On May 21, 2018, the Supreme Court ruled that companies may use arbitration agreements to prohibit employees from filing collective or class action lawsuits. In a 5 to 4 decision, the court ruled that such agreements must be respected and afforded deference under the Federal Arbitration Act. The ruling means that employers with individual employment agreements with employees, under which employees have waived their rights to bring collective or class action lawsuits, can continue to enforce these contracts. Employers who have not previously used arbitration agreements may contemplate now using these contracts to help protect against costly and risky class action lawsuits – especially in the realm of wage and hour collective cases. To learn more about how to effectively use arbitration agreements in your workplace, listen to this week’s Telebrief here.

Also in this week’s Telebrief: Maryland’s Governor Hogan signed into law the, “Disclosing Sexual Harassment in the Workplace Act of 2018.”

Questions about ­­this new law, subcontractors, or other topics from this week’s Telebrief?

Contact Howard at hkurman@offitkurman.com or 410-209-6417

About the Telebriefs®

The Telebriefs^® are 30-minute, information-packed phone calls geared towards executives, HR directors, supervisors, managers, and business owners. Join Howard K. Kurman, as he discusses employment law developments occurring over the past two weeks that will most significantly impact employers nationwide. These twice-monthly phone calls are an easy way to stay current and compliant with the latest employment law developments that will significantly affect you and your company. The goal is to provide information and insights to help executives stay current with the latest workplace law developments and in front of trends, to enable proactive policy-making and management. Our guarantee: You will learn something useful on every call!

ABOUT THE PRESENTER

hkurman@offitkurman.com | 410-209-6417

Howard K. Kurman is an employment attorney. Mr. Kurman regularly counsels clients on all aspects of proactive employment/labor issues. He represents employers ranging in size from as small as 20 employees to those employers with geographically disparate locations consisting of over 4,000 employees. Mr. Kurman assures, through regular contact with his clients, that they promulgate and maintain the most effective employment policies that will, to the extent possible, minimize their legal exposure in today’s litigious workplace. Mr. Kurman offers advice on employee handbooks, employment agreements, and covenants not to compete as well as confidentiality and non-disclosure agreements. Previously, Mr. Kurman was the chair of the firm’s Labor & Employment Practice Group.

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