New statistics released by the CHRO show that in the last year, claims of discrimination and harassment are up overall.  For employers, that means more “visits” — at least virtually through e-mail, from the agency. But what should you do when you get such a complaint from the CHRO? Well, a few things. The first, don’t panic. Second, call your attorney. And third, maybe you want to listen in on a webinar we are running…

USCIS has announced that on January 2, 2020 it will dispose of its E-Verify records for cases that are more than 10 years old. Specifically, USCIS will be destroying its E-Verify records that were created on or before December 31, 2009. After January 2, 2020, employers will no longer be able to access USCIS’ E-Verify records for the destroyed cases. Employers wishing to download a copy of USCIS’ E-Verify reports for cases that are subject…

One hotly debated aspect of the Affordable Care Act (“ACA”) has been the so-called “Cadillac Tax” on high-cost health benefits, currently slated to take effect in 2022.  The Cadillac Tax is a 40% excise tax on the amount of employer-sponsored health care coverage which exceeds $10,200 for individuals and $27,500 for families.  (Higher thresholds apply to benefits provided to certain retirees and workers employed in certain high-risk industries.)  The thresholds will increase with inflation (as…

Daniel Schwartz and Christopher Engler will present the webinar “When the CHRO and EEOC Come Calling – Strategies for Employers.” This webinar is appropriate for all in-house counsel, executives, human resources personnel and other employees who may be involved in responding to a complaint of discrimination/harassment at the state or federal level. Topics include: How New 2019 CHRO Laws Will Impact the Process Responding to a CHRO/EEOC Complaint How to Draft a Position Statement Investigations…

ICE is now conducting worksite inspections for STEM OPT employers. ICE’s stated purpose for conducting these inspections, or “site-visits”, is to confirm that STEM OPT students are receiving work-based practical training that directly relates to their area of study. See our previous post. Since instituting its new “site-visit” enforcement measure, ICE has issued guidance clarifying that the responsibility for describing the direct relationship between the OPT or STEM OPT job and the foreign student’s area…

Jarad Lucan and Peter Murphy will lead the discussion during the CT Higher Ed Labor and Employment Update Lunch and Learn presented by CCIC and People’s United Insurance Agency. WHEN: November 14, 2019, 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM EST WHERE: Quinnipiac University, York Hill Campus…

Last week, the DOL unveiled its new regulations aiming to increase the annual salary threshold to $35,000 for “white collar” overtime exemptions, up from the current $23,660 set in 2004.  The DOL estimates that this will result in approximately 1.3 million additional workers now qualifying for overtime.  The DOL also increased the “highly compensated worker” threshold from $100,000 to $147,414.  Notably, however, the DOL declined to adopt the rule first proposed by the Obama administration…