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Please Click HerePosted on April 28, 2015 by Ruder Ware Alumni
Plaintiffs in asbestos personal injury and wrongful death lawsuits often attempt to circumvent the exclusive remedy of worker’s compensation. The federal district court for the Western District of Wisconsin has recently applied Wisconsin’s exclusive remedy provision to dismiss a Wisconsin employer from an asbestos lawsuit brought by an employee. The case is Boyer v. Weyerhauser […]
Posted on March 10, 2015 by Sara J. Ackermann
The DOL issued a Final Rule revising the Family and Medical Leave Act’s (FMLA) definition so that eligible employees in legal same-sex and common law marriages can take FMLA leave to care for their spouse or family member, regardless of where they live. The regulation is effective March 27, 2015. The DOL has moved from […]
Posted on February 23, 2015 by Ruder Ware Alumni
Since the news broke last Friday, it is becoming very clear that Wisconsin will become a right-to-work state in the very near future. A Ruder Ware alumni attorney and a colleague had a conversation about this proposed legislation recently which we have summarized here. Ruder Atty: It looks like the Legislature is going to consider […]
Posted on November 3, 2014 by Ruder Ware Alumni
A recent decision by the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals has reaffirmed the duty of employers to consider minor adjustments to job duties as a reasonable accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act. This decision, while dealing with the ADA, reinforces the position taken by the Equal Right Division in Wisconsin that adjustment of work […]
Posted on October 29, 2014 by Ruder Ware Alumni
The United States Supreme Court has agreed to review a decision on a case brought by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission against national clothing retailer Abercrombie & Fitch Stores, Inc. which focuses on the duty of an employee to request an accommodation for religious beliefs. This decision will have a significant impact on employers and […]
Posted on October 23, 2014 by Mary Ellen Schill
Autumn brings two things, at least in Wisconsin. Lots of leaves on your lawn, and the IRS announcement of the contribution and benefit limits applicable to qualified retirement plans for next year. Let s ignore the leaves for now, but the IRS limits we can help you with. Keep this chart with your important papers. […]
Posted on October 7, 2014 by Sara J. Ackermann
On February 12, 2014, President Obama signed Executive Order 13658, “Establishing a Minimum Wage for Contractors,” to raise the minimum wage to $10.10 for all workers on Federal construction and service contracts. The President took this executive action because boosting wages lowers turnover and increases morale, and will lead to higher productivity overall. Raising wages […]
Posted on October 1, 2014 by Ruder Ware Alumni
I have written over the past several months regarding the activism at the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. The beat goes on. Several recent complaints have been filed by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission seeking to protect employees from alleged discriminatory conduct by an employer. In the first case, the EEOC filed suit over alleged sex […]
Posted on September 29, 2014 by Ruder Ware Alumni
I am familiar with the national movement of “bring your child to work,” but now I am wondering if we will have a national movement to bring your “comfort animal” to work. A recent federal court decision in Hawaii held that an employer may have discriminated against an employee based upon his depression and adjustment […]
Posted on September 18, 2014 by Ruder Ware Alumni
I wrote a blog a number of months ago about a federal Court of Appeals decision which strongly suggested that working from home would be a required reasonable accommodation in certain circumstances. A decision involving Ford Motor Company strongly suggested that the company would be required to allow an employee with irritable bowel syndrome to […]