Telecommuting is the new normal for many employers who never would have considered such an arrangement in the past.
Employers with out-of-state remote workers should consult with a lawyer to discuss associated legal risks and develop policies to address them
The coronavirus pandemic has created an unpredictable landscape for employers. As of right now, states are in various stages of their phased reopening plans and many employers have either brought employees back to the physical workplace or are planning to do so.
The rollout of the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines provides hope for employers that they will soon return to normal operations and profitability. Many employers may be considering mandating that their workers get vaccinated. But before mandating such a policy, it’s important to talk to an attorney about the potential legal traps. For one thing, … Read more
A noncompete clause in an employment contract can be an effective way to keep a worker from leaving to work for a competitor for a defined period of time after he or she stops working for you. Sometimes independent contractors have as much, or nearly as much, company-specific knowledge as employees. So the question is … Read more
Not so fast. The loss of a good worker means the hassle of hiring a replacement, training the new person. and getting other workers to pick up the slack in the meantime. It’s even worse if the departing employee had specialized skills, intimate knowledge of your operations and information such as customer lists or trade … Read more
All businesses with 100 or more employees and federal contractors with 50 or more employees must submit their 2018 pay data to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) by Sept. 30, a federal judge in Washington, D.C., has decided. The information, which must include how much each employer paid workers of various sexes, races … Read more
Annual or semi-annual employee reviews can be helpful in documenting worker issues to justify actions you might take, and in protecting yourself against potential lawsuits by disgruntled workers. They also can help your workforce identify ways to improve its productivity and professionalism. But if you go about the review process the wrong way, you may … Read more
The landscape around marijuana use has changed dramatically over the past couple of decades. While possession of even a small amount of marijuana used to be a crime across the country, 33 states and the District of Columbia have legalized its use for medical purposes, and 11 states (including Illinois on January 1, 2020) and the District of Columbia permit recreational use of marijuana as well.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has eliminated the requirement that employers electronically submit Forms 300 (Log of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses) and 301 (Injury and Illness Incident Report). OSHA published the revised rules in the Federal Register at the end of January. The rule still requires certain employers to submit Form 300A electronically … Read more
By now, you’ve probably heard the horror stories about hackable cars. The most publicized concern is that digitally connected cars are vulnerable to hackers who could disable the engine or even take control of the steering.
But while this kind of physical threat grabs headlines, a different risk goes relatively unmentioned: data security. According to