Department of Labor Issues Updated FLSA and FMLA Posters

The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has released updated posters regarding the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). Employers covered by these laws are required to display copies of the posters in a conspicuous place where employees and applicants for employment can see them. The FLSA Minimum Wage…

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Department of Labor Issues Opinion Letter Clarifying FMLA Leave for Overtime Workers

The United States Department of Labor (“DOL”) released an opinion letter on February 9, 2023 (the “Letter”) clarifying covered leave for overtime-eligible employees under the Family and Medical Leave Act (“FMLA”) and the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”). The Letter pertains to FMLA-eligible employees who work more than 40 hours in a given workweek. The…

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DOL Clarifies Whether FLSA and FMLA Protections Apply to Remote Employees

The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) recently issued new guidance regarding how remote employees should be paid under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and when they are eligible for leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). The FLSA requires covered employers to pay nonexempt employees for all hours worked, including certain rest…

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Why Do You Need a Handbook Disclaimer and What Should Be In It Anyway?

If you’re like most employers right now, you’re in the process of reviewing your Employee Handbook to see if it needs to be updated. A recent Alabama state court decision offers valuable lessons to all employers with employee handbooks (not just those in Alabama) on the importance of a properly drafted handbook disclaimer. Now, in…

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How to Navigate a Reduction in Force

Over the course of your business life, there may come a time when you are faced with the difficult but necessary decision to lay off some employees as part of a reduction in force or other restructuring initiative at one or more of your locations. There are a wide array of laws that may impact…

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Quiet Quitting and Today’s Workforce Challenges

The American workforce is in crisis, buffeted by one challenge after another – some recent, and some, like demographic changes, that have been building for decades. At a recent employment law seminar – our first in-person employment program since 2019 – Pierce Atwood brought together clients from health care, higher education, accounting, the nonprofit sector,…

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U.S. Department of Labor Issues Proposed Worker Classification Rule

Last week, the U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) Wage and Hour Division announced the publication of a highly anticipated notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) on worker classification under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). The proposed rule, the latest in a tumultuous line of regulations on the independent contractors topic, would establish a framework for applying a redrawn…

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I-9 Compliance Flexibility Extended Again, But Only for COVID Precautions

I-9 flexibility for remote workers is being extended again – through July 31, 2023 – but, it appears, only for safety precautions due to COVID-19. The U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement and Department of Homeland Security made the announcement last week. The flexibility allows qualifying employees to present virtually their I-9 identity and employment authorization…

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New Frontier in COVID-19 Vaccine Litigation

Despite President Biden’s recent declaration that the COVID-19 pandemic is over, litigation concerning employer vaccine mandates continues as employers face hurdles to ensure workplace safety and compliance with government mandates. Here we take a closer look at issues companies are facing more than two years into the pandemic, and how you may help your business…

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