Labor & Employment Law Update

The 7^th Circuit’s recent decision in Taylor-Novotny v. Health Alliance Medical Plans, Inc., 772 F.3d 478 (7^th Cir. 2014) provides a reminder to all employers that in order for an employee to establish an ADA claim he or she must show they are a “qualified individual with a disability.”  That is, the employee must be able to perform the essential functions of the job with or without reasonable accommodation.  In this case, the 7^th Circuit reiterated that regular attendance is an essential function of most jobs and the fact that an employer allows flexibility through a ...

The IRS recently released its standard mileage reimbursement rates for the year 2015.  As of January 1, 2015, those rates, which apply to the use of a car, van, pickup, or panel truck, are:

• 57.5 cents per mile for business miles driven;
• 23 cents per mile driven for medical or moving purposes; and
• 14 cents per mile driven in service of charitable organizations.

Employers should remember that the law does not require mileage reimbursement at these or any other rates.  Instead, employers must reimburse employees for mileage only if a contract requires such reimbursements.  Employers ...

The Illinois Secure Choice Savings Act (Secure Choice Act) was quietly signed into law by Illinois Governor Pat Quinn over the weekend.  The controversial legislation will require most businesses in Illinois to adopt a retirement savings plan for their employees by June 1, 2017.

The Secure Choice Act creates a state-run retirement savings program in which eligible workers can contribute to a Roth IRA through automatic payroll deductions from their paychecks. Employers with 25 or more employees, who do not offer another type of retirement program, will be required to offer the ...

At the beginning of the year it is not uncommon for employees to jump ship.  We often find our employer clients either dealing with employees who have left, or considering hiring employees who may be under non-compete agreements with their former employers.

Here are a few things to keep in mind:

If you are an employer who has an employee leave, make sure that his or her work station, laptop, or other electronic storage device is not “wiped” or put back in service until you are comfortable that the employee is not taking information or engaged in conduct that violates his or her ...

Throughout 2014, we have provided updates on a variety of new laws. Below are several Illinois laws that employers should be aware are effective January 1, 2015, as well as an update on Illinois’ medical marijuana law:

• Ban the Box – Effective January 1^st, Illinois employers with 15 or more employees or employment agencies working for them are forbidden from inquiring about a job applicant’s criminal record/history prior to the applicant being selected for an interview or, if there is no interview, prior to a conditional offer of employment.
• Pregnancy Discrimination and ...

Earlier this month the NLRB reversed establish precedent, ruling employers can no longer prohibit employees from using company email to engage in “protected concerted activity” or union organizing efforts during non-work time.

Section 7 of the National Labor Relations Act guarantees all employees, union and non-union employees alike, the right to organize and “engage in … concerted activities for … mutual aid or protection.” But recognizing employers’ property rights in company-managed email systems, the NLRB had long upheld employers’ right to ban ...

Numerous employers can verify first hand that OSHA is actively fulfilling the promise it made a few years ago, “to get back in the enforcement business.”  In recent years, we have seen increased enforcement activity, including a significant increase in OSHA site inspections.  There is no indication OSHA’s ramped up inspection activity will slow down any time soon.  In fact, last month, the Department of Labor (DOL) announced its current rulemaking activity and OSHA topped the list with the most rulemaking activity within the DOL.  This, coupled with OSHA’s new reporting ...

Back in July, we told you that President Obama signed Executive Order 13672, which directed the Department of Labor to expand the Equal Employment Opportunity requirements for certain federal contracts so as to prohibit discrimination by contractors based on sexual orientation or gender identity.

Taking the cue from that Executive Order, on December 3, 2014, the Department of Labor issued its Final Rule implementing the Executive Order.  The Final Rule will take effect on April 8, 2015.

A central component of the Final Rule is its directive that covered contracts and ...

The NLRB has issued a controversial final rule amending its regulations on union representation elections.  The final rule was adopted by a 3-2 vote and will take effect on April 14, 2015, unless enforcement is blocked by a court or Congress.

The quickie election rules (also referred to as “ambush” election rules) will drastically change the representation election process to limit the amount of time an employer has to respond to a petition and oppose unionization.  The NLRB has been harshly criticized for passing these rules, which clearly favor big labor and take away the ...

On December 9, 2014, the U.S. Supreme Court handed down a victory for employers in Integrity Staffing Solutions, Inc. v. Busk, No. 13-433, 2014 WL 6885951 (U.S. Dec. 9, 2014) when the Court held that time spent by employees waiting for and undergoing security screenings before leaving the employer’s workplace was not compensable under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).

Plaintiffs sued Integrity Staffing Solutions alleging that it required hourly workers to undergo anti-theft screening, taking about 25 minutes per day, before leaving the warehouse and the end of each shift ...