Relying on the parties’ written employment agreement and compensation plans, a California federal district court held that an at-will employee who was laid off due to COVID-19 could not recover commissions that were not fully earned prior to his termination.  Peak v. TigerGraph, Case no. 21-cv-02603 (Sept. 7, 2021).

Background

The employee, a sales

A Pennsylvania court recently addressed whether a deponent could be compelled to remove a face mask during his deposition after the deponent refused, citing health concerns.  After rescheduling the deposition once, plaintiff’s counsel asked the Court to order the deponent to testify maskless given that he would be doing so alone in a room with

 On July 27, 2021, Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto signed Section 626B of the City of Pittsburgh Code—also known as the Temporary COVID-19 Paid Sick Leave Ordinance.  Under the Ordinance, employers with over 50 employees must provide up to 80 hours of emergency paid sick leave for full-time employees, and a prorated amount of leave for

One year into the COVID-19 pandemic, U.S. courts are wrestling with a growing number of new legal theories related to COVID-19.  Not surprisingly, California – the most populous state with some of the most employee friendly laws and courts – leads the way with the most COVID-19 employment lawsuits filed. See Jackson Lewis COVID-19 Employment

Jackson Lewis’ Martin Aron has co-authored, “The Impact of COVID-19 on Employment Claims and Litigation,” published by Claims Magazine, Jan./Feb. 2021 issue.  The article focuses on (1) the variety of pandemic-related claims and litigation that have emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic; (2) the role human resources professionals, in-house counsel, and insurance claims professionals can

As 2021 begins, Jackson Lewis continues to work with employers to help them understand, prepare for, and handle the impact of COVID-19 on the workplace.  In addition to advising and counseling clients, Jackson Lewis attorneys are handling COVID-19-related litigation matters nationwide, and are tracking COVID-19 employment litigation trends with Jackson Lewis’ interactive COVID-19 Employment LitWatch

With the “new norm” losing some of its “newness” as the COVID-19 pandemic continues, virtual court proceedings are becoming widespread across federal and state courts. Here are some important areas to consider before and during remote court proceedings.

Test Your Technology

At this point, many people have participated in a conference call in which one

The U.S. Courts’ COVID-19 Judicial Task Force has released guidance on conducting jury trials and convening grand juries during the pandemic.

The task force’s guidance, released on June 4, 2020, makes clear that each tribunal will ultimately set its own rules for jury trials after considering things like location, budget, and physical facilities.

Highlights from

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, fully remote depositions have become necessary and employment lawyers are quickly adjusting. Below are some areas to consider when taking a remote deposition.

Technology

Court reporting services use various audio-video technologies, including Zoom, Cisco Webex, and other platforms, to connect participants in a remote deposition. Being comfortable on