News Briefs

New DOL Rule Raises Minimum Salary Threshold for Employee Overtime Exemption

By Maggie Roddy posted 15 hours ago
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On April 23, 2024, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) announced a final rule increasing the minimum salary threshold required for employees to be exempt from federal overtime rules. Beginning July 1, 2024, the minimum salary threshold will increase to $43,888, followed by a second increase to $58,656 on January 1, 2025. After ...
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Supreme Court Rules ‘Significant Harm’ Not Necessary to Prove Job-Transfer Discrimination

By Dean Harris posted 6 days ago
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On April 17, 2024, in the case of Muldrow v. City of St. Louis, Missouri , the United States Supreme Court unanimously held that an employee asserting a discriminatory transfer does not need to show that the transfer resulted in significant, serious, substantial, or any heightened level of harm to prove discrimination. ...
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EEO Reporting Opens on April 30, 2024

By Community Manager posted 15 days ago
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The 2023 EEO-1 Component 1 data collection will open on Tuesday, April 30, 2024. The deadline to file the 2023 EEO-1 Component 1 report is Tuesday, June 4, 2024. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) collects workforce data from employers with more than 100 employees on its EEO-1 Component 1 report. It is a ...
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California Supreme Court Clarifies Compensability of Employer Security Inspections and Meal Break Restrictions under California Law

By Jaimie Graczyk posted 17 days ago
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On March 25, 2024, the California Supreme Court issued its decision in Huerta v. CSI Electrical Contractors . The decision provides guidance on three specific issues related to the scope of the term “hours worked” under California Wage Order No. 16, which governs wages, hours, and working conditions in the construction, drilling, ...
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City of Phoenix Passes Worker Heat Protection Ordinance for City Contractors

By John Zubek posted 20 days ago
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Ready or not, the Arizona summer heat will be here before we know it. And this year, along with the high temperatures comes a new ordinance intended to protect certain workers from heat-related illnesses. On March 26, 2024, the Phoenix City Council unanimously approved the ordinance, which will take effect ...
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When ‘Reasonably Necessary,’ Non-Employees May Accompany OSHA Officials During Inspections

By Jennifer Vold posted 20 days ago
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During a workplace safety inspection conducted by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), both the employer and employees may have representatives participate in the process. Historically, that included an employee representative (often affiliated with the union) and employer representatives, such as operations ...
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Los Angeles County’s New Fair Chance Ordinance Provides Expanded Protections to Applicants and Employees

By Mary Miller posted 21 days ago
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Los Angeles County recently adopted a new ordinance that imposes strict obligations for companies using criminal background checks in the hiring process. The ordinance applies to employers located or doing business in the unincorporated areas of California’s most populous county that employ five or more employees, including ...
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CDC Updates Guidance on COVID-19 Again: What Employers Should Consider

By Kirsten Ellis posted 27 days ago
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On March 1, 2024, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released new isolation guidance regarding COVID-19. The CDC has created a “unified approach” to responding to respiratory illnesses and recommends treating all respiratory illnesses the same. The CDC has removed the five-day isolation guidance for those ...
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Economic Perspective April 2024

By Cory Martin posted 28 days ago
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Employers Council has prepared this Economic Perspective summary to assist the decision-makers of member organizations. The economic data in these charts summarize the most commonly watched economic and compensation indicators. The data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics can be used in conjunction with Employers ...
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NLRB Secures $286,000 Settlement to Compensate Employees for Lost Bargaining Opportunity

By Drew Hintze posted 29 days ago
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NLRB General Counsel Jennifer Abruzzo is steadfast in her pursuit to expand boundaries and impose rigorous penalties on companies that delay bargaining processes. Earlier this March, a National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) regional office in Pittsburgh finalized a settlement securing $286,000 for employees who were deprived ...
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Employer Penalized for Ceasing to Recognize Union After Decertification Vote

By Drew Hintze posted 29 days ago
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Employers have an obligation to maintain recognition of a union until decertification results are formally certified. Earlier this month, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) found Midwest Division-RMC LLC (d/b/a Research Medical Center), an organization that operates hospitals in the Kansas City area, unlawfully failed ...
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Supreme Court Considers Case that Could Change Workplace Discrimination Standard of Harm

By Dean Harris posted 03-22-2024
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Late last year, the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments in a case that could change the law on what impact on the employee an employer’s decision must make to prove workplace discrimination. Many expect the Supreme Court to issue a decision in Muldrow v. City of St. Louis, Missouri this spring or early summer. Jatonya ...
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Case Serves as a Reminder of Employees’ Union Activity Protections

By Monica Blackwood posted 03-21-2024
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Under the protections of the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA), employees have the right to engage in union activities, including organizing and participating in collective bargaining. It is unlawful, and an unfair labor practice (ULP), for an employer to interfere with, restrain, or coerce employees in the exercise of these ...
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How Does SECURE 2.0 Affect Your Organization’s Retirement Plan?

By Laurie Enke posted 03-14-2024
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SECURE Act 2.0, passed by Congress in December 2022, includes mandatory and optional changes to qualified retirement plans. SECURE is an acronym for Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement, and it builds upon SECURE 1.0, passed in 2019. As explained in this previous Employers Council article , the goal of the ...
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Federal Judge Blocks NLRB’s Joint-Employer Rule from Taking Effect

By Drew Hintze posted 03-11-2024
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On Friday, March 8 , 2024, in U.S. Chamber of Commerce v. N.L.R.B. , Case No. 6:23-cv-00553 (E.D. Tex.), a United States District Court of Texas judge struck down the National Labor Relations Board’s (NLRB ’s ) joint - employer liability rule that was scheduled to take effect on Monday, March 11, ...
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NLRB Rules Employer Illegally Fired Employee Over Black Lives Matter Marking on Uniform

By Jennifer Vold posted 03-01-2024
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All employers, even non-union, take note : T he National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) recently issued a new ruling regarding employees ’ rights to engage in protected concerted activity . In Home Depot USA, Inc. , the NLRB determined that employees who wore Black Lives Matter insignia ...
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California Pay Data Reporting Portal Opens; Reports Due May 8, 2024

By Jaimie Graczyk posted 03-01-2024
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On February 1, 2024 , the California Civil Rights Department (CRD) opened its online portal for employers to submit their 2023 pay data report. P rivate employers with 100 or more employees and/or 100 or more workers hired through labor contractors are required to annually report pay, demographic, ...
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California Workplace Safety Update: 2024 Civil Penalty Increases Announced

By Jaimie Graczyk posted 02-29-2024
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On February 22, 2024, Cal/OSHA announced its 2024 civil penalty increases for certain workplace safety violations. The 3.24% increase from last year is based on the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ report on the October Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) . For citations issued ...
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Economic Perspective March 2024

By Cory Martin posted 02-29-2024
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Employers Council has prepared this Economic Perspective summary to assist the decision-makers of member organizations. The economic data in these charts summarize the most commonly watched economic and compensation indicators. The data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics can be used in conjunction with Employers ...
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Judge Delays Effective Date of NLRB’s Joint-Employer Rule

By Community Manager posted 02-23-2024
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A United States District Court of Texas judge has delayed the effective date of the National Labor Relations Board’s (NLRB) joint - employer liability rule until March 11, 2024. The rule, which has already been subject to delay, was scheduled to take effect on February 26, 2024. The Court issued a two-week stay ...
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