2023 Supreme Court HR Updates and Rulings
October 18th, 2023
As in the Legislative Overview, we’re going to talk about some of the HR updates from the Supreme Court and their rulings. This was a busy session, and many decisions affecting employment law were decided upon as June ended. So, let’s dive right in.
Religious Accommodation
Gerald Groff, a mail carrier employed by the United States Postal Service, was informed that he had to work on Sundays to handle package deliveries. However, this clashed with his religious observance of attending church on Sundays. Initially, the USPS had respected Mr. Groff’s request for Sundays off as religious accommodation. However, due to high package volumes and limited staffing, the USPS mandated him to work on Sundays. When he declined, he faced disciplinary consequences.
The postal carrier took the matter to court, requesting no religious accommodation for Sundays off from work. Following the legal process, the petition eventually reached the Supreme Court.
The Supreme Court sided with Gerald Groff, establishing a precedent that employers are obligated to accommodate an employee’s deeply held religious beliefs, allowing them time off for prayer or worship. This ruling also raised the standard significantly for businesses seeking to deny religious accommodation requests. Now, they must demonstrate that fulfilling the request would pose a substantial hardship to the company.
Unionization
Concrete delivery drivers from Glacier Northwest, all part of the Teamsters Union, arrived at work, operating the cement mixers and machinery just as they would on any other day, although they had planned to strike that morning. When the agreement between the union and Glacier ended, the Teamsters chose to leave the site. This decision led to even drivers who were en route for deliveries being recalled. Glacier managed to salvage most of their trucks by unloading the cement before it solidified in the drums, but unfortunately, the cement itself was a complete loss.
While the NLRB typically safeguards most unions, in this instance, the Teamsters’ actions were deemed malicious. Glacier Northwest filed a lawsuit against the union for the incurred damages and emerged victorious. The union attempted to dismiss the claims, citing NLRB protection, but this defense proved unsuccessful. The ruling determined that the union deliberately caused the damage due to the ongoing labor dispute.
This incident highlights a few crucial points. The NLRB supports employees’ rights to collectively challenge employers or unionize to improve workplace conditions and livelihoods through peaceful strikes and protests. However, it does not condone intentionally causing harm or damage to a business. The Supreme Court also weighed in on this case, concurring with the NLRB’s updated stance.
Affirmative Action
Recently, the Supreme Court decided to eliminate affirmative action policies in higher education, particularly concerning college admissions. Affirmative action had been instrumental in diversifying college and university classrooms. The debate was centered around the notion that if a specific gender, age, or nationality quota was already met, it could potentially prevent highly qualified individuals from accessing higher education.
How does this relate to employers? If a company implements affirmative action and hires individuals not based on their qualifications for the job, but rather to enhance the company’s diversity statistics, it might be wise to reconsider such a practice.
To determine whether your existing hiring or recruiting policy aligns with an affirmative action program, consult a legal counsel and/or HR professional.
Gender Dysmorphia
The Supreme Court decided not to review the case advocating for Gender Dysmorphia to be recognized as a disability under the ADA. It’s likely that this issue will resurface in the future, sparking further discussion within the Court.
The Supreme Court was on a Summer Recess in June/July until the first Monday in October. That is when proceedings will resume, so we can expect to see changes happening soon.
Paul Carelis, SHRM-CP, PHR – VP of HR Services, MP
Paul has over a decade of experience in the HR consulting space, working with businesses of all sizes and industries, leading a team of SHRM-certified HR professionals at MP. Together, they assist clients with compliance, training, and HR guidance, and support for the full employee life cycle.
MP Compliance Resources – HR Updates
MP’s certified HR experts streamline HR and ensure you are always in compliance. Our HR specialists carefully monitor federal and state legislative and regulatory measures affecting employment-related human resources, payroll, tax, benefits administration, and help ensure that MP clients are updated as relevant laws evolve. For the latest on how federal and state tax law changes may impact your business, talk with an HR expert today!
Recent Posts
- 2024 HR Year-End Checklist: Your Guide to a Smooth Closeout
- Overtime Rule Overturned: Navigating the New Landscape for Employers
- How Your Leadership Can Help Maintain Positive Mental Health for Employees
- Understanding the Role of Mental Health in Today’s Workplace, for Business Leaders
- The Current Climate of Home Healthcare: Challenges and Opportunities
Categories
- ACA (10)
- AI (5)
- BizFeed (6)
- Business Strategy (119)
- COBRA (5)
- Compliance (169)
- COVID-19 (92)
- Diversity (12)
- eBooks (19)
- Employee Engagement (33)
- Employee Handbooks (24)
- ERTC (29)
- FFCRA (7)
- HR (305)
- MP Insider (13)
- Payroll (90)
- PFML (9)
- PPP (24)
- PTO (5)
- Recruiting (53)
- Remote Work (39)
- Return to Work (32)
- Unemployment (1)
- Wellness (22)
Archives
- November 2024
- October 2024
- September 2024
- August 2024
- July 2024
- June 2024
- May 2024
- April 2024
- March 2024
- February 2024
- January 2024
- December 2023
- November 2023
- October 2023
- July 2023
- June 2023
- May 2023
- April 2023
- March 2023
- January 2023
- December 2022
- October 2022
- September 2022
- August 2022
- July 2022
- June 2022
- May 2022
- April 2022
- March 2022
- February 2022
- January 2022
- December 2021
- November 2021
- October 2021
- September 2021
- August 2021
- July 2021
- June 2021
- May 2021
- April 2021
- March 2021
- February 2021
- January 2021
- December 2020
- November 2020
- October 2020
- September 2020
- August 2020
- July 2020
- June 2020
- May 2020
- April 2020
- March 2020