Brown Bag Lunch: Returning to the Workplace: Potential Legal Issues
The COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically altered the work experience for us all since March 2020. More than one year later, the pandemic is far from over, but the availability of effective vaccines is providing hope for a return to some semblance of normalcy in the not-too-distant future. As more employees come back to the office, it is worth reviewing certain aspects of the laws applied by the Congressional Accountability Act (CAA) which may be particularly relevant.OCWR Ergonomic Outreach Program
The OCWR Ergonomic Outreach Program provides guidance, self-evaluation materials, and information to request an on-site evaluation of your workspace. Created by the OCWR's Occupational Safety and Health Specialists, this program assists employing offices and individuals to develop,...Brown Bag Lunch: Recent Guidance on Paid Parental Leave in the Legislative Branch
The Congressional Accountability Act of 1995 (CAA) applies the rights and protections established by Title I of the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), which provides eligible employees with up to 12 weeks of protected, unpaid leave for specific reasons related to certain family and medical conditions. In December 2019, as part of the National Defense Authorization Act, the Federal Employee Paid...Brown Bag Lunch: Supreme Court Recap: Employment Cases
The Congressional Accountability Act of 1995 (CAA), 2 U.S.C. §§ 1301 et seq., applies the rights and protections of 13 labor and employment statutes to the legislative branch of the federal government. Covered employees alleging violations of these laws may file civil actions in federal court, and some might have the option of pursuing their claims through an administrative hearing at the Office...Brown Bag Lunch: CAA Standards of Causation After Babb v. Wilkie
On April 6 of this year, the Supreme Court issued its decision in Babb v. Wilkie, 140 S. Ct. 1168 (2020), clarifying that the standard of causation under the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) is much more favorable to federal sector plaintiffs than the private sector’s “but-for” causation standard. In an 8-1 opinion authored by Justice Alito, the Court held that the plain language of...Brown Bag Lunch: Pandemics and the CAA
Generally speaking, pandemics do not give rise to new legal obligations or alter existing ones under the various statutes, except to the extent that Congress specifically passes legislation to do so. However, employees’ existing rights – and employing offices’ existing obligations – remain intact during times of pandemics or other health crises, and it is important to consider how such...Brown Bag Outline: Age Discrimination in Employment Act
OCWR BROWN BAG LUNCH SERIES: AGE DISCRIMINATION IN EMPLOYMENT ACT OCTOBER 23, 2019 Under section 201 of the CAA, “All personnel actions affecting covered employees shall be made free from any discrimination based on… age, within the meaning of section 15 of the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 (29 U.S.C. 633a)[.]” In turn, section 15 of the ADEA, which applies specifically to federal...Third-party harassment
Courts have held that an employer can be liable for the hostile work environment created by a non-employee because employers are responsible for the type of work environment they provide for their employees.7 things for every office to know about the CAA Reform Act
Please review the resources and information about the Congressional Accountability Act of 1995 Reform Act for legislative branch offices.FAQS about the Reform Act
Frequently Asked Questions: What is the Congressional Accountability Act of 1995 Reform Act? Learn more about how the legislation impacts legislative branch employees...