For invitations to our events and updates on key legal issues and business concerns
Please Click HerePosted on July 27, 2011 by Ruder Ware Alumni
The Wisconsin Supreme Court has issued a decision in favor of an employer in a workers’ compensation case for unreasonable refusal to rehire. In doing so, the court emphasized that an employer is not required to make an accommodation to an employee’s personal obligations in order to escape liability under the unreasonable refusal to rehire […]
Posted on July 22, 2011 by Mary Ellen Schill
A recent memo from the Wisconsin Department of Employee Trust Funds (ETF) has clarified the timeline that local government units should use for deducting the required employee contribution to the Wisconsin Retirement System. In its memo, ETF has determined that the deductions should begin with the first full pay period which begins on or after […]
Posted on July 8, 2011 by Sara J. Ackermann
Today, at the Grand Lodge in Wausau, Governor Walker signed into law a bill that allows qualified individuals to carry concealed weapons, except in certain places such as courthouses and police stations. The law, which becomes effective on November 1, 2011, contains a number of provisions that will affect public and private employers in Wisconsin. […]
Posted on June 16, 2011 by Ruder Ware Alumni
The Assembly passed its version of the Budget Bill early this morning. That version will now be submitted to the Senate for consideration. It is anticipated that the Senate will pass the Assembly version without change, but that remains to be seen. There are several changes to the Municipal Collective Bargaining Law as amended by […]
Posted on June 6, 2011 by Ruder Ware Alumni
Under the Obama administration, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has increased its enforcement of the wage and hour provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act. Previously in such claims, if the number of worked hours were disputed and an employee had kept hand written records of the hours that he or she allegedly worked, […]
Posted on May 2, 2011 by Ruder Ware Alumni
Wisconsin’s Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) became law in 1987. The federal FMLA became law in 1993. As almost all Wisconsin human resources (HR) personnel are aware, provisions of the two laws differ in many ways. As a result, complying with both laws has been difficult at best and has caused many HR professionals […]
Posted on April 22, 2011 by Ruder Ware Alumni
In the past, the U.S. Supreme Court issued case rulings which narrowly defined the term “disability” under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). This resulted in individuals with certain conditions, such as cancer, diabetes, and epilepsy, not qualifying for protection under the ADA. To establish a broader definition of disability, Congress enacted the Americans with […]
Posted on April 21, 2011 by Ruder Ware Alumni
Many employers have implemented policies to randomly test employees for drugs and alcohol use. The purpose of such policies is, of course, safety. Recently, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) filed a lawsuit against U.S. Steel Corporation alleging that the Company’s random alcohol testing policy violated the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). In the lawsuit, […]
Posted on February 11, 2011 by Ruder Ware Alumni
Part of President Obama’s enforcement agenda has been to direct the Department of Labor (DOL) to vigorously enforce the federal wage and hour laws and, particularly, the laws pertaining to exempt and non-exempt employees under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). Recently, the DOL assessed a huge sum against an employer for incorrectly classifying non […]
Posted on February 9, 2011 by Sara J. Ackermann
Last week, the United States Supreme Court decided the case of Thompson v. North American Stainless, LP. In a unanimous decision (Justice Kagan recusing herself), the Court held that Title VII’s anti-retaliation provision applied to an employee who was terminated after his fiancee filed a complaint against the company. Background North American Stainless (Stainless) fired […]