2021 was a transformative year for labor and employment law and fundamental employment dynamics. There was no shortage of highly influential decisions issued by courts around the country in 2021 — and California continues to sit at the eye of the storm.
And, as we've seen for decades, what happens in California doesn't stay in California; California employment-related decisions and legislation tend to influence the landscape in jurisdictions around the country over time.
What's more, the COVID-19 pandemic and a profound labor shortage have had a dramatic impact on employers and employees alike in various ways, ushering in a new normal with new risks.
Here are 10 key employment issues and events that transpired this year, each of which are profoundly affecting employers' risk calculations and interactions with their employees.
10. EEOC Recoveries and Notable Activities Amid the Pandemic
On Nov. 16, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission released its annual Agency Financial Report for fiscal year 2021. The AFR reports on data from the EEOC's previous fiscal year and summarizes the agency's overall recoveries for the year.
Following a record year of recoveries for the EEOC in fiscal year 2020, the recoveries in fiscal year 2021 dropped and were roughly equivalent to recoveries in fiscal year 2019. Specifically, the EEOC's recoveries dropped from $535.4 million in fiscal year 2020 to approximately $484 million in fiscal year 2021. The EEOC recovered approximately...
For years, Democrats and Republicans have debated the significance of the laptop, which was left for repair at a Delaware shop. Today at 3:52 p.m. EDT The Justice Department on Friday charged two f...