We will be discussing the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Epic Systems Corp. v. Lewis, which was released on Monday, May 21. We will be discussing the law and legal battle leading up to the case, as well as the impact of its decision to allow employers to include class and collective action waivers in their arbitration agreements. This is an important decision for both employees and employers because of the huge costs and awards (sometimes requiring employers to pay millions of dollars) that are associated with class and collective actions brought by employees against their employers. The Supreme Court clarified that it is permissible for employers and employees to sign arbitration agreements where the employees agree to pursue their legal claims against their employers individually in arbitration, rather than in a class or collective manner.
We will also discuss some of the limitations of the Supreme Court’s decision, some practical implications and next steps for employers in the wake of the decision, and the pros and cons of arbitrations agreements more generally.
*HRCI and SHRM pending approval