Category: Employment
State Contractors: Joint Liability under Maryland’s Prevailing Wage Law
September 26, 2014Maryland’s Prevailing Wage Law, governs, among other things, an employee’s rate of pay, working hours, and other employer obligations on construction projects for which the state expends more than $500,000, and when state public funds cover 50% or more of …
Read MoreFederal Contractors: ACA Mandated Group Health Plan Coverage May Not Qualify as Fringe Benefits under Service Contract Act
September 26, 2014The Employer Shared Responsibility provision of the Affordable Care Act (“ACA”) requires large employers (i.e., those employing at least 50 full-time and full-time equivalent employees) to offer group health plan coverage to their full-time employees. As many federal contractors know, …
Read MoreLimits to Enhanced Damages under Maryland’s Wage Law: Peters v. Early Healthcare Giver, Inc. (2014)
September 26, 2014Maryland employers are particularly wary of employee wage claims because Maryland’s Wage Payment and Collection Law (“WPCL”) provides for enhanced damages (i.e., three times the amount of withheld wages) and attorney’s fees to a prevailing plaintiff in certain situations. However, …
Read MoreContractual Language that can Inadvertently Destroy “At-Will” Employment: Spacesaver Sys., Inc. v. Adam (2014)
September 26, 2014Recently, the Maryland Court of Appeals discussed a new restraint on the State’s “at-will” employment doctrine, one that is triggered by language commonly found in employment agreements. Specifically, the Court held that an employment contract clause providing that the employee …
Read MoreShorts Season: Should your company implement a dress code?
March 31, 2014The employment law attorneys at Bowie & Jensen explain personnel policies in relation to dress codes. As the end of what has been a brutal winter nears, Marylanders are ready to welcome milder weather by trading corduroys for khakis and …
Read MoreMaryland Employment Law: Checking References
March 31, 2014Employment law can be complicated, and understanding laws between candidates and potential employers requires diligent research and preparation. Here, the Maryland employment law attorneys at Bowie & Jensen explain what hiring managers can and cannot ask a job candidate’s references, …
Read MoreThe ABC's of Restrictive Covenants on Employees
January 6, 2014Many misconceptions exist about the efficacy and need for non-disclosure, non-competition, and non-solicitation agreements, so it is important to keep a few simple facts in mind. A. The Law Prohibits Disclosing Confidential Information Many employers believe they must require employees …
Read MoreWhat's in a Name? Independent Contractors v. Employees
December 30, 2013Classifying or misclassifying someone as an employee or an independent contractor can have significant effects for employers. In an examination of the use of titles, Shakespeare famously wrote “That which we call a rose, by any other name would smell …
Read MoreSexual Harassment: Always A Touchy Situation In The Workplace
December 15, 2013Statistics compiled by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, other administrative agencies, and the courts indicate that allegations of sexual harassment in the workplace are declining. However, statistics don’t always represent the full picture. While claims may be down, incidents of …
Read MoreNLRB Advice Memorandum Clarifies Law Regarding Employers’ Ability To Prohibit Employees From Disclosing Information About Misconduct Investigations
November 4, 2013Employers investigating complaints or incidents of employee misconduct—such as sexual harassment in the workplace—have typically admonished employees to refrain from disclosing information about ongoing investigations. Employers do so to protect the integrity of the investigation, the reputation of the accused …
Read More