#WorkforceWednesday: SCOTUS in Review, Biden Acts to Limit Non-Competes, NY HERO Act Model Safety Plans - Employment Law This Week®
#WorkforceWednesday: Mandatory Vaccination, Tipped Worker Rule, and SCOTUS Rules Against Organized Labor - Employment Law This Week®
A federal appeals court will soon decide whether the Department of Labor (DOL) may impose financial penalties on employers for alleged violations of the H-2A temporary visa program. While a lower court rejected a family-owned...more
In 2024, Californian workers faced a tempered legislative and judicial climate following an exciting election cycle from 2024. The California State Legislature and Governor Newsom have adjourned a legislative session that...more
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has issued a Final Rule for the H-2A and H-2B temporary worker programs that will become effective on Jan. 17, 2025. The Rule is aimed at modernizing the regulations governing the...more
It is a new year, which means new employment laws for employers in the Pacific Northwest. The following is a brief overview of significant new laws and changes for employers with Washington and/or Oregon employees....more
The Labor Commissioner’s office recently published an updated version of its Frequently Asked Questions Page for California Paid Sick Leave. Here are some of the highlights of the updates: Agricultural Employees- The...more
On December 18, 2024, Governor Newsom proclaimed a State of Emergency to streamline and expedite the state’s response to Avian influenza A (H5N1), commonly known as “Bird Flu.” This may give many employers flashbacks to the...more
In the spirit of the season, we are using our annual "12 Days of California Labor and Employment" blog series to address new California laws and their impact on employers. On the twelfth day of the holidays, my labor and...more
Immigration policy, in one form or another, touches virtually every business in the United States. All employers are subject to the requirements of the 1986 Immigration Reform and Control Act, which established the I-9...more
As the year comes to a close, New Jersey businesses need to be mindful of the yearly increases in state minimum wage rates. The New Jersey Department of Labor announced in a press release that effective January 1, 2025, the...more
On Dec. 16, 2024, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) published the new 2025 H-2A Adverse Effect Wage Rates (AEWRs) for non-range occupations for field and livestock workers to be effective on either Dec. 16, 2024, or Jan. 1,...more
As 2024 comes to a close and we look forward to 2025, we want to highlight recent changes in employment law that may have an impact on Oregon employers. The following provides a summary of events that occurred in 2024 and...more
On November 13, 2024, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the release of its interim guidance and additional materials to support the regulatory community in implementing the requirements of the October...more
The California legislature has passed a slew of new workplace safety laws – many of which would change the landscape for California employers. Now that the September 30 deadline for the governor to sign or veto bills has...more
On September 29 and 24, 2024, respectively, California’s governor signed two bills that amend California’s Healthy Workplaces Healthy Families Act (HWHFA), the statewide paid sick leave law. AB 2499 expands who qualifies for...more
Late last month, a federal judge in Georgia blocked the U.S. Department of Labor from enforcing its “Farmworker Protection Rule,” also known as the “Improving Protections for Workers in Temporary Agricultural Employment in...more
As loyal readers of the OSHA Defense Report know, OSHA continues to look for ways to proactively inspect workplaces in industries that the agency believes merit greater attention, including through the development of new...more
As of September 24, 2024, Governor Newsom has signed Senate Bill (SB) 1105, which expands existing paid sick leave provisions to allow agricultural employees to use paid sick leave for additional reasons. These changes take...more
The Department of Labor (DOL) announced its H-2A Transition Plan for updating its Foreign Labor Application Gateway (FLAG) system based on the preliminary injunction (known as the Kansas Order) issued by the U.S. District...more
The Department of Labor (DOL) has decided to delay updating its Foreign Labor Application Gateway, or FLAG, case processing system to implement revised H-2A job order and application forms for the new 2024 Farmworkers...more
The Beltway Buzz is a weekly update summarizing labor and employment news from inside the Beltway and clarifying how what’s happening in Washington, D.C., could impact your business....more
Seventeen states joined in a suit in June to block the Department of Labor (DOL) from enforcing its new rule providing more protections to farmworkers employed as H-2A temporary visa holders. Now, Judge Lisa Godbey Wood of...more
A federal judge in Georgia just blocked the Department of Labor’s “Farmworker Protection Rule” for employers in 17 states, providing a measure of relief for many agricultural employers but throwing many others into a state of...more
Want to know more about the 2025 H-2A Visa Program? Besides reading the below deep dive, you can register for our September 10 webinar, where we'll discuss the 2025 process, employer obligations and compliance requirements,...more
The Supreme Court’s recent landmark ruling that gives employers a powerful tool to fight back against regulatory overreach will have a broad impact on just about every area of workplace law – and every industry. We’re looking...more
With California once again expecting extreme heat conditions this summer, state officials are ramping up efforts to protect agricultural workers by punishing employers who don’t comply with heat standards. The state is...more