News & Articles

Emergence of Omicron and its Impact on the Workforce

With the arrival of a new season comes the arrival of a new variant of COVD-19: Omicron. As employers navigate another season of managing the virus’s impact on the workforce, it remains important to stay informed and take precautionary measures surrounding the workplace. Preliminary Information on Omicron As the first death related to the variant

Federal Decision to Impact Vaccine or Frequent Testing Mandate for Employers

The Decision A few months ago, in September, President Biden sought to implement a federal mandate under the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) called the Vaccination and Testing Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS), which would require private business with over 100 employees to require either mandatory COVID-19 vaccines or frequent testing. While the rule was

Illinois Expands Required Sexual Harassment Training Guidelines for Employers

Public Act 101-0221 amended the Illinois Human Rights Act (“IHRA”), requiring all Illinois employers to provide annual sexual harassment prevention training. Furthermore, the IHRA requires restaurants and bars to establish and disseminate a written policy on sexual harassment prevention training and provide “supplemental” sexual harassment prevention training. The Illinois Department of Human Rights (“IDHR”) was

Guidance for Employers and Employees on Rights and Safety with COVID-19

Guidance for Employers and Employees on Rights and Safety with COVID-19  With many workplaces inching towards a full reopening, and with the recent FDA approval of the first COVID-19 vaccine, the attorneys at Rock Fusco & Connelly, LLC, have prepared an easy-to-use cheat sheet to answer the most common questions asked by employers and employees,

State of New York Labor Decision to Reclassify 1099 Drivers as Independent Contractors

The New York Department of Labor issued the initial holding that Distribution Cooperative Network (“DCN”) was liable for paying tax contributions and benefits to delivery drivers, as they were classified employees. The employer appealed to the Administrative Law Judge, who overruled the initial determination and reclassified delivery drivers of cooperatives as independent contractors. The claimant

Wage Payment & Collection Act: Increased Penalties for Violations

Gov. Pritzker recently signed a bill into law, which makes employers liable for unpaid wages, final compensation, and 5% of the damages of underpayment per month. This differs from the previous 2% penalty of damages for underpayment under the Illinois Wage Payment & Collection Act (“IWPCA”). The IWPCA covers private employers as well as local

Leave Pay for Employees During Military Service

Many businesses employ individuals who must take leave from work for military service. In these instances, employers are often unsure of which federal, state, and local wage laws apply. Fortunately, the Seventh Circuit recently clarified the applicable laws regarding employee compensation during short-term military leave. On February 3, 2021, the Seventh Circuit decided White v.

Executive Order to OSHA regarding COVID-19

President Biden has issued an Executive Order focused on the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (“OSHA”) and the Mine Safety and Health Act’s (“MSHA”) approach to managing the COVID-19 crises in the workplace. The President directed OSHA to revisit its overall strategy for regulating and enforcing issues associated with workplace spread of COVID-19. Soon after,

Skip to content