This is one of those gray legal areas where the answer is “it depends on the facts of the situation.” Previously, I wrote about the basics of non-compete and non-solicitation agreements that are becoming increasingly common in all industries. At their core, non-compete agreements restrain the free labor market, and are therefore analyzed under the…
Tag: hr law
Who Owns Your Invention? The Concepts and Inventions Assignment Clause, Work-For-Hire, and the Shop Right Doctrine.
In the modern employment context, there are plenty of on-boarding documents, including a handbook, that the employee may be asked to sign as part of getting hired. Lurking in these pages of seemingly innocuous workplace policies may be critical obligations and restrictions that significantly restrict the employee’s rights. For example, non-compete and non-solicitation clauses are…
What’s New for 2021: An Updated Guide for Michigan Employers Navigating COVID Regulations.
2020 is finally over, yet we are still in the middle of a pandemic, continued restrictions, ever-changing mandates, and regulations. So what’s new for business owners? Restaurants, entertainment venues, and other businesses are slowly seeing a transition to increased capacity. Vaccines are rolling out. There is new interim guidance for athletics from the MDHHS to…
Employers: Know Your Obligations Under Michigan’s COVID-19 Employment Rights Act
In late October 2020, Michigan enacted several important laws that affect employers’ rights and obligations in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic in the workplace. I have updated my general COVID-19 guide for employers every month, and I have also written specifically about the COVID tort liability shield. Governor Whitmer also signed the COVID-19 Employment Rights…
COVID-related Employment Lawsuits Are on the Rise: What to Watch For and How to Avoid Them.
Employment lawsuits and EEOC complaints are surging. All employers have had to adjust in response to federal, state, and local COVID orders. Small business not previously subject to FMLA have had to suddenly enact polices to comply with expanded regulations under the Families First Coronavirus Relief Act (“FFCRA”). Transitioning employees to remote work has not…