Makenzie D. Way
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On July 26, 2022, Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker signed the Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair Act (“CROWN Act”) into law, making Massachusetts the 18th state to enact legislation aimed at protecting against discrimination on the basis of hairstyles that are historically associated with race. The CROWN Act will go into effect … Continue Reading
***June 16, 2021 Update: On June 15, Governor Cuomo announced that 70% of adult New Yorkers have received the first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. As a result, the New York Forward industry guidance is now optional for offices, retail, food services, gyms, and other commercial settings. The guidance remains mandatory for large-scale indoor event … Continue Reading
Quick Hit As we previously reported, Virginia became the first state to issue mandatory COVID-19 workplace safety rules via an emergency temporary standard (“ETS”) executed on July 15, 2020. The temporary standard expired on January 26, 2021 but the Virginia Department of Labor and Industry’s Safety and Health Codes Board (the “Board”) has recently taken … Continue Reading
The Massachusetts Appeals Court, in a slip op opinion issued on January 20, 2021, decided that at-will employees can be terminated for submitting rebuttal letters pursuant to G.L.c. 149, §52C (“Section 52C”), and cannot avail themselves of the public policy exception to the general rule that an employee at will may be terminated without cause. … Continue Reading
New Massachusetts Law Creates Expanded Definition of Racial Discrimination in Employment and Other Areas to Encompass “Natural or Protective Hairstyles”
By Mark W. Batten, Lexie Reynolds and Makenzie D. Way on Posted in Discrimination, Harassment and Retaliation
New York State Issues Updated Reopening Guidance for Offices
By Evandro Gigante, Harris Mufson, Alex Downie and Makenzie D. Way on Posted in Coronavirus
Virginia Becomes First State To Pass Permanent Workplace Coronavirus Rules
By Lexie Reynolds, Guy Brenner and Makenzie D. Way on Posted in Coronavirus, Workplace Safety
Massachusetts Appeals Court Weighs In On Public Policy Exception To General At-Will Employee Termination Clause
By Mark W. Batten and Makenzie D. Way on Posted in Uncategorized