Labor & Employment Law Update

As with so many ADA questions, “it depends.” However, a pair of cases pending before the 7^th Circuit Federal Court of Appeals (covering Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin) could provide further guidance.

The 7^th circuit has not definitively ruled on whether obesity alone is a “disability.” Federal appellate courts for the 2^nd, 6^th, and 8^th circuits (covering NY, CT, and VT; KY, MI, OH, and TN; and AR, IA, MN, MO, ND, NE, and SD respectively) have all concluded obesity is not a disability unless it is linked to some other disabling condition. In the first of two pending ...

Skilled Nursing Facilities (SNFs) are responsible for shielding residents “from abuse, neglect, misappropriation of resident property, and exploitation.” 42 C.F.R. § 483.12. This regulation implicates the employment process, since SNFs are prohibited from employing “or otherwise engag[ing]” individuals who have been “found guilty by a court of law,” had a “finding entered into the State nurse aide registry,” or had “a disciplinary action in effect against his or her professional license” as a result of “abuse, neglect, exploitation, mistreatment ...

As a follow up to our March 4^th blog, three days later the DOL announced a proposed OT rule increasing the minimum salary required for an employee to qualify for exemption from federal overtime pay requirements. The proposed increase in salary level is from $455 per week ($23,660 annually) to $679 per week ($35,308 annually). In addition, the proposed rule includes the following changes: 

• The proposal increases the total annual compensation requirement for “highly compensated employees” from the currently-enforced level of $100,000 to $147,414 per year (note, this ...

“Do I have to let my employees work from home?”  With technological advances and with market demand for flexible work arrangements constantly increasing, the question comes up all of the time. 

Generally speaking, the answer is no. Some positions just don’t translate to working remotely. For example, an auto mechanic or a doctor certainly cannot perform their job from their kitchen table. On the other hand, other positions, such as many white-collar office positions, can be well suited for remote work arrangements.  

The key in allowing remote work is to communicate expectations ...

Last Fall, the Department of Labor (DOL) announced that it intended to issue a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) in March 2019 regarding the salary levels applicable to the executive, administrative and professional exemptions that exclude certain employees from the coverage of the Fair Labor Standards Act’s minimum wage and overtime provisions. The DOL has been reviewing the regulations at 29 CFR 541, which implement the exemptions, and is expected to seek public comment on the salary level before issuing a final rule.

Of course, we all recall the most recent final rule on ...

In a pair of rulings handed down on Tuesday, the Missouri Supreme Court expanded the reach of the Missouri Human Rights Act (“MHRA”) to encompass, under certain circumstances, LGBTQ individuals and additional types of evidence that can support MHRA discrimination and retaliation claims. Both cases – Lampley, et al v. Missouri Comm’n on Human Rights, et al and R.M.A., et al v. Blue Springs R-IV Sch. Dist., et al – should have a significant impact on employers in Missouri and how they evaluate the risks of employment actions against LGBTQ individuals moving forward.

As with most things in life, you should hope for the best, but plan for the worst in the event that a valued employee leaves to join a competitor. This post contains some helpful tips to keep in mind following such a move by a key employee.

I.   Stay On Good Terms With The Former Employee Whenever Possible

Once your employee announces that he or she is making the jump to a competitor, ending the relationship on amicable terms can benefit you down the road. It may very well turn out that the employee’s experience and knowledge of past or ongoing projects become critical to the resolution of a ...

You may not remember… in 2013, then Governor Quinn signed into law an amendment to Illinois’ Prevailing Wage Act (IPWA) which sort of redefined what the PREVAILING WAGE RATE meant by adding one little word.  Effective January 1, 2014, the IPWA defined “general prevailing rate of hourly wages” as hourly cash wages plus ANNUALIZED fringe benefits.  By inserting the word ANNUALIZED, the law arguably changed. 

For years, many contractors paid the prevailing wage fringe benefits as cash sums added to the employee paycheck based on prevailing wage hours only. Some contractors ...

One of the biggest challenges faced by health care providers is ensuring proper documentation in patient charts. Shortcomings in charting can result in lost revenue due to third party payers’ assigning a lower CPT code or refusing to pay a claim. Even worse, poor charting may prompt an equally poor survey result. 

Convincing employees to stay on top of charting can be difficult and frustrating but taking appropriate action against those who fail to do so and documenting that action is critical. A recent decision by the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin ...

Over 33 states and 150 cities, counties and municipalities have enacted Ban-the Box laws that prohibit employers from asking about an applicant’s criminal record or criminal history prior to the applicant being selected for an interview or, if there is no interview, prior to a conditional offer of employment.

But did you know that Ban-the-Box laws can also impact your job posting or advertisement?

Yes, these laws can, and much like the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Ban the Box laws are being used by “professional plaintiffs” to go ...