Under New Jersey’s Law Against Discrimination (LAD), when an employee suffers injury due to their employer’s failure to accommodate his or her disability, the employer is liable for discrimination under LAD even when no direct economic harm or other form of adverse employment action was taken by the employer against…
New Jersey Employment Attorneys Blog
NEW JERSEY HOSPITALS REQUIRING OLDER DOCTORS TO UNDERGO MEDICAL SCREENING EXAMS AS A CONDITION OF MAINTAINING STAFF PRIVILEGES ARE LIKELY VIOLATING NEW JERSEY’S LAW AGAINST DISCRIMINATION
Older doctors in New Jersey who are required to undergo medical screening examinations as a condition of maintaining hospital staff privileges likely have the right to sue for age discrimination under New Jersey’s Law Against Discrimination, N.J.S.A., 10:5-1, et seq. (“LAD”). Supporting this conclusion is the belief held by the…
NEW JERSEY APPELLATE DIVISION RULES THAT FAILURE TO ESTABLISH A CAUSAL NEXUS BETWEEN PROTECTED WHISTLEBLOWING ACTIVITIES AND CLAIMED ADVERSE EMPLOYMENT ACTIONS DOOMS PLAINTIFF’S WHISTLEBLOWING CLAIM
The failure to establish a causal nexus between protected whistleblowing activity and the termination of her employment was the demise of plaintiff’s whistleblowing claim in a recently issued Appellate Division opinion in Brown v. Regina Foley, et. al. 2021 N.J. Super. Unpub. LEXIS 957 (decided May 20, 2021). In Brown,…
A “SUGGESTED COURSE” OF ILLEGAL ACTION BY A SUPERIOR MAY SATISFY THE REASONABLE BELIEF STANDARD UNDER CEPA THAT LAW OR PUBLIC POLICY WAS VIOLATED BY THE EMPLOYER
The New Jersey Supreme Court recently addressed, among other issues, the question of whether a “suggested course of action” by a supervisor to a subordinate can suffice as a reasonable belief under New Jersey’s whistleblower law that the supervisor wants the subordinate to engage in conduct that violates law or…
ATTORNEYS WHO VIOLATE THE “GOLDEN RULE” WHEN CLOSING BEFORE A JURY AT TRIAL RISK THEIR CLIENTS LOSING HARD FOUGHT VERDICTS ON APPEAL
Attorneys who violate the “Golden Rule” when providing a closing summation to a jury at trial risk losing a verdict for their clients, so says the New Jersey Superior Court, Appellate Division in Morgan v. Willie Maxwell II, et. al., 2021 N.J. Super. Unpub. LEXIS 718 (decided April 26, 2021).…
NEW JERSEY SUPREME COURT SAYS MEDICAL MARIJUANA CAN BE A REASONBLE AND NECESSARY TREATMENT FOR WORK RELATED INJURIES, AND THEREFORE, A REIMBURSABLE COST UNDER NEW JERSEY WORKERS COMPENSATION ACT
Vincent Hager suffered serious work-related back injuries on a construction job while working for M&K Construction. He underwent surgeries and was prescribed opioid medication for his chronic pain which did not provide him adequate relief. Hager then enrolled in New Jersey’s medical marijuana program for pain management and to overcome…
NEW JERSEY WORKERS DO NOT NEED TO PROVE AN ADVERSE EMPLOYMENT ACTION TO PURSUE A FAILURE TO ACCOMMODATE CLAIM UNDER THE LAD AND A WORKER SEEKING BODILY INJURY DAMAGES IS NOT BARRED BY OUR STATE WORKERS COMPENSATION LAWS FROM BRINGING SUCH AN ACTION UNDER THE LAD.
Although there is no bright-line rule as to what constitutes an adverse employment action, New Jersey state and federal courts have held that actions causing direct economic harm (such as hiring, firing, failing to promote, or adjusting wages or benefits) qualify as adverse actions sufficient to support a prima facie case of…
NEW JERSEY SUPREME COURT SAYS THAT UNDER THE DOCTRINE OF PROMISSORY ESTOPPEL A BROKEN VERBAL PROMISE OF EMPLOYMENT MAY ALLOW FOR A CLAIM FOR RELIANCE DAMAGES
Following a trial at the Law Division and an appeal to the Appellate Division, the New Jersey Supreme Court was asked to resolve whether a plaintiff could recover damages under a promissory estoppel theory of liability because he relied on defendant’s promise in quitting his prior employment. Goldfarb v. Solimine,…
THE FEDERAL AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN PROVIDES A 100% COBRA SUBSIDY FOR THE PERIOD OF APRIL 1, 2021 THROUGH SEPTEMBER 30, 2021 FOR WORKERS INVOLUNTARILY DISCHARGED
The American Rescue Plan (ARP) signed into law by President Joe Biden provides plenty of benefits for those eligible including: a) $242 billion in relief payments such as Economic Impact Payment of up to $1,400 for individuals or $2,800 for married couples, plus $1,400 for each dependent; b) expansion of…
PRETRIAL INCARCERATION DOES NOT NECESSARILY DISQUALIFY A CLAIMANT FROM RECEIVING UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE BENEFITS
In Haley v. Bd. of Review, DOL, 2021 N.J. LEXIS 223* (Decided March 17, 2021) our New Jersey Supreme Court held that pretrial detention is not an absolute bar to receiving unemployment compensation benefits for the time following dismissal of the criminal charges and release from detention. Based on the…