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 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 November 11, 2020 by Sara J. Ackermann
Last night, after his primetime address, Governor Evers issued Executive Order #94 which advises residents to stay home and take precautions if they have to leave their home. It also encourages businesses to take additional steps to protect workers, customers, and the surrounding community. While the document is entitled as an “Order” there is no […]
Posted on November 10, 2020 by Robert J. Reinertson
OSHA’s enforcement activity has been accelerating as the number of COVID-19 cases has increased. Now OSHA has issued a guidance designed to give employers an understanding of the most commonly cited violations arising from OSHA COVID-19-related inspections. They are: Not providing a medical evaluation before a worker is fit-tested for or uses a respirator. Not […]
Posted on October 26, 2020 by Mary Ellen Schill
On October 26, 2020 the Internal Revenue Service announced the cost-of-living adjustments for the various qualified retirement plan limits. Some of the limits shown below have increased from last year while others remained unchanged. Qualified Plan Limit Cost-of-Living Adjustments 401(k) and 403(b) elective deferral limit 2020 – $19,500 2021 – $19,500 $200,000 compensation limit […]
Posted on October 22, 2020 by Sara J. Ackermann and Nicole L. Stangl
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) have updated the definition of “close contact” for quarantine purposes. Previous guidance provided that close contact meant spending a solid 15-minute period of time within six feet from someone infected with COVID-19. On Wednesday, October 21, 2020 the CDC […]
Posted on October 8, 2020 by Nicole L. Stangl and Tyler M. Richardson
The Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development adopted an emergency rule to create DWD 120.02 which was approved by Governor Evers on September 23, 2020. As of November 2, 2020, Wisconsin employers will be required to notify workers of the availability of unemployment insurance upon separation of employment. The notification can be accomplished through one of […]
Posted on October 7, 2020 by Robert J. Reinertson
With ever-increasing cases of COVID-19 affecting Wisconsin and U.S. workplaces, many employers have been left confused as to whether, when, and how they are supposed to report those cases to OSHA. OSHA itself has issued differing guidance since the pandemic began. It has now, however, come out with some new clarification on those questions. As […]
Posted on October 6, 2020 by Sara J. Ackermann
Today Wisconsin’s Department of Health Services issued Emergency Order No. 3 limiting public gatherings. As written, the Order is effective until November 6. The order limits “public gatherings” to no more than 25% of the total occupancy limits for a room or building established by the local municipality. “Public gathering” means an “indoor event, convening […]
Posted on September 29, 2020 by Sara J. Ackermann and Nicole L. Stangl
Employers need to keep abreast of the ever-changing agency rules regarding whether a worker is an “independent contractor” or an “employee.” You might ask, “why does this matter to the government?” The answer is easy: many government agencies—both state and federal—are designed solely to protect employees. The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), the Occupational Safety […]
Posted on September 22, 2020 by Andrew P. Raymonds
Today, Gov. Evers issued Executive Order #90 declaring a new public health emergency in Wisconsin due to recent surges in COVID-19 cases. He also issued a new face coverings order, Emergency Order #1. While these orders are new, they have no material changes from the mask mandate orders Gov. Evers’ issued on July 30 (check […]
Posted on September 15, 2020 by Sara J. Ackermann
Late last week, the Department of Labor issued a revised rule to address a New York federal judge’s order from this past August that struck down several provisions of the FFCRA. (For a copy of Ruder Ware’s article on that order, click here.) The order left employers confused: Should we follow the original FFCRA or […]
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