The discussion was aimed at helping employers gain a competitive edge and reach the checkered flag, by providing an overview of the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act, insights about recent decisions from the Supreme Court, and potential changes slated to impact the workplace.
Avery Locklear, a labor and employment attorney, set the pace for the event by offering useful guidance regarding the WARN Act. The Act requires employers to provide written notice at least 60 calendar days in advance for covered plant closings and mass layoffs.
“This is important because the purpose of the Act is to alleviate the stress that a job loss has on the community and the employee. Another reason is that it’s expensive if you violate it. Among other penalties, an employee could be entitled to back pay and benefits for the period of violation up to 60 days,” advised Locklear.
The definitions of what constitutes an employer, plant closing, and mass layoff have significant implications. An employer is defined as a business with 100 employees or more; however, as Locklear explained, “Part-time employees are included if your workforce collectively puts in at least 4,000 hours per week, excluding overtime.” Employers are required to include employees at each...
Social media posts in Muslim-majority Malaysia have targeted an ethnically Chinese lawmaker with a fabricated headline claiming she backed halal certification for pork, which is forbidden in Islam....