If an employer hires undocumented workers, are they covered under the U.S. employment laws? Initially, employers must complete Form I-9s for all new employees and cannot hire workers who are unable to establish that they’re authorized to work. But once hired, the script flips and undocumented workers generally enjoy the same legal protections as the
This year brought substantial progress in the way of slightly fewer positive COVID-19 cases and/or transmissions and increased vaccinations. Consequently, in the employment world many of you reopened your offices and invited employees, some thrilled and others reluctant, to return to in-person work. Though the return has restored some sense of normalcy, there are still
If you were just getting comfortable with the DOL’s final rule on employee versus independent contractor status (which took effect on March 8, 2021), there is bad news… or maybe good news. The DOL announced on October 11, 2022, the publication of a proposed rule that would rescind the earlier Trump administration rule and
The Department of Labor (DOL) recently proposed new federal regulations regarding how minimum wages will be calculated for federal construction projects. DOL’s new proposal will add to the cost of performing these projects. The comment period for the new regulations will be closing soon, and we then will be able to see what the next
As most employers already know, OSHA’s newly announced COVID-19 Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) is set to take effect January 4, 2022, and will require, among other things, that workers at U.S. companies with at least 100 employees be vaccinated against COVID-19 or be tested weekly. You can read more on the nuts and bolts of
As promised in our April 2021 post regarding the rules for tipped employees, here’s the update on the final rule. Recall
that not all of the rule became effective earlier this year but certain portions were implemented to help workers increase earnings during the pandemic. For example, the April 2021 rule allowed employers who did
On July 21, the DOL announced a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to enforce the Biden Administration’s Executive Order raising the minimum wage for workers under federal contracts to $15 per hour. The proposed rule would go into effect on January 30, 2022. This announcement begins a comment period that will end on August 23, 2021.
As we discussed in April, the Biden administration halted the implementation of some of the Trump administration’s changes to the rules on taking a tip credit for non-tipped work. For those that never have had a server job, employers who have tipped employees (waitstaff, bartenders, etc.) have the option to pay those type of
You may have missed it, but Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh perked up some ears last week when he discussed possibly raising the FLSA salary threshold for certain exempt employees. In testimony before a Congressional committee, Secretary Walsh stated that the current amount, $35,568, is “definitely” too low and hinted that his department may seek
After the CDC updated its mask guidance, we have all be wondering: Can we eliminate our mask and social distancing requirements for vaccinated employees? Can we ask employees if they have been vaccinated? Can we hold meetings and social gatherings in person again? While we gave you options and best practices in a recent