Justices to weigh limits on worker rights to sue employers
The U.S. Supreme Court said Friday it will decide whether employers can require workers to sign arbitration agreements that prevent them from pursuing group claims in court.
labor and employment
Articles
Gary councilwoman challenges accusations of law violation
A city councilwoman has filed a lawsuit to keep her second job as an employee of the Gary Sanitary District.
Former IDEM employee’s unlawful termination case can continue
A former Indiana state employee can continue her case against the Indiana Department of Environmental Management after the Court of Appeals decided Thursday that her unlawful termination complaint stated a claim upon which relief can be granted and that sovereign immunity cannot apply.
COA upholds dismissal of fired DOT employee’s untimely petition for review
A former employee of the Indiana Department of Transportation, who was fired in 2013, untimely filed his petition for judicial review after he was unsuccessful in his administrative appeals and the trial court correctly dismissed his petition, the Indiana Court of Appeals affirmed Thursday.
Employers, labor lawyers left hanging as judge blocks OT rule
Companies and the employment lawyers who advise them had, in many cases, worked for months planning to comply with new Department of Labor regulations affecting millions of salaried employees who are exempt from overtime pay. All they know after a judge blocked the rule is that they don’t know what’s next.
RV plant-closing lawsuit proceeds
Workers at a northern Indiana recreational vehicle plant that closed in June may proceed with a lawsuit alleging company management failed to notify workers about the closing as federal law requires.
COA: Law enforcement may not refuse to hire based solely on expunged criminal histories
The Indiana Court of Appeals ruled Thursday that law enforcement agencies are not permitted under state statute to refuse to hire new employees solely because those people have prior criminal histories that have since been expunged.
COA holds that volunteer work was incidental to man’s employment
A general contractor’s volunteer work was incidental to his professional employment, so the injuries he sustained during the volunteer work must be covered under the Indiana Worker’s Compensation Act.
Some Indiana employers abiding by overtime rule, even though it’s in limbo
The Obama administration’s new overtime rule is held up in federal court, but that hasn't stopped some Indiana employers from instituting changes to comply with the law.
7th Circuit rules student-athletes aren’t considered ‘employees’
Collegiate athletes cannot be considered university employees and, thus, are not eligible for minimum wage pay, the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Monday, affirming a district court decision that dismissed a lawsuit brought against the NCAA.
Indiana Supreme Court considers general contractor’s duty of care to subcontractors
In oral arguments on a petition to transfer a case regarding a general contractor’s duty of care to its subcontractors, the justices of the Indiana Supreme Court considered the meaning of the phrase “monitor and implement.”
Judge: Sysco must face Teamsters suit over retirement benefits
A local division of foodservice-supply giant Sysco Systems must face a lawsuit from its Teamsters workers who say the company reneged on retirement benefits negotiated through collective bargaining.
Court blocks federal plan to extend overtime pay to many
In a blow to the Obama administration's labor-law plans, a federal court has blocked the start of a rule that would have made an estimated 4 million more American workers eligible for overtime pay heading into the holiday season.
Justices consider relevance of immigration status in undocumented worker’s lawsuit
The Indiana Supreme Court heard arguments Tuesday on whether introducing an injured man's immigration status to a jury in his lawsuit for future wages would be prejudicial enough to outweigh its probative value.
Woman’s wage suit against Indiana medical supplier goes forward
A federal judge has rejected an Indiana-based medical supplier’s effort to dismiss a former employee’s lawsuit seeking enhanced damages over withheld pay.
ISP officer loses whistleblower appeal
State workers alleging retaliation for whistleblower activities must first exhaust all administrative remedies before suing, the Indiana Court of Appeals held Wednesday, affirming a trial court ruling against a 27-year Indiana State Police officer.
Undocumented worker’s injury suit puts major issues before justices
An undocumented immigrant’s workplace injury — and how much he may be entitled to — has put the rising number of foreign-born workers, the rights they can expect, and the responsibilities of employers squarely before the Indiana Supreme Court.
7th Circuit affirms jury verdict in injured railroad worker’s suit
A jury correctly ruled against an employee of the railroad company CSX Transportation Inc. who sued his employer after an on-the-job accident that resulted in severe back pain, citing evidence that proved the pain existed before the accident, the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals decided Thursday.
Ex-Penn State chief calls aides’ charges ‘injustice’
Former Penn State President Graham Spanier testified Thursday that he issued a statement the day two of his top lieutenants were charged in the Jerry Sandusky sexual abuse scandal, calling the allegations groundless, because he had developed deep trust of them.
Justices hear arguments in Lawrence wrongful-firing suit
After the newly elected mayor of the city of Lawrence fired him from his position as superintendent of the city Utility Services Board, counsel for Carlton Curry told the Indiana Supreme Court Thursday that the mayor had no legal right to terminate the former superintendent without actual cause.