By Steve Kardell | Published May 2, 2023 | Posted in Employee Rights, New Legislation, Sexual Harassment | Tagged Tags: employment contracts, severance agreements, Speak Out Act |
How the Speak Out Act Affects Employment Contracts and Severance Agreements
President Joe Biden signed the Speak Out Act into law in December 2022. This law renders unenforceable nondisclosure and non-disparagement clauses in employment contracts and severance agreements, regarding allegations of sexual harassment or assault. Here’s what that means for employees. How the Speak Out Act affects your workplace agreements If you’ve signed a nondisclosure or Read More
Read MoreCongress Expands Whistleblower Eligibility to Include Auditors and Compliance Professionals
Congress recently included the Anti-Money Laundering Whistleblower Improvement Act as part of the omnibus budget, which President Biden has signed into law. This new Act includes measures to expand enforcement actions against money launderers in the U.S. financial system. The Act is designed to incentivize whistleblowers to speak out when they witness wrongdoing. Who is Read More
Read MoreNew Bill Would Create Shorter Wait Time for SEC Whistleblower Awards
The Whistleblower Program of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has been a significant success since its implementation in the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform Act, but there have been some weak points. Chief among those is that it can take a significant amount of time before the SEC concludes its investigation and when the whistleblower Read More
Read MoreNew York Boosts its Whistleblower Protections
As of January 26, 2022, some new, enhanced whistleblower protections went into effect in the state of New York. The changes to the law were as follows: The state change the definition of an “employee” in Labor Law 740 to include former employees and independent contractors. The state extended the statute of limitations from one Read More
Read MoreWest Virginia Passes COVID Liability Shield Law
West Virginia recently became the latest state to pass COVID liability protection legislation. Republican Governor Jim Justice signed the bill that will afford greater protections to businesses, healthcare providers, universities and individuals from potential lawsuits relating to the virus. The bill is called the COVID-19 Jobs Protection Act, and is meant to reassure businesses that Read More
Read MorePaid Leave Under the Biden Administration’s American Rescue Plan
One of the very first steps President Joe Biden took upon assuming the presidency was to attack the COVID-19 pandemic and lay out plans for relief for Americans who have suffered financially and medically as a result of the widespread pandemic. The administration’s American Rescue Plan covered a broad spectrum of aid, including paid leave Read More
Read MoreWashington, D.C. Passes Tax Fraud Qui Tam Statute
On January 13, Mayor Muriel Bowser of Washington, D.C. signed into law the False Claims Amendment Act of 2020. It will become effective as soon as the 30-day congressional review period passes, as it is expected to do. The amendment passed 12-1, and featured four major changes to the district’s existing false claims statute: The new law Read More
Read MoreNew Legislation Requires Shell Companies to Disclose Their Owners
A new law passed in Congress in December that will, for the very first time, require shell companies to provide the names of owners, or face jail time and/or stiff financial penalties. This information will be stored in confidential databases for federal law enforcement officials, and will be shared with banks to prevent them from Read More
Read MoreLA County Board of Supervisors Enhances COVID-19 Whistleblower Protections
This fall, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors passed an ordinance protecting employees against retaliation for reporting violations of COVID-19 health protocols in workplaces. The county had seen a significant increase in complaints about workplace health violations over the course of the pandemic. New protections implemented in the ordinance prevent employers from taking any Read More
Read MoreLong Island City Council Creates New Law for Greater Whistleblower Protections During Pandemic
Members of the City Council for Long Island City developed new legislation to offer greater protections for whistleblowers who speak out about workplace safety issues during the COVID-19 pandemic. The goal is to keep all essential workers safer and to hold employers liable for the working conditions they maintain. About the legislation Under the new Read More
Read More
