This past week, the EEOC withdrew its 1997 policy statement regarding mandatory binding arbitration agreements. In that policy statement, the EEOC took the position that the use of mandatory binding arbitration agreements as...more
United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that it’s implementing changes to the H-1B lottery system.
Per the December 9, 2019 final rule, employers filing cap-subject H-1B petitions in 2020 for...more
Arizona’s minimum wage is set to increase to $12.00 on January 1, 2020.
The $1.00 increase is the largest jump under the schedule listed in A.R.S. § 23-363 pursuant to Proposition 206. On November 8, 2016, Arizona voters...more
USCIS released a message that employers for now should continue to use the current Form I-9 for employment eligibility verification...more
Many employers are familiar with break and meal period requirements applicable to their organization under state and federal law. Often overlooked, however, is an employer’s responsibilities toward nursing mothers. This...more
Hiring & Immigration: Form I-9 Compliance -
Of the myriad of new hire documents that must be completed, the Form I-9 is one of the most important when it comes to immigration compliance.
The Form I-9 is used for...more
On April 1, 2019, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will start accepting H-1B visa petitions for the next fiscal year with a start date of October 1, 2019. The H-1B program allows companies in the United...more
H.R. 7164, passed by the House of Representatives recently, proposes to provide Irish workers with access to the coveted E-3 visa program. The bipartisan Bill seeks to provide Irish citizens with access to any unused E-3...more
Despite rumors that the TN visa category would be eliminated when the North America Free Trade Agreement (“NAFTA”) was replaced, the new US-Mexico-Canada Agreement (“USMCA”) appears to preserve the status quo. Consensus over...more
10/11/2018
/ Canada ,
Foreign Nationals ,
Foreign Workers ,
Free Trade Agreements ,
Immigration Procedures ,
Mexico ,
NAFTA ,
Non-Immigrant Visas ,
TN-Visas ,
Trade Relations ,
United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) ,
US Trade Policies ,
Work Visas
On August 10, 2018, the Governor of Massachusetts signed into law comprehensive reforms governing covenants not to compete in the State of Massachusetts. See MGL c.149, § 24L (added by St.2018, c.228, §21). As detailed below,...more
Recently, a California company settled a U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”) sexual harassment lawsuit by consent decree for $3.5 million. Additionally, and as part of the settlement, the company will hire a...more
Could a single, nationwide paid sick leave law become a reality and cure a multi-jurisdictional employer’s woes? Maybe.
One proposal, H.R. 4219 (known as the “Workflex in the 21st Century Act”), was introduced by three...more
On July 17, 2017, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) released a revised version of Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification. The form is available here. Form I-9 is used for verifying the identity and...more
The Industrial Commission of Arizona (“ICA”) has issued a Notice of Supplemental Proposed Rulemaking ("Notice") for Proposition 206, otherwise known as the Fair Wages and Healthy Families Act (the “Act”). The Act, requiring...more
The Industrial Commission of Arizona issued new guidance clarifying how it intends to enforce many provisions of Proposition 206, otherwise known as the Fair Wages and Healthy Families Act. As stated in our prior Legal Alert,...more
Several cities and counties across New Mexico have recently increased the minimum wage that must be paid to employees working within their jurisdictions. The statewide minimum wage is $7.50 per hour, with a tipped employee...more
Late on Friday, January 27, 2017, President Trump signed an Executive Order immediately suspending the ability of citizens from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen to enter the United Sates for a period of 90...more
1/31/2017
/ Department of Homeland Security (DHS) ,
Executive Orders ,
Green Cards ,
H-1B ,
Immigrants ,
Non-Immigrant Visas ,
Permanent Residence Cards ,
Preliminary Injunctions ,
Travel Ban ,
Trump Administration ,
Visa Interview Waiver Program (VIWP) ,
Visas
One of the most common and problematic issues confronting employers in every industry today is the misclassification of workers as independent contractors. Such misclassifications are a key enforcement target of both federal...more
On November 8, 2016, Arizona voters approved Proposition 206, the Fair Wages and Healthy Families Act (“the Act”), raising the state's current $8.05 per hour minimum wage progressively over the next several years. Effective...more
With President-elect Trump’s victory, what is the future of President Barack Obama’s executive orders? As President Obama’s administration winds down, the Department of Labor has finalized regulations implementing several...more
11/11/2016
/ Barack Obama ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Executive Orders ,
Fair Pay and Safe Workplaces ,
Federal Contractors ,
Gender Identity ,
Labor Law Violations ,
Labor Regulations ,
OFCCP ,
Paycheck Transparency ,
Presidential Elections ,
Rescission ,
Sex Discrimination ,
Sexual Harassment ,
Sexual Orientation Discrimination ,
Trump Administration
During an election night fraught with surprises, one thing became clear: hundreds of thousands of Arizona employees will get a raise on January 1, 2017. Also, private sector employees in Arizona will have a right to accrue...more
The 2016 election season will highlight a hot issue in labor and employment -- local regulation of minimum hourly wage rates. After recent enactments in several California cities, Arizona cities in 2017 may be following suit...more