“Stop Woke” Act passes Florida Senate
New legislation in Florida (HB 7) prohibits any teaching that could make students feel they bear “personal responsibility” for historic wrongs because of their race, color, sex, or national origin. But the legislation’s reach doesn’t end in schools. In the workplace, employment practices or training programs that cause an individual to feel similarly guilty could be considered an unlawful employment practice, giving rise to legal liability. The Florida Senate voted 24-15 along party lines to approve a measure labeled “Individual Freedom,” and was seen to be in response to Governor DeSantis’ demand for a “Stop WOKE” Act. You can see more here.
New guidance from the DOL on FLSA, FMLA, and Visa programs
On March 10 the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) released guidance related to FLSA, FMLA, and Visa programs, providing specific examples of what constitutes unlawful retaliation in each of those areas of the law. The examples range from restaurant workers discussing overtime pay; to a new mother at a call center taking breaks to express breast milk; to assigning points to an absence related to a daughter’s overnight stay in the hospital; to threatening agricultural workers with physical harm after they’ve asked for food and water.
