DOL and HSA Updates
Over the past several months, most businesses and organizations have been focused on the ever-changing landscape created by the COVID-19 pandemic. In the meantime, the Department of Labor (DOL) and other federal agencies have been busy implementing new and amended regulations affecting employers. Here are the recent HR and employment law updates you really need […]
U.S. Supreme Court Rules on LGBTQIA Workplace Protections
The United States Supreme Court has ruled that federal law prohibits employers from firing an individual merely for being gay or transgender. Bostock v. Clayton County, Georgia, 590 U.S. ___ (2020). Under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, employers may not discriminate against any individual because of race, religion, national origin, or sex. The […]
Reopening your Firm Carefully and Compassionately in the COVID-19 Era
DWD’s Work-Share Program: Another Option to Avoid Layoffs
As employers evaluate options to address the impact of COVID-19 on their organizations, Wisconsin’s Department of Workforce Development (DWD) is encouraging participation in its Work-Share Program. The Work-Share Program is designed to help employers avoid layoffs of at least two employees by reducing employees’ hours during slow business periods of up to six months. The […]
EEOC Updates ADA Accommodations and EEO Reporting
On May 7, 2020, the EEOC updated an existing technical assistance publication, “What You Should Know About COVID-19 and the ADA, the Rehabilitation Act, and other EEO Laws.” New questions and answers on “Return to Work” address an employer’s obligations to accommodate employees with underlying medical conditions as they begin to return to the workplace […]
Updated Cobra Forms
Updated Cobra Forms On May 4, 2020, the Department of Labor and the Internal Revenue Service jointly provided updates to the notification and elections deadlines set forth in the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA) intended to protect the participants and beneficiaries in employee benefit plans during the National Emergency caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. […]
Illinois Provides Model for Newly Required Anti-Harassment Training
On April 30, the Illinois Department of Human Rights released a model training presentation that employers can use to comply with Illinois’ new sexual harassment prevention training requirement. An employer may use this model training, or it may develop a training specifically tailored to its organization, provided that the training meets the state’s minimum legal […]
Updated Cobra Forms
Updated Cobra Forms On May 1, 2020, the Department of Labor announced updates to the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA) Model General Notice and Model Election Notice. The modifications provide information about Medicare as an option for employees who have lost their health insurance as a result of a qualifying event. Given the number […]
DOL Ends Temporary Non-Enforcement of New Paid Leave Protections
As of April 21, 2020, covered employers (with fewer than 500 employees) across the country must be in full compliance with the paid leave provisions of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA), which became effective April 1, 2020. On April 20, the U.S. Department of Labor announced the end of the temporary period of […]
Wisconsin Issues Emergency Order #12: Safer at Home
Effective March 25,2020 at 8am: The Evers Administration signs Emergency Order (EO) #12, Safer at Home. A summary of the EO is included in this article.
