7th Circuit delivers employers an early Christmas gift in EEOC severance agreement case

In EEOC v. CVS Pharmacy, Inc., the EEOC challenged what I have previously described as several garden-variety, boilerplate provisions in a severance agreement. I’ve also previously predicted that a win for the EEOC in this case would be ruinous for employers.

Late last week, the 7th Circuit affirmed the decision of the district court, which had dismissed the EEOC’s lawsuit based on its failure to conciliate with CVS prior to filing suit.

And, the 7th Circuit agreed, affirming the case on those grounds. But, the 7th Circuit also went further, and offered hope to employers this federal courts will not stand for the folly the EEOC is trying to put forth by filing this type of case.

WIRTW #394 (the “re-gift” edition)

What do you do with gifts that are less than desirable? John Oliver shares his ideas on the dos and don’ts of re-gifting.

I won’t get mad if you re-gift this post or any others of mine to your reader or followers.

Here’s the rest of what I read this week:

What Star Wars teaches us about employee relations #TheForceAwakens

My earliest cinematic memories involve Star Wars.

I don’t really remember seeing A New Hope in the theater (I was only 4 years old), but I know I did. I vividly remember watching The Empire Strikes Back with my dad at the Nashaminy Mall. The theater was packed, we were stuck behind two towering men, and I watched with my head peaking between their seats. That’s where my jaw hit the floor when Vader proclaimed that he was Luke’s father. And, with my fandom at a crescendo, I remember my parents pulling me out of school on opening day of Return of the Jedi so that we could wait in line to ensure our seats.

Thank god for Fandango, because Donovan, with his now one-tracked Star Wars mind, and I can see The Force Awakens without disrupting his schooling. Saturday afternoon, I will experience the pure joy of introducing my son to a new Star Wars movie.

The premier of Episode VII has got me thinking, what can Star Wars teach us about employment law?

Why we accommodate employees

Lyerly v. Southwest Airlines (S.D. Tex. 12/9/15) provides a textbook example of why we accommodate employees. This employer bent over backwards to accommodate an ill employee, and, as a result, had little difficulty in defeating her subsequent disability-discrimination lawsuit.

What you need to know (for now) about smartphone use and overtime pay

I first wrote about the possibility of employees seeking unpaid overtime for time spent away from work checking emails on mobile devices all the way back in 2007, and have kept writing about it since (for example, here and here). Now, more than 8 years later, we finally have the first judicial decision on whether non-exempt employees are owed overtime or other compensation for this off-the-clock time. The result is a mixed bag for employers.

Professionalism, social media, and the workplace

An employee was recently terminated because of this post on his personal Facebook page:

WIRTW #393 (the “Darth Trump” edition)

The Internet was invented in 1983. It’s taken me 32 years to figure out why. The Internet was invented so that someone could replace audio of Darth Vader with audio of Donald Trump in Star Wars clips.

Darth Trump wins the Internet.

Here’s the rest of what I read this week: