Chicago Issues Final Rules for Paid Leave and Paid Sick and Safe Leave – The Chicago Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection (BCAP) has published final rules for the city’s new Paid Leave and Paid Sick and Safe Leave Ordinance, which replaces Chicago’s current paid sick leave ordinance on July 1, 2024. This Legal Update provides information about key topics addressed in the final rules.
Read more: Illinois Legal Update
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We’ve compiled a report that contains case studies published in 2024 that explore the most recent, real-world examples of employers found to be in violation of wage and hour laws. These case studies include snapshots of violations and general guidance on how employers can prevent similar issues. Employers can examine these case studies to learn from the mistakes of others in comparable industries and avoid DOL violations.
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Effective new hire orientation plays a pivotal role in integrating employees into the company culture, setting expectations, and providing essential information for a successful start. It sets the tone for the employee’s experience and influences their productivity and long-term commitment to the organization.
Employee orientation serves as the initial welcome of new hires to a company, marking the beginning of their employment journey. Orientation provides a general overview of company policies, procedures, and culture. It is one of the first steps in the overarching onboarding process, which encompasses a series of events and training sessions. This process is designed to facilitate new hires’ transition into their roles, help them evolve into successful and productive employees, and acclimate them to the organization. As part of the broader onboarding process, orientation is critical to setting up a new hire for success—and often tenure—at the organization.
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On April 23, 2024, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) voted to issue a final rule that would prohibit employers from entering into or enforcing noncompete clauses with most employees. The final rule was published in the Federal Register on May 7, 2024, and is scheduled to take effect 120 days after such date on Sept. 4, 2024.
Subject to very limited exceptions, the final rule provides that:
On April 23, 2024, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) announced a final rule to amend current requirements employees in white-collar occupations must satisfy to qualify for an overtime exemption under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). The final rule will take effect on July 1, 2024.
Increased Salary Level – The FLSA white-collar exemptions apply to individuals in executive, administrative, professional, and some outside sales and computer-related occupations. Some highly compensated employees may also qualify for the FLSA white-collar overtime exemption. To qualify for this exemption, white-collar employees must satisfy the standard salary level test, among other criteria. This salary level is a wage threshold that white-collar employees must receive to qualify for the exemption.
Continue readingRick Fazio, Vice President of Sales at Employco, recently had an article featured in the June issue of Food Industry News magazine titled “Transforming Family Dynamics: Actionable Solutions for Multi-Generational Restaurants.” In this piece, Rick explores how multi-generational family-owned restaurants can thrive by implementing structured communication, clear succession plans, innovation sessions, and work-life balance initiatives.
Read the full piece here: Food Industry News
Continue readingRob was recently quoted in an article by Corli Jay for Crain’s Chicago Business titled “DEI consultants confront how to remain relevant.”
Snippet from the article:
Rob Wilson, president at Employco USA, a Westmont-based national employment solutions firm, says that over the past three to four months, companies they work with want to move from measuring diversity to instead “finding the best person for the job.” He adds that moving away from “divisive language” will make all the difference.
Delaware Releases New Regulations for PFML Program – The Delaware Department of Labor has issued a second round of regulations for the state’s paid family and medical leave (PFML) program, which will begin providing leave benefits on Jan. 1, 2026.
Read more: Delaware Legal Update
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The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) provides minimum wage and overtime pay protections to most employees. Employees generally must be classified as “non-exempt” and, therefore, be eligible for such minimum wage and overtime protections unless they meet the criteria to be classified as “exempt” from minimum wage and overtime requirements. Typically, only employees in certain positions who meet certain salary and job duties criteria set forth under the FLSA may qualify for an exemption.
Periodically, employers may be required to reclassify exempt employees as non-exempt, such as following a legal change to the exemption criteria or upon discovery that an employee is misclassified as exempt. Employers may also choose to reclassify employees as non-exempt to serve other business purposes.
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In early March 2024, the U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) proposed overtime rule, announced in August 2023, entered its last stage of review. Publication of the final rule is expected soon. The rule would amend the requirements that employees in certain white-collar occupations must satisfy to qualify for an overtime exemption under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).
The FLSA white-collar exemptions apply to individuals in executive, administrative, and some outside sales personnel and computer-related occupations. Some highly compensated employees (HCEs) may also qualify for a FLSA white-collar exemption. To qualify for most white-collar exemptions, employees must meet the specified salary threshold, among other criteria.
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