Wednesday, October 26, 2011
[IWS] Baker & McKenzie: U.S. EMPLOYMENT LAW FOR GLOBAL EMPLOYERS 2011[August 2011]
IWS Documented News Service
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Institute for Workplace Studies----------------- Professor Samuel B. Bacharach
School of Industrial & Labor Relations-------- Director, Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell University
16 East 34th Street, 4th floor---------------------- Stuart Basefsky
New York, NY 10016 -------------------------------Director, IWS News Bureau
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Baker & McKenzie
U.S. Employment Law for Global Employers 2011 [August 2011]
[full-text, 74 pages]
Developed specifically for foreign employers operating in the United States, this handbook helps employers new to the United States to navigate labor and employment laws, meet their compliance obligations, avoid potential liabilities and implement best practices.
Table of Contents
Editors’ Note................................................................................................................................................. 1
Contributing Lawyers ................................................................................................................................... 3
Introduction................................................................................................................................................... 4
I. Hiring................................................................................................................................................... 5
1. The Concept of “At-Will” Employment.................................................................................... 5
2. Advertisements and Job Postings, Job Descriptions ................................................................. 7
3. Employee Applications ............................................................................................................. 7
4. Background and Reference Checks; Drug Testing.................................................................... 8
5. Offer Letters and Proprietary Information Agreements .......................................................... 10
6. Employment Contracts ............................................................................................................ 11
7. The Role of Personnel Policies and the Essentials of Any Employee Handbook................... 12
8. Codes of Business Conduct and Ethics ................................................................................... 15
9. Immigration ............................................................................................................................. 16
II. Managing ........................................................................................................................................... 23
1. Wage & Hour .......................................................................................................................... 23
2. Discrimination & Harassment; Affirmative Action ................................................................ 25
3. Preference of Foreign-Born Employees Over Workers Of American National Origin .......... 27
4. Vacation & Leaves of Absence ............................................................................................... 27
5. Employee Benefits .................................................................................................................. 30
6. Equity ...................................................................................................................................... 35
7. Workplace Safety and Workers’ Compensation ..................................................................... 39
8. Unions and Labor Laws Relevant to Non-Union Workplaces ................................................ 43
9. Employee Monitoring and Data Protection............................................................................. 45
III. Terminating........................................................................................................................................ 48
1. Evaluation, Discipline and the Termination Process............................................................... 48
2. Releases................................................................................................................................... 51
3. Requirements under the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act.......................... 54
4. Reductions in Force................................................................................................................. 57
5. Resignations ............................................................................................................................ 60
6. Restrictive Covenants.............................................................................................................. 61
IV. Litigating............................................................................................................................................ 64
1. Federal Courts ......................................................................................................................... 64
2. State Courts ............................................................................................................................. 66
3. Administrative Agencies ......................................................................................................... 66
4. Arbitration ............................................................................................................................... 66
5. Litigation Holds....................................................................................................................... 67
V. Extraterritorial Application of U.S. Employment Laws Abroad ....................................................... 68
1. Employees Covered................................................................................................................. 68
2. Employers Covered ................................................................................................................. 68
3. Conflicting Foreign Law Defense ........................................................................................... 68
4. Application of U.S. Laws to Foreigners.................................................................................. 69
Index of Abbreviations ............................................................................................................................... 70
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This information is provided to subscribers, friends, faculty, students and alumni of the School of Industrial & Labor Relations (ILR). It is a service of the Institute for Workplace Studies (IWS) in New York City. Stuart Basefsky is responsible for the selection of the contents which is intended to keep researchers, companies, workers, and governments aware of the latest information related to ILR disciplines as it becomes available for the purposes of research, understanding and debate. The content does not reflect the opinions or positions of Cornell University, the School of Industrial & Labor Relations, or that of Mr. Basefsky and should not be construed as such. The service is unique in that it provides the original source documentation, via links, behind the news and research of the day. Use of the information provided is unrestricted. However, it is requested that users acknowledge that the information was found via the IWS Documented News Service.
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Stuart Basefsky
Director, IWS News Bureau
Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell/ILR School
16 E. 34th Street, 4th Floor
New York, NY 10016
Telephone: (607) 262-6041
Fax: (607) 255-9641
E-mail: smb6@cornell.edu
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