Last year Illinois enacted amendments to its own Equal Pay Act, which requires unprecedented reporting of race, gender, and ethnicity statistics along with pay data of Illinois based employees. This reporting requirement is...more
President Biden announced on January 10th that the Biden-Harris Administration is requiring insurance companies and group health plans to cover the cost of over-the-counter (OTC), at-home COVID-19 tests. Beginning January 15,...more
On December 17, 2021, in a 2-1 decision, the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals dissolved the stay of OSHA’s Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) previously ordered by the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals. Therefore, OSHA’s ETS mandating...more
On August 23rd Governor Pritzker issued Executive Order 2021-20 requiring health care workers, school personnel, higher education personnel and students, and state-employees and contractors who work at state-owned or...more
9/17/2021
/ Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Educational Institutions ,
Executive Orders ,
Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) ,
Governor Pritzker ,
Healthcare Workers ,
OSHA ,
Religious Beliefs ,
State Employees ,
Vaccinations ,
Wage and Hour
It’s that time of year (again) for increases in minimum wage. However, this year is slightly different! In spite of the Cook County written notices that some employers may have received, the Cook County Minimum Wage for...more
On June 21, 2021, the US Department of Labor (DOL) announced that it has proposed new rulemaking, and is seeking input on significant limits to an employer’s ability to utilize the tip credit...more
A question that employers often ask when someone in the workplace reports COVID-19 symptoms or a positive test is, who is the employer required to notify? Typically common sense and CDC guidelines have been that employers...more
In follow up to our previous blog, the March 31, 2021 deadline is quickly approaching for employers to provide their California Pay Data Report to the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH). Required...more
On August 19, 2020, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that due to delays in production of certain Employment Authorization Documents (EAD’s – Form I-766) that employees may use Form I-797, Notice of...more
In August 2019, SB0075 – the Workplace Transparency Act – was signed in Illinois. The Act created a number of new requirements for employers including, but not limited to, a new reporting requirement regarding adverse...more
It’s that time of year and even a pandemic will not stop Illinois, Cook County and the City of Chicago from increasing their minimum wages on July 1, 2020 as follows:
NON-TIPPED EMPLOYEES TIPPED EMPLOYEES
(CLAIMING THE...more
While some states are beginning to loosen their stay at home orders, others continue to only be open for essential business. On April 10th we reported on the relaxation of the CDC guidance for safety practices for essential...more
The US Department of Labor (DOL) has posted its temporary regulations regarding the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA). The DOL is scheduled to post its published version on April 6, 2020. The new regulations...more
For purposes of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA), the regular rate of pay used to calculate an employee’s paid leave is not necessarily the employee’s base wage or salary. According to the Department of...more
On March 20, 2020, the Department of Homeland Security (“DHS”) announced that it would relax its “physical proximity” requirements associated with completion of Section 2 of the Form I-9. Employers can take advantage of this...more
Earlier we reported on the issuance of “shelter-in-place” orders in California and Pennsylvania as well as a number of other communities. Effective March 21, 2020 at 5:00 pm CST and until April 7, 2020, Illinois will join...more
On January 31, 2020, the United States Citizen and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced the release of a new version of the Form I-9, version 10/21/2019. This new version contains only minor changes to the Form I-9 itself...more
2020 has already proven to be a busy year for changes in the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). Below is a summary of the changes thus far:
New FLSA Salary Threshold (Effective January 1, 2020)...more
The US Department of Labor (DOL) has issued a proposed amendment to the regulation governing the fluctuating workweek (29 CFR 778.114). The fluctuating workweek can be used to calculate overtime for an employee whose hours...more
In a follow up to our recent post, the US Department of Labor (DOL) has now issued its final rule regarding the salary thresholds for exempt status. The final rule will go into effect on January 1, 2020 and establishes the...more
The United States Department of Labor (DOL) is expected to implement its proposal to amend the minimum salary requirements for exempt employees under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) no later than the end of 2019. As you...more
In case you missed it, on July 1, 2019, the Chicago and Cook County Minimum Wages increased as follows:
· Chicago: $13.00 per hour for non-tipped employees and $6.40 for tipped employees.
· O’Hare and Midway Airport...more
On May, 1, 2019, Indiana Senate Bill 99 was signed into effect amending Indiana’s Wage Assignment Statute. The amendment makes the statute a bit more employer friendly by clarifying that, with proper authorization from the...more
The Social Security Administration (SSA) announced in late 2018 that they would begin issuing SSA No Match letters again beginning in the Spring of 2019. Employers must be aware that the process has begun and the SSA No Match...more
The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, passed in December 2017, is continuing to hit employers and employees in unanticipated ways. The latest impact is on special parking spaces for executives, employees of the month and employee...more