This summer, Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens signed into law Senate Bill 43, which substantially changes the way the Missouri Human Rights Act (MHRA) will be administered and interpreted. The MHRA’s core purpose is to prohibit employers from basing employment decisions on a person’s race, color, religion, national origin, sex, ancestry, age or disability, and it
DOL request indicates second attempt at the final overtime rule
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) published a request for information (RFI) in late July seeking comments, data, ideas and information on an appropriate salary level for exempt employees under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).
A Texas federal district judge issued an order last November to stop the DOL’s new overtime rule from taking
Missouri union efforts to stop right-to-work law move forward
Update: This post has been updated to correct a reference to the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation’s appeal. The Missouri workers represented by the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation are suing not to prevent a public vote but to ensure that the summary of the proposition that appears on the ballot
Alert for employers: New Form I-9 required on September 18, 2017
On July 17, 2017, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issued a new version of the Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification. Changes to the Form I-9 instructions are fairly minimal and include:
- The Department of Justice “Office of Special Counsel for Immigration-Related Unfair Employment Practices” is now called the “Immigrant and Employee Rights Section.”
- The
DOJ switches sides in battle over arbitration agreements and class action waivers
In what is considered an “unprecedented action,” the Department of Justice (DOJ) has switched sides to argue on behalf of employers, and against the position of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), in the U.S. Supreme Court battle over employment agreements mandating arbitration. The DOJ said Friday that it no longer supports workers in the
DOL withdraws guidance on joint employer status and independent contractor classifications
On June 7, 2017, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) announced the withdrawal of two Obama-era guidance letters that provided guidance on joint employer and independent contractor classifications. The withdrawal of these two guidance documents marks a step toward more flexibility for employers.
One of the letters, 2016-1, focused on the Fair Labor Standards Act’s
Legislation may reverse St. Louis city’s minimum wage hike
On May 12, 2017, the Missouri legislature passed a bill banning cities from adopting minimum wage rates higher than the state’s current rate of $7.70/hour. By pushing this bill through the House right before the end of the legislative session, Republican lawmakers sought to reverse St. Louis city’s new $10/hour minimum wage increase, which has
Alert for employers: Proposed comp time bill passes in the House
This month, the House of Representatives passed by a vote of 229-197 the Republican-backed overtime bill titled the Working Families Flexibility Act. The act would enable employees to choose taking “comp time” or paid time off work instead of receiving overtime pay when they work more than 40 hours in a week. Proponents of the
St. Louis minimum wage increase effective May 5, 2017
St. Louis city’s new minimum wage law increasing the minimum wage to $10 per hour takes effect May 5, 2017. This comes after a circuit court lifted its injunction that previously blocked the ordinance from taking effect.
Pursuant to the ordinance, the minimum wage will rise again on Jan. 1, 2018, to $11 per hour.
Illinois employers may be liable for criminal acts of supervisors against employees outside of work
In late March, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit revived a lawsuit brought against Home Depot by the mother of a pregnant employee who was killed by her supervisor at a non-work event. Reversing the district court’s decision to dismiss the lawsuit as not stating a viable claim under Illinois law, the