On April 27, 2017, the Kentucky Supreme Court found a section in the Kentucky Revised Statute to be a violation of the Equal Protection Clause. In Marshall Parker v. Webster County Coal LLC, the plaintiff challenged the constitutionality of the Kentucky Revised Statute. Marshall Parker was an underground coal miner for Webster County that got Read more
Preparing weekly work schedules is often like solving a puzzle. It means forecasting demand, controlling payroll, and taking into account employee availability. This makes scheduling in industries that have frequent call outs, high turnover rates, or seasonal livelihoods, such as the retail or restaurant industries, particularly tricky. Employee scheduling is also affected by limitations and restrictions Read more
For those who follow federal OSHA news, this may be a disappointment even if it isn’t a shock: the Commonwealth of Virginia is raising its State Plan maximum penalties for occupational safety and health violations. Virginia is one of 26 states operating under an OSHA-approved State Plan. State Plans are required to “remain at least Read more
Starting May 24, 2017, unemployment claims in the state of Wisconsin must be filed online. The Division of Unemployment Insurance is retiring the automated telephone filing system. The goal of switching online is to help make the process easier and faster for claimants. Claimants will have access to their claim information seven days a week. The Read more
The Missouri Division of Workers’ Compensation has recently updated the mandatory workers’ compensation posting. By law, all Missouri employers are required to post the Workers’ Compensation Law posting in a prominent and easily accessible location in the workplace (Missouri Revised Statutes, Section 287.127). If employers do not have a permanent work site regularly accessed by Read more
With so much attention being paid to the competing demands of work and family care responsibilities, workers could soon have the option of taking time off in lieu of being paid overtime. Congress is considering a proposed bill (HR 1180), called the Working Families Flexibility Act of 2017, which would allow hourly workers to earn Read more
Arizona employers, get ready to raise your voice – the Industrial Commission of Arizona (ICA) has issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking relating to the Earned Paid Sick Time law which will go into effect on July 1, 2017. The ICA will be accepting written comments on the proposed rules until June 5, 2017, and Read more
Our readers may recall that the City of St. Louis, MO passed the Minimum Wage Law (Ordinance 70078) in 2015. The law was blocked that same year by a Circuit Court Judge that decided the local law conflicted with the state’s minimum wage. On February 28, 2017, the Supreme Court of Missouri determined that the City’s Read more
Focus on Workplace Violence Attention to the issue of workplace violence has grown in recent years. What we know today is that no employer is immune from workplace violence and no employer can totally prevent it. However, as employers and workers become more aware of situations and signals that precipitate workplace violence, they are better Read more
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has pulled back a controversial guidance letter authorizing union officials to act as employee representatives for non-unionized workplaces during OSHA inspections. Under the Occupational Health and Safety Act, a representative of the employer and a representative authorized by employees are allowed to accompany a Compliance Safety and Health Read more
