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Tracey O'Brien

Tracey focuses on assisting federal contractors, including healthcare, life sciences and education clients, in compliance with employment laws and regulations. She is the co-lead of the firm’s OFCCP Compliance team and a member of the firm’s Labor & Employment practice group. Tracey is an experienced trial lawyer, defending clients against claims of discrimination, harassment, and retaliation and other related claims before administrative agencies and state and federal courts.

In the last quarter of 2021, 69% of the 2.050 employees surveyed by Global Workplace Analytics and Owl Labs reported working remotely during the pandemic. One third of employees expressed a strong preference for continuing to work remotely, including changing jobs if necessary. Clearly with help from technology, working remotely is rapidly becoming the new normal for many employees. In response to employee preferences in a tight labor market, employers are pivoting to incorporate remote work into their business models. The pivot can morph into a legal hurdle, though when an employee’s remote work location is outside the state in which the employer is located (employer’s home state).

Most individuals are familiar with online video games such as FIFA, Minecraft, Fortnite or maybe, Last of Us permitting players to play and communicate with others online while seated at their Xbox or PlayStation consoles. Augmented Realty (AR) games, such as Pokémon-GO, superimpose a digital setting into the players’ own real environment, incorporating virtual components into the real world and increasing the level of physical activity.