Today, in Wild v. Carriage Funeral Holdings, Inc., the New Jersey Supreme Court ruled that employers cannot discriminate against employees for using prescribed medical marijuana while off-duty. Rather, doing so constitutes disability discrimination in violation of the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination (“LAD”). The New Jersey Supreme Court affirms a…
New Jersey Employment Lawyer Blog
Appellate Court Recognizes Employers Must Accommodate Pregnancy
The New Jersey Pregnant Workers Fairness Act Last month, New Jersey’s Appellate Division analyzed the New Jersey Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (“PWFA”). The PWFA is an amendment to the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination (“LAD”) that prohibits pregnancy discrimination in the workplace. Among other things, the PWFA requires employers to…
Rumors Female Employee Had Affair with Male Superior Can be Sexual Harassment
A recent opinion by New Jersey’s Appellate Division recognizes that false rumors of a sexual relationship between a female employee and a male superior can create a legally actionable hostile work environment. Jennifer Schiavone is a senior corrections officer for the New Jersey Department of Corrections (“DOC”). In 2013, the…
Is it a Bonus or is it a Tip: When Must Payments from Third Parties be Counted When Calculating Overtime Pay?
The Third Circuit recently addressed when a bonus an employee receives from someone other than his or her employer counts toward the employee’s “regular hourly rate” of pay under the Fair Labor Standards Act (“FLSA”). The FLSA is a federal law that, among other things, requires employers to pay most…
Appellate Division Narrows But Enforces ADP’s Non-Compete Agreement
On July 26, 2019, New Jersey’s Appellate Division issued a detailed ruling regarding the non-compete and non-solicitation provisions in ADP, LLC’s stock option plan. In the process, the court provided a detailed explanation of how New Jersey courts should analyze restrictive covenants. The appeal stems from separate cases ADP filed…
New Jersey Enacts Powerful New Wage & Hour Law Protections
Today, New Jersey’s Acting Governor Sheila Oliver signed an amendment to New Jersey’s wage and hour laws that makes several extremely important improvements. The amendment impacts several New Jersey laws, most importantly the Wage & Hour Law (“WHL”) and the Wage Payment Act (“WPA”). The WHL is a statute that…
Filing with EEOC Not Required for Court to Hear Title VII Lawsuit
Earlier this month, the United States Supreme Court ruled that filing a Charge of Discrimination is not required for a court to have jurisdiction over a lawsuit under Title VII of the Civil of Rights Act of 1964. Title VII is a federal law that prohibits discrimination based on race,…
Employer Liable for Injury Caused by Failure to Accommodate Employee’s Disability
The New Jersey Law Against Discrimination (“LAD”) requires employers to provide reasonable accommodations to disabled employees to permit them to be able to continue to perform their jobs. Ordinarily, an employee who brings a discrimination case under the LAD has to prove the discrimination led to an adverse employment action…
Trial Lawyer Has Apparent Authority to Settle Discrimination Case
A recent decision by New Jersey’s Appellate Division recognizes that, under the doctrine of apparent authority, a company’s attorney can bind it to a settlement whether or not the employer actually authorized him to settle the case. Jesus Gonzalez filed an employment discrimination lawsuit against his former employer, Electronic Integration…
Termination Three Weeks After Medical Leave Supports Disability Discrimination Claim
A recent decision by New Jersey’s Appellate Division demonstrates that under the right circumstances an employee can prove disability discrimination from the fact that her employer fired her shortly after she had surgery. Ada Caballero worked for Cablevision Systems Corporation for 15 years. In 2013, she was divorced. A few…