal challenges and remains ready to assist employers with compliance with the PWFA and the EEOC’s final rule.

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission ("EEOC") released its Proposed Enforcement Guidance on Harassment in the Workplace.  In light of recent legal developments, such as the Bostock v. Clayton County decision, which held that Title IX protects transgender persons from discrimination on the basis of sex, the #MeToo movement, the increase in remote work, changes to abortion rights, and changes in the way harassment may occur (e.g., online bullying or harassment), the proposed guidance illustrates the EEOC’s current interpretation of “existing requirements of the law” and/or its policies.  Here are some notable parts of the guidance:

The Boston Celtics recent scandal comes at a time when workplace harassment claims (as reported by the EEOC) are on the rise, yet consensual office romantic relationships remain fairly common.  While most employees do not want their employers placing limits on whom they may seek as a romantic partner, from an employer’s viewpoint, the risks of such romances are clear, as they can easily cause real issues in the workplace: interoffice gossip, lack of productivity, reduced moral, allegations of favoritism, or worse, claims of sexual harassment. Mintz attorney Delaney Busch discusses key takeaways from this scandal and policies to minimize the employer’s risk.