News
Murphy, Hesse, Toomey & Lehane Partner Presented Webcast for IFEBP
Kier Wachterhauser, a partner with Murphy, Hesse, Toomey & Lehane, LLP recently presented a webcast for the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans (IFEBP). The topic being discussed was Employment Law Updates: Drug Testing, Sexual Harassment, Overtime and Leave Laws.
The International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans (IFEBP) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing solution-oriented education, research and information about employee benefits to single, multi-employer, and public employee benefit plans across the United States and Canada.
Not only do laws and rules change frequently but so does workplace culture. Kier’s session addressed evolving employment-related laws, regulations, and trends in today’s workplace. The program covered: drug and alcohol testing, use of personal cell phones and employer email, workplace sexual harassment in the age of the #MeToo Movement, new proposed overtime and regular rate regulations, general trends in paid and unpaid leave laws, and the latest pertinent Supreme Court cases. Among these various topics, the program examined changing attitudes towards marijuana in the wake of continuing legalization and decriminalization, as well as some of the latest trends in combating harassment in the workplace.
This program dealt with topics focused on helping employers navigate the complex field of labor and employment law. Well-informed employers are much better equipped to avoid legal landmines and maintain a welcoming environment that leads to increased employee retention. This session concentrated on evolving employment-related laws, regulations, and trends in today’s workplace.
Murphy, Hesse, Toomey & Lehane, LLP Partner Prevails in U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit
Attorney Felicia Vasudevan, a partner at Murphy, Hesse, Toomey & Lehane, LLP, received a favorable decision on behalf of her client, Marshfield Public Schools. The Plaintiff appealed the district court’s judgement that upheld a decision of the Massachusetts Bureau of Special Education Appeals (“BSEA”). However, as the notice was filed more than 30 days after entry, the First Circuit ultimately dismissed the appeal for being untimely. The Plaintiff also appealed the district court’s order, denying her motion to vacate. Read More
New Features of Public Participation at School Committee Meetings
Following our Alert from March 16, 2023, Civility is Dead – The Supreme Court Rules Municipal Control of Public Speak Limited to Reasonable Time/Place/Manner Restrictions, which discussed the holding to the Supreme Judicial Court’s decision in Barron v. Kolenda and the Town of Southborough (SJC-13284), we promised to bring you more detailed guidance on developing a Public Speak policy for your public body or municipality. The Barron case involved a constitutional challenge to the Town of Southborough’s public comment policy, which attempted to impose a code of civility on members of the public who participated in public comment before public bodies. In Barron, the court interpreted the state constitution to mean that public bodies may request, but not require, that public commentators be respectful and courteous. Instead, a public body may set restrictions on reasonable time, place, and manner comments to ensure that the meeting retains an orderly and peaceable manner.
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