Labor & Employment Law Update

Most employers have policies and procedures in place to maintain an atmosphere of safety and mutual respect in the workplace. These policies often prohibit employees from engaging in unlawful behavior, such as harassment, discrimination, and retaliation. But what happens when a third party (i.e., a customer, vendor, or other party outside of an employer’s direct control) engages in bad behavior – is the employer liable for a third party’s behavior? It depends.

Traveling to the U.S. can be grueling. By the time you arrive at Customs and Border Protection, all you want is to get through and be on your way. But diligence and a little extra time at CBP can save you headaches, money, and unnecessary travel later on.

As the 2024 construction season gets underway, and with an increasing number of construction projects being completed with a mix of union and non-union subcontractors, many workers have legitimate questions about their rights and responsibilities on such mixed-staffed projects.

On August 23, 2024, in the case of Restaurant Law Center, et. al. v. U.S. Department of Labor, et. al., the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit invalidated the U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) 2021 Tip Credit Rule (”Rule”) that required employers to pay tipped workers the general minimum wage rate for their time spent performing work that is not part of a tipped occupation, including downtime.

On August 9, 2024, the Illinois State Senate finalized amendments to the Right to Privacy Act. These amendments add additional requirements for employers who use employment eligibility verification programs, including E-Verify.

Several changes impacting employers in jurisdictions across the nation are summarized in our latest blog post. 

Illinois recently passed a number of laws that will significantly impact Illinois employers and require employer policies and employee handbooks to be updated and revised. Read about them in our latest blog post. 

On August 2, 2024, Governor Pritzker signed Senate Bill 2979 (“SB 2979”) into law, making significant changes to the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act (“BIPA”). By way of background, BIPA requires private employers to obtain a written release from employees before collecting their biometric identifiers and biometric information. The potential ramifications for failing to comply with BIPA were extensive for employers: either $1,000.00 for negligent violations of the Act, $5,000.00 for intentional or reckless violations of the Act, or the amount of the actual damages, whichever is greater.

Join us Wednesday, September 4 for our Tenth Annual Labor & Employment Fall Seminar in our Chicago office. Please note that there is limited seating available, but the event will also be livestreamed. Our attorneys will discuss the latest employment law updates, labor law developments, issues related to employee benefits and more. Registration and lunch will take place immediately before the program at 11 AM CT, with the program to follow from 12 PM – 4 PM CT.

Key HR Trends and Latest Legal Developments Impacting All Employers

Join Ryan Young and Maggie Miles as they highlight the ...

Illinois continues to change the landscape for employers, allowing employees more leeway when it comes to the Illinois Human Rights Act (IHRA) and Illinois Personnel Records Review Act (IPRRA).