By: Maegan Gorham Governor Kim Reynolds announced today, Monday, April 27, 2020, that restrictions in 77 of Iowa’s 99 counties will be lessened, in part, to allow restaurants, fitness centers, and retail stores to open on Friday, May 1st at 50% capacity. The following counties will not experience any lessening of social distancing measures at…
By: Abbey Furlong In mandating that employers with fewer than 500 employees provide 80 hours of emergency paid sick leave and emergency expanded leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act, the Families First Coronavirus Response Act references certain exceptions for small businesses with fewer than 50 employees. But without additional guidance or more specific…
By: Abbey Furlong Since President Trump signed the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (“FFCRA”) on March 18, 2020, things have continued to evolve as the Department of Labor began issuing additional guidance for employers and employees. And you may have heard about the $2 trillion stimulus bill that President Trump signed on March 27, 2020,…
By: Abbey Furlong On March 18, 2020, President Trump signed into law the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (the Act), legislation designed to offer initial mitigation of the continually evolving hardships faced by those impacted by the unprecedented COVID-19 outbreak. Among the measures included in the Act are a number of provisions applicable to employers…
by Spencer Willems The rise and spread of the novel coronavirus—and its causing of the disease COVID 19—poses a global health threat unparalleled in living memory. In order to weather these difficult times, employers should not only stay abreast of the newest headlines and updates about the virus, they should think proactively and plan strategically…
By Maegan Gorham What a week we’ve had reviewing the 2020 Illinois employment law changes. We’re not done yet –read on for part three of the Workplace Transparency Act. Beginning January 1, 2020, the Workplace Transparency Act (“WTA”) will bring sweeping changes to Illinois employment law. This post will focus on training and reporting requirements…
By Maegan Gorham Today marks #4 in our Employment Law Update series where we will discuss part two of the Workplace Transparency Act. Beginning January 1, 2020, the Workplace Transparency Act (“WTA”) will bring sweeping changes to Illinois employment law. This post will focus on required changes to employment, separation, and arbitration agreements entered into,…
By Maegan Gorham If you’ve been reading this week, you know we’ve been covering the various changes to Illinois employment law going into effect in 2020. Today, I’ll discuss the Workplace Transparency Act. Beginning January 1, 2020, the Workplace Transparency Act (“WTA”) will bring sweeping changes to Illinois employment law. The WTA prohibits employers from…
by Judy Herrmann, Mikkie Schiltz, and Maegan Gorham This is the second installment in our week-long series focused on the Illinois employment law changes for 2020. Today, we discuss the topic everyone’s talking about: marijuana. Beginning January 1, 2020, the Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act (Cannabis Act) makes recreational Cannabis legal in…
by Maegan Gorham Newly passed legislation in Illinois, including the Workplace Transparency Act and the Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act, will significantly affect state employment policies in 2020. The Workplace Transparency Act significantly expands employee protections by making a number of changes to existing laws and by requiring changes to employment agreements, annual reporting, and…
What You Need to Know about the Secretary of Education’s Proposal and the Public Response. By: Maegan Gorham On November 29, 2018, Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos released a proposal for new Title IX regulations addressing institutional response to incidents of sexual harassment and allowed public comment on the proposed changes through the required notice…
Using the Employment Audit Checklist can help your company take proactive steps toward sound employment policies and avoid costly litigation. Contact one of our Labor & Employment attorneys if you have questions about any of the items listed.
By Troy Howell On March 30, 2017, Iowa Governor Terry Branstad signed House File 518, which contains many changes to the Iowa Workers’ Compensation Act. The effective date for this new legislation is July 1, 2017. Here is a link to House File 518 which shows all the changes: https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/publications/LGR/87/HF518.pdf?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery. What are the major changes? While…
By Josh McIntyre The expansion of Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) practices was the hot trend in IT circles just a few years ago. According to a 2014 TechPro Research Survey, 74% of employers allowed employees to use their own mobile devices for work or planned to permit use within 12 months. BYOD was often…
2016 was a big year for those who follow labor and employment law (that’s us), and 2017 promises to be no different. Not sure what changes are coming? We have you covered; we have compiled all the Illinois laws going into effect as of January 1, 2017, straight from the IDOL website: Public Act 99-00584 (SB3104)…
By: Judy Herrmann The Fair Labor Standards Act‘s new overtime rule, scheduled to take effect on December 1, 2016, would raise the minimum salary level for workers to qualify for exempt status to $47,476. In what many consider a surprise decision, Sherman, Texas U.S. District Judge Amos Mazzant, who was appointed by President Obama, granted…
By: Tim Gulbranson As the multi-year phase-in of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) continues, requirements for employers, employees, and government agencies continue to be rolled-out and enforced. The newest mandate of the law, the Employer Notice Program for Federally Facilitated Marketplaces (which includes both Iowa and Illinois), was implemented by the Centers for Medicare &…
By: Mikkie Schiltz The Department of Labor recently issued overtime rules this week. These rules present a major overhaul for the threshold of exempt employees: from $23,660 to $47,476. Employees who earn less than $47,476 are not exempt from overtime, and must be paid time and a half for all hours in excess of 40…
By: Diane Reinsch Your website is your welcome mat to the outside world, telling others about what you do and who you are. You worked hard to send the right message, choose the right colors, and make it user friendly. A person with a disability wants to visit your website, but cannot do so because it…
By: Diane Reinsch Under the Americans with Disabilities Act, covered employers are required to provide “reasonable accommodations” to qualified job applicants and employees with disabilities, to participate in the job application process, to perform the essential functions of their jobs, or to enjoy benefits and privileges of employment equal to those enjoyed by employees without…
By: Wendy Meyer If you are an employer in Iowa, chances are your employment application contains the question: “Have you ever been convicted of a crime?” Soon, however, Iowa may be joining the 20 states that have adopted a law that removes the question from employment applications. Iowa lawmakers are considering “ban the box” legislation…
By: Mikkie Schiltz It seems like every week, a news story surfaces talking about Uber, the infamous ride-sharing service. Bloomberg Business caught my eye with one such story, entitled “Uber Judge Taps Brakes on California’s Drivers’ Suit Outcome.” The article discusses the implications of the lawsuit California Uber drivers filed against the company lobbying to…
By: Diane Reinsch On January 1, 2016, the Veterans Preference in Private Employment Act (VPPEA) went into effect. Passed in July 2015, VPPEA amends the Illinois Human Rights Act to allow an employer to voluntarily establish a preference for hiring veterans. VPPEA applies to honorably discharged veterans of the five service branches, their reserve components,…
As part of United Way of the Quad Cities’ four-part Non-Profit Board Governance training series, Lane & Waterman’s Judith Herrmann joined attorneys Jodi Fisk of Deere & Company and Daniel Hardin of Bozeman, Neighbour, Patton, & Noe, to deliver the presentation: Employers’ Obligations under the Americans with Disabilities Act, as amended (ADAAA). “The number of…
