The tax plan that was signed into law at the end of 2017 creates a new tax credit for employers. The credit appears in Section 13403 of the Act, and applies to employers who pay employee leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act (“FMLA”). The credit begins in 2018 and as of now, is set to expire at the end of 2019. Although possibly short-lived, employers may want to claim the benefit while they can. Employers may obtain a … Continue reading
Last week, the Seattle Office of Labor Standards announced proposed changes to Seattle Paid Sick and Safe Time and Secure Scheduling. These changes intend to incorporate the more generous provisions from Initiative 1433, the Washington Paid Sick Leave law, into Seattle’s laws. A couple of notable proposed changes to Seattle’s law include shortening the waiting period for employee eligibility to use paid sick time from 180 to 90 calendar days following the commencement of employment. Additionally, whereas a waiver is … Continue reading
Washington’s new paid sick leave law goes into effect on January 1, 2018. The new law contains many changes to existing law, including paid sick leave at a minimum of one hour per every forty hours worked, required carryover of up to forty hours of sick leave, and paid sick leave for part-time and seasonal workers. Employers should be prepared to implement any required changes to their employment policies to comply with the January 1 deadline. In addition to the text of the paid sick leave … Continue reading
Employment law can be complicated, especially regarding the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). To help employers minimize their risk of liability, labor and employment law attorney Selena Smith is partnering with the Association of Washington Business to host a seminar on May 5. Selena Smith will discuss employers’ legal obligations and rights, as well as best practices for addressing employees’ disabilities. Attendees will learn: Legal Obligations Regarding Reasonable Accommodations Effective Strategies for … Continue reading
The NLRB recently published the average time between the filing of a petition for an election and the election date under the NLRB’s new “quickie” election rules. The average time (23 days) has decreased by two weeks in comparison to the prior election procedures. This leaves significantly less time for companies to campaign against unions. The election rules make it even more imperative for companies to promptly respond to unionization efforts in their workplaces. For guidance on lawful campaign strategies, … Continue reading
Over the last several years, the National Labor Relations Board (“NLRB”) has issued several decisions overturning employer discipline for employee conduct on social media. In a recent decision by the Second Circuit Court of Appeals, the federal court upheld the NLRB’s decision and ordered reinstatement for employees who posted a profane comment and approved an offensive post about their employer. This appeals court decision contains some important warnings for employers who are considering discipline for employees’ negative social media conduct. … Continue reading
Employers who use contract service providers or independent contractors are now at increased risk of being sued. The U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL) recently issued an interpretive bulletin aimed at curbing employers’ misclassification of individuals as independent contractors. The USDOL says most independent contractors should be legally classified as employees. An employee misclassified as an independent contractor can sue the employer for minimum wage violations, overtime pay and other benefits. The employer may also owe retroactive contributions for worker’s compensation … Continue reading
The Supreme Court issued a controversial decision which should prompt Employers to review their hiring practices and criteria. In the recent EEOC v. Abercrombie & Fitch case, the Supreme Court ruled that Abercrombie & Fitch discriminated against Samantha Elauf (“Elauf”) based on her religious practice of wearing a headscarf. Elauf, a Muslim, wore her headscarf to her Abercrombie & Fitch job interview. During the interview, neither Elauf nor Abercrombie & Fitch representatives discussed her religion or her headscarf. However, after … Continue reading
The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) has recently issued its final rules regarding union representation case procedures. These rules are commonly referred to as quickie election rules. These quickie election rules seek to expedite the election process. They limit an employer’s ability to respond to union campaigns, effectively ambushing an unprepared Employer. BACKGROUND The NLRB is the federal agency responsible for governing private sector employer-union relations. Part of its charge includes conducting elections for labor union representatives. Representation elections may … Continue reading
The United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit ruled on March 12, 2015 that social anxiety disorder may be a recognized disability under the Americans with Disability Act (ADA). The case is titled: Jacobs v. N.C. Administrative Office of the Courts. Previously, the ADA definition of disability had been construed more narrowly by the courts. However, where the alleged unlawful acts occurred after January 1, 2009, the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act of 2008 (“ADAAA”) applies. Under … Continue reading
