Iván López García de la Riva discusses Spain’s plan to raise severance payments in certain situations. 

CincoDías

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Shannon Meade talks about states implementing minimum wage increases, increases in employers’ total compensation packages and the trend in “unretirements.”

HR Dive

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Teresa Trigueros talks about formulas companies can use to balance wage increases, as long as they do not cross certain insurmountable limits or requirements that are conventionally or legally established.

El Pais

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The state of epidemic emergency in Poland will be lifted on July 1, 2023, and Paweł Sych explains how this will affect workers and employers.

interia biznes

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While significant bills impacting Connecticut employers were signed into law, proposed employer mandates on pay transparency, paid sick leave, and predictive scheduling failed to gain the necessary votes for passage in 2023. Here are some of the year’s notable legislative developments.

What Passed . . .

Effective October 1, 2023, unless otherwise noted:

Johane Severin says a few of New York’s new employment laws serve to protect the public from losing rights and protecting people who don’t have the same access to resources as others have.

International Employment Lawyer

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Jeff Nowak discusses the problems that negative favoritism in a department can cause if it is not corrected.

SHRM Online

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On January 8, 2021, the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) issued its final rule modifying the calculation of withdrawal liability by multiemployer pension plans.  This final rule amends the agency’s regulations on allocating unfunded vested benefits to withdrawing employers (29 C.F.R. § 4211) and notice, collection, and redetermination of withdrawal liability (29 C.F.R. § 4219).

House Education and Labor Chairman Bobby Scott (D-VA) recently introduced legislation that seeks to provide aid to multiemployer pension plans (MEPs) facing insolvency. Entitled the Emergency Pension Plan Relief Act (EPPRA), the bill would fund this aid directly from the U.S. Treasury.

On March 11, 2021, President Biden signed into law the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, which includes the Butch Lewis Emergency Pension Plan Relief Act of 2021.  This law is designed to forestall the insolvency of approximately 100 multiemployer pension plans that were expected to run out of money necessary to pay vested benefits over the next 20 years.  Included among these funds is a particularly large fund that – absent congressional intervention – would have gone insolvent by 2025, leaving millions of retirees without their expected monthly pension. 

(November 3, 2022) – Littler, the world’s largest employment and labor law practice representing management, has earned “Law Firm of the Year” status in the category of Employment Law – Management on the 2023 U.S. News – Best Lawyers^® “Best Law Firms” list. The firm also received “National Tier 1” rankings for the 13th consecutive year in the following practice areas:

Littler, the world’s largest employment and labor law practice representing management, was named “Law Firm of the Year” for Labor Law - Management in the 14th edition of Best Law Firms^®, ranked by Best Lawyers^®. The firm also earned “National Tier 1” rankings for the 14th consecutive year in the following practice areas:

Jasper Hoffstedde and Fleur van Lieshout of Littler’s Amsterdam office discuss the termination clause in Dutch employment agreements. The termination clause seems an easy and straightforward clause; you simply invoke the clause and terminate employment, right? For the employee that is indeed in the case, but the employer has another hoop to jump through if the employee doesn’t want to agree to termination. He then has the obligation to substantiate the reason for termination, the so-called valid ground.

In this episode, Jasper Hoffstedde and Dennis Veldhuizen shed light on the works council’s purpose and added value in the decision-making process. For U.S.-based listeners, Dennis’ quick side-by-side comparison of union vs works council rights may be of interest. Furthermore, all of the basics are explained:

Labor force participation is falling, the skills gap is widening, and certain industries are struggling to recover post-pandemic. In this podcast, Michael Lotito, co-chair of Littler Workplace Policy Institute (WPI) and Shannon Meade, executive director of WPI, discuss the historic transformation of the American workforce and what needs to be done on a national level to address the challenges employers and employees are facing.
 

In this How to Do Business in the Americas podcast series installment, Littler attorneys Lori Brown, Jorge Sales Boyoli and Juan Carlos Varela discuss relevant labor and employment issues employers will face in the Americas in 2023.

Topics include managing “wandering workers,” making staffing decisions in this period of economic uncertainty, and addressing the impact of labor law reform and union activism in multiple countries, among other issues multinational employers can anticipate at this post-pandemic stage.
 

In this How to Do Business in the Americas podcast series episode, Littler Shareholders Courtney Wilson and Juan Carlos Varela discuss the practical implications of employment contracts in the Americas and their interaction with non-compete agreements and confidentiality clauses. In this podcast, Courtney gives the audience a summary of the common misconceptions employers have when structuring their employment agreements. Juan Carlos and Courtney then offer practical recommendations.
 

There has been a recent, dramatic rise in antisemitism in the United States. In this podcast, David Goldman, the Executive Director and General Counsel of Congregation Emanu-El in San Francisco, shares his perspective on how this trend is impacting our communities and workplaces, and offers some practical insights as to how the development of a shared understanding, along with a combination of empathy and meaningful policy implementation, can contribute to a more respect-based coexistence as we move forward.
  

In continued celebration of AAPI Heritage Month, Littler's Jennifer Maguire, Sarah Sorensen, and Daniel Kim discuss how their individual experiences in the U.S. Military – as a JAG officer, a military spouse, and an officer – shaped them as leaders, ultimately leading to careers in labor and employment law.
  

In celebration of Disability Pride Month, Jennifer Duke, Littler Learning Group Director and attorney, talks with Anna Curry Gualano, Littler Principal and co-chair of the firm’s Individuals with Disabilities affinity group, about the importance of disability inclusion and its impact in the workplace for both employers and employees.
  

This podcast episode is dedicated to unraveling the complexities of filing an H-1B petition and remaining compliant following an approval.

The H-1B visa program is known for its competitiveness, intricate regulations, and fact-specific nature. Whether you're an employer looking to hire and maintain foreign talent or an H-1B applicant, our podcast explores the common pitfalls and crucial considerations you need to be aware of regarding the H-1B process.

Littler has a partnership with a firm client through The Veterans Consortium that is focused on helping veterans. David Haase speaks with Littler attorneys Matthew Hank, Neil Alexander, Don Nguyen, Jake Thorn, and Director of The Veterans Consortium's Discharge Upgrade Program Christie Bhageloe about the work they’ve done through the consortium.  

In our final Pro Bono Week podcast, Jenny Schwendemann discusses homelessness, one of the most significant humanitarian challenges many Americans face today, with Director of Ending Youth Homelessness, Katie Meyer Scott, and Pro Bono Director, Carlton Martin, of the National Homelessness Law Center.

In continued celebration of Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, Littler shareholder Alyesha Asghar speaks with associates Alan Persaud and Grace Waddell about their experience in the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity’s Pathfinders Program and the inclusive community of legal professionals they joined by participating.
  

In celebration of Pride Month, Littler shareholder Mattheus Stephens and associates Trevor Hardy and Jessica Wimsatt discuss their advocacy work for LGBTQIA+ individuals in their local communities. The group also highlights the importance of how being authentically you and sharing your story can help others find community and feel connected.
  

Employers that rely on non-compete agreements to protect their trade secrets and other legitimate business interests got some welcome news on August 20.

Back in June, we highlighted that, from October 26, 2024, all employers in the UK will have a mandatory duty to take “reasonable steps” to prevent sexual harassment of their employees in the course of their employment.

On September 10, 2024, the Puerto Rico Secretary of Labor issued an Opinion (No. 2024-02) to clarify and provide additional information about the application of Act No. 27-2024, known as the "Act to Facilitate the Implementation of Remote Work in the Private Sector and to Incentivize the Establishment of Airline Bases in Puerto Rico.” Act No. 27-2024 exempts from certain employment law coverage domiciled and non-domiciled employees working remotely from Puerto Rico for out-of-state employers with no business nexus to Puerto Rico, and certain unionized airline employees.  

On August 26, 2024, the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland decided in Teamsters Local Union No. 355 v. Total Distribution Services, Inc., that the Maryland Economic Stabilization Act (“Maryland WARN Act” or “Act”) does not provide individuals with the right to file suit in their personal capacity to enforce a legal claim under the Act. The Maryland WARN Act still may be enforced by the Maryland Department of Labor.  The Act is based, in part, on its federal counterpart, the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act, with important differences. 

This article was originally posted in International Employment Lawyer.

The Chicago Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection (BACP) Office of Labor Standards (COLS) recently posted updates to its website regarding minimum wage obligations, paid leave and paid sick and safe leave, new fair work week thresholds, and updated required labor notices. The compliance deadline for these obligations is July 1, 2024.

If you have employees working in Oregon, chances are you have heard about Oregon’s Paid Family and Medical Leave Insurance Program also known as Paid Leave Oregon (“PLO”). In addition to PLO, eligible Oregon employees may be entitled to leave under the Oregon Family Medical Leave Act (“OFLA”), Oregon Sick Time law (“OSTL”), and the federal Family Medical Leave Act (“FMLA”).

After the UK general election was announced, the following legislation was approved by Parliament during what is known as 'the wash-up' period towards the end of May 2024. Some of these require further regulations to bring them into force, and when (or if) they will be brought into force will be largely dependent upon the new government’s priorities and policies. 

Paternity Leave (Bereavement) Act 2024

Following Disability Pride Month, we look to the past, present and future to examine how rights for people with disabilities in the workplace have developed in the UK and could develop further, before giving some practical steps for employers.

A brief history of disability laws

Lisa Shevlin and Cristin Casey review Oregon’s leave laws and offer some suggested strategies to help employers maintain compliance.

SHRM

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On July 26, 1990, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was signed into law. On the recent 34th anniversary of the ADA, U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) General Counsel Karla Gilbride and U.S.

Bradford J. Kelley and Sean O'Brien discuss how, on the 34th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and Justice Department emphasize their commitment to ensuring that emerging technologies and AI comply with ADA standards.

Westlaw Today

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