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 April 23, 2024 by Sara J. Ackermann
Today the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) voted to finalize a new rule to prohibit employers from enforcing noncompetes against employees. Highlights of the new rule include: Employers are prevented from entering into new noncompetes with workers on or after the rule’s effective date, which will be 120 days after the rule is published (which will […]
Posted on April 23, 2024 by Sara J. Ackermann
Today the Department of Labor issued its long-awaited rule raising the fixed salary requirements for employees in the executive, professional, and administrative exemption categories (EAP) and increasing the standard salary level and the total annual compensation requirement for highly compensated employees (HCE). (Note that the State of Wisconsin does not recognize the HCE exemption, so […]
Posted on January 25, 2024 by Samuel J. S. Moheban
Federal laws place employers in a challenging position, requiring them to navigate between compliance with laws designed to prevent the employment of persons not eligible to work in the United States and laws punishing discrimination and document abuse. Non-compliance can lead to lawsuits, fines, and potentially even criminal prosecution. While all employers would benefit from […]
Posted on December 14, 2023 by Mary Ellen Schill
The Internal Revenue Service issued the 2024 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 slight per mile increase for businesses. Effective January 1, 2024, the optional standard mileage rates for the use of a car […]
Posted on November 1, 2023 by Mary Ellen Schill
On November 1, 2023 the Internal Revenue Service announced the cost-of-living adjustments for the various qualified retirement plan limits. Almost all of the limits shown below have increased from last year. Qualified Plan Limit Cost-of-Living Adjustments 401(k) and 403(b) elective deferral limit 2023 – $22,500 2024 – $23,000 $200,000 compensation limit 2023 – $330,000 […]
Posted on September 27, 2023 by Nicole L. Stangl
In today’s interconnected world, how to protect vital business assets such as key employees and confidential information is top of mind for businesses. Tools such as non-solicitation, non-compete and non-disclosure agreements are utilized as a method of protection for businesses. However, the changing legal landscape related to non-compete provisions has made it essential to be […]
Posted on August 7, 2023 by Nicole L. Stangl
The New Form: On July 21, 2023 the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced a new Form I-9. The new Form I-9 became available for employers to use on August 1, 2023. The old Form I-9 can continue to be used through October 31, 2023, but all employers must be using the new Form […]
Posted on June 29, 2023 by Sara J. Ackermann
It just became very easy for an employee to sue their employer for failure to accommodate religious beliefs. Today, in its Groff v. DeJoy opinion, the United States Supreme Court unanimously held that an employer must make such an accommodation unless it would result in substantial increased costs in relation to the conduct of its […]
Posted on June 5, 2023 by Sara J. Ackermann
Last week, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB)’s General Counsel publicly announced her position that most non-compete agreements violate the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) by chilling employees’ ability to exercise their rights to engage in protected activity. Remember, the NLRA applies to all private sector employees that are in non-supervisory positions. This means those […]
Posted on May 17, 2023 by Mary Ellen Schill
On May 16, 2023, the IRS announced the Health Savings Account limits for 2024. With respect to contribution limits, the limits are higher than the ones for 2023 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 2024 HSA/HDHP Requirement Cost-of-Living […]
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