Canada: Alberta Human Rights Decision Highlights Employer’s Responsibility To Accommodate Childcare Obligations As Family Status

In Clark v Bow Valley College, (2014 AHRC 4), Ms. Leah Clark filed a human rights complaint on April 11, 2011 against her employer, Bow Valley College, (the “College”), that was heard by the Alberta Human Rights Tribunal. Her complaint alleged discrimination on the ground of family status after her employment was deemed to be abandoned by the College. Ms. Clark did not return from maternity leave on the date required by the College […]

By | January 9th, 2015 ||

United States: Franchisors Beware: NLRB Seeking To Super-Size Joint Employer Liability

The National Labor Relations Board’s (“NLRB”) General Counsel’s Office has again signaled its commitment to expanding the scope of the current test for joint employment. In a move that could have implications for a broad array of franchise relationships, on December 19, 2014, the General Counsel of the NLRB announced that it has issued complaints against both McDonald’s franchisees and McDonald’s USA, the franchisor, as a joint employer. The decision to name McDonald’s as […]

By | January 9th, 2015 ||

United States: House Passes 40-Hour Workweek Bill, But Enactment Far From Certain

On Thursday, the House of Representatives readily approved by a vote of 252-172 the Save American Workers Act of 2015 (H.R. 30), a bill that would increase from 30 to 40 the number of hours an employee must work per week to be considered “full-time” under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). How many employees are considered full-time under the ACA is important for determining whether the employer meets the 50-employee threshold triggering the law’s […]

By | January 9th, 2015 ||