The 12 days of California Labor & Employment Series – Day 1 "Ban the Box"

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 each day and the law's impact on California employers. More ›

OSHA Delays Electronic Reporting to December 15th

In the ongoing series of updates on the status of OSHA's electronic reporting, we have another development.  More ›

Florida Increasing State Minimum Wage by Two Percent

While advocates across the country continue to demand states increase their minimum wage to $15.00 per hour, Florida decided to forgo large scale reform and increase its minimum wage by only two percent.  Effective January 1, 2018, Florida’s minimum wage will increase by 15 cents from $8.10 to $8.25 per hour.  Florida’s minimum wage for tipped employees will also increase by 15 cents from $5.08 to $5.23 per hour. To put this in perspective, a year earlier, Florida increased its minimum wage by five cents from $8.05 to $8.10 per hour, while tipped employees received an increase from $5.03 to $5.08 per hour. More ›

Implementing a Policy Review to Ensure You Are Protected Under The Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, Part 2: How to Conduct Your Policy Review

In Part 1 of this series, we discussed the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (“CFAA”) and situations that are readily prohibited by the CFAA, such as when current or former employees gain access to an employer's databases or files to harm the employer or damage its business contacts. We also discussed how a policy review could be beneficial for your workplace. In Part 2, we will discuss how to conduct your policy review and questions you should consider throughout the review in more detail here. More ›

Implementing a Policy Review to Ensure You Are Protected Under The Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, Part 1: Why You Should Conduct a Policy Review

Ambrose McCall will be presenting "The Computer Fraud and Abuse Act: Navigating the New Normal of Workplace Technology and Cybersecurity" on Thursday, October 12, 2017, at the 22nd Annual Labor & Employment Seminar. This year's Seminar will be held at the Hilton Chicago-Northbrook in Northbrook, Illinois. Please visit our website for more details. More ›

Seventh Circuit Sets Proof Paradigm for ADA Interference Claims

Too often, we think of Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”) claims in terms of discrimination and failure to accommodate. Employment lawyers typically see interference claims in the context of other employment statutes, such as the Family Medical Leave Act (“FMLA”). However, the ADA also includes a provision prohibiting interference. It is unlawful for an employer to “coerce, intimidate, threaten or interfere with any individual in the exercise or enjoyment of, or on account of his or her having exercised or enjoyed, or on account of his or her having aided or encouraged any other individual in the exercise or enjoyment of, any right granted or protected by the ADA.”  More ›

Seventh Circuit Holds a Multi-Month Leave is Not a Reasonable Accommodation

Last week the Seventh Circuit dealt a blow to the EEOC's continued position that medical leave is a reasonable accommodation when the leave is (1) of a definite, time-limited duration; (2) re-quested in advance; and (3) likely to enable the employee to perform the essential job functions upon return. The panel rejected that position, noting it glossed over the length of the requested leave, improperly transforming the ADA into "an open-ended extension of the FMLA." More ›

Wisconsin Court of Appeals Green Lights Right-to-Work Law

On Tuesday, the Wisconsin Court of Appeals lifted an injunction entered by the lower court freezing enforcement of 2015 Wisconsin Act 1, Wisconsin’s “Right-to-Work” law, dealing a blow to unions across the state. More ›

New York Paid Family Leave: Tax Implications and Guidance

The New York State Department of Taxation and Finance (“Department”) recently released its guidance on the tax implications of the New York Paid Family Leave Benefits (“PLF”) law for New York employees, employers, and insurance carriers. Effective January 1, 2018, PFL will provide eligible employees with up to 8 weeks of pay for a leave of absence when the leave is necessary to care for a family member’s serious health condition, care for or bond with a new child, or to help with family responsibilities when the employee’s spouse, domestic partner, child or parent is called to active military duty. The weeks available for paid leave will increase each year until 2021, with ten weeks available 2019-2020 and twelve in 2021 and subsequent years. More ›