Category:Uncategorized
California’s COVID-19 Workplace Requirements Continue to Evolve
Emily Zhang Associate Editor Loyola University Chicago School of Law, J.D. 2024 On October 13, the California Department of Public Health’s (CDPH) issued a change to the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) Covid-19 emergency standard and issued a revised proposal for the non-emergency standard. The order updates the definition of “close contact” …
Read more
What the Proposed Illinois Workers Rights Amendment Means for Your Company
November 8, 2022 marks the day Illinois constituents vote for midterm elections. That is if they have not already sent in early ballots. On the ballot this year, voters will see a proposed amendment that would add a new section to the Bill of Rights Article of the Illinois Constitution that would guarantee workers the fundamental right to organize and bargain collectively, and negotiate wages, hours, and working conditions. This post breaks down this new amendment, looks at the greater political debate, and analyzes how it affects Illinois businesses.
Grocery Stores Merging: Will the FTC Allow the Kroger-Albertsons Deal to Proceed?
The current largest supermarket powerhouse Kroger announced on October 14 their intent to merge with Albertsons Companies, Inc., another huge supermarket retailer in the industry. Kroger owns many well-known stores such as Mariano’s, Ralphs, and of course it’s’ namesake, Kroger. Albertsons Companies owns the Chicago-land staple Jewel Osco and Safeway, among other supermarkets as well. The companies have executed an agreement for Kroger to acquire Albertsons for $24.6 billion. The merger comes in response to the rise of grocery shopping being done at “big box” stores like Walmart and Target, on top of rising food and produce prices from inflation and supply chain issues. However, the merger is facing a lot of backlash, and many are questioning whether it will even be able to pass regulatory procedures. If the deal is approved, it is questionable whether the merger between the two grocery giants will trickle down benefits to consumers.
The Clock Continues to Tick for SEC Climate Proposal
Juhi Desai Associate Editor Loyola University Chicago School of Law, JD 2024 In March 2022, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) released a 490-page proposal encouraging organizations to adopt climate-focused regulations. The policies could include climate disclosure requirements and an expense report detailing the effect climate change has on businesses. However, shortly after the …
Read more
Twitter Whistleblower Exposes FTC’s Ineffective Efforts to Protect User Data
Danielle McNamara Senior Editor Loyola University Chicago School of Law, JD 2023 In July 2022, former Twitter board member Peiter Zatko filed a complaint against Twitter, alleging that the social media platform failed to develop a security system consistent with the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) requirement to implement a comprehensive information-security program, established in 2011. …
Read more
Election Monitoring and Why It’s Important for November 8th
Voters have been questioning the credibility of elections since former President Donald Trump instilled fear in his supporters by alleging that votes were stolen in the 2020 election. Additionally, Democratic voters have become increasingly wary of voter suppression in Republican counties. As the United States midterm elections approach this year, the Department of Justice (DOJ) will be deploying stringent measures to ensure that counties and states are in compliance with fair voting practices.
Big Tech & Its Algorithms: Is It Time to Hold Them Accountable?
It’s no secret that companies like Google, Alpha, Meta, and Twitter use and sell our data. However, in recent years, the content that companies display to us while we use their platform, from the ads we see to the websites that we find on search engines, has become a major contentious issue. While Section 230 of the 1996 Communications Decency Act shields Big Tech and other online platforms from liability for user-generated content, the Supreme Court recently announced that it will hear Gonzalez v. Google. The outcome of this case could have a huge impact on tech policy and could fundamentally change the type of content that we see online.
Property Rights and the Clean Water Act: The Potential Impacts of SCOTUS’ Decision
On Monday, October 3, the Supreme Court began its new term by hearing a case concerning the rights of property owners and the interests of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Clean Water Act. When Michael and Chantell Sackett purchased land in Idaho in 2004, they did so with the intention of building a home on the property. Their plans were quashed when the EPA stepped in and declared that the land the couple purchased constituted a wetland, subject to regulation under the EPA’s Clean Water Act because the land is located 300 feet from a large lake. The Court is now faced with the question; how far can the government regulate water in the United States? Additionally, what counts as ‘waters of the United States”? Although the Court is not expected to make a decision regarding this case until June of 2023, the repercussions of the court siding with the Sacketts could be detrimental.
Chicago Aims to Abolish Sexual Harassment in the Workplace
Sexual harassment in the workplace is prohibited in Chicago. To further instill this message, in April 2022, Mayor Lightfoot and the Commission on Human Relations amended the sexual harassment laws (Human Rights Ordinance) to provide sharpened tools to employers and employees for preventing sexual harassment. These amendments strengthened the existing laws in strictly enforcing zero tolerance of violence and harassment in the workplace through written employment policies, posters, and training. Starting July 1, 2022, strict compliance with these amendments became the standard throughout Chicago.
The Gig is Up: Government Efforts to Regulate Gig Work and the Changing Definition of Employment
On October 11, 2022, the Department of Labor released a proposal to redefine independent contractor classifications under the Fair Labor Standards act. The change in definition, if approved, will have major implications for gig workers and companies such as Uber, Doordash, Grubhub, etc. These companies have already had a drop in stock value because of the announcement and the companies are at risk of losing more value as the gig economy destabilizes.