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 currently 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:
- Disability accommodation & leave management
- Wage and Hour
- Drug and alcohol testing
- Employee privacy
- Nondiscrimination
- Workforce Restructuring & Reductions in Force
- FMLA/ADA Solutions
- International Employment
- Occupational Safety and Health
- Workplace Harassment
- Background investigations and pre-employment screening
- Workplace investigations into employee misconduct
- Training for executives, managers and employees (including harassment prevention and social media)
- Employee handbooks and policies
- Employment contracts and arbitration agreements
- Protection of trade secrets and confidential information, and drafting non-disclosure and non-competition agreements
- Severance agreements
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 through its offices in Wausau, Eau Claire, and Green Bay, Wisconsin. A full-service law firm, over 40 attorneys provide clients with a one-stop approach to their legal needs. Ruder Ware, Business Attorneys for Business Success.
Posted on January 2, 2020 by Mary Ellen Schill
The Internal Revenue Service has announced the optional standard mileage rates for computing the deductible cost of operating an automobile for business, medical, and moving expenses for 2020, and the decrease in rates reflect the decrease in the fixed and variable costs of operating a vehicle. Effective January 1, 2020, the optional standard mileage rates […]
Posted on December 30, 2019 by Sara J. Ackermann
Here in Wisconsin marijuana is still illegal. However, this week our neighbor Illinois becomes the 11th in our nation to legalize marijuana which may cause complications for Wisconsin employers who recruit or have locations in that state. Our neighbor Minnesota has had marijuana legal for medicinal purposes since 2014 (recreational use is not yet legal […]
Posted on December 18, 2019 by Sara J. Ackermann
Late last week the Department of Labor announced a Final Rule that will allow employers to more easily offer bonuses and benefits without worrying about the regular rate of pay. The rule is the first major change to the regulations governing regular rate requirements under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) in over 50 years. […]
Posted on November 6, 2019 by Mary Ellen Schill
On November 6, 2019 the Internal Revenue Service announced the cost-of-living adjustments for the various qualified retirement plan limits. 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 2019-$19,000 2020-$19,500 $200,000 compensation limit 2019-$280,000 2020-$285,000 $160,000 defined benefit limit 2019-$225,000 2020-$230,000 […]
Posted on October 22, 2019 by Sara J. Ackermann
My practice is dedicated to helping business owners and HR professionals work through some pretty sticky employment issues. Although there is not much I have not seen, employee behavior never ceases to amaze me. With the evolution of marijuana and CBD legalization, it is going to get even more interesting. For the latest information on […]
Posted on September 24, 2019 by Sara J. Ackermann
The long wait is over. Today, the U.S. Department of Labor confirmed the final rule on the overtime “white collar” exemptions. Effective January 1, 2020, the minimum salary level for exempt workers will be $684 per week ($35,568 annualized). As you may remember, in 2015, the DOL attempted to increase the exemption to $913 per […]
Posted on May 28, 2019 by Mary Ellen Schill
Today the IRS announced the HSA limits for calendar year 2020. Hard to believe we are already talking 2020, especially after a Memorial Day weekend in Wisconsin where the air conditioning and furnace were both needed. As you long for summer, look forward to slightly higher limits in 2020, as set forth in the chart […]
Posted on March 8, 2019 by Ruder Ware Alumni
Today the Department of Labor (DOL) announced a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) that would substantially increase the number of workers eligible for overtime. Most significantly, the DOL has recommended the salary threshold for workers required to be paid overtime be raised from $455 a week ($23,660 annually) to $679 a week ($35,308 annually). The […]
Posted on February 1, 2019 by Robert J. Reinertson
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has partly pulled back on its controversial requirement that certain employers electronically file injury and illness data with OSHA. Last week, OSHA announced that employers with 250 or more employees no longer need to electronically submit information from their OSHA 300 forms (the Log of Work-Related Injuries and […]
Posted on December 14, 2018 by Mary Ellen Schill
The Internal Revenue Service has announced the optional standard mileage rates for computing the deductible cost of operating an automobile for business, medical, and moving expenses for 2019, and the increased rates reflect the increase in the fixed and variable costs of operating a vehicle. Effective January 1, 2019, the optional standard mileage rates will […]
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