Littler Labor & Employment Podcast

In Quentin Tarantino's classic film, "Pulp Fiction," two hitmen, Jules and Vincent (played by Samuel L. Jackson and John Travolta), find themselves in a farcical and escalating "mess" – requiring the advice of a "fixer" known as "The Wolf" (played by Harvey Keitel). The Wolf arrives at the scene, assesses the situation with cool detachment, and develops a detailed plan to extricate Jules and Vincent from their unsavory dilemma. Imagine "The Wolf" insisting on phoning in his assistance instead of working in person with Jules and Vincent. Would he have been as effective? In this podcast, we discuss how agile work and employee requests to work from home implicate obligations under employment laws – specifically the Americans with Disabilities Act and other non-discrimination laws.

With the increasing threat to organizations from data breaches, HR plays a critical role in helping prevent and minimize the risk from cyber theft. This podcast will address how to identify potential cyber security problems, workforce challenges in data protection, and the use of policies, training and employee education that are designed to protect private and sensitive data.

Having an effective and consistent investigation process can play an important role in a company's culture. Join Kathy Cooper Franklin, Littler shareholder, as she talks about creating a speak-up workplace culture, walks you through the six stages of an investigation, and explains the importance of written guidelines in an investigation process. This podcast provides employers with insight and tips for conducting internal investigations in the workplace.

Cases filed against home care companies are at an all-time high. What pay practices may cause trouble for home care companies? Find out how to help protect your company and to try to avoid or better defend your business against potential litigation. Join Littler shareholder Angelo Spinola for an informative podcast about wage and hour issues unique to the home care industry, including exempt vs. nonexempt classification of workers, the salary plus pay method, outside sales positions, mileage reimbursement, the continuous work day theory and more.

In California, signatures are being gathered in support of the “Control, Regulate and Tax Adult Use of Marijuana Initiative.” The initiative is likely to qualify for the November 2016 ballot and, if passed by the voters, could legalize the recreational use of marijuana in California. In this podcast, Bruce Sarchet, Littler Mendelson Shareholder, explains the current status of California law in this area, the impact of Federal law, and the steps which employers can take now to prepare for this potential change in California.

Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires employers in a wide range of industries to ensure public accommodations, i.e. make their sites, goods and services accessible to individuals with disabilities. This impacts employers in numerous ways that have previously remained off the radar of ADA compliance but are now taking on greater focus, particularly regarding service animal access obligations and website accessibility. In this podcast, two Littler Mendelson shareholders, Peter Petesch, Esq. and Gavin Appleby, Esq., bring their subject matter expertise to bear on this fast growing area of liability exposure. Peter and Gavin discuss the challenges and responsibilities presented by the laws and regulations that have emerged – or have yet to emerge – in the area governing provision of accessibility to individuals with disabilities.