Key takeaways regarding Illinois’ newly enacted Workplace Transparency Act (WTA), which imposes significant new requirements for addressing sexual harassment and discrimination issues.
An estimated one-million-plus salaried American workers who are currently exempt from mandatory overtime pay will no longer be exempt under new regulations issued on September 24, 2019 by the U.S. Department of Labor. The new rule, effective January 1, 2020, changes the minimum annual salary threshold that certain employees must earn to be exempt from mandatory overtime pay under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). The change represents the first update to the overtime pay rules in more than 15 years.
The U.S. Supreme Court recently accepted a trio of cases addressing whether Title VII’s prohibition of “sex” discrimination in employment contexts should focus on biological male and female distinctions, or if it should be expanded and redefined to cover “sexual orientation” or “gender identity.” Lower federal courts have split on these issues. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has favored such expansiveness, while the Trump administration is opposed. Against the backdrop of our prior articles on related employment discrimination litigation, this article highlights the tension between the judiciary and legislative government branches as well as significant religious liberty interests at stake.