As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to alter work lives in profound ways, employers are confronted with additional liability risks. The pandemic has created a wave of litigation that is unlikely to ebb until well after the unprecedented public health crisis recedes. In this issue, Jackson Lewis attorneys discuss the risks of WARN Act litigation
Class Actions
Hacked Healthcare Provider Refuses to Pay Ransom, Attackers Target Psychotherapy Patients
From Finland — by way of our Jackson Lewis Workplace Privacy, Data Management, and Security Report blog — comes the story of a healthcare provider whose refusal to pay a ransom to cyberattackers resulted in a particularly disturbing compromise of customer data: the threat of public disclosure of patient psychotherapy records.
“This incident reveals a…
COVID-19 screening programs can spur biometric privacy class actions
As organizations aim to return to some type of normalcy, and help ensure a healthy and safe workplace, many have implemented COVID-19 screening programs that check for symptoms, and an employee’s recent travel and potential contact with the virus. Moreover, many states and localities across the nation are mandating or recommending the implementation of COVID-19…
Pandemic Necessitates Review of Donning and Doffing Policies
As federal and state safety and health guidelines in response to the COVID-19 pandemic call for extensive use of personal protective equipment (PPE) in the workplace, employers should give their policies on “donning and doffing” a fresh look. Pandemic-related reopening orders issued by state and local governments may include requirements that will require employers to…
Class actions have not spiked alongside pandemic—yet
Has the COVID-19 pandemic prompted a rise in class action employment lawsuits? Not yet, according to the numbers. For now, COVID employment litigation has been comprised mostly of single-plaintiff claims. Whether the dam will hold, however, remains to be seen.
The Jackson Lewis COVID-19 Employment Lit-Watch tracks labor and employment litigation developments nationwide, as sifted…
Eleventh Circuit rejects incentive awards for class plaintiffs
The Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals ruled today that “incentive” or “service” awards to lead plaintiffs in Rule 23 class actions are unlawful. It is the first circuit court of appeals to expressly invalidate such awards as a matter of law. (Johnson v. NPAS Solutions, LLC, No. 18-12344, September 17, 2020).
In a…
Class Action Trends Report Summer 2020
Employers continue to grapple with an ongoing, unprecedented public health crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and its after-effects, which have profoundly disrupted the nation’s economy and U.S. workplaces. In this issue, attorneys in the Class Actions & Complex Litigation Practice Group discuss the most pressing workplace class action litigation risks arising from the COVID-19…
Universities Sued for Closing Campuses Amidst COVID-19 Crisis
As of early this week, nearly 70 class actions have been filed by students against colleges and universities challenging their institutions’ responses to the COVID-19 crisis. The students argue they are entitled to refunds because the institution failed to provide them with all the benefits of an on-campus education for which they paid. These putative…
Ninth Circuit Affirms Denial of Class Certification in Gender Bias Case
Reinforcing the burden on any putative class to satisfy all of the requirements of Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 23, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit has affirmed the district court’s order denying the plaintiffs’ motion for class certification in an employment discrimination action. Moussouris v. Microsoft Corp., No. 18-35791 (9th Cir.…
Class Action Trends Report – Fall 2019
Our quarterly report discusses new developments in class action litigation and offers strategic guidance and tactical tips on how to defend such claims. This issue covers the following topics:
- Proliferation of independent contractor claims
- Wage and hour
- The persistant and seismic impact of #MeToo
- Disparate impact
- The onslaught of privacy class actions
Click here to…