Update on the State of Non-compete Restrictions (LaborSpeak)
California Employment News: Taking Advantage of the PAGA Reform – How Employers Can Lower Their Risk of PAGA Liability
(Podcast) California Employment News: Taking Advantage of the PAGA Reform – How Employers Can Lower Their Risk of PAGA Liability
The Labor Law Insider: What's Next for Labor Law Under the Trump Administration, Part II
Work This Way: A Labor & Employment Law Podcast - Episode 39: Best Practices for Conducting RIFs and Layoffs with Jennifer Wheeler of Maynard Nexsen
#WorkforceWednesday®: Should Employers Shift Workforce Data Collection Under President Trump? - Employment Law This Week®
Work This Way: A Labor & Employment Law Podcast - Episode 38: Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) with John Holmes of Maynard Nexsen
#WorkforceWednesday®: Workplace Law Shake-Up - DEI Challenges, NLRB Reversals, and EEOC Actions - Employment Law This Week®
The Labor Law Insider: What's Next for Labor Law Under the Trump Administration, Part I
The Implications of President Trump's EO on Gender Ideology: What's the Tea in L&E?
#WorkforceWednesday®: Federal Agencies Begin Compliance Efforts Under Trump Administration - Employment Law This Week®
Employment Law Now IX-159 - 8th Anniversary Special: The Current State of Politics for Employers
#WorkforceWednesday®: Employment Law Changes Under President Trump - Employment Law This Week®
#WorkforceWednesday®: PAGA in California, NLRB Authority, New Employment Laws in 2025 - Employment Law This Week®
Employment Law Now VIII-157 - Top 5 L&E Issues to Watch in 2025
#WorkforceWednesday®: Employment Law in 2025: A Look Ahead - Employment Law This Week®
#WorkforceWednesday®: 2024 Workforce Review - Top Labor and Employment Law Trends and Updates - Employment Law This Week®
The Labor Law Insider - Elections Have Consequences: Labor Law Changes Anticipated Under Trump Administration, Part II
(Podcast) California Employment News – Key Employment Law Updates: What’s Changing in 2025
California Employment News – Key Employment Law Updates: What’s Changing in 2025
In recent months, the Department of Labor (DOL) has seen an overhaul of its agency leadership. First, President Trump appointed Secretary of Labor Lori Chavez-DeRemer and Deputy Secretary Keith Sonderling, and more recently,...more
During the Biden administration, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) issued a final regulation (the “2024 Rule”) seeking to increase the salary threshold for overtime eligibility for the “white-collar” exemption (also referred...more
On May 1, 2025, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) issued a Field Assistance Bulletin confirming that it will no longer enforce a 2024 Biden-era independent contractor rule. The 2024 rule defined “independent contractor”...more
On March 14, 2025, President Trump issued an executive order ending the obligation to pay individuals working on or in connection with certain federal contracts or subcontracts a minimum wage currently set at $17.75 per hour....more
The Trump administration just made a significant move in reshaping federal labor law by beginning the process of undoing the labor policies put in place under the Biden administration. On February 14, 2025, National Labor...more
In the ongoing battle over labor policy, the Trump administration has signaled plans to abandon or at least revise its defense of two Biden-Era lawsuits and their underlying initiatives. ...more
Four Ward and Smith team members delivered concise, actionable insights on projected governmental and policy changes resulting from the recent elections, the Corporate Transparency Act, the implications of the Chevron...more
Effective January 1, 2024, the minimum wage for workers who perform work on or in connection with federal contracts will increase from $16.20 per hour to $17.20 per hour. This will apply to most federal contracts entered into...more
Biden Officially Nominates Su To Replace Marty Walsh. This week, President Biden officially announced the nomination of Julie Su to replace Marty Walsh atop the Department of Labor. We have had numerous occasions to discuss...more
Executive Summary: On October 11, 2022, the United States Department of Labor (DOL) announced that it will publish a notice of proposed rulemaking that would assist employers in classifying workers as employees or independent...more
The U.S. Department of Labor is set to issue a Proposed Rule that will have a significant impact on the test used to determine whether someone is an independent contractor or an employee under the Fair Labor Standards Act...more
President Biden’s Administration, including the United States Department of Labor (DOL), have clearly expressed their belief that the minimum salary employers are required to pay to their exempt employees needs to be...more
On May 6, 2021, the U.S. Department of Labor formally withdrew final regulations promulgated earlier this year under the prior administration which set forth, for the first time by way of an Administrative Procedure Act...more
On May 6, 2021, the United States Department of Labor (DOL) withdrew proposed rules set by the Trump Administration, which were originally intended to revise the test for classifying workers as independent contractors at the...more
On May 5, 2021, the Department of Labor (DOL) announced a final rule to withdraw a Trump-era independent contractor rule for determining how to classify workers under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). The DOL stated that...more
On May 5, 2021, the U.S. Department of Labor withdrew the pro-business Independent Contractor Final Rule published in the final days of President Trump’s administration. This withdrawal follows the Department of Labor’s...more
It’s official – the U.S. Department of Labor has withdrawn the Independent Contractor Rule that was to become effective on May 7th. The rule – proposed by the DOL during the Trump administration – had overwhelming support...more
Employers should continue to track and keep records of the percentage of time tipped wage earners spend performing non-tip eligible tasks, as the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has pressed pause on several provisions of the...more
On May 5, 2021, the Department of Labor (DOL) confirmed it is withdrawing the rule promulgated under the Trump administration addressing how to determine whether a worker is an employee or independent contractor under the...more
On April 27, 2021, President Joseph R. Biden issued an executive order increasing the minimum wage for workers working on or in connection with a federal government contract. Under the order, federal contractors will be...more
In week twelve, the Biden administration’s labor and employment activity includes selecting a chief to lead the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), increased staffing at the Equal Employment Opportunity...more
In a complaint filed on March 26, 2021, business groups challenged a U.S. Department of Labor March 4, 2021 final rule to delay the effective date of the Trump-era regulation on independent contractor classification. As we...more
We’re 50 days into the Biden administration. Here’s an update on where things stand with respect to wage and hour law at the federal level...more
It has been just one month since the inauguration of Joseph Biden as the 46th president of the United States, and he has been moving quickly to change the wage and hour landscape. This Lightbulb illuminates some of the more...more
In week five, the Administration’s labor and employment activity includes a new NLRB General Counsel appointee, an executive order revoking Trump’s industry-led apprenticeship program, the DOL’s continual withdrawal of Trump...more