Hinshaw E-alert on a New Employer Tax Credit for Paid FMLA

The Hinshaw employment team recently published an e-alert on a topic that should also be of interest to our blog readers. The alert describes a provision in the new tax law that provides a tax credit for employers who offer paid FMLA leave to eligible employees, along with a description of eligibility requirements. You can read the alert on the Hinshaw website.

The Unringing of the Bells, Part Two: The DOL

Over the last month, we have seen a number of significant restorations of status quo antes. These have come in the form of reverting to earlier precedent, regulations, or guidance. Without further ado, we present some of the more notable developments: More ›

CEO Does Not Get Whistle Blower Protections for His Opinions

In order to get whistleblower protection under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, whistleblowers have to subjectively believe that fraud was occurring, their belief has to be reasonable, and they have to make a report to the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Seventh Circuit recently reaffirmed these conditions for legal protection in deciding that the former CEO of Orion Energy System, Inc. was not entitled to federal whistleblower protection in Verfuerth v. Orion Energy System, Inc., decided on January 11, 2018. More ›

A New Year, Another OSHA Update

OSHA had an active 2017. Now that we have rung in the new year, let's talk about how those changes are impacting employers in 2018. More ›

The NLRB Rings in the New Year by Unringing a Few Bells

Over the last month, we have seen a number of significant restorations of status quo antes. These have come in the form of reverting to earlier precedent, regulations, or guidance. Without further ado, we present some of the more notable developments: More ›

DOL Says Hello to Primary Beneficiary Intern Test, Goodbye to 6-Factor Test

Earlier this month, the U.S. Department of Labor announced it will now use the primary beneficiary test” to determine whether an intern must be paid.  Its announcement comes in the wake of the 9th Circuit’s adoption of the test, joining the 2nd, 6th, and 11th Circuits.  With the announcement, the DOL also updated Fact Sheet #71: Internship Programs Under The Fair Labor Standards Act. These moves displace a 6-part test the DOL adopted in 2010 that required all factors weigh in favor of the employer. More ›

IRS Releases New Tables for Employee Income Tax Withholding

On January 11, 2018, the IRS issued its new withholding tables to assist employers with processing payrolls and withholding federal income tax under the new Tax Reform Act signed into law late last year (the “Act”).  IRS Notice 1036 establishes the percentage method tables for 2018 income tax withholding with respect to employee wages.  More ›

The 12 days of California Labor & Employment Series – Day 12 "Sexual Harassment Training Requirements Expanded for Farm Contractors"

It's the end of the year and while everyone is busy, employers in California should be aware of new laws and regulations that go into effect on January 1, 2018. In the spirit of the season, we are using the next "12 days of the holidays" to blog about one California law a day and that law's impact on California employers. On the twelfth day of Christmas, my Labor and Employment attorney gave to me – twelve lords a leaping and SB 295. More ›

The 12 days of California Labor & Employment Series – Day 11 "Whistleblower Protection for Health Care Workers"

It’s the end of the year and while everyone is busy, employers in California should be aware of new laws and regulations that go into effect on January 1, 2018. In the spirit of the season, we are using the next "12 days of the holidays" to blog about one California law a day and that law’s impact on California employers. On the eleventh day of Christmas, my Labor and Employment attorney gave to me – eleven ladies dancing and AB 1102. More ›

The 12 days of California Labor & Employment Series – Day 10 "Expansion of DLSE Powers"

It's the end of the year and while everyone is busy, employers in California should be aware of new laws and regulations that go into effect on January 1, 2018. In the spirit of the season, we are using the next "12 days of the holidays" to blog about one California law a day and that law's impact on California employers. On the tenth day of Christmas, my Labor and Employment attorney gave to me – ten pipers piping and SB 306. More ›