Blog

On January 19, 2023, Gunster's Labor & Employment group hosted the "Future of Work in Florida" event, presenting the latest research on practices that high-performing organizations are implementing to attract and retain the best employees. EEOC Commissioner Keith Sonderling and Gunster Shareholder Joe Santoro kicked off the program with an insightful conversation highlighting the post-Pandemic shift the labor market has seen, followed by an interactive workshop and discussion featuring Jay Jamrog, Futurist & Co-Founder of i4cp, and a dynamic presentation by Former U.S ...

On January 5, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) proposed a new rule that would prohibit the use of non-competition agreements nationwide. Employers commonly require employees to sign non-competes that prohibit an employee from working for a competitor within a particular geographic area for a specified time period after their employment ends.  The FTC estimates that 1 in 5 American workers are bound by a non-compete, so this rule would impact approximately 30 million people if enacted.

The proposed rule requires employers to notify employees currently bound by a non-compete that ...

Landlords of multi-family apartment buildings in Florida now have new legal obligations under “Miya’s Law.” The law, Senate Bill 898, creates a new Florida statute requiring landlords to conduct background screening on employees and develop policies governing the possession of keys. The law was passed in response to the tragic murder of Miya Marcano, an Orlando-area college student killed by a maintenance worker who had a master key fob for her apartment building.

Miya’s Law requires that landlords use a third-party consumer reporting agency to conduct a background ...

On May 5, 2021, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) withdrew its prior rule on the classification of independent contractors.  The existing rule from the prior administration made it easier for businesses to classify workers as independent contractors, rather than employees.  The new announcement came from the DOL’s Wage and Hour Division and the withdrawal of the existing rule becomes effective upon publication on May 6, 2021. The announcement can be accessed here.

This is a critical issue, especially given the rise in workers in the so-called “gig economy” that includes ...

Recently, the president and CEO of the entity responsible for operating much of Texas’s electricity grid was fired as part of the fallout of the power outrages caused by the devastating winter storm back in February.  Bill Magness, the president and CEO of the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), was terminated without cause, but he told ERCOT’s board of directors that he is refusing to accept $800,000 severance payment.  This is just the latest example of business leaders disputing the terms of their separation. Chief executive officers at Crossfit, Parler, and Credit ...

Changes in the federal Americans with Disabilities Act have, over the years, broadly expanded the group of medical conditions requiring accommodation by employers – including conditions not currently affecting an employee's health.

Employers and human resource professionals should tread cautiously when it comes to racial discrimination claims in the workplace – regardless of an employee's appearance or claims of ethnicity.

Have you ever questioned whether something you were told or overheard about a business partner, employee, or competitor was actually true? Has someone ever made false statements of fact regarding you or your business?