While “joint employment” is not a new legal concept, federal agencies such as the Department of Labor and National Labor Relations Board have aggressively sought to expand its application in recent years.
A joint employment situation typically occurs when an employer uses an independent contractor or vendor for certain services, or relies upon a
We posted on November 23 about the surprising temporary injunction issued to stop the new overtime rules from going into effect on December 1. Many employers breathed a sigh of relief, but still wondered if this injunction was only a short term reprieve that could be taken away next year. Here are a few things
On November 22, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas issued a preliminary injunction prohibiting the Department of Labor from implementing and enforcing the new overtime rule as scheduled on December 1, 2016.
The new rule more than doubled the minimum salary an employee needed to qualify as exempt from overtime under
The minimum wage has been in the news a lot lately. Here in central Iowa, the Polk County Board of Supervisors appointed a task force to study whether to raise the minimum wage in the County over and above the federal and state law minimum wage of $7.25 per hour. Now the task force
unions, “web site” NRLA protected concerted “section 7”
Continue Reading NLRB Continues Activism with New Web Site
Last August the National Labor Relations Board Acting General Counsel issued a report detailing the outcome of investigations into 14 cases involving employee use of social media and social media policies.
A second report issued January 24 on the same subject underscores that social media remains a top NLRB enforcement priority. In the preface
John Irving, former general counsel of the National Labor Relations Board, published a thoughtful opinion piece last week entitled "Don’t Employer’s Deserve Free Speech?" . The article addresses an important, but less well publicized, aspect of the proposed Employee Free Choice Act. That is, stiff penalties and liquidated damages for employers found guilty of
As we enter the traditional "dog days" of summer, the world of labor and employment law remains active. Here are are some highlights of important and interesting news this week:
1. Furloughs
Although there is some indication the recession is easing, many employers remain concerned about the economy. Pay reductions and temporary furloughs provide a means by which employers can manage payroll
Between a busy trial schedule and the other distractions of summer, we have been a little 
delinquent in keeping you up to date during the past couple of weeks. We apologize for the inactivity on the blog, as there have been many developments in the employment law world since our last posting at the end