Here is a list of five considerations to keep top of mind this season and year-round to stay off the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s naughty list and limit your company’s exposure to unwanted gifts in the form of religious discrimination complaints.

The last decade has seen nationwide momentum for laws limiting, to various degrees, inquiries into the criminal histories of job applicants. Currently, at least 28 states and approximately 150 local governments have passed such laws.

On September 20, 2017, the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals decided Severson v. Heartland Woodcraft, Inc., a case where a Plaintiff sought a three month leave beyond the federally mandated FMLA leave of 12 weeks that he had already taken due to a back injury. When the leave was denied, he filed a complaint under the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Frequently referred to as "tolling provisions," the intended effect of such provisions is to toll, or suspend, the time period restricting employment activity for an equal amount of time that the employee has failed to abide by the restrictive covenant. By doing so, the employer receives the intended benefit of its bargain to have a full and uninterrupted time period of an employee’s adherence to the restricted activity.

Keep up with the happenings: stay up-to-date on section news and events with this quarter's message from the Labor & Employment Law Section chair, Chris Drewry.

In the aftermath of the recent hurricanes, wildfires, and earthquakes, business clients are wondering how natural disasters impact their legal obligations as employers, as well as what legal resources are available to assist affected employees. In Indiana, we have been fortunate enough to avoid the brunt of these natural disasters, but our clients’ employees have been heavily affected.

2017 marks the 50th anniversary of the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967. The EEOC is marking the milestone with, among other things, a dedicated webpage. Included is a statement from Acting Chair Lipnic, a timeline of legislative developments, the EEOC’s regulations and guidance, important cases, and statistics.

A memorial service for the Hon. Denise K. LaRue of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana will be held on Thursday, September 14 at 3 p.m. in the William E. Steckler Ceremonial Courtroom in the Birch Bayh Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse. A reception will immediately follow.

Want the latest updates on what's been happening with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission? Take a look here for the most recent roundup from the Labor & Employment Law Section Executive Committee.

The IndyBar is saddened to note the passing of United States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana Magistrate Judge Denise K. LaRue on August 2, 2017. Judge LaRue was appointed to the court on May 11, 2017 and filled a new magistrate judgeship that had been created for the Southern District of Indiana by the Judicial Conference of the United States.