Caroline Pieper Discusses Supreme Court Limiting Retiree Benefit Discrimination Claims in Bloomberg Law, Reuters, HR Brew, and SHRM

Caroline Pieper discussed the Supreme Court’s limitation on retiree benefit discrimination claims in Bloomberg Law, Reuters, HR Brew, and SHRM. Pieper discussed how, in the Stanley v. City of Sanford ruling, the justices held that a retiree cannot sue over retirement health benefits under Title I of the ADA, with Justice Neil Gorsuch explaining that expanding these protections could discourage employers from offering benefits and that only Congress, not the Court, has the authority to decide whether such protections should extend to retirees.

Pieper commented in Bloomberg Law: Employers all the time are very hesitant to make changes to retiree benefits because there are a bunch of different legal landmines you could step on when you do that type of thing. This case will help give employers a little bit of comfort, at least under the ADA, from a litigation risk standpoint

Pieper told Reuters: While there are certainly other considerations ... this case should give employers more comfort under the ADA when they modify or reduce post-employment offerings.

Pieper told SHRM: This decision will reduce litigation risk under the ADA when employers make changes to their retiree health benefit offerings.