News & Commentary

December 25, 2016

Maia Usui

Maia Usui is a student at Harvard Law School.

Undocumented workers have an equal right to workplace protections, according to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights.  In a decision issued earlier this week, the IACHR held that undocumented workers should be compensated for workplace injuries — notwithstanding the Supreme Court’s 2002 decision in Hoffman Plastic Compounds v. NLRB, which denied undocumented workers full remedies under federal labor law.  The ACLU, which represented petitioners in the case, has more.

Meanwhile, workers in California will now be relieved of all work duties during break times.  In a class action filed on behalf of ABM security guards, the California Supreme Court held this week that employers cannot require their employees to be “on call” or “on duty” during breaks.  Read more here.

In international news, Taiwan will now require employers to provide their workers with two days off each week, in an effort to improve work-life balance.  The mandatory five-day work week will start January 1st, The Christian Science Monitor reports.

Finally, as 2016 draws to a close, JD Supra offers a look back on some of the most noteworthy developments in employment law: the FLSA overtime rule (now on hold), new federal guidelines on recruiting and compensation, and New York’s upcoming minimum wage increase, among others.

Enjoy OnLabor’s fresh takes on the day’s labor news, right in your inbox.