Blogs & Media

U.S. Supreme Court recognizes ministerial exception

Posted on 01/31/2012 at 01:28 PM by The Newsroom

dickinson law firm des moines iowa scotus

On January 11, 2012, the U.S. Supreme Court acknowledged a 'ministerial' exception to virtually all employment discrimin...

Categories: Employment & Labor Law, Litigation & Trial Law

Tagged As: ADA, ADAAA, Americans with Disabilities Act, called teachers, Cheryl Perich, commissioned minister, definition of minister, discrimination, EEOC, employment decisions in religious organizations, First Amendment, Hosanna-Tabor, Hosanna-Tabor Evangelical Lutheran Church and School v. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Hosanna-Tabor opinion, lay teachers, minister of religion-commissioned, ministerial exception, ministerial exception to anti-discrimination laws, religious employers, retaliation, Sixth Circuit, Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals, Supreme Court, U.S. Supreme Court, US Supreme Court

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Iowa bankers beware: Iowa Supreme Court rules feed supplier's lien has priority status

Posted on 01/06/2012 at 10:17 AM by John Lande

John Lande Iowa Banking Law Iowa Commercial Litigation Dickinson Law Firm Des Moines, Iowa

In Oyens Feed & Supply Co. v. Primebank, the Iowa Supreme Court dealt a blow to financial institutions' ability to secur...

Categories: Banking Law, Commercial Litigation, John Lande

Tagged As: certified request, Chapter 570A, credit extension to farm, farm crisis of the 1980s, Iowa banking, Iowa Commercial Litigation, Iowa Supreme Court, Oyens Feed & Supply Co. v. Primebank, priority of feed supplier's liens, priority status of agricultural liens, security interests in livestock

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New federal regulation institutes hefty fines for cell phone use by commercial motor vehicle operators

Posted on 12/29/2011 at 10:09 AM by The Newsroom

Iowa Employment & Labor Law, Dickinson Law Firm, Des Moines Iowa

Effective January 3, 2012, commercial drivers will no longer be permitted to use hand-held cellular phones while operati...

Categories: Employment & Labor Law

Tagged As: cell phone use in commercial motor vehicles, commercial driver's license holders and cell phones, employment policies for CMV operators, federal civil penalties for cell phone use in CMVs, fines for cell phone use in CMVs, hands-free cell phone use in CMVs, U.S. Department of Transportation regulations

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Department of Labor issues retaliation fact sheets

Posted on 12/27/2011 at 11:20 AM by Jill Jensen-Welch

Jill Jensen-Welch Iowa Employment & Labor Law Dickinson Law Firm Des Moines Iowa

On December 23, 2011, the U.S. Department of Labor issued three new Fact Sheets about retaliation prohibitions.  The Fac...

Categories: Employment & Labor Law, Jill Jensen-Welch

Tagged As: complaints about FLSA violations, Department of Labor's Retaliation Fact Sheets, examples of retaliatory conduct, Fair Labor Standards Act retaliation, Family and Medical Leave Act retaliation, FLSA Retaliation Fact Sheet, FMLA Retaliation Fact Sheet, Kasten v. Saint-Gobain, Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Workers Protection Act, Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Workers Protection Act retaliation, MSPA Retaliation Fact Sheet, retaliation prohibitions, retaliation protections for verbal complaints

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The NLRB once again prepares to lose a quorum

Posted on 12/15/2011 at 12:06 PM by Russell Samson

Russ Samson Iowa Employment & Labor Law Dickinson Law Firm Des Moines Iowa

On December 14, 2011, in anticipation of the loss of the third member a loss which will reduce the National Labor Relati...

Categories: Employment & Labor Law, Russ Samson

Tagged As: National Labor Relations Act, National Labor Relations Board, new NLRB employee rights poster, New NLRB rules, New Process Steel LP v. NLRB, NLRB Chief Administrative Law Judge, NLRB prepares to lose quorum, NLRB quorum, NLRB recess appointments, NLRB Special Procedures When the Board Lacks a Quorum, NLRB statutory quorum, two-member National Labor Relations Board

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Sweeping changes proposed for affirmative action requirements regarding disabled workers

Posted on 12/09/2011 at 11:14 AM by Jill Jensen-Welch

Jill Jensen-Welch Iowa Employment & Labor Law Dickinson Law Firm Des Moines Iowa

Continuing the Obama administration's aggressive regulatory agenda, the Office of Federal Contracts Compliance Programs...

Categories: Employment & Labor Law, Jill Jensen-Welch

Tagged As: Affirmative Action Plan requirements for disabled workers, affirmative action requirements, Americans with Disabilities Act, changes to affirmative action requirements, definition of disabled, Department of Labor, E.O. 11246, federal contractor workforce 7% people with disabilities, Office of Federal Contracts Compliance Programs, Rehabilitation Act of 1973, unemployment rate for diabled, women and racial minorities affirmative action requirements

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Alert for nursing homes and residential care facilities: OSHA launches emphasis program

Posted on 11/29/2011 at 10:14 AM by The Newsroom

Iowa Employment & Labor Law Dickinson Law Firm Des Moines Iowa

Due to increased injuries and illnesses among health care support workers in 2010, OSHA has announced it is launching a...

Categories: Employment & Labor Law

Tagged As: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Department of Labor, employee training, employer policies and procedures, Iowa Employer Law Blog, OSHA inspections, OSHA National Emphasis Program on Nursing Home and Residential Care Facilities, workplace injuries, workplace violence

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A caution to expanding companies using criminal background information in employment decisions

Posted on 11/08/2011 at 11:16 AM by The Newsroom

Iowa Employment & Labor Law Dickinson Law Firm Des Moines Iowa

It should be standard (and prudent) practice for a company expanding into a new state to double-check that state's laws,...

Categories: Employment & Labor Law

Tagged As: criminal background checks used in employment decisions, criminal background information used in hiring, states that restrict use of criminal background checks

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More posters: New NLRB rule for virtually every private employer

Posted on 09/01/2011 at 10:38 AM by Russell Samson

Russ Samson Iowa Employment & Labor Law Dickinson Law Firm Des Moines Iowa

On Thursday, August 25, 2011, the National Labor Relations Board issued an advance copy of a final rule that will requir...

Categories: Employment & Labor Law, Russ Samson

Tagged As: August 30 Federal Register, National Labor Relations Board final rule, new NLRB poster, new NLRB rule, poster about workers' rights under NLRA, who must post new NLRB poster

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Civil rights investigators fired over discriminatory emails

Posted on 08/25/2011 at 03:58 PM by Jill Jensen-Welch

Jill Jensen-Welch Iowa Employment & Labor Law Dickinson Law Firm Des Moines Iowa

Three Iowa Civil Rights Commission  investigators were fired for using the state's email system to engage in what an adm...

Categories: Employment & Labor Law, Jill Jensen-Welch

Tagged As: civil rights investigators fired, dicrimination in the workplace, ICRC investigators discriminatory emails, ICRC investigators unemployment appeal decisions, internal investigation, Iowa Civil Rights Commission investigators, unemployment appeals, unemployment claims

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