Are your computer employees exempt from overtime?By Betsy JohnsonAugust 2010The consequences of misclassifying an employee under the Fair Labor Standards Act can be very significant to employers’ business models and can be very costly.
Beware of the newly enacted Illinois Employee Credit Privacy ActBy Peter A. Steinmeyer & Mark M. TrappOctober 2010The recently enacted Illinois Employee Credit Privacy Act prohibits most Illinois employers from basing employment decisions or benefits on an applicant’s or employee’s personal credit information.
Changes in Illinois corporate political activity lawsBy Ryan GammelgardApril 2010This article explores the major changes and court challenges to the Illinois lobbying law, changes to the Chicago lobbying law, changes in the Illinois “Pay-to-Play” law, and changes in the Illinois Procurement Code that are effective this year.
A commentary on guns at workBy Jim McGrathFebruary 2010Today Illinois and Wisconsin are the only states that do not permit some form of carrying a concealed firearm, and each year bills are introduced in the Illinois legislature that would permit concealed carrying, but have not yet seen the light of day. But, in March 2009, more than 5,100 gun owners marched in Springfield to demand a right to carry a concealed weapon, and plan on doing it again in March 2010, and until a law is finally passed.
Company whisteleblowers get new incentives and protectionsBy Gregory G. ThiessDecember 2010The recently enacted Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act extends Sarbanes-Oxley whistleblower protections to some private companies.
Credit history pre-employment checks proscribed by new Illinois ActBy Frank M. GrenardSeptember 2010The Credit Privacy Act, effective January 1, 2011, prohibits employers from, among other things, ordering a prospective employee's credit report and using it as a reason not to hire.
Employee benefits in a multi-generational workplaceBy Michelle CapezzaDecember 2010Thoughtful planning will enable any company to motivate and reward its diverse workforce with valuable benefits that will keep the workers happy and the company’s productivity goals on target.
Employee Benefits updateBy Bernard G. PeterJune 2010Recent developments relating to employee benefits.
The Erie rule as applied in Gacek v. American Airlines, Inc.By Zeke McCartneyOctober 2010The court in Gacekheld that when a retaliatory discharge case governed by state law is litigated in a federal court, the federal court must apply the state standard to a motion for summary judgment.
The HIPAA hurdle trips up attorneysBy Elliott C. Bankendorf & Melaina D. JobsJune 2010Newly signed federal legislation requires that more entities than ever before deal with HIPAA issues during litigation.
The Impact of Health Care Reform in 2010-2011By Bernard G. PeterJune 2010A discussion of legislative changes that will affect employers and employer-sponsored group health plans beginning 2010 and 2011.
Retailer crowd control—OSHA steps into the pictureBy Frank M. GrenardFebruary 2010In 2008, a Wal-Mart employee died after being knocked down and trampled by a crowd of “Black Friday” shoppers in New York. In July of 2009, the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (“OSHA”) cited Wal-Mart, claiming it should have foreseen the possibility that crowds of shoppers could crush employees and it proposed a $7,000 fine, the maximum penalty amount for a serious violation.
So you think you might want to go public somedayBy Lola Miranda HaleSeptember 2010Addressing the issues presented in this article will assure that your company is not only ready but positioned to succeed regardless of whether the decision to go public is ultimately implemented.
Workplace time bombsBy Peter LaSorsaAugust 2010The author addresses two common workplace "time bombs" that could potentially explode into lawsuits for the employer.