Human Resources Counseling
Human Resource professionals are expected to be up-to-date on employment laws and how they apply to their workforce. Plus, any task performed by HR carries some amount of legal risk.
With as often as rules change and as varied as employee needs and issues can be, HR professionals need a trusted partner. Ruder Ware’s employment attorneys are often considered an extension of a company’s internal HR department. Our attorneys are up-to-date on current state and federal employment laws and have walked seasoned HR professionals through incredibly tense employee issues and have emerged with practical solutions and sound advice.
Our attorneys provide counsel on:
- Background investigations and pre-employment screening
- Disability accommodation & leave management
- Drug and alcohol testing
- Employment contracts and arbitration agreements
- Employee handbooks and policies
- Employee privacy
- FMLA/ADA solutions
- Immigration & Workforce Mobility
- International employment
- Nondiscrimination
- Occupational safety and health
- Protection of trade secrets and confidential information, and drafting non-disclosure and non-competition agreements
- Severance agreements
- Training for executives, managers and employees (including harassment prevention and social media)
- Wage and hour
- Workplace harassment
- Workplace investigations into employee misconduct
- Workforce restructuring & reductions in force
While our attorneys are skilled at proactive measures, issues such as accidents, missteps, or claims against the company are still a possibility. Ruder Ware’s team of litigators are prepared to provide counsel at that next level – whether through mediation or litigation.
Founded in 1920, Ruder Ware provides business, employment, estate planning, and litigation services. A full-service law firm, over 45 attorneys provide clients with a one-stop approach to their legal needs. Ruder Ware, Business Attorneys for Business Success.
Posted on November 15, 2024 by Nicole L. Stangl and Morgan H. Sweeney
Friday afternoon, a federal judge in Texas struck down the Department of Labor’s (“Department’s”) overtime rule (“Overtime Rule”) finding that the Overtime Rule exceeded the Department’s authority and was unlawful. In the Opinion, the court issued a vacatur which sets aside the rule and makes it no longer binding. This vacatur of the Overtime Rule […]
Posted on November 1, 2024 by Mary Ellen Schill
On November 1, 2024 the Internal Revenue Service announced the cost-of-living adjustments for the various qualified retirement plan limits. Almost all of the limits shown below have increased from last year. Qualified Plan Limit Cost-of-Living Adjustments 401(k) and 403(b) elective deferral limit 2024 – $23,000 2025 – $23,500 $200,000 compensation limit 2024 – $345,000 […]
Posted on October 18, 2024 by Sara J. Ackermann, Mary Ellen Schill, Nicole L. Stangl and Morgan H. Sweeney
As you know, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) previously issued a rule that would ban most employee noncompetes throughout the United States. See our previous updates NLRB Seeks Aggressive Enforcement Against Employers for Unlawful Non-Compete and “Stay-or-Pay” Provisions, Breaking News: Federal Court Halts FTC Noncompete Ban, The FTC’s Ban on Noncompetes Remains Imminent for Most […]
Posted on October 9, 2024 by Morgan H. Sweeney
Even after a Federal District Court judge in Texas struck down the looming FTC Ban on non-competes this past August, non-competes are still a hot topic in labor news. On Monday, Jennifer Abruzzo, the National Labor Relations Board’s (NLRB) General Counsel, issued a memo expanding on her May 2023 memo. The latest memo not only […]
Posted on August 20, 2024 by Sara J. Ackermann, Mary Ellen Schill, Nicole L. Stangl and Morgan H. Sweeney
Today, a federal court judge in Dallas, Texas, ruled the Federal Trade Commission went too far in issuing its nationwide noncompete ban that was set to become effective September 4, 2024. We anticipate the FTC will appeal and will update you as we know more. In the meantime, do not hesitate to contact the Employment […]
Posted on July 8, 2024 by Sara J. Ackermann, Nicole L. Stangl and Morgan H. Sweeney
On July 3, 2024, a federal judge in Texas granted a preliminary injunction in a lawsuit challenging the FTC’s noncompete ban. Notably, the injunction only applies to those plaintiffs named in the suit. All other employers will still need to comply with the noncompete ban when it takes effect in September. A final decision on […]
Posted on July 2, 2024 by Sara J. Ackermann and Nicole L. Stangl
Late Monday afternoon, a federal judge in Texas denied a marketing firm’s motion for a preliminary injunction to halt the DOL’s new overtime rule. This denial affirms that, for now, employers, other than the State of Texas, must comply with the DOL’s new overtime rule which went into effect Monday, July 1, 2024. As each […]
Posted on July 1, 2024 by Sara J. Ackermann and Nicole L. Stangl
This past Friday, a Texas federal judge granted a preliminary injunction for the State of Texas, postponing the effective date of the Department of Labor’s new overtime rule. Currently, the injunction is limited only to State of Texas employees. All other employers must still comply with the final rule which went into effect today, July […]
Posted on May 9, 2024 by Mary Ellen Schill
On May 9, 2024, the IRS announced the Health Savings Account limits for 2025. With respect to contribution limits, the limits are higher than the ones for 2024 and the required deductible and out-of-pocket maximums have increased as well. As a reminder, these inflation adjusted amounts are effective for calendar year 2025. HSA/HDHP Requirement Cost-of-Living […]
Posted on April 23, 2024 by Sara J. Ackermann
Today the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) voted to finalize a new rule to prohibit employers from enforcing noncompetes against employees. Highlights of the new rule include: Employers are prevented from entering into new noncompetes with workers on or after the rule’s effective date, which will be 120 days after the rule is published (which will […]
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