Employment Law (Concepts and Insights Series)

by Samuel Estreicher, Gillian Lester

Overview

This textbook is a one-volume treatment of the basic analytical structure and legal policy issues informing U.S. employment law. The full range of the subject matter is examined with chapters on defining employees (as opposed to independent contractors), employment contracts, employment torts, workplace privacy, post-termination restraints and workplace intellectual property issues, employee benefits, wage-hour laws, occupational safety, workers’ compensation, and unemployment compensation.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781628102550
Publisher:	West Academic
Publication date:	04/10/2008
Series:	Concepts and Insights
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	330
Sales rank:	1,281,147
File size:	993 KB

Table of Contents

Preface     v
The Nature of Labor Markets
The Regulation of Labor Markets     1
The Model of Competitive Labor Markets     1
Reasons for Regulation of Labor Markets     6
Redistribution     6
Evolving Social Norms or Preference Transformation     7
Correcting "Market Failure"     7
Objections to Regulation     10
Modes of Regulation     12
Taxing and Spending Measures     12
"Minimum Terms" Laws or Mandates     12
Regulation of the Process of Bargaining     13
The Employment Relationship     14
What is at Stake?     14
The Nature of the Employment Relationship     15
Tests for Employee Status     17
Common Law or "Right of Control" Test     17
The "Economic Realities" or "Economic Dependency" Test     21
Areas of Difficulty under the Common Law or "Right of Control" Test     23
Laws Distinguishing Among Employees     26
Joint Employment     30
The Common Law of the Employment Relationship
Contractual Exceptions to Employment At-Will     33
Presumption of At-Will Employment     33
Agreements for a Definite Term or for an Indefinite Term LimitingTermination of Employment     35
General Principles of Contract     35
Agreements for a Definite Term     36
Agreements for an Indefinite Term Limiting Termination of Employment     37
Constructive Discharge and "Wrongful Demotion"     40
Statute of Frauds     41
Standard of Cause     42
Substantive Dimension     42
Procedural Dimension     45
Employer Promises Enforceable as a Matter of Promissory Estoppel     45
Binding Employer Statements     46
Are Statements in Employment Manuals and Handbooks Binding on the Employer?     46
Can Employers Modify or Rescind Commitments Made in Previous Unilateral Statements?     51
Implied Duty of Good Faith and Fair Dealing     54
Employment Torts     56
"Bad Faith Breach"     56
Discharge or Other Discipline in Violation of Clearly Established Public Policy     58
Common Law     58
Source of Established Public Policy     60
Conflicting Duties     61
Clear Adverse Impact on Public Policy     62
No Interference with an Alternative Scheme     63
Legislation     63
Other Tort Theories for Challenging Termination Decisions      64
Fraud or Deceit     64
Wrongful Interference with Contractual Relations     65
Intentional Infliction of Emotional Distress     66
Defamation     67
Publication     67
Privilege     68
Absolute Privilege     68
Qualified Privilege     69
Workplace Privacy     70
Constitutional Law     70
Physical Privacy     70
Self-Incrimination     76
Associational Privacy     77
State Constitutional Law     77
Legislation     78
Investigative Techniques     78
Polygraphs     78
Telephone Monitoring     78
Electronic Communication Monitoring     79
Investigation of Consumer Credit Reports     80
Areas of Special Concern     80
Records Privacy     80
Identity Privacy     80
"Legal Activity" Laws     81
Decisional Law     81
Information, Mobility and Competition     82
Introduction     82
Common Law Duty of Loyalty     84
Trade Secret Law     86
Definition of a Trade Secret      88
Improper Acquisition, Use or Disclosure     91
Inevitable Misappropriation     93
Remedies     95
Non-Compete and Other Restrictive Covenants     97
Legitimate Interests     100
Reasonable Duration and Scope     102
Reason for Termination of Employment     105
Remedies     106
Judicial Modification     106
Injunction and Damages     108
Choice of Law Clauses     108
Employee Inventions     110
Statutory Interventions
Workers' Compensation Law     117
Origins of Workers' Compensation Legislation     117
Rationale for Regulation     120
Covered Employers and Employees     123
Covered Injuries     124
Express Exclusions     124
"Arising out of and in the Course of Employment"     125
Potential Escape Routes from the "Exclusive" Remedy of Workers' Compensation     126
"Dual Capacity" Employer     126
Absence of a Remedy under Workers' Compensation     126
Injuries Outside the "Compensation Bargain"     127
Challenges     128
Unemployment Insurance     130
Overview      130
Basic Mechanics of UI Programs     133
Finance     133
Experience Rating     134
Procedure     136
Coverage     138
Eligibility     140
Monetary Eligibility     142
Nonmonetary Eligibility     144
Voluntary Quits and "Good Cause"     144
Misconduct     145
"Able and Available"     150
Refusal of Employment Opportunities     151
Collective Organization and Collective Bargaining Law     154
Rationale for Regulation     154
Basic Premises     156
Administrative Procedures     158
Protected Concerted Activity     159
Selection of Exclusive Bargaining Representative     161
The Process of Collective Bargaining     162
Administering the Labor Agreement     165
Individual Rights and the Collective Agreement     167
Union Democracy     168
Labor Law and Business Change     169
Wage and Hour Regulation     171
History     171
Basic Requirements of the Statute     171
Minimum Wage     171
Overtime Premium     173
Child Labor Restrictions     173
Anti-Retaliation     175
Rationale for Regulation     175
What Counts as Compensation?     177
What Counts as Work or Hours Worked?     178
Covered Employers and Employees     181
Enterprise Coverage     181
Employee Coverage     182
Employee vs. Independent Contractor     182
Employees Personally Engaged in Interstate Commerce     183
Exemptions     184
Other Exclusions from Coverage     186
Administrative Enforcement     187
Private Enforcement     188
State Wage Payment Laws     188
Employment Discrimination Law     191
Rationale for Regulation     191
Supply-Side Explanations     191
Demand-Side Explanations     191
Role of Anti-Discrimination Law     192
Title VII     193
Gender Discrimination     195
Religious Discrimination     197
Age Discrimination     197
Disability Discrimination     199
Retaliation     201
Administrative Process and Remedies     202
Occupational Safety and Health     204
Coverage and Regulatory Scheme     204
Covered "Workplace" and "Working Conditions"     205
Limited Preemption of State Law     205
Exclusive Agency Enforcement     209
Rationale for Regulation     210
Standards     212
Setting the Standard     212
Securing Compliance with OSHA Standards     219
General Duty Clause     220
Inspections     222
Protection Against Discrimination     223
Conclusion     225
Employee Benefits Law     226
Overview     226
Rationale for Regulation     228
Why Do Employers Provide Pensions?     228
Why Regulate?     230
Implications of the Shift to DC Plans     232
Coverage Issues     234
Covered "Plans"     234
Eligible "Participants"     237
Preventing Forfeiture of Pension Benefits     240
Vesting Rules     240
Minimum Funding Requirements     241
Prohibition of Discharge for Attaining or Exercising Pension Rights     241
Regulating the Rate of Accrual of Pension Benefits     242
No Cut-back of Accrued Benefits     242
PBGC Termination Insurance     243
Reporting and Disclosure Obligations     248
Fiduciary Obligations     251
Determining Fiduciary Status     252
"Dual Hat" Issues     253
Giving Advice to Employee Participants     253
Making Benefit Determinations     255
Amending the Plan     256
Promoting Employer Stock     259
Fiduciary Investing: Prudence     261
Fiduciary Investing: Duty of Loyalty and "Exclusive Benefit" Rule     264
Non-"Interference" Obligations     265
Application to Welfare Benefit Plans     265
Application to "Basic Organizational Decisions"     266
"Specific Intent" Requirement     267
Targeted Benefit Plan Changes     268
ERISA Preemption of State Law     270
State Mandates Not Requiring Ongoing Administration of a Plan     271
State Mandates Regulating "Payroll Practices"     271
State Regulation of Insurance     272
State Regulation of Practices Violative of Federal Discrimination Law     273
Arguable Shift Towards Narrower Scope of ERISA Preemption     273
Personal Leave Law     278
Introduction     278
Basic Requirements      279
Notice and Designation of Leaves     280
Interaction of FMLA with the Americans with Disabilities Act     282
Paid Leave and Other Policy Issues     283
Table of Cases     287
Index     303