In the News

December 22, 2016 On Tuesday, Washington, D.C., became the latest municipality to institute a generous paid family leave policy, with eight weeks’ child-care leave and six weeks to look after sick relatives, continuing a trend of employee-friendly local and state regulations that management-side attorneys believe could accelerate as the incoming Trump administration effects a more […]

December 9, 2016 The Washington, D.C., City Council just voted on a paid leave bill that would be one of the most generous in the nation. Thanks to the city’s demographics and its unique position as the nation’s capital, this vote could be a major turning point for the country. Called the Universal Paid Leave Act, the bill

November 29, 2016 The United States is the only developed country not to offer paid leave to mothers and fathers of newborn children. During the 2016 presidential campaign, the issue of paid leave was very prominent in Hillary Clinton’s platform, and President-elect Donald Trump eventually proposed a paid-leave plan as well. Based on his rhetoric

September 1, 2016 Zika is in the news, the mosquito-borne illness that is linked to birth defects in children born to infected women, and so is this week’s missive from employment attorney Tom Spiggle of Spiggle Law Firm. “Employers are in a tough spot when dealing with the Zika virus and pregnant workers,” he writes.

June 2, 2016 Tom Spiggle is a lawyer in Arlington, Va., who specializes in representing employees in labor disputes. He applauds the new rule but recognizes it will mean higher costs for some U.S. firms. The Times asked Spiggle to explain the new rule and its repercussions. Here’s an edited excerpt: How many workers are affected