Earlier this year, the U.S. Department of Labor published a final rule that sheds new light on how it will decide whether workers are employees or independent contractors.  The rule, which replaces a rule issued in 2021, guides how the agency will administer and enforce the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). The 2021 rule had […]

With summer just around the corner, it’s essential for employers to remember the do’s and don’ts of employing youth workers. Youth workers are an important part of the workforce especially during the summer months when school is not in session. In Michigan, the Youth Employment Standards Act (YESA) governs the employment of minors. YESA defines […]

In July 2023, the USCIS introduced a new Form I-9, along with a new procedure for remotely verifying I-9 documents. As of August 1, 2023, employers who participate in E-Verify and are in “good standing” have the option of examining Form I-9 documents during a video conference instead of in-person. The remote verification procedure requires […]

In December 2023, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) published its Fall 2023 Regulatory Agenda, which provides insight into what will be keeping DOL’s leadership and regulation writers busy early in 2024. Among the actions of interest to human resources professionals is an indication that the DOL plans to issue a final rule defining and […]

On December 29, 2022, President Biden signed into law the Providing Urgent Maternal Protections for Nursing Motions (PUMP) Act. (For more information, please read our Client Alert.) The PUMP Act requires employers to provide a reasonable amount of break time and a private, non-bathroom space to express milk as frequently as needed by the nursing […]

Last year, Michigan became the first state in decades to repeal its “Right to Work” law.  The repeal of Right to Work will take effect on February 14, which means employers and employees have just a few weeks left to prepare. Before Right to Work, employees working in a unionized workforce often were forced to […]

The importance of maintaining accurate job descriptions is often overlooked, and understandably so. Who has time to review dozens of job descriptions on top of everything else that needs to be done? Plus, employees know what their job duties are so why does it matter if a piece of paper is updated or not? As […]

When Employers Are Stuck in the Middle Please note: This article is an updated version of our August 2022 blog post to reflect the changes made to the underlying “undue hardship” standard for religious accommodations in the Supreme Court’s 2023 decision Groff v. DeJoy. ***** Employers sometimes find themselves in the difficult position of dealing […]