Thousands of Labor Suits Could Hit Queue If Courts Furloughed

Workers suing their employers—and tens of thousands a year do so—could miss deadlines or be pressured into hasty settlements if federal courts pare down to essential staff, attorneys told Bloomberg Law.

More than 25,000 employment-related lawsuits were filed in federal courts in the 12-month period ending June 2018, according to U.S. Courts data. That suggests that thousands of cases could be affected by a partial shutdown. The courts also handled approximately 1,945 appeals involving labor and employment issues during the same time period.

Most federal court civil operations will be stalled Jan. 25 if funding isn’t reinstated, according to the ...