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In a recent precedent-setting opinion, the Third Circuit Court of Appeals significantly restricted the ability of police departments to suspend police officers pending investigation in Pennsylvania. The decision in Schmidt v. Creedon, __ F.3d __ (3rd Cir. 2011) (pdf) makes clear that absent extraordinary circumstances, prior to suspending a police officer for any reason…

This post was contributed by Kelley E. Kaufman, Esq., an Associate in McNees Wallace & Nurick LLC’s Labor and Employment Law Practice Group.

In a recent decision, the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania evaluated whether a public employer’s ban on employee tobacco use in the workplace affected a "working condition" that was subject to the…

During his recent State of the Union Address, President Barack Obama confirmed the news that some employers feared. During his address, President Obama stated that the Civil Rights Division (CRD) of the Department of Justice (DOJ) will begin aggressively pursuing employment discrimination claims. The President’s statement reiterated the CRD’s December 2009 message to Congress…

As a public employer, your actions are considered the actions of the government or the “state.” This dual persona brings with it additional obligations and challenges that private employers do not face. Some of these obligations include the requirement to provide due process rights to employees, and the challenges include a seemingly endless variety of…