labor and employment - The Indiana Lawyer

Dozens file court support for gay teacher in fight with Archdiocese of Indianapolis

September 24, 2020 | Marilyn Odendahl

The fight over a teacher at Cathedral High School who was fired for being in a same-sex marriage is highlighting a split between conservative and progressive members of the Catholic faith with several members of the Indiana legal community — including a former 7th Circuit Court of Appeals Judge and an Indiana attorney prominent in Republican politics — now adding their voices in opposition to the Archdiocese of Indianapolis.

DOJ, AG Hill side with archdiocese in same-sex marriage fight

September 8, 2020 | Marilyn Odendahl

Claiming the judiciary cannot interfere with church matters, the U.S. Department of Justice and the Indiana Attorney General have entered the fight between the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Indianapolis and a teacher who was dismissed from Cathedral High School in Indianapolis for being in a same-sex marriage.

7th Circuit rejects sexual orientation claim of DOC worker fired for harassment

September 4, 2020 | Katie Stancombe

After working for the Indiana Department of Correction for more than 20 years, Robbie Marshall was terminated from his position after a co-worker brought sexual harassment allegations against him.

COA rules for general contractor in injured worker’s dispute

August 24, 2020 | Katie Stancombe

A general contractor does not owe a duty of care to a construction worker injured on the job, the Indiana Court of Appeals ruled in a Monday interlocutory appeal, reversing a grant of summary judgment to the worker as to that issue.

Indiana expects to begin offering $300 unemployment bonuses next month

August 20, 2020 | Indianapolis Business Journal Staff and Associated Press

Indiana has applied for the federal government’s Lost Wages Assistance program and hopes to begin delivering the $300 supplemental weekly payments to most people receiving unemployment benefits in the next month or so.

Giving and taking: Landmark high court LGBTQ employment ruling clouded by ministerial exception expansion

August 19, 2020 | Marilyn Odendahl

Just as celebrations were starting over the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling that Title VII protections cover transgender workers, another opinion from the nine justices shielded religious organizations from lawsuits by expanding the ministerial exception legal doctrine and injected more energy into potential religious liberty challenges to anti-discrimination laws.

States look to ‘salary history bans’ to increase pay equity

August 19, 2020 | Olivia Covington

Using what’s known as “salary history bans,” governments at the state and local level are limiting employers’ ability to consider a candidate’s previous wages when making an employment decision. The breadth of these bans varies by jurisdiction, but the concept remains the same: under a salary history ban, an employer cannot explicitly ask a prospective employee what they earned in a previous job.

Bush: Employer strategies in responding to the racism pandemic

August 19, 2020

While there is no playbook outlining the exact steps employers should take to address issues related to racial injustice, there are several actions employers can take to promote racial equity both inside and outside of the workplace.

Smith: Indiana Court of Appeals upholds employer’s noncompete

August 19, 2020

The Indiana Court of Appeals recently published a decision that is instructive about noncompete agreements. It is one of the rare noncompete cases that does not contain the phrase: “Indiana courts are reluctant to enforce noncompete agreements because they constitute a restraint on trade.”

Brown: More remote employees? Time to review trade secret policies

August 19, 2020

In the ongoing work conditions surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, business owners may consider that their principal concern is how to make it easier and more efficient for employees to do their jobs remotely. But as businesses streamline connections and move information from office hardware to home computers, they should not forget to safeguard the trade secret information that may be moving around.

Big decisions: Key employment rulings at a glance

August 19, 2020

Here is a summary of two major U.S. Supreme Court employment rulings regarding LBGTQ employees and the ministerial exception for religious employers from the October 2019 term.

Split COA reverses state ruling against 3 teacher union contracts

August 12, 2020 | Katie Stancombe

A divided appellate panel Wednesday overturned the Indiana Education Employment Relations Board’s final decisions that three contracts negotiated and ratified by Indiana teachers unions and their respective school employers did not comply with state law.

Teachers union backs strike if schools can’t reopen safely

August 5, 2020 | Associated Press

Indiana’s second-largest teacher organization announced Tuesday that its members may resort to striking to ensure a safe return to school as the state continues to deal with the coronavirus pandemic.

GM alleges Fiat Chrysler spent millions to bribe UAW leaders

August 4, 2020 | Associated Press

General Motors is asking a federal judge to reconsider his dismissal of a lawsuit against Fiat Chrysler based on new allegations that the company bribed union officials and GM employees with millions stashed in secret foreign bank accounts.

Progress slow on virus relief bill as negotiations continue

August 4, 2020 | Associated Press

Negotiators on a huge coronavirus relief bill reported slight progress after talks resumed Monday afternoon in the Capitol, with issues like food for the poor and aid to schools struggling to reopen safely assuming a higher profile in the talks.

Union sues USDA over faster chicken plant production speeds

July 29, 2020 | Associated Press and IL Staff

The union representing workers at chicken processing plants in six states including Indiana sued the U.S. Department of Agriculture on Tuesday, saying its policy of allowing companies to slaughter birds faster endangers workers and makes it more difficult to protect against spread of the coronavirus.

Sykes becomes chief judge of 7th Circuit

July 9, 2020 | Marilyn Odendahl

Diane Sykes, who has often been mentioned as a possible nominee for the U.S. Supreme Court, has become the chief judge of the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals, assuming the leadership position July 5.

SCOTUS ruling isn’t ‘end of the road’ for fired Roncalli, Cathedral educators, attorney says

July 8, 2020 | Katie Stancombe

An attorney for two Indianapolis educators who were fired for their same-sex marriages doesn’t think a Wednesday U.S. Supreme Court employment discrimination ruling that favored two Catholic Schools will impact her clients’ pending cases.

Supreme Court sides with Catholic schools in employment suit

July 8, 2020 | Associated Press

The Supreme Court of the United States is siding with two Catholic schools in a ruling that underscores that certain employees of religious schools, hospitals and social service centers can’t sue for employment discrimination. The high court’s ruling on Wednesday was 7-2.

Supreme Court declines to hear Equal Pay Act case

July 2, 2020 | Associated Press

The Supreme Court is leaving in place a decision that employers can’t use past salary history to justify a pay disparity between male and female employees.

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