On Monday, May 21, 2018, the U.S. Supreme Court issued what is widely regarded as the most important decision for U.S. employers this year.  In a 5-4 decision, in Epic Systems Corporation v. Lewis (and two other related matters), Justice Neil Gorsuch, writing for the majority, held that workplace employment agreements that bar employees from participating in class and collective action litigation against their employers do not violate federal labor laws.  In so holding, the…

The Second Circuit recently invoked a 17th century fable in reviving an employee’s retaliation claim against her employer even where the employer had no retaliatory intent.  In Vasquez v. Empress Ambulance Service, SDNY, 15-CV-3239, the Plaintiff, Andrea Vasquez, an Emergency Medical Technician, alleged that she was subjected to sexual advances by her dispatcher in part by sexually explicit text messages.  Vasquez complained to her employer, who immediately launched an investigation.  Unbeknownst to Vasquez or her…