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Breaking News: EEOC Issues New Retiree Health Insurance Rule

Posted on January 2, 2008 by

The Equal Opportunity Commission (EEOC or Commission) enforces the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA), which prohibits age discrimination in all aspects of employment. The Commission has approved a rule that allows employers to coordinate health benefits they offer to retirees with Medicare (or comparable state health benefits) without violating the ADEA. The rule was […]

Reminder: Date Set for Use of New Form I-9

Posted on December 17, 2007 by

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that employers must transition to the revised Form I-9 no later than December 26, 2007. All employers are required to complete a Form I-9 for each employee hired in the United States. Employers who fail to use the revised form after December 26 will be subject to […]

The Case of the Stray Dog

Posted on December 3, 2007 by

In a recent case, Stevenson v. Hyre Electric Co., No. 06-3501 (7th Cir. Oct. 16, 2007), the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals (whose jurisdiction encompasses Wisconsin) ruled that an employer may have had “constructive notice” of an employee’s need for leave under the federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and should have extended an […]

OSHA Implements New Rules Regarding Payment of Personal Protective Equipment for Employees

Posted on November 30, 2007 by

Production and maintenance employees often need to wear protective equipment, including personal protective equipment, to be protected from injury, illness, and death caused by exposure to workplace hazards. Personal protective equipment includes many different types of protective equipment that an employee uses or wears, such as fall arrest systems, safety-toe shoes, and protective gloves. In […]

FMLA Military Leave

Posted on November 16, 2007 by

We previously advised you of a proposed federal bill that would have provided 26 weeks of job protected leave to certain caregivers for family members who were injured while on active military duty. This bill was attached to a larger bill that would have reauthorized an expanded children’s health insurance program. President Bush vetoed the […]

USCIS Issues new I-9 Form

Posted on November 12, 2007 by

On November 7, 2007, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) issued a revised Form I-9 and revised Handbook for Employers regarding completion of this form. Under the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 (IRCA), U.S. employers are required to document on Form I-9 that all citizen and non-citizen employees hired after November 6, […]

Permanent and Total Disability Award – The Importance of Light Duty Work

Posted on October 24, 2007 by

A recent decision reached by the Wisconsin Court of Appeals has highlighted the serious risk of permanent and total disability of worker’s compensation awards to older workers and the importance of light duty work. Thomas J. Gutoski, a high school graduate, spent his entire employment life working for one employer, Kohler Company. Over the years […]

Are You Prepared for E-mail Discovery?

Posted on October 2, 2007 by

During the discovery period of litigation, one side digs for information from its opponent by asking written questions, submitting requests for documents, and conducting face-to-face interviews (i.e., depositions). Attorneys are bound by ethics and the law to turn over the requested information, even if it is incriminating or harmful to their case. In modern litigation, […]

EEOC Challenges Terms of Severance Agreements

Posted on September 19, 2007 by

It’s a little known fact: employees are terminated every day. Many employers present employees that are about to be terminated with a severance agreement. The severance agreement will usually provide the employee with compensation beyond what the employee would normally be entitled to in return for a release of all claims. By the release of […]

Limited 409A Relief! IRS Delays Plan Document Compliance Deadline One Year

Posted on September 11, 2007 by

Late yesterday the IRS issued Notice 2007-78 in response to employer requests for an extension of the deadline to bring nonqualified deferred compensation plans into compliance with the final regulations under Code Section 409A (issued April 10, 2007). The final regulations are effective January 1, 2008, and plan documents until yesterday must have been made […]