Content Editor: Maryjo F. Pirages Reynolds Original Author Credit: Stephanie A. Grattan Employers have the obligation to obey immigration law by hiring only work-authorized individuals. Additionally, employers cannot violate anti-discrimination laws when hiring or firing work-authorized employees. Specifically, state and federal laws prohibit employers from engaging in the following acts: • Hiring or firing work-authorized […]
Maryjo Pirages Reynolds March 30th, 2016
Posted In: Employment & Labor, Immigration
Content Editor: Maryjo F. Pirages Reynolds Original Author Credit: Stephanie A. Grattan 1. An employer cannot refuse to hire workers who sound or appear foreign. TRUE. All U.S. citizens and employment-authorized individuals are protected from discrimination based on national origin. National origin discrimination occurs when an employer treats an employee differently in connection with hiring, […]
Maryjo Pirages Reynolds March 30th, 2016
Posted In: Employment & Labor, Immigration
By: Alexander J. Mezny Section 7 of the National Labor Relations Act (“NLRA”) protects the rights of nonunionized as well as union employees who are not supervisors to engage in concerted and other protected activities, including discussion of wages and terms and conditions of employment with others. 29 U.S.C. § 157. The National Labor Relations Board (“NLRB”) […]
Alexander Mezny March 24th, 2016
Posted In: Employment & Labor
By: Alexander J. Mezny On January 20, 2016, the US Department of Labor (“DOL”) issued an Administrator Interpretation departing from the traditional joint employment tests with the express intent to ensure that “the scope of employment relationships and joint employment under the FLSA … is as broad as possible.” The DOL seeks to address the increasing […]
Alexander Mezny March 24th, 2016
Posted In: Employment & Labor
By: Alexander J. Mezny Social media can be a fun and rewarding way to share your life and opinions with family, friends and co-workers. Use of social media also presents certain risks and carries with it certain responsibilities. Protect Yourself When signing on to any social network, go to the privacy settings first and make the […]
Alexander Mezny February 11th, 2016
Posted In: Employment & Labor
By: Maryjo F. Pirages Reynolds On July 19, 2014, Governor Quinn signed the Job Opportunities for Qualified Applicants Act into law. See, P.A. 098-0774, available at http://ilga.gov/legislation/publicacts/fulltext.asp?name=098-0774&GA=98&SessionId=84&DocTypeId=HB&DocNum=5701&GAID=11&Session. The new law has been referred to as “Ban the Box” legislation because it prohibits the use of criminal conviction inquiries on employment applications. The new law also […]
Maryjo Pirages Reynolds October 6th, 2014
Posted In: Employment & Labor
By: Maryjo F. Pirages Reynolds Employer-sponsored events, including but not limited to holiday parties, generate liability risks for employers. Often alcohol is served at such events and employers will likely be exposed to liability for the actions of employees during or after such events. In general, under the Illinois Dramshop Act, employers are classified as social hosts […]
Maryjo Pirages Reynolds November 26th, 2013
Posted In: Employment & Labor
By: Maryjo F. Pirages Reynolds The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, more commonly known as “Obamacare”, added a section to the Fair Labor Standards Act that, beginning October 1, 2013, will require employers to provide employees with special notice of health insurance coverage options. What does this mean for employers? It means employers need […]
Maryjo Pirages Reynolds November 26th, 2013
Posted In: Employment & Labor
By: Alexander J. Mezny Illinois recently amended the Employee Classification Act. The Act is designed to discourage employers from classifying individuals as independent contractors to avoid certain employer-related responsibilities, such as employment taxes, workers’ compensation insurance, unemployment insurance, and overtime pay. Under the amendments, agents or officers of a corporation who knowingly permit such violations may […]
Alexander Mezny November 26th, 2013
Posted In: Employment & Labor
By: Maryjo F. Pirages Reynolds Illinois recently passed the Compassionate Use of Medical Cannabis Pilot Program Act. The Act contains several employment provisions, which should trump the Illinois Right to Privacy Act’s more general prohibition of discrimination on the basis of an employee’s off duty use of lawful products. Under current federal law, employers are not […]
Maryjo Pirages Reynolds November 26th, 2013
Posted In: Employment & Labor