Labor & Employment Law Update

OSHA previously delayed enforcement of its controversial post-accident drug testing and safety incentive rules until December 1, 2016. OSHA agreed to the delay at the request of a federal Judge who was considering a lawsuit requesting injunctive relief to prevent the new rules from going into effect. This week, the Judge issued a decision denying the request for injunctive relief. In light of the decision, OSHA announced it intends to begin enforcement of the new rules on December 1, 2016.

As a reminder, this injunction was filed because during the rulemaking process, OSHA ...

As we previously reported, last week on 11/22/2016, US District Judge Amos Mazzant blocked the 12/1/2016 implementation of the DOL Final Overtime Rule when he issued a preliminary injunction in favor of the plaintiffs (21 States and over 50 business organizations) in litigation pending in the Eastern District of Texas.

THE FINAL RULE

The Final Rule, announced on 5/23/2016, would increase the minimum salary level for exempt employees from $455 per week ($23,660 annually) to $913 per week ($47,476 annually) (see our prior article for more information).  Notably, there was no ...

On November 22, 2016, a Texas federal district court granted a nationwide preliminary injunction against the U.S. Department of Labor’s overtime rule. State of Nevada v. U.S. Dept. of Labor, No. 4:16-cv-00731-ALM (E.D. Tex. 11/22/2016).

This injunction halted the rule’s December 1, 2016 implementation that would have more-than-doubled the salary level to $913 per week for overtime-exempt executive, administrative, and professional white collar workers.

We will provide additional details on what this preliminary injunction means for employers after the ...

The Department of Justice (DOJ) and Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the agencies that jointly enforce antitrust law, issued an “alert” last month: “Antitrust Guidance for Human Resources Professionals.” The guidance is aimed at HR professionals in order to put them on notice regarding employer hiring and compensation practices that may violate antitrust laws. There are two main points:

1. “No-Poaching” agreements (agreements not to recruit certain employees) and wage-fixing agreements (agreements not to compete on terms of compensation) between employers are ...

The Honorable Judge Amos L. Mazzant III in the pending DOL overtime preliminary injunction lawsuit, State of Nevada et al v. United States Department of Labor et al. (Case No. 4:16-cv-00731-ALM, Eastern District of Texas), heard arguments yesterday as to whether the DOL should be enjoined at this time from implementing the new overtime and salary increase rule. The court – questioning the nationwide implications at stake here – was not interested in what the next administration will do come 2017 and wanted to focus on the law now.

After hearing arguments, the judge took ...

On November 14, 2016, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) released the new version of the Form I-9. The Form I-9 is the form employers are required to complete for each newly hired employee in the United States to verify the employee’s identity and eligibility to work in the United States.

Employers may continue using the Form I-9 dated 03/08/2013 N only through January 21, 2017. NO LATER THAN January 22, 2017, employers MUST use the revised form (dated 11/14/2016 N) for all new hires and any employee that requires reverification of employment eligibility.

A Texas federal judge today, November 16, 2016, struck down the U.S. Department of Labor’s controversial “Persuader Rule” finding it unlawful. The decision made permanent, and gave nationwide effect to, the court’s earlier temporary injunction blocking enforcement of the Rule. As we reported back in March and again in June, the Persuader Rule would have essentially gutted the “Advice Exception” to the federal Labor Management Reporting and Disclosure Act by requiring employers and labor relations consultants, including attorneys, to submit detailed ...

On October 19, 2016, the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit reversed a District Court’s Rule 12(b) (6) dismissal of two plaintiffs’ retaliation claims brought under Title VII and the Illinois Human Rights Act. In Volling and Springer v. Kurtz Paramedic Services, Inc., Case No. 15-3572, two Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) alleged that their employer and its new subcontractor refused to hire them because they had reported and/or supported claims of sex discrimination and sexual harassment against the employer’s previous subcontractor to the ...

On October 11, 2016, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued the final rule creating procedures for handling whistleblower complaints under the Affordable Care Act (ACA).  The ACA prohibits employers from retaliating against employees who report alleged violations of the act’s health coverage reforms or who receives a premium subsidy or tax credit for purchasing individual health coverage through a state or federal exchange. A covered employer can receive a penalty if an employee receives a tax-credit or premium subsidy for coverage through an ...

On October 25, 2016, the Cook County Minimum Wage Ordinance (CCMWO) became immediately effective, on the heels of the county’s Paid Sick Leave Ordinance. The CCMWO provides the following significant requirements:

1. Covered Employees are those who work at least two (2) hours in any particular two (2) week period physically within the county’s geographic boundaries, including compensated travel time for business activities.
2. Covered Employers include individuals who employ at least one Covered Employee AND (1) maintain a business facility within the county’s ...