Congress passed two laws related to pregnant workers and nursing mothers in December 2022. First, Congress passed the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA), which requires employers with at least 15 employees provide “reasonable accommodations” to a worker’s limitations related to pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, unless the accommodations will cause an “undue hardship” to […]
The U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) Wage and Hour Division recently released an opinion letter finding that employees who qualify for leave under the FMLA may use FMLA leave to work reduced hours until they have exhausted their FMLA leave. As background, an employer received a medical certification stating that an employee could only work […]
The U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) Wage and Hour Division released a Field Assistance Bulletin (FAB) providing guidance about employer obligations and worker protections under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) for remote employees. The DOL advises employers that: Breaks While Working Remotely Under the FLSA, […]
On November 4, 2021, OSHA announced its emergency temporary standard (ETS) requiring employers with 100 or more employees (including part time) to implement a policy that either (a) mandates COVID-19 vaccination, or (b) requires a choice between vaccination or weekly testing (along with wearing a face covering at work). OSHA has provided sample policy templates […]
Employers seeking to impose restrictive covenants upon employees will face substantial new hurdles beginning January 1, 2022. Previously, the Illinois Freedom to Work Act barred employers from requiring “low wage” workers earning $13.00 per hour or less to sign a covenant not to compete or covenant not to solicit agreement. The original Act was inspired […]
Back in March 2020 we advised that — for employees working remotely — the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) was deferring the physical presence requirement of the Employment Eligibility Verification (Form I-9). Ordinarily, the employer “must physically examine” the approved document(s) within three days of the employee’s first day of employment. Because of continued precautions […]
Earlier this month, President Biden signed into law the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA). ARPA extends by another six months, the reimbursement of paid leave offered by the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) that was scheduled to expire on March 31, 2021. In addition, along with extending unemployment benefits under the CARES […]
Following the White House’s issuance of broad guidelines for states to implement a phased reopening of businesses subject to isolation orders stemming from the COVID-19 global pandemic, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is reportedly preparing to issue detailed guidance. While we await further direction, as businesses face the difficult questions involved […]
The Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) has announced its implementation of expanded unemployment benefits under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, including: An additional $600 per week for individuals receiving benefits from March 29, 2020 through the week ending July 25, 2020. Up to 13 additional weeks of federally funded unemployment […]
As part of the recently enacted $2 trillion Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act), Congress included expanded unemployment benefits in partnership with state unemployment agencies. The CARES Act creates a pandemic unemployment assistance program through Dec. 31, 2020, and retroactively to Jan. 27, 2020. The CARES Act will provide payment to those […]
As employers nationwide have turned to teleworking to help “flatten the curve,” the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced on March 20 that it will defer the physical presence requirement of the Employment Eligibility Verification (Form I-9) under Section 274A of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA). Ordinarily, the employer “must physically examine” the approved […]
The Chicago Fair Workweek Ordinance, which seeks to bring predictability to employee scheduling, is effective as of July 1, 2020. Under the ordinance, covered employers will be required to provide 10 days’ notice of an employee’s schedule (increasing to 14 days on July 2, 2022). The Building Owners & Managers Association of Chicago (BOMA) filed […]
Illinois Gov. J.B. Prtizker recently signed into law the Artificial Intelligence Video Interview Act that makes Illinois the first state to address the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in hiring. The new law, effective Jan. 1, 2020, will require employers to provide notice to and obtain consent from job applicants whose recorded video interviews are […]
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) yesterday issued its final rule on overtime pay under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) increasing the salary thresholds for workers to be considered “exempt” and opening the door to an estimated 1.3 million workers receiving overtime pay next year. For the past 15 years, employees generally could be […]
When signed into law last month, the new Illinois Workplace Transparency Act (WTA) included a variety of provisions creating substantial changes for employers and employees starting Jan. 1, 2020. We covered one of the provisions – mandatory annual sexual harassment prevention training – in our blog post here. The WTA also includes new restrictions on […]
The Illinois General Assembly has passed SB 75, a bill that would require all employers in the state to provide workplace sexual harassment training to employees annually, following the trend of California, New York, Delaware, Connecticut and Maine, who have passed similar laws. Failure to train employees would result in a $500 penalty to businesses […]
Attention businesses operating in Illinois: If you use a person’s “biometric” data for things like timekeeping or security, you must have a written policy under which you: (1) obtain written consent, (2) store the data confidentially and (3) destroy the data no later than three years after the last interaction with the person. If you […]
As we welcome 2019, the following is a recap of new laws affecting Illinois employers. Illinois Human Rights Act The Illinois Human Rights Act (IHRA) now requires all Illinois employers to advise employees of their right to be free from harassment, discrimination, and retaliation in the workplace. Employers must post a notice provided by the […]
On August 21, 2018 the State of Illinois amended the Nursing Mothers in the Workplace Act to prohibit an employer from reducing an employee’s compensation for breaks for nursing mothers. Originally, employers were required to provide “reasonable unpaid break time each day” to express milk, which “must, if possible, run concurrently with any break time […]
The U.S. Supreme Court has delivered a major victory for employers across America – ruling that mandatory arbitration agreements that contain a provision prohibiting any form of class or collective litigation are lawful. The issue was ripe for consideration at the Supreme Court because there was a split among the Circuit Courts of Appeal as […]
The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has announced an immediate stay and review of an Obama-era policy requiring pay information to be included on form EEO-1. The revised form was set to take effect with the next filing cycle in March 2018. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has always required companies to report […]
Remember last November when a federal judge put a temporary hold on significant changes to federal labor laws affecting millions of workers and their employers? We wrote about it here. Last week, the judge issued a final ruling that struck down the proposed changes, which would have required employers either to substantially increase the pay […]
On May 11, 2016, President Obama signed into law the Defend Trade Secrets Act of 2016 (“DTSA”). The DTSA provides companies with a direct federal cause of action to enforce their trade secret rights, which was not previously available. The new law received broad bipartisan support from the House and Senate. Prior to the DTSA, […]
Last week, McDonald’s and the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) faced off in an administrative court to determine whether the fast-food chain is liable for the actions of its franchisees as a joint employer. The case arose out of hundreds of complaints filed by fast food workers alleging they were illegally threatened, disciplined, or fired […]
Let’s talk for a bit about a rather hot topic lately—worker classification. We begin with a joke. Rich Hall, the comedian, has one about how to tell what economic class you’re in: “When you go to work in the morning, if your name is on the building—you’re rich, if your name is on your desk—you’re […]
Currently, employers are not required to pay overtime (time and a half) to “exempt” employees who earn at least $23,660 per year ($455 per week). Exempt employees are those employed in bona fide executive, administrative, computer and outside sales positions. (For more info, check out http://www.dol.gov/whd/regs/compliance/fairpay/fs17d_professional.pdf) That could change rather drastically. The DOL has issued […]
On June 1, 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court held that in order to prevail in a disparate-treatment claim, an applicant need show only that her need for accommodation was a motivating factor in the employer’s decision, not that the employer had actual knowledge of her need. In 2008, Samantha Elauf, a Muslim woman, applied for […]
Many of you employers out there have had the misfortune of receiving a “Charge of Discrimination” from the EEOC, alleging a violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The best outcome, of course, is that the EEOC makes a “no cause” determination after investigating and reading your position statement (and the […]
The Illinois Appellate Court recently issued a decision changing a fundamental aspect of the law on non-compete agreements in Illinois—which may cast doubt on the enforceability of non-compete agreements your company has put in place with new employees in the last two years. Prior to the court’s decision, Illinois law allowed an employer to enforce […]
Along with the New Year come a number of changes to Illinois law that are certain to impact employers. The following changes took effect January 1, 2014: Social Media. The Right to Privacy in the Workplace Act, which was amended effective January 1, 2013 to prohibit employers from requiring employees to disclose usernames and passwords […]
