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What I've Been Reading This Week


Making a "Material Change" to a Separation Agreement - An Important Note

Daniel Schwartz makes note of an important EEOC regulation that employers (and employees) should be mindful of when working on a separation agreement.  The article addresses how a "material change" can impact the 21/45 day requirement for the employee to consider the agreement, as required by law.


What's In Store For Non Compete Agreements in Texas - 2014

This article addresses what is in store for non compete agreements in Texas this year.  Non compete agreements are often a hot button issue that inevitably become a contentious issue for both employers and employees.


Desperate For a New Trial? Not Any More - Nicollette Sheridan's New Trial For Retaliation Claim

In 2010, Nicollette Sheridan sued ABC, Touchstone and Desperate Housewives creator Marc Cherry for $20 million, claiming she was let go from the series in retaliation for complaining about being hit in the head by Cherry during a September 2008 argument on the set.  At a trial just against Touchstone, jurors were deadlocked at 8-4 in Sheridan's favor.  

In a somewhat surprising move, Judge Stern has ordered a new trial this week after he had previously dismissed the suit.  Although the basis for the ruling was not immediately clear, it should be noted that Sheridan's lawyers pointed to recent rulings by other judges that suggested there is no requirement to exhaust administrative remedies before filing a labor claim. 



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What I’ve Been Reading This Week

A few years ago, I remember when the “Fight for $15” movement was taking off around the country.  Lo and behold, it appears that a $15/hour minimum wage is not the stopping point, which should be no surprise.  As the below article notes, New York is aggressively moving to ramp up hourly wage rates even higher.  While all the  below articles are worth a read, I called particular attention to that one. As always, below are a couple article that caught my eye this week. Disney World Workers Reject Latest Contract Offer Late last week, it was announced that workers at Disney World had rejected the most recent contract offer from the company, calling on their employer to do better.  As Brooks Barnes at The New York Times writes, the unions that represent about 32,000 workers at Disney World reported their members resoundingly rejected the 5 year contract offer which would have seen workers receive a 10% raise and retroactive increased back pay.  While Disney’s offer would have increased pa