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► Biden's Call for $15 Federal Worker Minimum Wage May Signal Things to Come
January 27, 2021
One of President Joe Biden’s latest execu-tive orders calls for the federal government to begin planning how to move toward instituting a $15-an-hour minimum wage for federal employees and private-sector workers that work on federal contracts. Such a move is in line with recent calls from ...
► DOL addresses posting requirements for virtual workplaces
January 25, 2021
Recognizing remote work is here to stay for many employees, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) recently issued guidance on how employers can use virtual means to distribute and maintain the various posters required by federal employment laws. Background Several federal laws, including the ...
► EEOC Gets New Chair, But Major Policy Changes Likely On Hold
January 22, 2021
President Joe Biden has switched the leader-ship of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) from Republicans to Democrats, but the GOP still holds a majority of the commission’s five seats, meaning immediate major policy changes may not be quick in coming. On January 20, Biden ...
► Firing of NLRB General Counsel Seen as Pro-labor Shift
January 21, 2021
On his first day in office, President Joe Biden fired a key figure at the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) in a move that’s being called a clear signal the agency is moving from a probusiness to a prounion stance. NLRB Shortly after Biden was sworn in on January 20, NLRB ...
► Employers Hoping for Stability as Biden Immigration Plan Unveiled
January 20, 2021
Employers are eager for details about President Joe Biden’s proposal for immi-gration reform, and they’re hoping for a plan that will replace uncertainty with stability, according to attorneys who advise employers on immigration matters. The plan calls for a multiyear path to ...
► Employers Can Expect Pro-Union Agenda Under New DOL Chief
January 11, 2021
President-elect Joe Biden’s pick for secretary of the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) is a traditional Democrat likely to push a pro-union agenda and a leader who will be eager to put in place pandemic-related safety measures, according to attorneys who advise employers. On January 7, ...
► DOL Finalizes Independent Contractor Rule; More Change Expected
January 8, 2021
The announcement of a new final rule addressing when workers can legally be classified as independent contractors emphasizes the U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) intent to bring clarity to the issue, but with a change in administration near, the future of the rule is up in the air. The ...
► H-1B, Employment Immigration Processes Under Attack
January 6, 2021
In a continuing effort to curtail legal immi- gration, the Trump administration recently announced two rule changes radically limiting H-1Bs and the most common employment-based permanent residence process. The first rule change came from the U.S. Department of Labor affecting prevailing wages ...
► Ongoing Pandemic Blurring the Line Between Furloughs, Layoffs
December 23, 2020
Back in the spring when businesses across the country first fell victim to COVID-19, many employers chose to furlough workers temporarily rather than lay them off permanently. But now, with the pandemic dragging on, some furloughs are extending much longer than originally expected, triggering ...
► Employee Refuses to Return to Work During Pandemic
December 21, 2020
When states and localities first began sheltering in place because of COVID-19, many employers scrambled to determine whether to furlough or terminate employees, while others set up work-from-home policies and procedures. Although most states have moved into phases two or three of reopening, the ...
