Financial Assistance Available for Illinois’ Small Businesses
UPDATE: Financial Assistance Available for Illinois’ Small Businesses On March 19, 2020 the Small Business Administration (“SBA”) approved Governor Pritzker’s application for an economic injury declaration due to COVID-19. As a result, Illinois has been added to the list of Presidential and SBA Agency Declared Disaster States. Now small business in Illinois, affected by COVID-19,
Employee Expense Reimbursement and Remote Working Policies
With COVID-19 forcing many business owners to implement remote working polices, it is important for employers to be aware of their liability for employee expenses while their employees work from home. In short, employers are responsible for reimbursing employees for all expenses directly incurred by the employee while performing services for the employer. In 2018,
Force Majeure and COVID-19
Force Majeure and COVID-19 With governments around the world imposing travel bans and quarantines in an attempt to slow the spread of COVID-19 pandemic the ability of parties to perform in accordance with the terms of a contract, and the liability that may result from the inability to perform under the terms of a contract
Recent Amendment to Illinois Cannabis Act Helps to Provide Clarification to Employers
When the Illinois legislature enacted legislation to legalize recreational marijuana effective January 1, 2020, employers were left with uncertainty as to how they could create and enforce reasonable zero tolerance or drug free workplace policies. The dilemma was that the Illinois Right to Privacy in the Workplace Act prevented employers from discriminating against employees for
Planning For Rental Real Estate After Tax Reform
When the tax reform was enacted in 2017, there were more questions than answers about how the new law would apply to rental real estate. Over the past 20 months, the IRS has issued thousands of pages of notices and regulations and we now have a much clearer picture of how the new rules will
Rock Fusco & Connelly, LLC Obtains Major Victory for Private School Client
Rock Fusco & Connelly, LLC obtained a major victory in a highly publicized case for one of its clients, Park View Montessori School, after a local school district threatened to evict Park View from its current location after 43 years of operation. Park View is a private Montessori school in Mt. Prospect, Illinois, with over
New Laws Effective January 1, 2020
UPDATE: New Laws Effective January 1, 2020 2019 marked a busy year for the Illinois legislature as there are 255 new laws that went into effect January 1, 2020. Here is a brief list of 10 new laws that are likely to affect you or your business: The Illinois Minimum Wage was increased from $8.25
New Federal Overtime Rules
The first major change in federal overtime rules in over 15 years took effect January 1, 2020. The recent change, which was implemented by the U.S. Department of Labor (“DOL”), increased the salary test for overtime eligibility under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act from $23,660 to $35,568 or $646 per week. According to the
Agency Terminates at Point of Delivery
Earlier this year, an Illinois Appellate Court held that an agency relationship terminates upon the completion of the task the agent is conducting within the scope of its employment for the principal. In Brettman v. M&G Truck Brokerage, 2019 IL App (2d) 180236 (Jan. 17, 2019), the court expanded on the reasoning supplied by Sperl
The Do’s and Don’ts of Protecting Yourself Against a Ransomware Attack
Although ransomware is thought to attack high-profile victims like large businesses, hospitals, and police stations, ransomware has become increasingly prevalent in small businesses and home computers. Ransomware is a form of malware that encrypts a computer’s files, rendering the files unusable. The ransomware then holds the files “hostage,” forcing the victim to pay a ransom,