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 May 15, 2021 by Sara J. Ackermann
Unless you have been in a cave, you are aware that on May 13, 2021, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced that individuals who have been fully vaccinated for COVID-19 no longer need to wear a face covering in many settings. (CDC Guidance) Many of you shouted “HOORAY!” when you heard this […]
Posted on May 11, 2021 by Mary Ellen Schill
Yesterday, the IRS announced the Health Savings Account limits for 2022. With respect to contribution limits, the limits are slightly higher than the ones for 2021. As a reminder, these inflation adjusted amounts are effective for calendar year 2022. HSA/HDHP Requirement Cost-of-Living Adjustments Limit on HSA Contributions – Self-only HDHP 2021 – $3,600 2022 – […]
Posted on April 27, 2021 by Robert J. Reinertson and Nicole L. Stangl
There are two new developments on the OSHA COVID-19 front to report. First, yesterday, OSHA sent a draft of a new, mandatory, temporary emergency standard on COVID-19 to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review. Up to now, OSHA has not had a mandatory standard in place to deal with the coronavirus, relying […]
Posted on April 20, 2021 by Nicole L. Stangl
Last October, we shared information about the emergency rule that created DWD 120.02 which required Wisconsin employers to notify workers of the availability of unemployment insurance upon separation of employment in a post titled Wisconsin Employers Must Notify Workers of Unemployment Insurance Upon Separation. As of March 31, 2021, the emergency rule requiring unemployment insurance […]
Posted on April 7, 2021 by Mary Ellen Schill
Today the Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA), the section of the Department of Labor that handles all things employee benefit plans, posted a dedicated webpage with much anticipated (and much needed) employer tools on the “COBRA subsidy” provision of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (“ARPA”), which was enacted on March 11, 2021. The […]
Posted on April 1, 2021 by Nicole L. Stangl
On March 30, 2021, Governor Tony Evers and the Wisconsin Department of Human Services (DHS), announced that everyone age 16 and over will be eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine starting April 5, 2021. Currently the Pfizer vaccine is the only COVID-19 vaccine authorized for individual’s age 16 & 17. Vaccination providers will continue to prioritize […]
Posted on March 26, 2021 by Sara J. Ackermann and Nicole L. Stangl
Marathon County Governor Tony Evers and the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) announced on March 25, 2021 that a community-based vaccination clinic will open in Marathon County on April 6, 2021. The clinic will be open Tuesday, April 6, through Saturday, April 10, from 11 a.m. – 7p.m., and will be located at the […]
Posted on March 5, 2021 by Robert J. Reinertson and Nicole L. Stangl
On February 25, 2021, Governor Tony Evers signed 2021 Wisconsin Act 4 (“Act”). The Act became effective on February 26, 2021. The Act, in part, created broad immunity to civil liability related to exposure of COVID-19 for companies under Wisconsin Statute section 895.476 (“Statute”). The full Act is available here. Worker’s compensation is still the […]
Posted on February 4, 2021 by Nicole L. Stangl, Sara J. Ackermann, Mary Ellen Schill and Amy E. Ebeling
On Thursday, February 4, 2021, the Wisconsin State Assembly (“Assembly”) voted on a resolution to repeal the mask mandate. This vote came a week after the Wisconsin State Senate (“Senate”) voted on the same resolution to repeal the mask mandate. The same statute that gives the Governor power to create executive orders, also allows the […]
Posted on February 1, 2021 by Robert J. Reinertson
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has issued a new, “stronger” Guidance on identifying and preventing coronavirus exposure risks in the workplace. Although this is labeled a “Guidance” and OSHA says that it is advisory, employers are cautioned that they can be at risk for standard OSHA penalties under the General Duty Clause if […]
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