Labor & Employment Law Update

As states and cities have created new paid family and medical leave requirements for employers, the layers of overlapping regulation have left even the most seasoned employee benefits professionals and leave administrators with legitimate questions about how those schemes interact with the federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA).

Recently released guidance from the United States Department of Labor (DOL), in the form of an opinion letter, attempts to resolve many of those questions.

Ohio businesses, take note: A new state law requires employers to provide employees with detailed earnings and deductions statements.

The Department of Homeland Security has announced a comprehensive update to the H-1B visa program, set to take effect on January 17, 2025. This modernization introduces new flexibilities, strengthens oversight, and provides stability for employers and employees alike. The rule’s implementation coincides with the start of a new administration, adding potential uncertainty.

If you are concerned your company’s innovations are not being identified and evaluated for possible patent protection, resolve to implement or improve an invention capture process early in 2025. By efficiently identifying valuable inventions and taking steps to pursue patents, your company can gain a competitive edge.

On Friday, December 27, 2024, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit in NLRB v. Starbucks Corp. vacated part of a National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) order on the grounds that it exceeded its authority in ordering Starbucks to pay damages beyond what it unlawfully withheld (reinstatement, lost wages, and lost benefits) from two unlawfully terminated employees.

New minimum wage increases impacting employers went into effect on Jan. 1, 2025. Summaries of new minimum wages in various jurisdictions are summarized below.

New state laws impacting employers will be going into effect on January 1, 2025. Below is a non-exhaustive summary of major state laws taking effect January 1, 2025.  Employers should be mindful of and continue to follow their state and local laws

Now that dust has settled from the November 2024 election, here’s what employers should reasonably expect under the incoming Trump administration with a republican controlled Congress and a U.S. Supreme Court that is generally right-leaning.

On December 12, 2024, the the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued its revision to the personal protective equipment (PPE) standard for construction to ensure properly fitting PPE for all construction workers.

Less than a month before the changes are set to go into effect, the Illinois Department of Labor has given employers some guidance on how the department will be enforcing the new requirements and published the poster that employers must display to their employees.