Employment Litigation

Lexington office attorney Ashley Hopkins will be a speaker at the 2021 KPCA Annual Conference October 27-29, 2021 in Lexington, Kentucky.

On August 13, 2021, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (“OSHA”) updated its guidance for COVID-19 precautions in the workplace to match the CDC’s new guidance, issued on July 27, 2021.

For both established companies and new companies, it is often essential to allow key employees to participate in the company’s future growth and profitability through equity ownership. This helps align the interests of ownership and key employees.

As sponsors of 401(k) and other retirement plans, employers typically rely on plan service providers (i.e. recordkeepers, trustees, etc.) to maintain plan accounts, keep participant accounts secure and participant data confidential. As fiduciaries, employers must act with the care and diligence under the circumstances as would a “prudent” person.

As the country slowly recovers from the economic devastation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, Kentucky’s lawmakers have stepped in to provide protections to the businesses and workers that will help get the Commonwealth back on its feet. On the last day of the most recent legislative session, Senate Bill 5 became law when the Governor declined to sign or veto it. This legislation, similar to laws in 30 other states, offers immunity from COVID-19-related negligence actions to business owners and essential service providers working to prevent the spread of the virus.

LOUISVILLE, Ky.—The Academy of Music Production Education and Development (AMPED) has named Stites & Harbison, PLLC attorney Calesia Henson to its Board of Directors. She will serve a three-year term.

Employment attorney Rebecca A. Weis, focused on COVID-19 vaccination policies in the workplace in this Stites & Harbison Webinar. Topics covered will included current vaccine administration priorities; what employers can or cannot mandate; employer-sponsored vaccine incentives; wage and hour issues; OSHA and workplace safety considerations; workers compensation implications; and more.

Please join Stites & Harbison attorney, Rebecca A. Weis, for a webinar focused on COVID-19 vaccination policies in the workplace.

On February 15, 2021, Stites & Harbison, PLLC issued a client alert regarding the status of the proposed $15 minimum wage increase to be included in the “American Rescue Plan” for COVID-19 relief, and discussed the role the parliamentarian would likely play. Thursday evening, February 25, 2021, the Senate parliamentarian ruled that the proposal was not appropriate for inclusion in the relief package using the budgetary reconciliation process.

Rebecca Weis sits down for a candid discussion with Kirt Jacobs.

I have more than one client who contacts me once every couple of weeks to ask, “where are we with the proposed federal $15 minimum wage?” And I think I can safely say that while in 2019, a majority of Americans surveyed were supportive of such an increase to the current $7.25 an hour, the political logistics of achieving this feat continue to be a challenge. Typically, the only thing I can tell clients is that there is a lot of discussion, but as of today it hasn’t yet happened, and it may not happen, but if it does you will be the first you know.

COVINGTON, Ky. (Feb. 9, 2021)—Stites & Harbison, PLLC welcomes attorney Robin D. Miller to its Covington, Ky., office.

LOUISVILLE, Ky.—Stites & Harbison, PLLC welcomes attorney Corey Dunn to the firm’s Louisville, Ky., office.

The Families First Coronavirus Response Act (“FFCRA”), applicable to certain public employers and private employers with fewer than 500 employees, had two major provisions: the Emergency Paid Sick Leave Act (“EPSLA”) and the Emergency Family and Medical Leave Expansion Act (“E-FMLA”).

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”) recently posted an updated and expanded technical assistance publication that provides information to employers and employees about how COVID-19 vaccination interacts with various legal requirements. The publication addresses issues pertaining to medical pre-screening questions and employer accommodations for those unable to receive a vaccination.

LOUISVILLE, Ky.—Stites & Harbison, PLLC, announced today that Kentucky native Marjorie A. Farris will become the firm’s new Chair effective January 2021. She will be the first woman to lead the firm since its founding in 1832.