tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-91045995172006782832024-03-08T03:36:12.444-08:00James B. Sherman, Esq.James Sherman is a named shareholder in Wessels Sherman and is the firm's President/CEO. After practicing in Wisconsin and Illinois, Mr. Sherman founded the firm's Minnesota office nearly 20 years ago. In addition to his extensive experience representing employers before several state and federal courts and administrative agencies, Jim counsels employers on all aspects of HR law, employment and non-competition agreements, and does in-house training and is a frequent presenter to business groups.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9104599517200678283.post-89629851759609027342016-12-20T13:59:00.000-08:002016-12-20T13:59:37.529-08:00Join Us! Managing Change Under A New Administration: 2017 Employer Empowerment Seminar<div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: "Source Serif Pro", serif; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 32px; margin-bottom: 3.2rem; margin-top: 3.2rem; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<strong style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Join business professionals from throughout the Midwest on April 28th, 2017 at Radisson Blu - Mall of America, for a full day of presentations on all the latest labor, employment and workplace legal developments from our experienced lawyers from the Wessels Sherman offices in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois and Iowa! </strong></div>
<div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: "Source Serif Pro", serif; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 32px; margin-bottom: 3.2rem; margin-top: 3.2rem; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Among the cutting edge topics to be addressed:</div>
<ul style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: "Source Serif Pro", serif; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 32px; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; margin: 3.2rem 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<li style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 2.4rem 0px 2.4rem 3.2rem; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">New State and Federal Laws, Regulations and Key Court Decisions Impacting the Workplace in 2017.</li>
<li style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 2.4rem 0px 2.4rem 3.2rem; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Wage and Hour Developments Under the DOL. </li>
<li style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 2.4rem 0px 2.4rem 3.2rem; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Pregnancy Accommodations and Best Practices. </li>
<li style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 2.4rem 0px 2.4rem 3.2rem; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">What Will Become of the Affordable Care Act in 2017?</li>
<li style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 2.4rem 0px 2.4rem 3.2rem; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Emerging Issues on Classifying/Misclassifying Independent Contractors. </li>
<li style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 2.4rem 0px 2.4rem 3.2rem; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Managing Mental Health Issues in the Workplace. </li>
<li style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 2.4rem 0px 2.4rem 3.2rem; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Assessing the NLRB Under a New Administration. </li>
<li style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 2.4rem 0px 2.4rem 3.2rem; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Best Practices for Hiring, Disciplining and Firing. </li>
<li style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 2.4rem 0px 2.4rem 3.2rem; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Employing Immigrant Workers: USCIS and EEOC Concerns. </li>
<li style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 2.4rem 0px 2.4rem 3.2rem; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The State of Labor Unions in 2017. </li>
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<div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: "Source Serif Pro", serif; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 32px; margin-bottom: 3.2rem; margin-top: 3.2rem; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<strong style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">When:</strong> Friday, April 28th, 2017 from 8:00am to 4:30pm</div>
<div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: "Source Serif Pro", serif; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 32px; margin-bottom: 3.2rem; margin-top: 3.2rem; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<strong style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Where:</strong> Radisson Blu - Mall of America</div>
<div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: "Source Serif Pro", serif; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 32px; margin-bottom: 3.2rem; margin-top: 3.2rem; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<strong style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Cost:</strong> $200 - First person, $125 Each additional person from same company</div>
<div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: "Source Serif Pro", serif; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 32px; margin-bottom: 3.2rem; margin-top: 3.2rem; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<u style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">EARLY BIRD SPECIAL:</strong></u> Register and pay before January 31st for $25 dollar off per registrant ($175 - First person, $125 Each additional person from same company)</div>
<div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: "Source Serif Pro", serif; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 32px; margin-bottom: 3.2rem; margin-top: 3.2rem; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<strong style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Who Should Attend: </strong>This seminar is for anyone involved in any aspect of the employer/employee relationship - business owners, executives, HR professionals, in-house lawyers and outside counsel, accountants and business consultants. It is also valuable training for all supervisors.</div>
<div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: "Source Serif Pro", serif; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 32px; margin-bottom: 3.2rem; margin-top: 3.2rem; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Click the link below for more information or to RSVP!</div>
<h2 style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.85098); font-family: "Source Sans Pro", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 26px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 32px; margin: 2.8rem 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<a href="http://events.r20.constantcontact.com/register/regform?llr=6lwxjycab&oeidk=a07edlak31j996eccfb&oseq=" rel="nofollow noopener" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #8c68cb; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: normal; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;" target="_blank">Register Now!</a> -- <a href="http://events.r20.constantcontact.com/register/event?llr=6lwxjycab&oeidk=a07edlak31j996eccfb&oseq=" rel="nofollow noopener" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #8c68cb; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: normal; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;" target="_blank">Get more information</a></h2>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9104599517200678283.post-25588614867039119922016-03-16T11:52:00.003-07:002016-03-16T11:53:15.361-07:00SWEEPING DOL OVERTIME EXEMPTION CHANGES ARE COMING SOONER THAN ANTICIPATED<br />
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<img alt="Sean Darke, Attorney" border="0" height="131" hspace="0" name="ACCOUNT.IMAGE.87" src="https://mlsvc01-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/d79db90b001/1a22204a-0e7f-4aea-ad3b-6ea4ee105984.jpg" vspace="0" width="90" /></div>
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<em style="color: #4c4c4c; font-size: 8pt;">By: </em><em style="color: #4c4c4c; font-size: 10.6667px;">James B. Sherman, Esq. and </em><em style="color: #4c4c4c; font-size: 8pt;">Sean F. Darke, Esq.</em></div>
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Yesterday, the U. S. Department of Labor delivered to the White House's Office of Management and Budget (OMB) its final rule on the minimum salary level for exempt status from the FLSA's overtime pay requirement. The DOL sparked national controversy last summer when it issued its proposed new rule to more than <span style="text-decoration: underline;">double</span> the minimum salary to qualify for the FLSA's white collar overtime exemptions. It has been estimated that by raising the minimum salary from $23,660, to an estimated annual salary of $50,440, <strong>between 5 and 6 million American workers could be reclassified from exempt, to nonexempt status.</strong> Review by the OMB is the final step before the final rule is made official. Typically, this takes no more than one or two months and some are saying the White House will act even sooner. As a result, previous predictions by business groups and advisors stating that the DOL's final rule would issue in July, may be off by several months. With the final rule now coming as early as April, 2016, any employer with employees who may be reclassified from exempt to nonexempt (and thus entitled to overtime pay) must prepare immediately for these sweeping changes, if they have not already done so.</div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , " helvetica" , " sans-serif";">To assess what impact the DOL's new overtime regulations could soon have on your organization and/or to develop strategies and solutions to mitigate their impact to your bottom line, contact our Wessels Sherman Wage and Hour litigation team members:</span></div>
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Chicago, IL:</strong></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , " helvetica" , " sans-serif";"> Sean Darke at (312) 629-9300 or<a href="mailto:sedarke@wesselssherman.com" linktype="2" shape="rect" style="color: blue;" target="_blank">sedarke@wesselssherman.com</a></span></div>
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Minneapolis, MN:</strong></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , " helvetica" , " sans-serif";"> James Sherman at (952) 746-1700 or<a href="mailto:jasherman@wesselssherman.com" linktype="2" shape="rect" style="color: blue;" target="_blank">jasherman@wesselssherman.com</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , " helvetica" , " sans-serif"; text-decoration: underline;"><strong>St. Charles, IL:</strong></span> Jennifer Murphy at (630) 377-1554 or<a href="mailto:jemurphy@wesselssherman.com" linktype="2" shape="rect" style="color: blue;" target="_blank">jemurphy@wesselssherman.com</a></div>
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Davenport, IL:</strong></span> Joseph Laverty at (563) 333-9102 or<a href="mailto:jolaverty@wesselssherman.com" linktype="2" shape="rect" style="color: blue;" target="_blank">jolaverty@wesselssherman.com</a></div>
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Milwaukee, WI:</strong></span> Alan Seneczko at (262) 560-9696 or<a href="mailto:alseneczko@wesselssherman.com" linktype="2" shape="rect" style="color: blue;" target="_blank">alseneczko@wesselssherman.com</a></div>
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<em><strong>***Watch for our webinar on the final rule once it is made official!!!***</strong></em></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9104599517200678283.post-23797403923637097922016-02-02T10:02:00.002-08:002016-02-15T09:07:33.803-08:00EEOC Remains Active/ Highly Aggressive in 2016 <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
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Already this year, the EEOC has introduced <u>two</u> very
significant measures that are sure to delight plaintiff lawyers while causing
serious concerns for employers and their management-side attorneys, including
your friends here at Wessels Sherman. The
more troublesome new measure is the EEOC’s proposal to significantly modify the
information employers must report each year as part of the agency’s EEO-1 reporting
requirements. Specifically, starting in
September of 2017 the proposal is to require employers to include additional
information in their annual EEO-1 reports to the government, setting out <u>pay
ranges</u> and <u>hours worked</u> for their employees. It takes little imagination to think of how a
federal governmental agency such as the EEOC might use this kind of information
if employers are made to disclose it, annually. Another new proposal involves new guidelines
on retaliation prohibited under the various laws administered by the EEOC, such
as Title VII, ADA, ADEA and EPA. These
guidelines are designed to educate the public on how the EEOC views retaliation
claims, which continue to be the fastest growing type of claim filed with this
agency. No doubt they also will educate
more plaintiffs on how to sue. </div>
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According to the EEOC the additional data gathered under its
proposed new EEO-1 reporting requirement, would be used to assess
discrimination complaints of all types (race, sex, age, disability, religion,
national origin, etc.). If in the course
of such investigations it identifies any pay disparities in the employer’s
EEO-1 reports, the EEOC would expand its investigation to include scrutiny of
the employers wage and hour practices. Under this scenario, while investigating
an individual applicant’s or employee’s charge of discrimination the EEOC would
look at the employer’s EEO-1 reports for any indication of disparity among all
employees regarding pay or hours worked.
The data could be used to launch a full-scale investigation into
potential “systemic pay discrimination,” followed by class-action claims in the
discretion of the EEOC’s investigator and Regional Director. Obviously, if the proposal goes through and
employers are required to disclose pay and hour ranges in their annual EEO-1
reports, employers can expect more lawsuits along with dissemination of
information that is otherwise regarded as proprietary and confidential. <o:p></o:p></div>
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The EEOC’s proposed revisions to its guidance on retaliation
claims are the first since 1998. This
new guidance broadens the definition of the sorts of “adverse employment
actions” employees can challenge as the basis for a claim of unlawful retaliation.
For instance, terminating an employee
has always been regarded as the consummate unlawful “adverse employment action”
if done in retaliation for an employee’s exercise of rights under Title VII,
ADA, ADEA, etc. But what if an employee
claims retaliation based on less severe actions, such as denying a requested
vacation, or being spoken to more harshly by a supervisor? Different courts have addressed this question
with different results and, as one might expect, the EEOC’s proposed definition
is very employee friendly, and even includes non-work related actions, as long
as they might deter reasonable individuals from engaging in protected activity. In addition, the proposed new guidance attempts
to usurp the role of courts to determine how evidence is weighed to prove
retaliation by connecting an employee’s protected activity (e.g., complaining
of discrimination, participating in an investigation, etc.) to a challenged
adverse employment action. This guidance
states that an employee can discredit the employer’s explanation for taking the
adverse action and show a causal connection between the protected activity and the
adverse action through a “convincing mosaic” of evidence that would support a
claim of retaliation.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Both of these actions are just proposals at this point, and
interested employers and other parties can submit comments before any final
action is taken. Comments will be
accepted on the pay data proposal through April 1, and on the retaliation
proposal through February 24. Employers
are advised to use 2016 to audit in preparation for the possibility that
employers may be essentially open to inspection by the federal government, in
2017.<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Questions? Contact Mr. Sherman at
(952) 746-1700 or at jasherman@wesselssherman.com. <o:p></o:p></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9104599517200678283.post-68064891855248836802016-01-27T11:40:00.000-08:002016-01-27T11:40:57.894-08:00Five Essential New Year Resolutions Every Employer Should Have for 2016<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
With the new year underway there
are a number of resolutions employers of all sizes and industries should act on
if they wish to avoid winding up in the crosshairs of governmental workplace
watchdogs bent on expanding their influence in 2016. Here are 5 highly
recommended areas deserving of employers’ immediate attention:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.75in; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->1.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span><!--[endif]-->Avoiding
“joint employer” status and liability under newly adopted standards – <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.75in; text-align: justify;">
Last year, the
National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) overhauled the test to determine whether
two (or more) employers are “joint employers” for purposes of labor law, with
its <u>Browning-Ferris Industries</u> decision.
The new test makes it much easier to establish joint employer status and
is now being used to pursue claims against McDonald’s Corp. for the actions of
its franchisees. The NLRB’s test is being
used to hold multiple employers liable for unfair labor practices committed by
one, as in the case of McDonald’s Corp. as a joint employer with its
franchisees. Joint employer status may
also be used to impose collective bargaining and union contract obligations, as
well as determining whom can be subjected to picketing and other strike
activity or economic pressure, from unions.
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.75in; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.75in; text-align: justify;">
The
Department of Labor (DOL) recently issued its own definition of “joint
employers,” amid allegations from some United States Congressmen of collusion
between the two agencies. Although some
of the factors in the two tests are similar (the DOL definition is actually
broader than that of the NLRB), the consequences of finding a joint employer
relationship by the different agencies differ significantly. The DOL’s guidance is relevant for the Fair
Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and the Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Worker
Protection Act (MSPA). Under these laws,
the hours worked for joint employers will be aggregated for purposes of
determining if an employee has worked overtime during a workweek. In either case, both joint employers will be
jointly liable for any violations under these laws. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.75in; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.75in; text-align: justify;">
Because of the
severe ramifications at stake and the current heightened focus on the issue, we
highly recommend that employers make the New Year’s resolution of auditing any
potential joint employment relationships with the help of someone knowledgeable
in these areas. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.75in; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.75in; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->2.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span><!--[endif]-->Ensuring
those regarded as “independent contractors” are not employees, again, under
newly adopted standards – <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.75in; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.75in; text-align: justify;">
Last summer the
Department of Labor (DOL) issued a new interpretation of when a worker is an
independent contractor rather than an employee for purposes of wage and hour
requirements under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). According to the new interpretation, the key
question is whether the worker is economically dependent on the employer or in
business for him or herself, and can be determined by considering several
factors. The DOL boldly stated that under
its new analysis, “most workers will be considered employees rather than
independent contractors.” <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.75in; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.75in; text-align: justify;">
Workers that
might be reclassified under this interpretation as employees rather than
independent contractors could include subcontractors, salespeople, drivers, cleaners,
nurses and caretakers, etc. Companies
that use these types of workers risk being held liable for tracking hours and
paying minimum wage and overtime under the law.
Additionally, the DOL has signed an agreement with the Minnesota
Department of Labor and Industry to share information and to coordinate
investigations and enforcement with regard to the misclassification of workers
as independent contractors. Unwary companies
could find themselves taken by surprise with liability under a number of laws
for their assumed “independent contractors” when the DOL defines these workers as
employees under its new stringent standard.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.75in; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.75in; text-align: justify;">
Given the DOL’s
war on independent contractors, once again an audit of these relationships is
in order. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.75in; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.75in; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->3.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span><!--[endif]-->Thoroughly
preparing for anticipated changes to exempt vs nonexempt status and the
explosion of rest break and meal wage/hour claims – <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.75in; text-align: justify;">
American
businesses are bracing in 2016 for the DOL to issue its final regulations on
minimum salary levels for white-collar exemptions, which potentially could
convert over 6 million workers from exempt to non-exempt hourly employees,
regardless of their exempt duties.
Proactive business and Human Resources professionals are auditing their
current exempt employees and preparing contingency plans to deal with these
regulations. In the meantime, however,
the onslaught of class action wage and hour lawsuits continues, unabated. In addition to overtime suits based on
employee misclassifications under the state and federal FLSA, claims of employers
mishandling meal and rest breaks are proving to be fertile ground for plaintiff
lawyers. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.75in; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.75in; text-align: justify;">
Given the
explosion of wage and hour lawsuits, coupled with what could well be monumental
changes in employee classifications necessitated by the DOL’s regulations
expected to issue sometime this year, resolving to conduct an internal audit of
employee pay practices is one New Year’s resolution every employer ought to
have high on its “to do” list.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.75in; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.75in; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->4.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span><!--[endif]-->Becoming
politically active to oppose an onslaught of proposed anti-business legislation
(2016 is, after all, an election year) – <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.75in; text-align: justify;">
In the current
Minnesota legislative session, among the more controversial proposals to impact
employers, include:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.75in; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-left: 1.25in; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->Outlawing an “abusive work environment” (i.e.,
bullying), and providing a private cause of action for employees to bring a
lawsuit. While most employers oppose
bullying in their workplaces, most lawsuits do not have merit, and this right
to a private cause of action would allow employees to bring lawsuits for
frivolous claims of bullying;<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.25in; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->Imposing fines on employers for discriminating
against unemployed individuals;<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.25in; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->Preventing employers from providing different
pay or benefits to employees based on the number of hours worked;<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.25in; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->Impinging on employers’ ability to set and
change work schedules, as needed; and<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-left: 1.25in; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->Providing for paid family leave, as well as
earned “sick and safe time,” which would allow the employee to use the earned
leave for absences caused by the illness or injury of the employee or the
employee’s family member, or for domestic abuse, sexual assault, or stalking of
the employee or the employee’s family member.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.75in; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.75in; text-align: justify;">
Employers who
oppose these intrusions into their operations should resolve to become active
in their local business groups in 2016 and otherwise contest these and other
similar pieces of legislation. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.75in; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.75in; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->5.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span><!--[endif]-->Updating
employee handbooks or policies, especially any that are 2 years or older;
chances are they are seriously outdated – <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.75in; text-align: justify;">
The passage of
the Women’s Economic Security Act brought several changes to Minnesota law
within the past two years—including a new law requiring language relating to
employees’ rights to discuss and disclose their compensation to be included in
employee handbooks, and changes to Minnesota’s parental leave law and the
Minnesota Human Rights Act, as well as a new law regarding pregnancy
accommodations—leave many employee handbooks with out-of-date or illegal
policies. Additionally, several federal
agencies—most notably the National Labor Relations Board—have been increasing
their scrutiny of many common handbook policies, such as provisions regarding
confidentiality, e-mail use, social media, use of cameras and recording
devices, communications with the media and other parties, conduct toward the
company and supervisors, and more. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.75in; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.75in; text-align: justify;">
Any employee
handbooks that have not been updated within the past 2 years, with these important
new legal developments in mind, can be presumed to be outdated and should be
reviewed and revised ASAP.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Contact the experienced attorneys
of Wessels Sherman for help with auditing and compliance measures as part of
your company’s 2016 resolution to keep up with the developing law of the
workplace. In many cases an hour or two
of legal “prevention,” can be worth much more than what it may take to “cure”
problems down the road. To arrange a
free discussion of your issues with an experienced attorney and get a proposal
or quote of the cost to address them, please email or call Ms. Christine Beggan
at (952) 746-1700, or email her at chbeggan@wesselssherman.com. <o:p></o:p></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9104599517200678283.post-71242285916289261212015-11-24T08:22:00.001-08:002015-11-24T08:23:17.713-08:00Proposed New DOL Regulations on Overtime Exemptions Pose Challenges/Offer Employers an Opportunity to Address Other Potentially Misclassified Employees<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;">
<i>November 2015<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;">
<i>By: James B. Sherman, Esq.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px; text-align: justify;">
The DOL’s proposal to more than double the minimum salary level for white collar workers – from $23,660 to $50,440 – may be finalized and put into effect any day now although expectations are that this will occur in a few months, sometime in the coming spring of 2016. When implemented the new regulations could “reclassify” more than six (6) million workers from exempt, to non-exempt status for purposes of overtime pay. Most employers have at least some employees whose status will change as a result of the new regulations. However, some employers foresee dozens if not hundreds of their employees becoming non-exempt and thus entitled to overtime pay. The most obvious challenge these new regulations present involves paying previously exempt individuals, time and one-half their “regular rate of pay” for all hours worked in excess of 40 hours in any given workweek. This will involve tracking all hours worked, meal and possibly rest breaks, sick days, etc. for previously exempt individuals who were paid by salary and worked unrecorded hours. The failure to track hours worked and/or to pay time and one-half for overtime, will leave unprepared employers open to wage and hour lawsuits that have become so commonplace in recent years. <b>Yet the sweeping changes these new DOL regulations soon will bring, present at least one important opportunity for proactive employers</b> – <b>the best possible circumstances in which to switch potentially <u>misclassified</u> <u>employees</u> from exempt, to non-exempt, without causing a noticeable stir.</b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px; text-align: justify;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px; text-align: justify;">
In today’s legal environment, where class action wage and hour lawsuits abound, it is hard to find a single employer that can say with confidence that its employees all are properly classified exempt/non-exempt from FLSA’s and related state law overtime requirements. Indeed, a great number of employers secretly acknowledge known problems with at least some of their employee classifications. However, the reason these employers do not act to correct the situation by reclassifying questionable workers currently treated as exempt, is that doing so will expose the fact that they have not been paying overtime to the employee(s) in question. The rationale is somewhat understandable: why make a change that can result in claims for overtime going back 2-3 years (the potential limitations period under the FLSA)? But this “ignorance is bliss” approach is likely to work only temporarily, as wage and hour lawsuits continue to grow at an alarming rate and plaintiff lawyers sniff out misclassified workers. So while the new DOL regulations surely pose concerns for most employers, <b>there may be no better time than now to bite the bullet and make changes to questionably classified workers amid the tumultuous reclassification of some six (6) million workers resulting from the new DOL regulations!</b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px; text-align: justify;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px; text-align: justify;">
Frankly it does not matter whether the new regulations will have a specific impact on a particular worker or class of jobs. The important thing is that sweeping changes are being made by the DOL. Moving employees from exempt to non-exempt to fix past misclassification of their status, at the same time as changes to the regulations are causing massive numbers of workers to be reclassified, provides an easy answer for the change. Employers asked by an employee why he or she was paid by salary yesterday but must now punch a time clock or fill out time cards, or why the employee now receives overtime pay but did not in the past, will have a simple, honest answer: the U.S. Department of Labor is changing the regulations and we as a company are reacting to those changes. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px; text-align: justify;">
The last time the DOL overtime regulations were changed (the first time in 50 years) was in 2004, during the Bush administration. We assisted numerous employers in seizing the opportunity created by those changes, to make changes of their own to fix problems with their classification of exempt employees who probably should have been treated as non-exempt employees all along and paid overtime. While there are no guarantees that this approach will not cause affected employees to ask questions, coupling these changes with DOL changes to its wage and hour regulations resulted in relatively smooth sailing and, more importantly, no lawsuits. Today, 10 years later, these employers sit comfortably in having put their exposure to wage and hour lawsuits over employee misclassification and overtime claims behind them.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;" />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px; text-align: justify;">
There are a number of additional measures an employer can take to minimize the chance of being challenged when reclassifying employees from exempt to non-exempt. Normally a basic strategy can be prepared through a consultation meeting of no more than an hour or two. For assistance with preparing for the new DOL regulations and/or to take advantage of their changes to evaluate a strategy to fix problematic exempt employee classifications, feel free to contact Wessels Sherman attorney James Sherman at (952) 746-1700 or email him at<a href="mailto:jasherman@wesselssherman.com" style="color: #888888; text-decoration: none;">jasherman@wesselssherman.com</a>, or arrange a teleconference or meeting with him by contacting Christine Beggan at <a href="mailto:chbeggan@wesselssherman.com" style="color: #888888; text-decoration: none;">chbeggan@wesselssherman.com</a>. </div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9104599517200678283.post-45153416702812933282015-08-11T06:30:00.000-07:002015-08-11T07:02:23.627-07:00Question: When is a Lawyer Not a Lawyer?<div class="SubHead" style="background-color: white; color: red; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; letter-spacing: -1px;">
<i style="color: #555555; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.1999998092651px; line-height: 18.4799995422363px; text-align: justify;">By: James B. Sherman, Esq. </i></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333330154419px;">
<div align="justify" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div>
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Answer</strong></span>: <span style="font-size: 10pt;">When the lawyer does not do enough "lawyerly" things to qualify for the professional exemption from overtime requirements under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).</span></div>
<br />
The U.S. Department of Labor has long said that the determination of whether an employee is exempt or non-exempt from the FLSA's overtime requirements, is not governed by job titles but by job duties. A recent decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, out of New York, is a somewhat surprising example of this rule in application to the legal field. The case involved a class of so-called "contract lawyers" who sued for overtime pay for "document review" work they performed through a temp agency for mega law firm Skadden Arps. The plaintiffs claimed their duties in reviewing documents were so mundane that "a machine could do them." Accordingly, although the plaintiffs were licensed professional attorneys they claimed that their duties did not meet the professional white-collar exemption and they were entitled to overtime pay under the FLSA.<br />
<br />
The appellate court refused to dismiss the case, noting that if the attorneys' duties could be performed by a machine they clearly would not be exempt professional employees. If attorneys can be nonexempt and entitled to overtime pay, the same could apply to accountants, doctors, engineers and other "professionals" if their job duties fail to satisfy the exemption. This same principle applies equally to the executive and administrative exemptions, where the specific duties and not the title of the job determine whether or not it is exempt from overtime requirements. Much litigation - frequently class action litigation - arises out of employers' failure to recognize this principle.<br />
<br />
For advice on determining exempt vs. non-exempt status, wage and hour audits, or competent defense against overtime claims, contact any of our Wessels Sherman offices in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, or Iowa and ask to speak to a shareholder in our wage and hour litigation team.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9104599517200678283.post-68932350678176036722015-07-23T07:44:00.005-07:002015-08-11T06:31:57.620-07:00Unprecedented Winds of Change at U.S. Department of Labor Aim to Require Overtime Pay for Millions by “Reclassifying” Workers - from Exempt to Non-exempt and from Independent Contractors to Employees<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.1999998092651px; line-height: 18.4799995422363px;">
<i>July 2015<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.1999998092651px; line-height: 18.4799995422363px;">
<i>By: James B. Sherman, Esq.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.1999998092651px; line-height: 18.4799995422363px;">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333330154419px; line-height: 18.4799995422363px; text-align: justify;">Within the past month, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has taken two separate actions to greatly expand the reach of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) to require overtime pay for millions more workers. The first action taken on June 30th, was the DOL's release of proposed regulations aimed at</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333330154419px; line-height: 18.4799995422363px; text-align: justify;"> </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333330154419px; line-height: 18.4799995422363px; text-align: justify;">doubling</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333330154419px; line-height: 18.4799995422363px; text-align: justify;"> the minimum salary needed to meet the so-called white collar exemption to the FLSA's minimum wage and overtime requirements. <strong>If the proposal becomes final it will result in the <span style="text-decoration: underline;">reclassification</span> of an estimated 4.6 million workers from exempt to non-exempt status, entitling them to overtime pay. </strong> The DOL's second action was taken on July 15th, when the Wage and Hour Division of the DOL released an "Administrator's Interpretation" addressing what was termed the "misclassification" of workers as independent contractors rather than employees. <strong>This interpretation may result in many more workers who presently are treated as independent contractors, being <span style="text-decoration: underline;">reclassified</span> as employees for purposes of the FLSA and, thus, entitled to overtime pay.</strong></span></div>
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While many employers have heard about the DOL’s proposed new minimum salary for exempt employees, few have heard about its position on “misclassification” of independent contractors. In either case, employers should brace for the impending changes that these new measures will soon bring. In addition to keeping records on millions more workers who are expected to be entitled to overtime pay, all of those reclassified individuals represent a new pool of potential plaintiffs to join the ever growing surge of wage and hour lawsuits. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><i>1. The Proposed New White Collar Exemption Regulations<u><o:p></o:p></u></i></b></div>
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This is only the second time in more than 50 years that the DOL has proposed revisions to its regulations implementing the exemption from minimum wage and overtime pay under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) for executive, administrative, professional, outside sales, and computer employees. The nearly 300 pages of bureaucratic data and legalese of the proposal can be summarized as follows:<o:p></o:p></div>
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<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><b><u>More than doubling the </u></b><b><u>minimum salary</u></b> for the white collar exemption, from $455/week ($23,660 annually) to a figure equivalent to the 40<sup>th</sup> percentile of earnings for all full-time salaried workers. The current estimate for the first quarter of 2016 when the proposed rule may go into effect, is a new minimum salary requirement of approximately $970/week ($50,440 annually).<o:p></o:p></li>
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<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Increasing the “highly compensated employee” definition from $100,000 to $122,148 annually (equal to the 90th percentile of earnings for full-time salaried workers);<o:p></o:p></li>
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<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Automatic annual updates to these foregoing minimum salaries based on a fixed percentile of earnings or cost of living indicators; and<o:p></o:p></li>
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<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">While not yet making specific proposals to modify the “duties test” for white collar exemptions, the DOL is seeking further comments from the public over its concern that some exempt employees may be performing a “disproportionate amount of non-exempt work.”<o:p></o:p></li>
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The DOL is accepting comments from the public on its proposed rule before it issues the final version. Timely comments must be recovered by the Department no later than August 29, 2015. <b>To learn more about these proposed regulations and how they may impact whether employees currently regarded as exempt, may soon be <u>non-exempt and entitled to overtime pay</u>, attend our TIMELY WEBINAR (see below to register).</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><i>2. The Independent Contractor Administrative Interpretation<o:p></o:p></i></b></div>
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According to this new interpretation individuals previously thought to be independent contractors rather than employees, will now be assessed under a new standard. According to the DOL’s new interpretation, the key question in whether a worker is an independent contractor or an employee for purposes of the FLSA is <b>whether the worker is</b> <b>economically dependent on the employer or in business for him or herself.</b> The interpretation goes on to list and describe the following six factors to be considered in determining whether a worker is an employee or independent contractor (with examples for each): (1) Is the work an integral part of the employer’s business? (2) Does the worker’s managerial skill affect the worker’s opportunity for profit or loss? (3) How does the worker’s relative investment compare to the employer’s investment? (4) Does the work performed require special skill and initiative? (5) Is the relationship between the worker and the employer permanent or indefinite? (6) What is the nature and degree of the employer’s control? No single factor is determinative, and the interpretation states that these factors should all be interpreted within the broader concept of “economic dependence.” <o:p></o:p></div>
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The DOL’s new interpretation openly declares that <u>under the foregoing analysis</u> <u>most workers will be considered employees rather than independent contractors</u>. The close timing of these two measures highlights the DOL’s intention to expand the FLSA’s minimum wage and overtime requirements to millions more workers. Employers should <u>act</u> <u>now</u> to prepare for the potential of having numerous exempt employees and/or independent contractors who soon may be eligible for overtime pay and all the many related concerns of tracking time worked, lunch breaks, work from home, etc. </div>
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To prepare for these sweeping changes or for assistance in determining whether your workers are properly classified as employees vs. independent contractors, or exempt vs. non-exempt, contact attorney James Sherman in our Minneapolis office, at (952) 746-1700, or email him at<a href="mailto:jasherman@wesselssherman.com" target="_blank"> jasherman@wesselssherman.com.</a></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9104599517200678283.post-91906774960094431492015-07-23T07:42:00.000-07:002015-07-23T07:42:02.779-07:00<div align="center" style="font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; text-align: center;">
<strong style="background-color: white; color: #001a81; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16pt;">Wessels Sherman's Minnesota 4-City Tour Kicks off in September - Coming to a City Near You!</strong></div>
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<strong style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; text-decoration: underline;">This year's topics include</span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">:</span></strong></div>
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<li><span style="background-color: white; color: #001a81; font-size: 12pt; text-align: justify;">Emerging Workplace Issues ("Ambush Election" Rule; Gender-related Issues Including Pregnancy, Transgender Employees and Same-sex Marriage; and Landmark Supreme Court Decisions on the ACA, Religion and EEOC Authority)</span></li>
<li style="color: #001a81; font-size: 12pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 12pt;">Background Checks and Hiring Practices</span></li>
<li style="color: #001a81; font-size: 12pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 12pt;">Disciplining and Discharging Difficult Employees</span></li>
<li style="color: #001a81; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 12pt;">Essential Handbook Clauses </span></li>
<li style="color: #001a81; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 12pt;">Preparing for the DOL's New Regulations on Overtime Exempt Status in 2016</span></li>
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<span color="#001a81" style="background-color: white; color: #001a81;"><strong>Presenters: James B. Sherman, Esq., Chad A. Staul, Esq. and Phoebe A. Taurick, Esq.</strong></span></div>
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<span color="#001a81" style="background-color: white; color: #001a81;"><strong>Cost: $150 First person</strong></span></div>
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<span color="#001a81" style="background-color: white; color: #001a81;"><strong> $100 Each additional person from same company</strong></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Seminars run from 8:00am-12:00pm in:</strong></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #001a81;"><ul style="font-size: 14pt;">
<li style="font-size: 10pt;"><strong>Duluth</strong> (Friday, September 18, 2015) - Comfort Suites, 408 Canal Park Drive, Duluth, MN 55802<br /> </li>
<li style="font-size: 10pt;"><strong>Minneapolis </strong>(Tuesday, September 22, 2015) - DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel, 7800 Normandale Boulevard, Minneapolis, MN, 55439<br /> </li>
<li style="font-size: 10pt;"><strong>Winona </strong>(Friday, October 23, 2015) - The Plaza Hotel & Suites, 1025 Highway 61 East, Winona, MN 55987<br /> </li>
<li style="font-size: 10pt;"><strong>Brooklyn Park</strong> (Thursday, October 29, 2015) - Minneapolis Marriott Northwest, 7025 Northland Drive North, Brooklyn Park, MN 55428</li>
</ul>
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="https://events.r20.constantcontact.com/register/eventReg?oeidk=a07ebamvcbi7c93e9d1&oseq=&c=&ch=" target="_blank">REGISTER NOW!</a></strong></span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9104599517200678283.post-92209702576467172592015-07-16T10:00:00.000-07:002015-07-16T10:00:03.066-07:00Back by Popular Demand - Wessels Sherman Employment Law Seminar!!!<div id="cc-branding-outer" style="background-color: #fbb504; color: #5e0069; font-family: 'Book Antiqua', Palatino; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17.3999996185303px; margin: 0px; min-height: 10px; padding: 0px;">
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<strong><span style="color: purple; font-family: 'book Antiqua', Palatino; font-size: 14pt;" title="">Thursday, October 1st, 2015</span></strong></div>
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<span class="cc-var" style="color: #752d50; font-family: 'book Antiqua', Palatino;" title="">Fall Harvest Employment Law Seminar</span></h1>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: 'book Antiqua', Palatino; font-size: 10pt;" title="">Join Wessels Sherman attorneys and our <span style="text-decoration: underline;" title=""><strong>distinguished guest speakers</strong></span> at beautiful Villa Bellezza winery on Lake Pepin - a short distance south of the Twin Cities on the Mississippi River. Attendees will enjoy a highly informative day of learning in the relaxed and picturesque setting of a working winery. </span></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: 'book Antiqua', Palatino; font-size: 10pt;" title="">Register to attend this exciting event to reap a bounty of valuable information, materials and useful forms to address many of the latest issues facing employers today, and also receive the following: </span></div>
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<li style="color: purple; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: 'book Antiqua', Palatino; font-size: 10pt;" title=""><strong><em>***</em></strong></span><span style="text-decoration: underline;" title=""><span style="font-family: 'book Antiqua', Palatino; font-size: 10pt;" title=""><strong><em>Hear from the Commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Human Rights and an Administrative Law Judge for the Wisconsin Equal Rights Division</em></strong></span></span><span style="font-family: 'book Antiqua', Palatino; font-size: 10pt;" title=""><strong><em>***<br /> </em></strong></span></li>
<li style="color: purple; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;" title=""><span style="font-family: 'book Antiqua', Palatino; font-size: 10pt;" title=""><em><strong>Continental breakfast and sumptuous lunch, included</strong></em></span></span><span style="font-family: 'book Antiqua', Palatino; font-size: 10pt;" title=""><em><strong> </strong></em></span></li>
<li style="color: purple; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;" title=""><span style="font-family: 'book Antiqua', Palatino; font-size: 10pt;" title=""><strong><em>Chance to win valuable door prizes - including a gift certificate for dinner at the </em></strong><strong><em>award-winning Harbor View Café</em></strong><strong><em><br /></em></strong></span></span><span style="font-family: 'book Antiqua', Palatino; font-size: 10pt;" title=""><strong><em> </em></strong></span></li>
<li style="color: purple; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;" title=""><span style="font-family: 'book Antiqua', Palatino; font-size: 10pt;" title=""><strong><em>Continuing Education Credit</em></strong></span></span></li>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: 'book Antiqua', Palatino;" title=""><strong><span style="font-size: 12pt;" title="">Who Should Attend?</span></strong><strong><span style="font-size: 12pt;" title=""> </span></strong><strong><span style="font-size: 12pt;" title=""> </span></strong><span style="font-size: 10pt;" title="">Business owners, executives, human resource professionals, attorneys, accountants, managers and supervisors from every industry. </span></span><span style="color: gainsboro;" title=""><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: 'book Antiqua', Palatino; font-size: 18pt;" title=""><span style="font-size: 14pt;" title="">Topics and Schedule</span></span></h3>
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<span style="color: #ffcc99; font-family: 'book Antiqua', Palatino;" title=""><span style="font-size: 12pt;" title=""><span style="color: purple;" title="">7:45AM-8:30AM</span></span><strong><span style="font-size: 12pt;" title=""><span style="color: purple;" title=""> Registration/Continental Breakfast</span></span></strong></span></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: 'book Antiqua', Palatino; font-size: 12pt;" title="">8:30AM-9:20AM <strong>Emerging Trends and New Legal Developments</strong> - Key court decisions, new laws and regulations and their implications for employers. Topics include:</span></div>
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<ul style="list-style-position: outside; margin: 18px 0px 18px 18px; padding: 0px;">
<li style="color: purple; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: 'book Antiqua', Palatino; font-size: 12pt;" title="">Landmark Supreme Court decisions on ACA, religion and EEOC authority</span></li>
<li style="color: purple; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: 'book Antiqua', Palatino; font-size: 12pt;" title="">Paid leave trends and unpaid FMLA developments</span></li>
<li style="color: purple; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: 'book Antiqua', Palatino; font-size: 12pt;" title="">Local developments in Minnesota & Wisconsin on new legislation and regulations, ADA and workers compensation <strong>(Sherman and Staul)</strong></span></li>
</ul>
</div>
</span></span></div>
<div class="cc-block" id="cc-block10" style="margin: 0px 0px 18px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px;">
<span style="color: #ffcc99;" title=""><span style="color: #dc9775;" title=""><div style="margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="color: purple; font-family: 'book Antiqua', Palatino; font-size: 12pt;" title="">9:20AM-9:50AM <strong>Gender-Related Legal Issues and Solutions</strong> - Equal pay, pregnancy, transgender employees, same-sex marriage and more. With public figures ranging from celebrities to the Supreme Court taking a stand on gender-related workplace issues and the EEOC stepping up its enforcement, they are more in the public eye than ever. Learn best practices for avoiding legal claims when dealing with these tricky workplace issues. <strong>(Taurick)</strong></span></div>
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<div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="color: purple; font-family: 'book Antiqua', Palatino; font-size: 12pt;" title="">10:20AM-10:30AM <strong>BREAK</strong> </span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
</div>
</div>
<div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<div style="margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="color: purple; font-family: 'book Antiqua', Palatino; font-size: 12pt;" title="">10:30AM-11:00AM <strong>Preparing for the DOL's New Regulations on Overtime Exempt Status in 2016</strong><strong> </strong>- If the DOL's proposed new FLSA regulations go into effect in 2016, as many expect, employers can expect nearly 5 million fewer exempt employees. Learn how these changes will drastically impact employer pay practices and what employers can do now to prepare. <strong>(Sherman)</strong></span><span style="line-height: 1.45;" title=""> </span></div>
</div>
<div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="color: purple; font-family: 'book Antiqua', Palatino; font-size: 12pt;" title="">11:00AM-12:00PM <strong>Panel Discussion with Distinguished Guest Speakers:</strong> </span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="color: purple; font-family: 'book Antiqua', Palatino; font-size: 12pt;" title="">-<strong>Kevin Lindsey</strong>, Commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Human Rights </span></div>
<span style="color: purple; font-family: 'book Antiqua', Palatino; font-size: 12pt;" title="">-<strong>Maria J. Selsor</strong>, Administrative Law Judge of the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development, Equal Rights Division </span><br /><br /><span style="color: purple; font-family: 'book Antiqua', Palatino; font-size: 12pt;" title="">Hear from key representatives of two of the most important administrative agencies to employers in Minnesota and Wisconsin. In addition to initiatives and developments within the MDHR and ERD, our distinguished speakers will discuss how some employers find themselves in trouble while others avoid it, when it comes to the laws these agencies enforce. </span><span style="line-height: 1.45;" title=""> </span></div>
</div>
<div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="color: purple; font-family: 'book Antiqua', Palatino; font-size: 12pt;" title="">12:00PM-1:00PM <strong>LUNCH</strong> (provided on site) </span></div>
</div>
<div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<div style="margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="color: purple; font-family: 'book Antiqua', Palatino; font-size: 12pt;" title="">1:00PM-1:30PM <strong>Medical Marijuana and its Effects on Workplace Policies</strong> - Minnesota's recently enacted Medical Cannabis Act legalizes the use of medical marijuana. Learn how this law interplays with Minnesota's existing laws regarding the use of lawful consumable products, Minnesota's Drug and Alcohol Testing in the Workplace Act and how to develop policies and practices to handle the interplay. <strong>(Staul) </strong></span></div>
</div>
<div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<div style="margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="color: purple; font-family: 'book Antiqua', Palatino; font-size: 12pt;" title="">1:30PM-2:10PM <strong>Working Effectively with Outside Counsel</strong> - Learn from an experienced attorney who has worked both as inside and outside legal counsel to major corporations. Mr. Van Domelen's engaging style, punctuated with real-life examples from the trenches, is sure to entertain. This presentation will help you make your attorneys look good while making you a superstar in your organization. <strong>(Van Domelen)</strong></span><span style="line-height: 1.45;" title=""> </span></div>
</div>
<div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<div style="margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="color: purple; font-family: 'book Antiqua', Palatino; font-size: 12pt;" title="">2:10PM-3:00PM <strong>Whistle While You Work</strong> - Why are retaliation and whistleblower claims among the fastest growing in America and what can employers do to discipline "deserving employees" without being sued?<strong>(Sherman)</strong></span></div>
</div>
</span></span></div>
<div class="cc-block" id="cc-block19" style="margin: 0px 0px 18px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px;">
<span style="color: #ffcc99;" title=""><span style="color: #dc9775;" title=""><span style="color: purple; font-family: 'book Antiqua', Palatino; font-size: 12pt;" title="">3:00PM-3:10PM <b> Q&A/Concluding Remarks </b></span></span></span></div>
<div class="cc-block" id="cc-block45" style="margin: 0px 0px 18px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px;">
<span style="color: #ffcc99;" title=""><span style="color: #dc9775;" title=""><span style="color: purple; font-family: 'book Antiqua', Palatino; font-size: 12pt;" title="">3:10PM-3:15PM</span><span style="font-family: 'book Antiqua', Palatino; font-size: 12pt;" title=""><b> </b></span><span style="color: purple; font-family: 'book Antiqua', Palatino; font-size: 12pt;" title=""><b> Prize Drawings</b></span></span></span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9104599517200678283.post-86914445421644091282015-06-30T14:13:00.001-07:002015-07-08T08:32:17.299-07:00DOL Issues Long-Awaited Proposed Rule on White Collar Exemptions to Overtime Pay Under FLSA<table border="0" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" id="content_LETTER.BLOCK24" style="color: black; width: 100%px;"><tbody>
<tr><td colspan="1" rowspan="1" style="text-align: left;"><div style="color: #4c4c4c; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">
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<div style="color: #4c4c4c; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; text-align: justify;">For just the second time in more than 50 years the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has proposed revisions to its regulations implementing the exemption from minimum wage and overtime pay under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) for executive, administrative, professional, outside sales, and computer employees. These long-awaited revisions were published </span><span style="color: black; font-size: 10pt; text-align: justify; text-decoration: underline;">just today</span><span style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; text-align: justify;">, more than four months after the DOL originally indicated, and are comprised of </span><span style="color: black; font-size: 10pt; text-align: justify; text-decoration: underline;">nearly 300 pages of bureaucratic data and legalese</span><span style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; text-align: justify;">.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div align="justify" style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; text-align: justify;">
Among the significant changes proposed by the DOL to its regulations on exempt status under the FLSA are:</div>
<ul align="justify" style="text-align: justify;">
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6666669845581px;">Increasing the minimum salary level to meet the exemption, from $455/week ($23,660 annually), to a figure <b><u>more than double this amount</u></b>, equivalent to the 40th percentile of earnings for all full-time salaried workers, which would be somewhere between $921/week ($47,892 annually) based on 2013 figures, and approximately $970/week ($50,440 annually) based on current estimates of the earnings of the 40th percentile in the first quarter of 2016, when the proposed rule may go into effect if it is not altered in its final form;</span></span></li>
</ul>
<ul align="justify" style="color: #4c4c4c; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<li style="color: black; font-size: 11pt;">Increasing the "highly compensated employee" definition from $100,000 to $122,148 annually (equal to the 90th percentile of earnings for full-time salaried workers);</li>
</ul>
<ul align="justify" style="color: #4c4c4c; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<li style="color: black; font-size: 11pt;">Annual updates to these foregoing minimum salaries based on a fixed percentile of earnings or cost of living indicators; and</li>
</ul>
<ul align="justify" style="color: #4c4c4c; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<li style="color: black; font-size: 11pt;">While not making specific proposals to modify the "duties test" for white collar exemptions, the DOL seeks further comments from the public over its concern that some exempt employees may be performing a "disproportionate amount of non-exempt work."</li>
</ul>
<div style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 14.6666669845581px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, ' Helvetica', ' sans-serif';">The DOL is accepting comments from the public on its proposed rule before it issues the final version. Timely comments must be recovered by the Department no later than August 29, 2015. </span><strong>To learn more about these proposed regulations and how they may impact whether employees currently regarded as exempt, may soon be <span style="text-decoration: underline;">non-exempt and entitled to overtime pay</span>, attend our TIMELY WEBINAR (see below to register).</strong></span></div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" id="content_LETTER.BLOCK23" style="color: black; width: 100%px;"><tbody>
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>Rescheduled for Thursday, August 6, 2015 from 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm!</strong></em></span></div>
<div align="left" style="color: black; font-size: 16pt;">
<br /></div>
<div align="left" style="color: #004db4; font-size: 16pt;">
<em><strong>Don't Get Caught Owing Tens or Hundreds of Thousands in </strong></em></div>
<div align="left" style="color: #004db4; font-size: 16pt;">
<em><strong>Overtime Pay in 2015:</strong></em></div>
<div align="left" style="color: #d52c2a; font-size: 14pt;">
<em><strong>NEW GAME CHANGING WHITE COLLAR EXEMPTION REGULATIONS </strong></em></div>
<div align="left" style="color: #d52c2a; font-size: 14pt;">
<em><strong>PROPOSED BY THE DOL!!</strong></em></div>
<div style="color: black;">
<strong>How to Avoid Overtime Liability for White Collar Workers Under the DOL's Proposed New Regulations and Inventive New Tactics by Plaintiff Lawyers. </strong></div>
<div align="center" style="color: black; text-align: center;">
<strong style="font-size: 10pt;"><br /></strong>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<strong style="font-size: 10pt;">Presented by James B. Sherman, Esq. and Sean F. Darke, Esq.</strong></div>
</div>
<div style="color: #d52c2a; font-size: 14pt;">
<strong>Cost: $75 <img border="0" height="126" hspace="5" name="ACCOUNT.IMAGE.18" src="https://origin.ih.constantcontact.com/fs033/1102474631549/img/18.jpg" vspace="5" width="94" /> <img alt="Sean Darke, Attorney" border="0" height="127" hspace="5" name="ACCOUNT.IMAGE.87" src="https://origin.ih.constantcontact.com/fs033/1102474631549/img/87.jpg" vspace="5" width="90" /></strong></div>
<div style="color: #d52c2a; font-size: 14pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: black; font-size: 14pt;">
<strong style="font-size: 10pt;">Join Wessels Sherman attorneys James B. Sherman and Sean F. Darke for this highly informative webinar focused on helping employers learn how to maintain exempt employment status for employees. In this webinar, we will discuss:</strong></div>
<ul>
<li style="color: black;"><strong>Deciphering the newly proposed, 2015 White Collar Exemption Regulations that radically alter exempt/non-exempt salary criteria;</strong></li>
<li style="color: black;"><strong>Examining new and inventive ways plaintiff lawyers are challenging exempt status of everything from HR Directors, to professionals (even attorneys);</strong></li>
<li style="color: black;"><strong>Understanding nuances of which salary deductions are and are not permissible to preserve exempt status;</strong></li>
<li style="color: black;"><strong>Personal liability as it relates to owners, officers and supervisors;</strong></li>
<li style="color: black;"><strong>Best practices and practical tips.</strong></li>
</ul>
<div style="color: blue; font-size: 16pt;">
<div align="center" style="text-align: center;">
<div align="center">
<em><strong> <a href="https://events.r20.constantcontact.com/register/eventReg?llr=6lwxjycab&oeidk=a07eauofy6aea6c42a7" target="_blank">REGISTER NOW!</a></strong></em></div>
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<em><em style="font-size: 16pt;"><strong style="color: #4c4c4c; font-size: 10pt;"> </strong></em></em></div>
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</em></em></div>
<em>
</em></div>
<div style="color: black;">
<strong style="font-size: 10pt;">HUMAN RESOURCES:</strong></div>
<div>
<span style="color: black;"><strong>1.00 (General) HRCI credit approved. </strong></span> <img align="right" border="0" height="164" hspace="5" name="ACCOUNT.IMAGE.539" src="https://mlsvc01-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/d79db90b001/a59f4a2c-2b8f-49e5-8f27-1f4f5c426a20.png" vspace="5" width="179" /> </div>
<br />
<div style="color: black;">
<strong>ACCOUNTING: </strong></div>
<div style="color: black;">
<strong>1.00 CPE credit approved.</strong></div>
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<strong><br /></strong></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9104599517200678283.post-45747456502064886652015-05-29T08:30:00.000-07:002015-05-29T08:30:52.388-07:00Plaintiff Loses Case Claiming ADA Violation Over Loss of Driving Privileges for DWI Violations<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<i>May 2015<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<i>By: James B.
Sherman, Esq.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
An individual with multiple DWI arrests over roughly 16
years, sued the Minnesota Commissioner of Public Safety claiming that his
repeated loss of driving privileges violated the Americans with Disabilities
Act (ADA). This fellow apparently felt so “in the right” that after losing in
federal district court he appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth
Circuit. Alas, he lost again. However, the mere fact that anyone could claim
his civil rights are being violated by being taken off the streets as a public
safety risk, suggests that our politicians may have gone too far in defining
protected individual rights under the ADA. Specifically, when passing the ADA
Congress excepted current drug users from its protections but left alcoholism
as a protected “disability.” While alcoholism is a recognized medical
condition, including it in a law such as the ADA presents many unworkable
problems for employers and government agencies alike. Unlike most other civil
rights laws, the ADA not only prohibits discrimination of disabled individuals;
it also mandates they be provided with “reasonable accommodations.” The concept
of reasonable accommodations has never been without its challenges, but it
makes sense in the case of most disabilities (e.g. ramps for persons in
wheelchairs). Not so when it comes to alcoholism.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The recent court decision does not address what
accommodation the plaintiff could possibly have been seeking in this goofy
lawsuit. Both the trial and appellate courts dismissed the suit because the
plaintiff did not allege he was “disabled.” Presumably, he wanted to be allowed
the privilege of driving – and putting others’ lives at risk – despite his numerous
DWI arrests. Whether he sought to accomplish this through a legally mandated
“accommodation” or by proving his license revocations amounted to disability
discrimination, is anyone’s guess. The point is that had this individual
sufficiently pleaded in his complaint that he was in fact an alcoholic, the
courts would have had to undertake the bizarre task of assessing whether the
Commissioner of Public Safety violated his rights by discriminating against a
disabled individual, or unlawfully failed to reasonably accommodate his
disability.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
For now, at least, the citizens of Minnesota and those who
drive our state’s roads can be thankful that the plaintiff in this case lost.
We can also find some comfort in the hope that had this case gotten past the
pleading stage, the courts would have found that allowing someone with this
individual’s driving record to continue driving, would <u>not</u> be a
“reasonable” accommodation. Let’s all also hope that the repeat offenders of
the world are never allowed to hijack a well-intended law such as the ADA, for
such an unworthy cause.<br /><i><br />Questions?</i> Contact
Attorney James Sherman of Wessels Sherman’s Minneapolis office at (952)
746-1700 or email <a href="mailto:jasherman@wesselssherman.com">jasherman@wesselssherman.com</a>. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9104599517200678283.post-41444497817919388442015-05-14T11:01:00.001-07:002015-06-09T15:49:48.764-07:00U.S. Supreme Court Rules that Courts, Not EEOC, Decide Whether the EEOC Satisfied its Legal Obligation to Attempt to Resolve Alleged Unlawful Employment Practices Prior to Filing a Lawsuit <div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<i>May 2015<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<i>By: James B.
Sherman, Esq.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
On April 29 the Supreme Court ruled in <u>Mach Mining, LLC
v. EEOC</u>, that the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) cannot
police its own compliance with statutory requirements that it “conciliate” its
investigative findings before it can sue employers in court. <u>Mach Mining</u> involved an employer’s
appeal of a very unfavorable ruling by the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals
in Chicago, which held essentially that the EEOC answers to no one in regards
to whether it has satisfied its statutory obligation to explore informal
resolution of claims with employers. The
Supreme Court’s decision to review this matter created great anticipation among
employment attorneys and employers alike, hoping for a more favorable
outcome. Employers unfortunate enough to
have found themselves pursued by the EEOC routinely find that little effort is
made to avoid litigation, especially in what the agency designates as “priority
cases.” Ultimately, the Supreme Court
reversed the appellate court and held that whether the EEOC has satisfied its
mandate to conciliate before it litigates, is a matter for the courts and not
the EEOC to decide. While this was welcome
news to employers and their legal counsel, it is tempered by the Court’s conclusion
that the EEOC’s conciliation efforts are subject only to very limited review by
the courts. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The underlying facts in <u>Mach Mining</u> involved a woman
who filed a charge with the EEOC claiming that she was not hired as a coal
miner because of her sex. After
conducting an investigation, the EEOC determined that there was substantial
evidence to conclude that the employer illegally discriminated against the woman
and other female applicants on the basis of their sex. The EEOC sent a letter to the employer
informing it of this determination and stated that it would begin
conciliation. Approximately a year
later, the EEOC sent another letter stating that conciliation was unsuccessful,
and filed suit against the employer. The
Court’s decision does not state what, if anything, happened in the time between
the two letters, but the employer asserted that the EEOC did not fulfill its
obligation to attempt to resolve the matter before filing its lawsuit. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Conciliation involves attempts to resolve employment claims
through “informal methods” prior to resorting to litigation. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, which
prohibits workplace discrimination and harassment on the basis of race, sex,
religion, etc., as well as the ADA (disability) and ADEA (age), all contain the
same mandate that when an EEOC investigation results in a finding of
“substantial evidence” that a violation has occurred, the EEOC must not initiate
a lawsuit until after it first conciliates with the employer in an effort to
resolve the matter short of litigation. The
statutory language clearly indicates that Congress wanted the EEOC to resort to
litigation as a last resort, only after first trying to resolve cases through
informal means. <b>Although the Court held
that the EEOC does not have the final word on whether or not it has fulfilled
its duty to conciliate, judicial review will be extremely limited: The EEOC
must inform the employer about the specific allegation, describing what the
employer has allegedly done and what employee or class of employees have
suffered as a result (this will generally be covered in the letter announcing
that it found reasonable cause).
Additionally, the EEOC must try to engage the employer in some form of
conversation to give the employer an opportunity to remedy the alleged
wrong. </b>An affidavit from the EEOC
stating that it did both of these and it was unsuccessful will generally be
sufficient to show that it fulfilled its obligation to conciliate, and a
court’s review is limited to determining whether these two things happened—it
will not go into the substance of any conversations.<br />
<br />
Many employers and their lawyers argue that today the EEOC
has become much more litigious than in the past, as well as more aggressive in
pursuing claims to court with more creative legal theories. Is it possible now that it knows its behavior
is subject to judicial scrutiny the EEOC will be ever so slightly more
reasonable in conciliating claims with employers? Time will tell.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<em style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.1999998092651px; line-height: 18.4799995422363px;"><br /></em>
<em style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.1999998092651px; line-height: 18.4799995422363px;"><b>Questions?</b> Please contact James B. Sherman at (952) 746-1700 or <a href="mailto:jasherman@wesselssherman.com">jasherman@wesselssherman.com</a>. </em>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0