Human Resources Counseling
Human Resource professionals are expected to be up-to-date on employment laws and how they apply to their workforce. Plus, any task performed by HR carries some amount of legal risk.
With as often as rules change and as varied as employee needs and issues can be, HR professionals need a trusted partner. Ruder Ware’s employment attorneys are often considered an extension of a company’s internal HR department. Our attorneys are up-to-date on current state and federal employment laws and have walked seasoned HR professionals through incredibly tense employee issues and have emerged with practical solutions and sound advice.
Our attorneys provide counsel on:
- Background investigations and pre-employment screening
- Disability accommodation & leave management
- Drug and alcohol testing
- Employment contracts and arbitration agreements
- Employee handbooks and policies
- Employee privacy
- FMLA/ADA solutions
- Immigration & Workforce Mobility
- International employment
- Nondiscrimination
- Occupational safety and health
- Protection of trade secrets and confidential information, and drafting non-disclosure and non-competition agreements
- Severance agreements
- Training for executives, managers and employees (including harassment prevention and social media)
- Wage and hour
- Workplace harassment
- Workplace investigations into employee misconduct
- Workforce restructuring & reductions in force
While our attorneys are skilled at proactive measures, issues such as accidents, missteps, or claims against the company are still a possibility. Ruder Ware’s team of litigators are prepared to provide counsel at that next level – whether through mediation or litigation.
Founded in 1920, Ruder Ware provides business, employment, estate planning, and litigation services. A full-service law firm, over 45 attorneys provide clients with a one-stop approach to their legal needs. Ruder Ware, Business Attorneys for Business Success.
Posted on June 6, 2025 by Samuel J. S. Moheban
Over the past month, the Trump administration has announced several changes impacting F-1 visa programs. F-1 visa interviews have been paused, visas have been purportedly cancelled, and some program certifications have been revoked. Lawsuits have been filed to stymie these changes and conditions continue to evolve. These developments may affect an employer’s plans for CPT, […]
Posted on May 1, 2025 by Mary Ellen Schill
On May 1, 2025, the IRS announced the Health Savings Account limits for 2026. With respect to contribution limits, the limits are slightly higher than the ones for 2025 and the required deductible and out-of-pocket maximums have increased as well. As a reminder, these inflation adjusted amounts are effective for calendar year 2026. HSA/HDHP Requirement […]
Posted on April 8, 2025 by Samuel J. S. Moheban
On March 12th, the Department of Homeland Security published an Interim Final Rule (“IFR”) partially implementing section 7 of Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion (Jan. 20, 2025) (the “Executive Order”). Section 7 of the Executive Order directed the Secretary of Homeland Security, and others, to ensure that all previously unregistered noncitizens […]
Posted on April 7, 2025 by Samuel J. S. Moheban
On April 2nd, USCIS announced they had made available a revised Form I-9 for employment eligibility verification. The new form, available at the USCIS website, has an edition date of 01/20/25 and an expiration date of 05/31/27. USCIS will also continue to accept the following previous versions of the form: Form I-9 (08/01/2023 edition) with […]
Posted on March 26, 2025 by Samuel J. S. Moheban
Editor’s Note: CHNV Parole Termination Notice Stayed by Court The March 25 Federal Register Notice announcing the termination of CHNV parole has been stayed. Last week, the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts issued a preliminary injunction, temporarily blocking the implementation of the termination notice. For more information, please see the USCIS […]
Posted on February 14, 2025 by Samuel J. S. Moheban
For employers seeking to sponsor foreign national professionals, awareness of the H-1B cap registration deadline is critical. Registration for the FY 2026 H-1B Cap lottery will start at 12 p.m. Eastern Time on March 7 and end at 12 p.m. Eastern Time on March 24. This year, the registration fee has been increased to $215. […]
Posted on February 7, 2025 by Nicole L. Stangl and Morgan H. Sweeney
For many years, employers have been operating within the confines of the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”), the Family Medical Leave Act (“FMLA”), and the Wisconsin Fair Employment Act (“WFEA”) when a pregnant employee needs time off or an accommodation. Now employers have a new law to consider, and one that is arguably more favorable […]
Posted on January 23, 2025 by Samuel J. S. Moheban
All employers, regardless of whether they sponsor employees for work visas, should closely monitor the Trump Administration’s evolving immigration policies. This is critical due to an anticipated surge in the enforcement of immigration laws and the potential labor supply disruptions stemming from significant changes to immigration policy. Employers who are unsure about their I-9 compliance, […]
Posted on January 14, 2025 by Nicole L. Stangl and Morgan H. Sweeney
On November 15, 2024, a federal judge for the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas struck down the Department of Labor’s (DOL’s) 2024 overtime rule (“Overtime Rule”). This decision came months after the Overtime Rule went into effect and the first increase to the salary requirement was implemented. Due to the delay […]
Posted on December 19, 2024 by Mary Ellen Schill
The Internal Revenue Service issued the 2025 optional standard mileage rates today for computing the deductible cost of operating an automobile for business, charitable, medical, or moving purposes. The most notable change is the per mile increase for business use mileage. Effective January 1, 2025, the optional standard mileage rates for the use of a […]
More Insights...
