Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits employers from discriminating against any individual “because of such individual’s race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.” 42 U.S.C. § 2000e–2(a). Last...
The federal government has responded to the coronavirus (“COVID-19”) pandemic with legislation to aid individuals and struggling businesses. One of the many laws created was the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic...
SEC Whistleblower Awards Skyrocket in 2020
June 2, 2020
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) announced in early May that it had awarded $2 million to a whistleblower who provided specific, timely, and credible information regarding a fraudulent scheme related to...
In Sistek v. Dep’t of Veterans Affairs, 955 F.3d 948, 954 (Fed. Cir. 2020), the Federal Circuit clarified a federal whistleblower’s burden of proving retaliation when the discrimination he alleges is not specifically...
Strong Whistleblower Protections Are Vital During Covid-19
April 24, 2020
This article originally appeared in Bloomberg Law on April 24, 2020. During the coronavirus pandemic, we are now more than ever relying on our governments and health-care providers to take unprecedented action to save lives...
On April 11, 2020, Virginia Governor Ralph Northam signed into law HB798 (“VA Whistleblower Protection Law”), strengthening whistleblower protections for workers in the state of Virginia. The VA Whistleblower...
Lessons from Amazon’s Termination of a Warehouse Worker who Protested about Unsafe Conditions
April 13, 2020
Amazon’s recent stunning and outrageous decision to fire an employee who protested unsafe conditions at a Staten Island warehouse highlights many facets of the risks to workers who step up to try and force their employers...
The False Claims Act, 31 U.S.C. § 3729 et seq. (“FCA”), is one of the federal government’s most powerful tools for recovering fraudulently obtained federal funds. Though it has been in effect for more than 150...
Sex Discrimination and Employment Law in the #MeToo Era
March 30, 2020
©2020 Published in GPSolo, Vol. 37,No. 2, March/April 2020, by the American Bar Association.Reproduced with permission. All rights reserved. This information or any portion thereof may not be copied or disseminated in any...
DC Circuit Highlights Potential Conflict Between Union Protections and Antidiscrimination Law
March 24, 2020
On December 31, 2019, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit remanded a decision to the National Labor Relations Board (“NLRB”) in which the Board had held that Constellium Rolled Products Ravenswood, LLC violated...