Business owners may have dodged the bullet of a doubling of the overtime threshold at the federal level, but the issue is still rearing its ugly head at state agencies around the country. Perhaps the most recent – and egregious – example comes to us from the Pacific Northwest. The Department of Labor & Industries…
Read More »The Internal Revenue Department (IRS) issued final regulations this week that effectively blocked the effort by some states to get around the $10,000 cap on state and local tax (SALT) deductions imposed by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act back in 2017. The workarounds, which allowed – and in most cases encouraged – local communities…
Read More »Just a few weeks ago, we advised you that Maine became the first state to adopt a universal paid family leave plan allowing employees to use the benefit for any reason. This week, Nevada joined Maine in that category when it adopted its own universal paid family leave law. The Nevada program applies to employers…
Read More »Earlier this week, Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker and state legislators agreed to delay the implementation of the Paid Family and Medical Leave Program until October 1, 2019. The program, which was an integral part of the so-called Grand Bargain – a misnomer if ever there was one, was to be funded with a 0.63% payroll…
Read More »Often throughout the year, we advise our subscribers of different laws or regulations that will be taking effect at a future date, either near term of a few months later. We’re going to add “Approaching Deadlines: An Eye on the Calendar” to SRNS periodically to ensure that you are aware of those changes that will…
Read More »With the overtime exemption still somewhat in a state of flux in some circles, it is even more important that business accurately categorize and compensate their managerial employees. A quick look at a recent federal court decision against Steak & Shake in Missouri should drive the point home. A class action suit involving 286 managers…
Read More »The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) this past week extended the comment period on proposed regulations for a new joint employer standard and for the definition of “regular rate” of pay, on which overtime pay calculations are based. Notices of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) were published on March 29 and April 9 respectively, with final comments…
Read More »In what could undoubtedly be an expensive ruling for Kentucky businesses, the Kentucky Court of Appeals has tossed out a longstanding law allowing a non-lawyer to represent an employer at administrative unemployment hearings. In its April 26 decision, the court found the law an unconstitutional encroachment on the state judicial branch’s executive authority to regulate…
Read More »Despite another hearing having been held this week in the federal court in DC, there is no further clarification on the final deadline for submission of pay data in the court challenge brought by advocates. The court this week admonished EEOC for not having their act together and for removing the requirement completely earlier this…
Read More »We thought it might be a good time to reiterate that the proposed Department of Labor overtime exemption threshold, which was increased to $35,308 just over one month ago, is not the operable threshold in New York – and some other states (California in particular) as well. Employers in New York are subject to the…
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