Workplace Rules

The U.S. Supreme Court held oral arguments in two landmark cases, Students for Fair Admissions, Inc. v. President and Fellows of Harvard and Students for Fair Admissions, Inc. v. University of North Carolina, arising out of the affirmative action policies of two elite university systems, Harvard University and the University of North Carolina (UNC). While these two interrelated cases focus explici...

Seattle’s new Independent Contractor Protections Ordinance (the Ordinance) requires certain hiring entities to provide independent contractors with disclosures both before entering a contract and at the time of payment. These disclosures include three different kinds of notices: a notice of rights, a pre-work written notice, and a notice of specific payment information. Listen to learn more about...

Washington's Equal Pay and Opportunity Act (EPOA) amendments require most employers who engage in business in Washington state to include pay ranges and benefits information in their job postings. Unlike some other jurisdictions’ pay disclosure laws, which are enforced by state agencies rather than by private lawsuits, the EPOA allows applicants to sue for damages, penalties, and attorneys’ fees....

What is it like to be the head lawyer in an industry that was, until recently, largely illegal? In the flourishing cannabis industry, employers must continuously readjust their policies and procedures to meet evolving standards for cannabis use and regulation by federal, state, and local legislatures. Partner Mike O’Brien is joined by Jane Wright-Mitchell, principal and general counsel at Lecar Co...

Legal, political, and social movements have pushed pay equity to the top of many organizations’ priorities. Activist shareholder proposals, changes in state laws, Biden administration efforts, and calls from employees regarding greater transparency have spurred employers to find out where they stand. In this episode of Workplace Rules, Senior Counsel Chris Wilkinson, who previously served as assoc...

Employers across the country are scratching their heads, wondering why the labor market remains painfully tight, and talented employees are looking elsewhere for work. Is this temporary or a permanent shift in the employment landscape? To find out, Workplace Rules interviews Julian Sarafian, an attorney with a sterling pedigree who has become a spokesperson for a wave of disaffected millennial emp...

Our country has entered a new era, in which disabilities are increasingly viewed as superpowers and informed employers recognize them as the keys to unlocking employee performance. But obstacles remain, especially at the intersection of race, poverty, and disability. Join Andy Imparato, executive director of Disability Rights California, and Janice Ta, senior counsel at Perkins Coie, as they discu...

Will the Biden administration be Obama 2.0 for employers, or could we see a more progressive agenda? Will the independent contractor rule be applied more broadly to the gig economy? How will Biden’s Department of Labor (DOL) regulate a post-COVID-19 workplace? What is the future of diversity and inclusion training for federal contractors? Join Perkins Coie Senior Counsel Christopher Wilkinson for...

We live in a world where artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming omnipresent. How do we build AI that doesn’t simply replicate our biases and further perpetuate discrimination in hiring? Bill Duane, a tech leader, former Superintendent of Well Being and Sustainable Performance Development Programs at Google, and practicing Buddhist, serves as Strategy and Implementation Lead with the Center for t...

During the investigation process, survivor-centered, trauma-informed techniques are used to keep investigation participants empowered and safe—physically, emotionally, and economically. Arising from sexual abuse and domestic violence contexts, these techniques are now being recognized for their usefulness and success in more traditional corporate settings. Join Perkins Coie white collar investigat...

Today, former Airbnb, Inc. General Counsel and Chief Ethics Officer Rob Chesnut joins Perkins Coie San Francisco Partner Heather Sager for a frank discussion addressing the realities of establishing a vibrant, accountable, corporate ethics program, and why integrity must start at the top and engage your entire workforce to be truly effective.

In this Perkins Coie podcast, Senior Counsel Michael O’Brien discusses the effects of long-awaited regulatory changes to Title IX, the federal law that addresses sexual harassment in schools. Mike is joined by Amy Klosterman, a former attorney for the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights, who now advises colleges, universities, and school districts through Title IX compliance, an...

Misinformation is rampant in our current COVID-19 world. On this episode, Perkins Coie partners Ann Marie Painter and Jill Louis are joined by Dr. Carolee Estelle, M.D., an infectious disease specialist at UT Southwestern Medical Center and Parkland Hospital in Dallas, Texas, who provides some straight answers about the COVID-19 virus, what we know about its transmission, its effect on the body, a...