BW INSIGHTS

Minnesota Passes Paid Family and Medical Leave: Effective in 2026

By Danielle Smid | 08.09.2023

Paid Family and Medical Leave On May 25, 2023, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz signed a Paid Family and Medical Leave bill (HF 2). The law provides employees with up to 20 weeks of paid family or medical leave per year. The leave program will be administered by a new division of the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development: The... Read More

Child Labor Regulations Relaxed in Iowa

By Danielle Smid | 06.16.2023

On May 26, 2023, Iowa experienced a significant development in its child labor laws as Governor Kim Reynolds signed a new bill into law. This legislation, which had previously cleared the state legislature (House 60-34, Senate 29-18), was submitted to Governor Reynolds for her final approval on May 3, 2023. The newly enacted law modifies existing... Read More

NLRB Returns to Previous Precedent for Employee Severance Agreements

By Danielle Smid | 03.30.2023

On February 21, 2023, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) issued a decision in McLaren Macomb, returning to previous precedent holding that employers may not offer employees severance agreements that require employees to broadly waive their rights under the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA). The decision involved severance agreements... Read More

IRS Updates Guidelines to Allow Deferral of Employer Social Security Tax

By BrownWinick | 07.15.2020

Following the passage of the Paycheck Protection Program Flexibility Act of 2020 (PPPFA), the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has updated their FAQ regarding an employer’s ability to defer Social Security taxes. Now, even employers that have received partial or full forgiveness of their PPP loan may defer the payment of Social Security taxes due... Read More

Determining Whether Your Business Qualifies as Essential

By Brennan Block | 03.26.2020

More and more state and local governments are issuing “stay at home” orders that require all non-essential businesses to cease operations and send employees home. We’ve received many client questions regarding the ramifications of these orders, the definition of an “essential business,” and the registration requirements for essential businesses.... Read More

2020 Legislative Session - Week 6

By BrownWinick | 02.21.2020

Lawmakers focused heavily on committee work this week, as they raced to beat Friday’s first funnel deadline. Most legislation that hasn't passed full committee in either the Senate or the House isn't eligible for consideration the rest of session. (The major exceptions to this rule are bills dealing with taxes, spending, or government oversight.)... Read More

DOL Releases Updated FMLA Forms

By BrownWinick | 09.19.2018

Last week, the Wage and Hour Division of the United States Department of Labor finally released its updated Family and Medical Leave Act forms. However, I use the term "updated" here loosely, as there were no meaningful changes to the substance of these forms. Nevertheless, if you use the DOL's model forms (which we typically encourage employers... Read More

Epic Systems v. Lewis: Arbitration Agreements and Employers' New, Protective Shield from Employee Lawsuits

By BrownWinick | 06.05.2018

Introduction A recent 5-4 Supreme Court decision marks a major victory for employers interested in a new tool for their arsenal to protect their businesses from potential class action litigation. The Ruling The case, Epic Systems Corp. v. Lewis, largely pitted the Federal Arbitration Act (“FAA”) against the National Labor Relations Act (“NLRA”).... Read More

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is Cracking Down on Employers: Expect I-9 Audits This Summer and Beyond

By BrownWinick | 05.24.2018

I-9 audits are on the rise. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) – the agency charged with enforcing U.S. Immigration laws - reports that between October 1, 2017 and May 4, 2018, the agency initiated approximately 2,282 employer audits (an average of about 321 audits per month). Contrast that with the prior fiscal year figures (1,360... Read More

Are You Ready if a Sexual Harassment Scandal Hits Your Business? - Part III

By Michael Dee | 03.20.2018

As outlined in our earlier posts, business leaders are subject to increasing scrutiny in light of the national dialogue happening right now. This movement is not limited to the arena of celebrities and politicians. Does your business know what to do if allegations are lodged against your CEO or other critical managers? Given the spotlight being... Read More