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Federal Employees as Relators OK'ed

Client Alert | less than 1 min read | 08.07.12

In Little v. Shell Exploration & Production Co., the Fifth Circuit joined the Tenth and Eleventh Circuits in holding that federal employees, like private citizens, can bring whistleblower suits under the False Claims Act--even when those employees are auditors whose job is to investigate fraud. The Sixth and Ninth Circuits have also implicitly held that federal employees are not barred from acting as relators, while the First Circuit has held that at least some federal employees may not be qui tam plaintiffs.

Insights

Client Alert | 3 min read | 04.24.26

DOL Issues Proposed Rule On “Joint Employment”

On April 21, 2026, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) issued a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) outlining a new standard for “joint employment” — under which separate entities will be found jointly liable for the other’s violations — under the Federal Labor Standards Act (FLSA), the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), and the Seasonal Agricultural Worker Protection Act (MPSA). The Proposed Rule purports to standardize the definition of “joint employment” across all three laws to create “clarity” and “uniformity” for employers and employees alike....