Good, bad or otherwise… no matter your own personal or professional viewpoint, the fact is the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) is poised to usher in new reforms and implement pro-labor priorities with the intent of...more
On September 24, 2021, as instructed by President Biden’s Executive Order 14042, the Safer Federal Workforce Task Force (“Task Force”) published its COVID-19 Workplace Safety for Federal Contractors Guidance. We first...more
9/28/2021
/ Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) ,
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Executive Orders ,
Federal Contractors ,
Federal Employees ,
Joe Biden ,
Masks ,
Religious Beliefs ,
Service Contract Act ,
Social Distancing ,
Vaccinations
Employers of all sizes and industries, operating anywhere in the U.S., need to conduct HR Audits regularly. In 2021 and beyond, it is critical to carefully evaluate all aspects of how to properly and lawfully administer and...more
Contractors beware – the Illinois Department of Labor (IDOL) has ramped up audits of contractors as labor unions and related organizations flood the IDOL with “complaints. Remember, under the Illinois Prevailing Wage Act...more
5/7/2021
/ Audits ,
Compliance ,
Contractors ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Illinois ,
Labor Law Violations ,
Non-Union ,
Prevailing Wages ,
Public Works ,
Recordkeeping Requirements ,
State and Local Government
With Governor Pritzker’s signature to Senate Bill 1480 on March 23, 2021, the Illinois Human Rights Act (IHRA) now prohibits any employer’s use or reliance on a criminal conviction to support an adverse employment action...more
Big Labor continues to use local, state and federal prevailing wage laws to target contractors they have a “beef” with. Since most prevailing wage audits are triggered by a complaint (including 3rd party complaints), trade...more
As we previously blogged about, the Illinois legislature passed Senate Bill 1480, which, in relevant part, provides that unless otherwise authorized by law, an employer may only consider an individual’s criminal conviction...more
Private employers in Illinois now have more landmines to navigate as the state’s legislature pushed through SB1480 during its most recent “lame duck” session. Gov. Pritzker just signed the legislation into law today! While...more
3/23/2021
/ Civil Rights Act ,
Criminal Convictions ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
EEO-1 ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) ,
Equal Pay ,
Governor Pritzker ,
Illinois ,
New Legislation ,
Secretary of State ,
State and Local Government ,
Title VII
The Biden administration is signaling significant policy shifts. Business owners and C-Suite executives are encouraged to join us for a series of complimentary webcasts discussing these likely changes and how they will impact...more
3/2/2021
/ Biden Administration ,
Business Operations ,
C-Suite Executives ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Corporate Executives ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) ,
Executive Orders ,
Human Resources Professionals ,
Independent Contractors ,
Joint Employers ,
Labor Regulations ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Misclassification ,
NLRB ,
Unions ,
Webinars
Contractors, developers, architects, owners, project managers and even public bodies often ask the same obvious question when dealing with any type of prevailing wage ordinance or law, “what are my obligations?” While...more
Illinois has long limited employers from considering the criminal history of an applicant or employee in making employment decisions. The Illinois Human Rights Act prohibits employers from considering an employee’s arrest...more
As new information unfolds surrounding our understanding of COVID-19, and seeing that the odds appear to be increasing on who may actually get the virus, employers need to be vigilant in examining whether or not an employee...more
Back in early 2019, one of the very first actions taken by the new administration in Illinois was to amend the Illinois Prevailing Wage Act (IPWA). While many changes took effect in 2019, one material change was set to become...more
As we now know, the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) requires covered employers to provide employees with paid sick leave — under the Emergency Paid Sick Leave Act (EPSLA) — for specified reasons related to...more
With the ink barely dry on the president’s signature, employers are now turning to whether they need to and how to comply with the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (“Act”) (HR 6201). Since the law was signed by...more
As we previously reported, on March 14, 2020, the U.S. House of Representatives passed House Bill 6201 (HR6201). The legislation seeks to protect private sector workers and government employees during the COVID-19 pandemic. ...more
Presented by SmithAmundsen COVID-19 Task Force...more
3/17/2020
/ Continuing Legal Education ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Policies ,
Federal Labor Laws ,
Health and Safety ,
Human Resources Professionals ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Public Health ,
State Labor Laws ,
Webinars ,
Workplace Safety
On March 14, 2020, the U.S. House of Representatives passed House Bill 6201 (HR6201). The legislation seeks to protect private sector workers and government employees during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the legislation...more
Presented by SmithAmundsen COVID-19 Task Force....more
3/16/2020
/ Continuing Legal Education ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Policies ,
Federal Labor Laws ,
Health and Safety ,
Human Resources Professionals ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Public Health ,
State Labor Laws ,
Webinars ,
Workplace Safety
Back on December 16, 2019, we reported on the issuance of new regulations by the Trump administration that effectively repealed the 2014 “Quickie Election” Rule issued by the Obama National Labor Relations Board...more
On December 13, 2019, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) issued notice of new regulations designed to materially change what is commonly referred to as the “Quickie Election” Rule. The new regulations, set to take...more
As Illinois set out to become the first state to legalize recreational cannabis through statutory authority, the legislative intent for protections for employers and the workplace were intended to include some of the...more
On August 13, 2019, Illinois Comptroller, Susana Mendoza, signed an Executive Order (EO) aimed at enforcement of the state’s prevailing wage law (aka mandatory top line union wage/benefits scale) for “construction” projects...more
MAJOR CHANGES TO ILLINOIS EMPLOYMENT LAWS: NEW MANDATORY SEXUAL HARASSMENT TRAINING, REPORTING AND DISCLOSURE REQUIREMENTS, RESTRICTIONS ON EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENTS, & SEVERAL OTHER MANDATES....more
Organized labor wasted no time in securing Governor Pritzker’s signature on legislation that undoubtedly calls for the Illinois prevailing wage rate to fall in lock step with the area union contracts. ...more