Employment Law Blog

Here We Go Again: New DOL Independent Contractor Rule In Effect

In the continuing tug of war that has taken place with recent successive presidential administrations, the Department of Labor (“DOL”) on January 10th, 2024, published a new final rule to once again define “independent contractor” for purposes of the Fair Labor Standards Act (“FLSA”). The new rule adopts a six-factor test to determine the “economic reality” of the relationship between the worker and the potential employer. It went into effect on March 11th.  More >

WEBINAR - Scary Stories from the HR Department, Volume VI: Who Killed Non-Competes?

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DOL Moves to Raise Salary Floor in Proposed Overtime Rule

The U.S. Department of Labor has proposed to raise the salary threshold—a long-anticipated yet dreaded move that will affect how many employers pay their workers. More >

IMPORTANT EMPLOYMENT UPDATE: Federal Executive Orders Will Require Many Employers to Mandate Vaccines for Workforce

For more on this subject, view our webinar, Myths, Masks, and Mandates: More Advice for the Continuing Workplace Challenges of COVID-19.

Since the first COVID-19 vaccine became available last December, employers have been asking themselves whether they should—or even could—require their employees to receive the shot. For many employers, this question has now been answered—by a pair of executive orders from President Biden. These orders will require nearly two thirds of the American workforce to be vaccinated in response to rising infection rates throughout the country. What does this mean for employers? More >

WARNING: DOL Moves the Goalposts on FFCRA for Healthcare Providers

When the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (“FFCRA”) was passed, healthcare providers breathed a sigh of relief to see that an exception had been carved out for them regarding the mandatory leave provisions of the law. This exclusion permitted entities with less than 500 employees to exclude “health care providers” from mandatory leave provisions. The first rules to interpret this provision defined “health care providers” in such a manner that all employees of a healthcare provider that itself met the definition would also meet the exclusion. This interpretation is no more. More >

Department of Labor Issues Guidance for Employers – Paid Leave Provisions Take Effect April 1st

On March 24th, the Department of Labor (DOL) issued guidance for employers and employees as to how they will be affected by the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) when it takes effect on April 1, 2020. The guidance came in the form of an introductory statement, a fact sheet for employers, a fact sheet for employees, and a Q&A sheet that covers a wide variety of situations.   More >

IRS, Department of Labor, and Treasury Outline Workings of Paid Leave Tax Credits

The Department of Labor, IRS and Treasury Department have released a joint notice outlining how employers may utilize tax credits to provide mandated paid leave under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act signed into law on March 18th. The paid leave provisions have been discussed in our summary of the new law here, and these three agencies have now provided a glimpse of the road map for employers to cover the costs of paid leave. While the actual guidance is slated to be issued this week, the notice included information about how these provisions will operate: More >

ALERT: NEW E-DELIVERY RULES FOR ERISA PENSION PLANS ON THE HORIZON

In October, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) published a proposed rule that encourages electronic delivery of ERISA-required plan disclosures. It allows plan administrators to post disclosures online to cut costs of paper delivery and is a voluntary safe harbor that plans can use to make documents accessible on a website instead of mailing paper documents. More >

Alert: Department of Labor Releases Final Rule on Overtime; Salary Threshold Raised

On Tuesday, September 24, 2019, the Department of Labor (“DOL”) issued a Final Rule that raises the salary threshold for exemption from overtime pay to $35,568 per year. This rule was proposed in March of 2019, and it appears that the Final Rule is substantially similar. This Final Rule follows years of uncertainty after an overtime overhaul put in place under the Obama administration was held up in the courts and ultimately scrapped. More >

ALERT: Chad C. Brown, Inc. and Horse Trainer Chad Brown must pay $1.6M in Department of Labor Wage and Hour Violations Investigation

In a development that should make every horse operation in Kentucky stand up and take notice, trainer Chad Brown will pay $1.6 million to cover back wages, liquidated damages and civil penalties for what the Department of Labor (“DOL”) considers to be willful violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act (“FLSA”) and the H-2B non-immigrant visa program. More >