Businesses ask patrons, workers to waive right to sue if they get ill
As businesses reopen across the U.S. after coronavirus shutdowns, many are requiring customers and workers to sign forms saying they won’t sue if they catch COVID-19.
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Justices rule LGBT people protected from job discrimination
The Supreme Court of the United States ruled Monday that a landmark civil rights law protects gay, lesbian and transgender people from discrimination in employment, a resounding victory for LGBT rights from a conservative court.
State disputes federal claims that IOSHA wrongly dropped fines related to Amazon worker’s death
The Indiana Occupational Safety and Health Administration is disputing a federal report that found the state agency should not have dismissed safety violations related to an Amazon employee’s death in 2017.
Court backs Trump administration on COVID-19 safety at work
The Trump administration does not have to issue an emergency rule requiring employers to protect workers from the coronavirus, a federal appeals court ruled Thursday in a case brought by leading labor unions.
Fired IDEM employee loses appeal in whistleblower dispute
A former environmental chemist who was fired from his longstanding position at the Indiana Department of Environmental Management could not convince a panel of the Indiana Court of Appeals that he was terminated for being a whistleblower.
Union: Inmate COVID-19 case at Terre Haute federal prison
A case of COVID-19 in an inmate has been reported at the federal prison complex in Terre Haute, a prison workers union official said.
SCOTUS appears divided in Catholic schools employment case
The US Supreme Court on Monday seemed divided over how broadly religious institutions including schools, hospitals and social service centers should be shielded from job discrimination lawsuits by employees.
Report: Indiana too quick to clear Amazon in worker’s death
Indiana’s safety agency prematurely released Amazon from citations and fines in the death of a warehouse employee who was crushed by a forklift, a federal investigation has found.
Indianapolis keeping tougher virus restrictions in place
Indianapolis officials have decided to keep the city’s stay-at-home order and restrictions on nonessential businesses in place through at least next week even as statewide rules aimed at slowing the coronavirus spread have been eased.
Court questions archdiocese’s authority to terminate gay teacher
Marion Superior Court has denied a motion filed by the Archdiocese of Indianapolis to dismiss a lawsuit brought by a gay former Cathedral High School teacher, finding the archdiocese may not be the “highest ecclesiastical authority.”
Pandemic creates more uncertainty than usual in legal profession
The Great Recession landed a powerful blow to law firms, forcing layoffs and closures in an industry long thought immune to business cycles, but the spreading downturn caused by the coronavirus brings vast uncertainty about the economic outlook for lawyers.
Hearing officer: No discipline necessary for lawyer in Park Tudor sex scandal
Despite a finding that prominent Indianapolis employment attorney Michael Blickman violated an ethical rule in his handling of a student-teacher sex scandal at Park Tudor High School, the hearing officer in Blickman’s disciplinary case is not recommending any action against his law license.
Trump signs $484 billion measure to aid employers, hospitals
President Donald Trump signed a $484 billion bill Friday to aid employers and hospitals under stress from the coronavirus pandemic that has killed more than 50,000 Americans and devastated broad swaths of the economy.
Sizing up Trump’s green-card halt: Is it just temporary?
President Donald Trump says a suspension of green cards is necessary at a time when unemployment has climbed to levels last seen during the Great Depression. But critics dismissed the move as the president’s veiled attempt to achieve cuts to legal immigration and to distract voters from his handling of the pandemic.
Logansport meat plant closing due to coronavirus
Tyson Foods Inc. announced Wednesday that it will temporarily close its meatpacking plant in Logansport in north-central Indiana after 146 employees tested positive for coronavirus.
Essential or non-essential? Lawyers scrambling to provide COVID-19 guidance
Though they don’t have all the answers, legal professionals are being looked to for guidance as clients navigate their new realities.
Justices rule for federal employee over age discrimination
Well, OK, boomer. The Supreme Court made it easier Monday for federal employees 40 and older to sue for age discrimination. The ruling set a lower bar for public sector workers compared with those in the private sector.
Justices clash but rule for fired employee in duty-to-testify case
Indiana Supreme Court justices split Tuesday a dispute involving an employee who was fired after testifying at an unemployment compensation hearing, with the majority reversing in his favor. A dissenting justice would have affirmed, arguing the man didn’t have a reasonable belief of a duty to cooperate with an unissued, non-existent subpoena.
Bankovich and Pauli: COVID-19 FAQs for businesses, employers, organizations
During this period of uncertainty and rapidly evolving information, it is important for businesses, organizations and employers to stay up to date. Below are some frequently asked questions and answers with links to resources.
7th Circuit reinstates sex discrimination case against Valpo Schools in coaching dispute
A would-be high school running coach who says she was passed over for a coaching job in favor of younger male applicants will be able to make her claim for sex discrimination in court after a majority of the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals reversed summary judgment for Valparaiso Community Schools.