News

On November 4, 2019, Oklahoma experienced the largest single-day commutation in U.S. history. A total of 527 people saw their sentences for low-level drug and nonviolent offenses reduced. This day marked the first fruits of concerted efforts to reduce Oklahoma’s… more Continue reading Considering Applicants’ Criminal Backgrounds in Hiring Decisions

While sexual harassment and its negative impacts in the workplace are nothing new (and are, in fact, as old as time), cultural attention to this issue has increased with the rise of #MeToo and near continuous media coverage of sexual… more Continue reading Is Your Anti-Harassment Program Effective?

The Self Defense Act currently allows Oklahoma residents to carry a handgun – either concealed or open carry – so long as they have a permit issued by the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation (OSBI). In February 2019, newly inaugurated… more Continue reading Constitutional Carry and the Workplace

The U.S. Department of Labor has finally issued its new final rule regarding the increased wage that must be paid to employees who are classified as exempt under the white collar exemptions and who are subject to the salary basis test. more Continue reading New U.S. Department of Labor Rule Effective
Jan. 1, 2020

The proliferation of states legalizing the use, sale and cultivation of marijuana has inevitably led to conflicts between the laws of those states and federal law, which treats marijuana as an illegal substance. Among the key arenas in which those… more Continue reading Court Confirms Chapter 11 Plan Supported by Income from Marijuana Industry

Since March 2019, Oklahoma employers and employees have been anxiously monitoring the status of the Unity Bill. It now appears that the Unity Bill will go into effect on August 30, 2019. more Continue reading Get Prepared—Tomorrow the Unity Bill Safety-Sensitive Changes Become Law

Employers with more than five employees in the city of Dallas need to be ready to implement the paid sick leave rules that will go into effect on August 1, 2019, if not postponed by the city or enjoined by… more Continue reading Dallas Implements Paid Sick Leave Ordinance

Employers had a brief sigh of relief when the Oklahoma Supreme Court issued the Southon v. Oklahoma Tire Recyclers, LLCdecision on May 21, 2019. In Southon, the court held that the Workers’ Compensation Commission (the “Commission”) retained exclusive jurisdiction over workers’ compensation… more Continue reading HB 2367 Update: Workers Comp Retaliatory Discharge Claims Now Subject to District Courts

Ever since Oklahoma’s workers’ compensation statute underwent a major overhaul in February 2014 and changed from a court-based system to an administrative commission-based system, the question of how workers’ compensation retaliatory discharge claims would be handled has been a moving… more Continue reading Oklahoma Employers Win on Who Administers Retaliation Claims…For Now

Private employers that have more than 100 employees are subject to yearly EEO-1 reporting. [Note: There are other less common instances in which an employer may be covered by EEO-1 reporting requirements that are not discussed in this advisory. If… more Continue reading EEO-1 Reporting: The Lingering Effects of the Obama Administration