RESTON—Feb. 11, 2020—Odin, Feldman & Pittleman, P.C., today announced that Thomas J. Sawyer has joined the firm as a shareholder in its Labor & Employment practice group. Sawyer, who leaves Womble Bond Dickinson, brings more than 30 years of extensive experience in a broad spectrum of employment matters, including wage and hour, discrimination and employee termination. […]
The Business Women’s Giving Circle Celebrates Girls, STEM and Opportunity
Each year, the Business Women’s Giving Circle (BWGC) of the Community Foundation for Northern Virginia awards grants to local non-profit organizations that provide instruction and enrichment in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) to girls and young women in Northern Virginia. OFP Shareholder Catherine Schott Murray serves as the BWGC’s chairperson for 2020, and we […]
DOL FINALIZES NEW OVERTIME RULE
On Tuesday, September 24, 2019, the United States Department of Labor announced a final rule change on overtime requirements under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). Employers should be aware of this new rule, which takes effect on January 1, 2020. The new rule increases the earnings threshold required to qualify for a “white collar” […]
New Personnel File Disclosure Requirements in Virginia
Effective July 1, 2019, employers in Virginia will be subject to a new requirement to provide employees with copies of certain documents in their personnel file. Until now, Virginia has left it to the discretion of employers to decide what level of access to provide to employees. Under revised Virginia Code § 8.01-413.1, if a […]
Pushing Your Patience Your Honor … with All Due Respect Contempt in Bankruptcy and the Consequences Thereof
Previously published in Bankruptcy Law News, Vol. XXIV, No.28. Courts possess inherent authority to regulate conduct in their courtrooms and to enforce their orders. All litigants who are unsuccessful in civil litigation are disappointed. Fortunately, after they have exhausted their remedies, virtually all of them recognize the binding nature of the adverse ruling and move […]
DOL Proposes to Increase Threshold for White-Collar Overtime Exemptions
Earlier this month, the Department of Labor (DOL) reissued proposed regulations governing the salary level required to be exempt from overtime pay requirements. The new regulations set the salary threshold at $679 per week (up from $455 per week currently) or $35,308 annually (up from $23,660 currently) for the white-collar exemptions to overtime compensation. These […]
Make Performance Evaluations Easier
Is that resolution on your list for 2019? This goal is more achievable than you may think. Most managers and many employees do not fondly anticipate performance evaluations; for many managers, the process is painful and time consuming. It is not easy to deliver criticism to colleagues with whom you work on a daily basis, […]
Should Your Company Have Arbitration Agreements With Your Employees?
Last month, the Supreme Court issued its opinion in Epic Systems Corp. v. Lewis, finding that employment arbitration agreements that require employees to bring individual arbitrations – as opposed to class actions – are enforceable. This ruling is significant because, for many employers, the prospect of a class action employment lawsuit can be daunting. Odin, […]
Ten Things That Employers Should Know About Maryland’s New Sick And Safe Leave Law
Maryland’s new sick and safe leave law may have come as a surprise to many Maryland employers. The “Maryland Healthy Working Families Act” (the “Act”) went into effect on Feb. 11, 2018, only a few weeks after the General Assembly overrode Governor Larry Hogan’s veto. This left employers with little time to adjust their business […]