FP Pop Quiz: Test Your 2024 Workplace Law Knowledge

Did you keep up with all the workplace law updates in 2024? Take our quiz to see if you can score a perfect 10 or need to do some catch-up work. After jotting down your answers, use the answer key at the end (no peeking!) to grade yourself – you’ll either earn instant bragging rights or win “most improved” by reading the Insights linked for anything that had you stumped.  

1. 🛑 A turbulent election year required employers to know their rights and responsibilities. Which of the following actions should you avoid taking during any election season?

a. Encouraging civic engagement to get out and vote

b. Barring political signs or shirts or other displays in the workplace

c. Commenting on employees’ political views or activities

d. Using company resources to support a candidate or position

2. 💲Earlier this year, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) implemented a rule that extends overtime coverage to about 4 million workers by raising the salary threshold for the so-called “white-collar” exemptions in two phases. However, a November 15 federal court decision blocked the DOL rule nationwide. What is the (approximate) threshold as a result of that court ruling?

a. $44K

b. $39K

c. $59K

d. $35K

3. 🦺 The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) released several new workplace safety rules last year, including new rules for electronic recordkeeping, “walkthrough” inspections, and heat safety. Which of these rules were final and effective in 2024?

a. The electronic recordkeeping rule took effect in 2024, but the “walkthrough” inspection and heat safety rules have not yet been finalized or taken effect.

b. Both the electronic recordkeeping rule and the “walkthrough” inspection rule took effect in 2024, but the heat safety rule has not yet been finalized or taken effect.

c. Each of the electronic recordkeeping, “walkthrough” inspection, and heat safety rules took effect in 2024.

d. None of these rules took effect in 2024.

4.🏛️The Supreme Court overturned the decades-old Chevron doctrine on June 28 – a move that will have a major impact on workplace regulations for years to come. Will Loper Bright’s potential impact be positive or negative for employers?

 a. Positive; the decision strips power from federal agencies and gives employers a powerful tool to fight back against regulatory overreach.

 b. Negative; the decision could be a costly victory for employers, including, potentially, by creating a new state of uncertainty and a patchwork of varying obligations for multistate employers.

 c. Positive and negative; both (a) and (b) are correct.

5. 📏Another 2024 Supreme Court decision held that lateral job transfers can support discrimination claims in some circumstances. According to the April 17 SCOTUS ruling, what level of harm must a transferred employee show to establish a Title VII claim?

a. A transferee must show some harm regarding an identifiable term or condition of employment.

b. A transferee must show significant harm regarding an identifiable term or condition of employment.

6. 🟰 The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission released new enforcement guidance in April regarding harassment in the workplace. According to the guidance, harassment includes denying a transgender employee access to a bathroom consistent with the individual’s gender identity.

a. True

b. False

7. 🗣️The National Labor Relations Board held in November that employer statements to workers about the impact of unionization are:

a. Generally lawful, so long as the statements do not explicitly or implicitly threaten employees.

b. Lawful only if a stricter standard is met, meaning that such statements must be rooted in objective facts, reflect likely outcomes beyond the employer’s control, and avoid any hint of coercion or threats.

8.🔏Businesses couldn’t ignore privacy issues in 2024. Classify each of the following three statements as true or false, respectively: (1) More states passed consumer privacy laws. (2) Wiretapping lawsuits against third-party website vendors increased astronomically. (3) Congress passed a federal privacy law.

a. True, true, true

b. True, true, false

c. True, false, false

d. False, false, false

9. 🤖Which state became the first the U.S. to enact a law that will require employers to take steps to ensure artificial intelligence does not discriminate against their workers?

a. California

b. Colorado

c. Illinois

d. New York

10. 🏓The federal Corporate Transparency Act (CTA) set a reporting deadline for the more than 32 million preexisting businesses required to comply – but multiple court rulings in December created a game of CTA ping-pong. Where does the deadline stand now?

a. The deadline was January 1, 2025, as originally scheduled.

b. The deadline is January 13, 2025, due to the government postponing it after one court halted the CTA on December 3 and another court revived it 20 days later.

c. All filing deadlines are currently suspended, due to a December 26 court ruling that blocked the CTA nationwide while challenges to the law play out in court.

d. A court struck down the CTA, and the government dropped the case altogether.

Scroll down to find the answer key…

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How Did You Do?

Extra Reading

For any question you missed, you can click on the corresponding link below to get caught up.

1. 🛑(c) Commenting on employees' political views or activities
2. 💲(d) $35K
3. 🦺(b) Both the electronic recordkeeping rule and the “walkthrough” inspection rule took effect in 2024, but the heat safety rule has not yet been finalized or taken effect.
4. 🏛️(c) Positive and negative
5. 📏(a) Some harm
6. 🟰(a) True
7. 🗣️(b) Lawful only if a stricter standard is met
8. 🔏(b) True, true, false
9. 🤖 (b) Colorado
10. 🏓(c) All filing deadlines are currently suspended

Bonus Points: For a full recap of the 2024 and our attorney’s predictions for 2025, check out our FP Workplace Law Forecast 2025.

Conclusion

Fisher Phillips will continue to monitor workplace law developments and will provide guidance throughout 2025. Make sure you are subscribed to Fisher Phillips’ Insight System to get the most up-to-date information directly to your inbox. If you have further questions, contact your Fisher Phillips attorney.