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In a recent unpublished opinion, the Fourth Circuit decided that a significant portion of an employee’s lawsuit should have proceeded when she was terminated just six days after she complained about age discrimination at work.  The case is Buchhagen v. ICF International, Inc., et al., and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit overturned a District Court’s decision to dismiss the worker’s claims for wrongful discharge and retaliation under the Age Discrimination in…

Surprisingly no, as shown by a recent federal court decision in Virginia rejecting such a claim by an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) counselor who helped an employee stop alleged harassment.  See DeMasters v. Carilion Clinic, Civil Action No. 7:12-cv-580 (W.D. Va. Sep. 17, 2013).  As this decision shows, the law does not require employee relations personnel to warn employees that their loyalties lie with the employer, and can lead to complicated interactions involving these professionals,

Briefly stated, the measure of value of a stolen item is the actual value for Virginia Grand Larceny purposes.  However, there are some circumstances where the replacement value can be used. “Larceny” is stealing, theft, or shoplifting.  To convict, the prosecutor must prove (1) that the defendant took personal property belonging to another and carried it away; (2) that the taking was against the will and without the consent of the owner; and (3) that