exam 3

the basics of legal research using the Nexis Uni database: https://libguides.uta.edu/lexisnexis

Students will submit an essay of 2,500 words or fewer on an appropriate public policy issue related to a significant employment law topic.

Some sample topics for the policy paper assignment. So, here are twenty-five of them. Not required to choose from the list or anything like that. Just some ideas to help you start thinking.

1. Whether (and to what extent) the U.S. should have a minimum wage?
2. Whether (and to what extent) the U.S. minimum wage should be increased?
3. Whether (and to what extent) a U.S. state (e.g., Texas) should have so-called “right-to-work” laws?
4. Whether (and for what reasons(s)) affirmative action should be permitted in employee selection processes?
5. Whether (and to what extent) employers in states that have decriminalized marijuana should be able to take adverse employment action against an employee for using marijuana?
6. Whether (and to what extent) non-compete clauses should be enforceable against low-level employees (see, e.g., https://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/15/upshot/when-the-guy-making-your-sandwich-has-a-noncompete-clause.html (Links to an external site.))?
7. Whether (and to what extent) employers should be able to pay less than the minimum wage to “tipped” employees?
8. Whether (and to what extent) at-will employees should be entitled to some level of due process before adverse employment actions?
9. Whether (and to what extent) “International” students in the U.S. should be entitled to work under their student visas?
10. Whether (and to what extent) the law ought to cap executive compensation?
11. Whether (and to what extent) employers should be exempt from the contraception requirements of the ACA based on owners’ religious values (see, e.g., htps://www.plannedparenthoodaction.org/issues/birth-control/burwell-v-hobby-lobby (Links to an external site.))?
12. Whether (and to what extent) the FLSA’s exemption levels (e.g., $684/week) should be increased?
13. Whether (and to what extent) prospective employers should be permitted to use data from applicants’ social media histories in the employee selection process?
14. Whether (and to what extent) the U.S. military should be permitted to discriminate against applicants based on physical features (e.g., height and weight)?
15. Whether (and to what extent) employers should be permitted to discriminate against job applicants for being too young?
16. Whether (and to what extent) state-government employees ought to be permitted to collectively bargain?
17. Whether (and to what extent) employers should be permitted to pay less than the minimum wage to employees younger than 18?
18. Whether (and under what circumstances and to what extent) employers should be permitted to discriminate based on physical appearance with respect to applicants for customer-facing jobs (think: Hooters)?
19. Whether (and to what extent) U.S. employers should be required to contribute to employees’ future retirements?
20. Whether (and to what extent) U.S. employers should be required to provide paid maternity leave? Or paternity leave? Or sick leave (a la Massachusetts)? Or voting leave? Or jury-service leave? Or military-service leave? Or…
21. Whether (and to what extent) employers should be required to pay a higher wage (e.g., 1.5x) to non-FLSA-exempt employees when employees work more than forty hours in a work week?
22. Whether (and to what extent) U.S. employers should be permitted to discriminate against Green-Card holders in favor of U.S. citizens in the employee selection process?
23. Whether (and to what extent and under what conditions) employers should be permitted to pay “interns” less than the minimum wage?
24. Whether (and to what extent) the U.S. should consider “disparate impact” (in addition to “disparate treatment”) in equal employment opportunity analyses?
25. Whether (and to what extent) ride-share drivers (e.g., Uber, Lyft, etc.) are “employees” under the FLSA?