Business Law Business Law Resources Labor and Employment Law Uncategorized

HOW DOES THE LAW REGULATE MASS LAYOFFS AND PLANT CLOSINGS?

Recently, the Commerce Department disclosed the most devastating three-month collapse of the U.S. economy ever.  In the second quarter of 2020, the gross domestic product fell by 9.5%.  The effects of the coronavirus pandemic reached throughout the economy.  Consumers cut their spending.  Businesses reduced their…
Business Law Business Law Resources Estate Planning Succession Planning

Social Distancing, Quarantine, and Effective Estate Planning in a Pandemic

For many of our business clients, addressing the realities of estate and business succession planning amid the COVID-19 pandemic may seem unnecessarily alarmist or generally depressing. However, it is an all too necessary and practical concern for the sober-eyed, forward-thinking business leaders that make up…
Business Law Business Law Resources COVID-19 Labor and Employment Law

HOW DOES THE COLLISION OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC WITH WORKPLACES POSE SAFETY ISSUES FOR EMPLOYERS?

The Occupational Safety and Health Act (“OSH Act”), requires employers to satisfy the safety and health standards and regulations issued and enforced either by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (“OSHA”) or by an OSHA-approved State Plan. In addition, the OSH Act’s General Duty Clause,…
Business Law Business Law Resources Labor and Employment Law

COVID-19 DISRUPTS WORKPLACES AND CONFRONTS EMPLOYERS WITH COMPLICATED LABOR AND EMPLOYMENT LAW ISSUES

The COVID-19 Pandemic has forced employers to face public health, customer service, workforce, travel, and business disruptions in constantly evolving circumstances. Many of the decisions that employers must make on-the-fly create unintended consequences with serious labor and employment law liability issues. This blog will address employment discrimination and leave law-related issues raised by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Business Law Business Law Resources Labor and Employment Law

ILLINOIS LAW LEGALIZING CANNABIS FOR ADULTS IN THE NEW YEAR MAKES EMPLOYER DRUG TESTING AND DISCIPLINARY ACTION FOR WORKPLACE MARIJUANA USE HAZY

I. Illinois’ New Law Legalizing Cannabis for Adults Authorizes Employers to Maintain Zero Tolerance or Drug Free Workplace Policies and to Conduct Drug Testing. The Illinois General Assembly enacted the Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act (“Cannabis Act”) on May 31, 2019.  Governor J.B. Pritzker signed…
Business Law Resources Labor and Employment Law

EMPLOYERS MUST ACT NOW TO IMPLEMENT THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR’S FINAL RULE UPDATING THE MINIMUM SALARY FOR WHITE COLLAR MINIMUM WAGE AND OVERTIME EXEMPTIONS BY THE NEW YEAR

A. The Department of Labor Issued Its Final Rule on September 24, 2019. The Department of Labor (“Department”) issued a final rule revising the regulations interpreting the Fair Labor Standards Act (“FLSA” or “Act”) on September 24, 2019.  They set new and higher thresholds for…
Business Law Business Law Resources

Recent Missouri Supreme Court Opinion Upholds Legislative Amendment Process

Have you ever intently followed legislation that you supported—an education bill, for instance—only to find out that another education-related proposal you didn’t like had been added to the bill as an amendment?  While this can be frustrating to the observing citizen, it certainly is not…
Business Law Business Law Resources Labor and Employment Law

HOW TO MANAGE THE FAIR LABOR STANDARDS ACT’S EXEMPTION FOR OUTSIDE SALES REPRESENTATIVES

Most employers that pay their outside sales representatives on a commission basis do so because of long-established practices, rather than a sound understanding as to how the Fair Labor Standards Act (“FLSA” or “Act”) impacts such a compensation practice.  Generally, the Act requires employers to…
Business Law Business Law Resources Labor and Employment Law

HOW TO USE SOCIAL MEDIA DURING RECRUITING AND HIRING WITHOUT LIABILITY

Seven in ten Americans use social media, according to the Pew Research Center.  They connect with one another, access content, share information, and entertain themselves through social media.  When the Pew Research Center first surveyed the use of social media in 2005, only five percent…