Wisconsin’s Fair Employment Act (WFEA) contains protections against discrimination on the basis of certain employee characteristics, such as gender, national origin, or disability. The law also protects against discrimination on the basis of employee conduct, such as protections against discrimination for the use or nonuse of lawful products, or discrimination for one’s arrest and conviction…
The Fair Labor Standards Act (“FLSA”) is a federal law that requires, among other things, that employers compensate employees at a rate of 1.5 times the employee’s regular pay rate for all overtime work performed (generally, all hours beyond 40 hours of work in a workweek). This requirement applies to all compensable overtime hours unless…
After each biennial state budget has been adopted, we have provided a discussion of items contained within that budget that is of interest to our clients. In some previous budget cycles, the budget has contained significant policy components along with financial appropriations, in some instances requiring a series of articles to discuss those updates. The…
Part of our goal in preparing legal update articles for our clients is to provide practical guidance on matters relevant to our clients. To public entities, the often-convoluted legal landscape of public records law is one of those topics that, while not always exciting, it is nonetheless important to understand. In that vein, this article…
Following the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Mahanoy Area School District v. Levy, 141 S.Ct. 2038 (2021), courts have grappled with applying First Amendment freedom of speech law in the context of off campus student speech that implicates potential disciplinary interest relative to the school environment. Mahanoy, often referred to as “the cheerleader case” found…
Wisconsin Schools Professional football fans and others alike, have been gripped by the story of Buffalo Bills defensive back, Damar Hamlin, following his collapse on Monday Night Football. He reportedly suffered cardiac arrest and, because of the immediate and comprehensive medical response, was resuscitated on the field before being taken to a local hospital. As…
As the new school year gets into full swing following the Labor Day weekend, school district officials are working feverishly to assure compliance with the numerous obligations arising out of state and federal law mandates. The volume of notices and disclosures that school districts are required to provide to students, parents, and various state and…
It is not uncommon for students’ parents to try and put school districts and their staff in the middle of custody and other parental disputes. These situations are often uncomfortable for school officials and can threaten the school’s relationship with the students involved. School staff are trained to educate, not to navigate family disputes and…
Wisconsin Winters and Workers Compensation – not a great combination. Unfortunately, Winter in Wisconsin involves potentially treacherous conditions and injuries, such as slip and fall injuries. Typically, when employees are injured in the course of their employment, the Workers Compensation insurance carrier handles the claims, including the medical expenses as well as income replacement in…
As we experience yet another wave of concern regarding COVID-19, coupled with the concurrent flu and cold seasons in Wisconsin, some governmental bodies have again chosen to meet virtually in certain circumstances. Given this reality, a quick reminder of the Wisconsin Open Meetings law and the guidance from Wisconsin Attorney General on the issue is…