Bio Filter Option
Morgan Lewis
  • Home
  • >
  • Sharon Perley Masling
Sharon Masling

Sharon Perley Masling

Partner

sharon.masling@morganlewis.com

Washington DC Phone +1.202.739.5299 Fax +1.202.739.3001

1111 Pennsylvania Ave. NW//Washington, DC 20004-2541//United States

Sharon Perley Masling, a director of Workplace Culture Consulting at Morgan Lewis, helps companies and organizations create safe, respectful, diverse, and inclusive workplaces. Sharon also leads the labor and employment practice’s Task Force on COVID-19 and co-leads the firm’s Task Force on COVID-19 Vaccines. Having previously served as chief of staff and senior counsel to a Commissioner at the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), Sharon provides insight on the enforcement of all employment civil rights laws and advises employers on employment discrimination issues.

Sharon partners with employers to conduct workplace culture assessments, using qualitative and quantitative tools, and helps employers devise and implement strategic plans that address leadership, accountability, policies, procedures, and training. She guides companies in understanding the potential costs—including the impact on productivity and job turnover—that can be tied to harassment and misconduct, and she helps employers develop proactive and concrete approaches to creating workplace environments where harassment and misconduct do not occur in the first place. Sharon also counsels employers on a wide range of employment compliance issues.

While at the EEOC, Sharon helped develop, prioritize, and implement the commissioner’s multi-year policy agenda on a broad range of issues, including harassment prevention, disability rights, LGBT rights, and EEOC governance. She also co-led the agency’s Harassment Prevention Action Team, directed the work of the Select Task Force on the Study of Harassment in the Workplace, and drafted and edited key sections of the agency’s 2016 report on harassment prevention.

Before serving at the EEOC, Sharon was senior legislative counsel at Workplace Flexibility 2010, a policy enterprise focused on finding common ground between employers and employees on workplace flexibility issues. Previously, Sharon was the director of legal services at the National Disability Rights Network, where she oversaw provision of legal training and technical assistance to attorneys and advocates in the national Protection and Advocacy (P&A) network. She also served as senior counsel on disability policy to Senator Tom Harkin of Iowa, Senate sponsor of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). In that position, she provided legal and political advice on a range of disability issues and drafted related legislative language, memoranda, floor statements, and talking points.

Sharon began her law career as a trial attorney in the Disability Rights Section, Civil Rights Division of the US Department of Justice, where she investigated and litigated alleged violations of Title I (employment), Title II (state and local governments), and Title III (places of public accommodation) of the ADA.

Awards and Affiliations

Member, Practice Group of the Year, Employment, Law360 (2019)

Recommended, Labor and employment: Workplace and employment counseling, The Legal 500 US (2020) 

Steering Committee, Coalition on Safety Respect and Equity (2018)

Advisory Board, The Power Shift Project, Freedom Forum Institute, Newseum (2018)

Articles Editor, New York University Law Review

Admissions

  • District of Columbia

Education

  • New York University School of Law, 1992, J.D., with honors, Order of the Coif
  • Harvard University, 1988, B.A., magna cum laude

Services

  • Labor Employment Benefits
  • Workplace Culture Consulting Training
  • Employment Counseling
  • Workplace Harassment Crisis Capabilities
  • Workplace Government Relations and Regulation
  • Environmental Social and Governance Sustainability

Regions

  • North America

Events

2/25/2021 - Employment Law in 2021: A Look Ahead

2/11/2021 - COVID-19 Vaccines: Legal Considerations for Retailers in Light of Latest Developments

1/21/2021 - COVID-19 Vaccines: Legal Considerations in Light of Latest Developments

12/14/2020 - Navigating the NEXT. Enforcement Outlook 2021

12/8/2020 - Workplace Policy in 2021: The Big Picture

11/10/2020 - The EEOC: What’s On the Horizon?

11/10/2020 - Post-Election Workplace Policy: Outlook for 2021

10/29/2020 - Philanthropy NY: COVID-19 Legal Developments and Return to Work Issues

9/2/2020 - Morgan Lewis Hedge Fund University™: Return to Work

8/13/2020 - Want to Make Medical Devices? Steps to Consider in Diversifying Your Product Portfolio

5/7/2020 - COVID-19 and Employee Relations

5/6/2020 - Returning to Work: What You Need to Do! - The Loan Syndications & Trading Association

4/29/2020 - Reopening the Workplace: Practical Considerations for Employers

3/24/2020 - Responding to the 2019 Novel Coronavirus: Top-of-Mind Employee Benefits Questions for Employers

3/12/2020 - Responding to the 2019 Novel Coronavirus: Top-of-Mind Questions for Employers

1/16/2020 - Foul Play! Workplace Culture in Sports

10/27/2019 - 2019 ACC Annual Meeting

9/26/2019 - AI and Machine Learning: Improving Compliance and Reducing Risk in the Global Workforce Roundtable—Washington, DC

8/20/2019 - Preparing for the EEO-1 Pay Data Collection Deadline

6/11/2019 - Murphy's Laws: Keeping Up with Changes Affecting NJ Employers

6/4/2019 - IBA - Bullying and Sexual Harassment in the Legal Profession

5/30/2019 - 2019 Technology May-rathon: The Tech World Post-#MeToo: Creating Safe, Inclusive, and Respectful Workplaces

5/8/2019 - 2019 Technology May-rathon: Technology Industry Employers Roundtable

News

3/24/2021 - Will NJ Businesses Mandate COVID-19 Vaccinations for Returning Workers?, NJ Spotlight News

2/8/2021 - Worker Cash-for-Vaccine Incentives Boom Despite Legal Questions, Bloomberg Law

1/29/2021 - Why Grocery Chains Are Paying Workers to Get Vaccinated, but Other Industries Are Lagging, The Washington Post

January 2021 - Legal Tech's Predictions for 2021, Legaltech News

1/6/2021 - Legal Tech’s Predictions for Remote Working and COVID-19 in 2021, Legaltech News

12/31/2020 - Six Ways your Office Will Be Different in 2021, Assuming You Ever Go Back to It, The Washington Post

12/30/2020 - Emergency Virus Vaccine Approval Adds More Risk to Job Mandates, Bloomberg Law

12/24/2020 - Employers Should Incentivize, Not Require, Vaccines, Employment Lawyers Say, The Boston Globe

12/17/2020 - Employers Can Bar Unvaccinated Employees from the Workplace, EEOC Says, CBS News

12/4/2020 - Can Your Employer Require You to Get a COVID-19 Vaccine?, HuffPost

12/2/2020 - Employers Start Preparing for the Coronavirus Vaccine with a Question: Can We Require It?, The Washington Post

11/25/2020 - Getting Employees to Take a Vaccine, EHS Today

10/27/2020 - Election, Covid-19 Have Lawyers Prepping Companies for Change, Bloomberg Law

10/27/2020 - Workplace Government Relations and Regulation: Morgan Lewis Launches Practice with Ex-Agency Officials at Helm

10/6/2020 - What Business Leaders Can Do to Help Employees Feel Comfortable Returning to the Office Right Now, According to Labor Attorneys and a Crisis-Communications Expert, Business Insider

9/16/2020 - How to Resolve Co-Worker Conflicts over Coping with COVID-19, SHRM

9/9/2020 - IBM's Reopening Plan Is a Case Study in How Leaders Can Safely Bring Employees Back to the Office During the Coronavirus Pandemic, Business Insider

7/14/2020 - Mass Telework Sparks Debate Over Lasting Work-from-Home Options, Bloomberg Law

6/16/2020 - Employer Best Practices from EEOC's New Virus Q&A, Law360

6/12/2020 - EEOC Answers More Coronavirus Questions as Employers Return to Work, SHRM

5/28/2020 - Ditching the Water Cooler: Coronavirus Will Transform Office Life, CBS

5/22/2020 - What General Counsel Need to Think About as Companies Reopen, Bloomberg Law

5/4/2020 - Wages, COVID-19 Tests Pose Hurdles as Employers Reopen, Law360

4/23/2020 - EEOC: Employers Can Screen for COVID-19, SHRM

4/23/2020 - EEOC Gives Employers a Green Light to Test for COVID-19, Law360

3/30/2020 - In Washington, Big Law Partners Bring a Spirit of Resilience to the New Normal, The National Law Journal

2/11/2020 - Market Movers: The Lateral Hires That Shook the Legal Industry in 2019, The American Lawyer

10/30/2019 - When to Call Outside Counsel to Investigate a #MeToo Complaint, Ignites

7/19/2019 - How to Navigate EEO-1, Component 2, Material Handling & Logistics

3/13/2019 - Former EEOC Commissioner on What’s Next for Employers in the Wake of the #MeToo Movement

3/6/2019 - Chai Feldblum Reflects on What's Next for Harassment, LGBT Rights, The National Law Journal

2/19/2019 - Former EEOC Commissioner and Chief of Staff Join Morgan Lewis Employment

Publications

4/2/2021 - EEOC Announces Opening Date for Collection of 2019 and 2020 EEO-1 Component 1 Data

3/9/2021 - CDC Issues Health Recommendations for Vaccinated People; States Begin Issuing Vaccine Guidance

3/9/2021 - LawFlash: CDC Updates Key COVID-19 Guidance Materials

3/8/2021 - From Pandemic Response to Permanent Progress

3/2/2021 - CDC Updates Key COVID-19 Guidance Materials

2/2/2021 - Insight – Vaccine Development and Distribution: Legal Considerations for US Healthcare Providers and Other Employers

1/29/2021 - Vaccine Development and Distribution: Legal Considerations for US Healthcare Providers and Other Employers

1/29/2021 - Virginia Is First State to Pass Permanent Standard to Address COVID-19 in the Workplace

1/27/2021 - Equity-Focused Executive Orders Telling for Businesses Interacting with US Government

1/21/2021 - Key Takeaways from Biden Administration’s First Executive Orders

1/13/2021 - EEOC Publishes Final Rule Amending Conciliation Process

12/31/2020 - INSIGHT: Key Legal, Tax Considerations for Relocated Long-Term Remote Workers, Bloomberg Law

12/17/2020 - EEOC Publishes Initial Guidance Addressing COVID-19 Vaccine Considerations for Employers

12/3/2020 - CDC Updates Quarantine Guidance and Permits Shorter Quarantine Periods

11/30/2020 - Key Considerations and Best Practices for Transitioning to Long-Term Remote Work

11/24/2020 - CDC Limits Permissible In-Person Work by Exposed Critical Infrastructure Workers

11/12/2020 - How the Change in US Administration May Affect the Sports Industry

November 09, 2020 (Updated December 16, 2020) - COVID-19 Vaccines: Considerations for US Employers

10/22/2020 - CDC Expands Definition of ‘Close Contact’ to Include Multiple Short Interactions

10/22/2020 - OFCCP Publishes Request for Information on Federal Contractor Diversity & Inclusion Training

10/12/2020 - EEOC Issues Proposed Rule on Conciliation

10/9/2020 - Recent Administration Actions on Diversity Training and Aspirational Diversity Goals

9/28/2020 - Now Is the Moment to Create a Culture of Safety, Respect, Bloomberg Law

9/24/2020 - Executive Order Prohibits ‘Divisive’ Workplace Diversity Training by Federal Government, Contractors, and Grantees

8/6/2020 - INSIGHT: NLRB Finally Limits Protection of Abusive, Profane, Offensive Conduct, Bloomberg Law

7/23/2020 - Virginia Adopts Emergency Temporary Standard to Address COVID-19 in the Workplace

6/18/2020 - EEOC Issues New Guidance on COVID-19

6/18/2020 - INSIGHT: Lessons from #MeToo—A Road Map for Return-to-Work Policies, Bloomberg Law

6/18/2020 - The US Supreme Court’s LGBT Decision: Takeaways for Employers, Implications for the Affordable Care Act

6/16/2020 - US Supreme Court: Federal Law Prohibits Discrimination Against Gay, Lesbian, and Transgender Employees

4/28/2020 - Reopening the Workplace—A Preliminary Guide for Employers, Bloomberg Law

4/16/2020 - Reopening the Workplace: A Preliminary Guide for US Employers

2/6/2020 - What Healthcare Employers Need to Know Before Responding to the 2019 Novel Coronavirus

2/4/2020 - Responding to the 2019 Novel Coronavirus: Guidance for US Employers

9/23/2019 - How Employers Are Developing New Best Practices in Response to #MeToo, Bloomberg Law

8/5/2019 - Best Practices for Preventing Workplace Harassment

7/8/2019 - EEOC Releases Instructions for Submitting EEO-1 Component 2 Pay Data

6/25/2019 - New York Legislature Passes Significant Harassment and Discrimination Law

4/26/2019 - Court Orders Extension of Filing Deadline for EEO-1 Pay Data Collection to September 30 (Updated)

4/9/2019 - Pay Equity Advocates Push Back on EEOC’s Proposed Extension of Filing Deadline for EEO-1 Pay Data (Updated)

4/5/2019 - EEOC Suggests Extension of Filing Deadline for EEO-1 Pay Data

11/14/2018 - Convincing CEOs to Make Harassment Prevention a Priority, Harvard Business Review