On March 11, 2021, President Biden signed H.R. 1319, the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, which extends tax credits for private employers with 499 or fewer U.S. employees that voluntarily decide to provide emergency paid...more
3/18/2021
/ American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 ,
Biden Administration ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
EFMLA ,
Employee Benefits ,
EPSLA ,
Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) ,
Infectious Diseases ,
New Legislation ,
Paid Family Leave Law ,
Relief Measures ,
Sick Leave ,
Tax Credits ,
Tax Planning
On July 20, 2020, the U.S. Department of Labor issued additional guidance on return-to-work issues under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA). Enacted at the end of March, the FFCRA provides emergency paid...more
On June 26, 2020, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) provided guidance for its Wage and Hour Division (WHD) Investigators relating to when employees may be eligible to take paid family leave under the Families First...more
6/30/2020
/ Child Care ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Event Cancellation ,
Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) ,
Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) ,
Relief Measures ,
Sick Leave ,
Sick Pay ,
Summer Camps ,
Wage and Hour
On May 12, 2020, the Democratic leadership of the U.S. House of Representatives unveiled its opening bid in the next round of COVID-19 response legislation. ...more
5/14/2020
/ CARES Act ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
EPSLA ,
Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) ,
Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) ,
Financial Stimulus ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) ,
Relief Measures ,
Sick Leave ,
Sick Pay ,
Trump Administration
On April 1, 2020, the day the federal Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) took effect, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) released temporary regulations interpreting this new law that requires private employers...more
After giving employers a day off from addressing new information concerning the federal Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA), which took effect April 1 and requires private employers with 499 or fewer employees,...more
4/3/2020
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
EFMLA ,
EPSLA ,
Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) ,
Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) ,
New Legislation ,
Quarantine ,
Relief Measures ,
School Closures ,
Shelter-In-Place ,
Sick Leave ,
Sick Pay ,
Tax Credits ,
Trump Administration
On March 28, 2020, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) released its third batch of Q&As (#38-59) concerning the federal Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA). Effective April 1, 2020, the FFCRA will require private...more
3/31/2020
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
EFMLA ,
EPSLA ,
Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) ,
Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) ,
New Legislation ,
Relief Measures ,
Sick Leave ,
Sick Pay ,
Tax Credits ,
Trump Administration
On March 26, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) released additional FAQs that further explain employer and employee rights and responsibilities under the federal Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA)....more
3/30/2020
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Corporate Counsel ,
EFMLA ,
EPSLA ,
Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) ,
Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) ,
New Legislation ,
Relief Measures ,
Sick Leave ,
Sick Pay ,
Tax Credits ,
Trump Administration
On March 24, 2020, the U.S. Department of Labor released an initial set of questions and answers (Q&As) concerning the recently enacted Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA). The Q&As focus on the law’s provisions...more
On March 16, 2020, the U.S. House of Representatives unveiled legislation revisiting the sweeping COVID-19 response bill it passed only days earlier. While ostensibly styled as “corrections” to the prior legislation, this...more
On March 18, 2020, the U.S. Senate approved House-passed legislation responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. The bill will now be sent to the president, who is expected to sign it into law. Of direct interest to the business...more
In the early hours of March 14, 2020, the U.S. House of Representatives passed sweeping legislation in response to the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) across the United States. The Emergency Families First Coronavirus...more
3/17/2020
/ China ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Crisis Management ,
Emergency Management Plans ,
Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) ,
Health and Safety ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Public Health ,
Sick Leave ,
Tax Credits ,
Workplace Safety
Nearly all states legislatures are now in session, and the surge of new bills indicates lawmakers are not holding back. Over 1,000 state-level labor and employment-related bills have already been introduced since January 1,...more
2/5/2019
/ Criminal Background Checks ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Minimum Wage ,
Non-Disclosure Agreement ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Salary/Wage History ,
Sexual Harassment ,
Sexual Orientation Discrimination ,
Sick Leave ,
State and Local Government ,
State Labor Laws ,
Wage and Hour ,
Work Schedules
While the partial federal government shutdown has kept Congress at an impasse, it should be business as usual at the state and local levels in January. At least 46 states and the District of Columbia will be in session by the...more
1/2/2019
/ Background Checks ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employment Discrimination ,
Government Shutdown ,
Harassment ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Independent Contractors ,
Joint Employers ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Local Ordinance ,
New Legislation ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Safe Leave ,
Sexual Harassment ,
Sick Leave ,
State and Local Government ,
State Labor Laws ,
Wage and Hour ,
Work Schedules
The November mid-term elections resulted in some significant power shifts at the state level. Six states (Colorado, Illinois, Maine, Nevada, New Mexico, and New York) that had been politically divided now enjoy a Democratic...more
12/3/2018
/ Ballot Measures ,
Discrimination ,
Gender Identity ,
General Elections ,
Independent Contractors ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Local Ordinance ,
Marijuana ,
Minimum Wage ,
Reasonable Accommodation ,
Right to Work ,
Salary/Wage History ,
Sick Leave ,
State and Local Government ,
State Elections ,
State Labor Laws ,
Wage and Hour
While some races remain undecided, it is clear at this point that Democrats will control the U.S. House of Representatives in the next Congress. ...more
11/7/2018
/ Class Action Arbitration Waivers ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Employee Rights ,
Joint Employers ,
Labor Regulations ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Minimum Wage ,
Over-Time ,
Paid Time Off (PTO) ,
Regulatory Oversight ,
Sexual Harassment ,
Sick Leave ,
U.S. House ,
Unions ,
Wages ,
White-Collar Exemptions
Last week, flanked by lawmakers at a Capitol Hill press conference, AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka highlighted a report laying out an ambitious workforce policy agenda. ...more
9/10/2018
/ AFL-CIO ,
Arbitration ,
Class Action ,
Class Action Arbitration Waivers ,
Corporate Governance ,
Joint Employers ,
Non-Compete Agreements ,
Paid Leave ,
Paid Time Off (PTO) ,
Sick Leave ,
Unions ,
Wage and Hour ,
Work Schedules