Insights

A federal judge in Texas granted a preliminary injunction on June 28, 2024, barring the July 1, 2024, effect of a new U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) overtime regulation for employees of the State of Texas that would have increased the salary threshold for automatic overtime eligibility under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) issued a much-debated “Final Rule” earlier this year that banned most noncompete agreement nationwide. In support of its position, the FTC declared that such agreements are an “unfair method of competition” in violation of Section 5 of the FTC Act.

In a 9-0 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court recently sided with Starbucks Corp. over the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) in a decision that would severely delay the process for the NLRB to obtain preliminary injunctions for employees discharged during labor disputes.

The U.S. Supreme Court recently ruled that a mandatory job transfer might be considered an “adverse employment action” under federal anti-discrimination law. Following this decision, which creates a lesser standard for employees bringing discrimination claims, employers can expect more HR and legal involvement in job transfers so as to not run afoul of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

In an expected but still potentially paradigm-shifting move for employers, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has issued a “Final Rule” banning most noncompete agreements nationwide. The FTC justified its position by declaring that such agreements – which generally prohibit an employee from working for another employer in the same business for some period – are an “unfair method of competition” in violation of Section 5 of the FTC Act.

The U.S. Department of Energy recently released the first federal blueprint to decarbonize the building sector, which accounts for over a third of the nation’s planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions. This plan, developed by the DOE, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Environmental Protection Agency and other federal agencies, lays out actions the government can take to meet the goal of net-zero emissions by 2050.