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WEBINAR SERIES RECAP | Employment & Labor

Client Alert, Multimedia

BMD Partner and Co-Chair of the Employment & Labor Law Group, Bryan Meek, presented this four-part webinar series.

The Future of Non-Compete Enforcement and Methods for Employer Protection

Originally Aired October 11, 2023

Speakers: Bryan Meek and Amanda Waesch

Non-compete agreements are becoming heavily restricted, and proposed regulations from the federal government further threaten their existence as a tool for employers to protect trade secrets, customer bases, and exclusivity. Learn about the restrictive changes coming for non-competes, how employers can prepare, and other tools that are available to employers to protect business interests.


Employee Misclassification and Discrimination in the Workplace

Originally Aired October 25, 2023

Speaker: Bryan Meek

Terminated employees are increasingly filing for discrimination investigations at state and federal level discrimination agencies. These filings range from gender and race-based discrimination to improper coordination of the interactive process under the Americans with Disabilities Act. In addition, employees are now banding together to bring filings challenging their exemption classifications or classifications as contractors, which lead to class action lawsuits against companies. We discuss the increase in discrimination and wage & hour filings, what employers can do to protect themselves, and what employers should do when they become subject to discrimination and harassment investigations.


Employee Marijuana Use in the Era of Legality

Originally Aired November 8, 2023

Speakers: Bryan Meek and Ashley Watson

Marijuana legalization is taking the country by storm with new states legalizing recreational or medical use of marijuana each year.  Are employers required to allow use of marijuana as a recreational drug outside of work hours? Can employees still be fired if they test positive for marijuana use? Do employers have to allow their employees to use marijuana as prescribed for the treatment of an ailment or disability? Are there added limitations for healthcare workers when it comes to the use of marijuana? Find out the answers to all of your questions regarding the use of marijuana in the workplace.


The New Pregnant Employee Protections in the Workplace

Originally Aired November 15, 2023

Speaker: Bryan Meek

This year, the United States witnessed the biggest changes to pregnant employee discrimination protections since the adoption of the Pregnancy Discrimination Act of 1978. As a result, pregnant employees and those that are breastfeeding have more significant protections in the workplace than ever before. Get to know the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act and the Pump Act, as well as how to engage with pregnant employees when seeking accommodations.


CLIENT ALERT: IRS Announces 401(k) and HSA Contribution Limits for 2020

With 2020 just around the corner, the IRS announced important information for the upcoming year for both 401(k) Contributions and Health Saving Accounts (HSAs).

CLIENT ALERT: U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division Sets Enforcement Record

In advance of Halloween, the U.S. Department of Labor announced the results of its Wage and Hour Division's (WHD) recovery efforts for Fiscal Year 2019, and it reads like a horror story. The good news to lull you into a feeling of safety was that the 18,844 Complaints Registered was the fewest amount over the past 22 years or published records.

CLIENT ALERT: Will Ohio Recognize a Biddle Claim in a Post-HIPAA World?

OHIO SUPREME COURT WILL HEAR CASE INVOLVING CLASS ACTION FOR ALLEGED HIPAA VIOLATIONS: Will Ohio Recognize a Biddle Claim in a Post-HIPAA World?

CLIENT ALERT: Proposed New Rules to both the Stark Law and the Anti-Kickback Statute

On October 9, 2019, as part of the “Regulatory Sprint to Coordinate Care,” the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (“CMS”), along with the US Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (“OIG”), proposed new rules to both the physician self-referral law (“Stark Law”) and the Anti-Kickback Statute (“AKS”). Rule changes are aimed at fostering innovative arrangements for coordinating care consistent with a shift to a value-based system. Both proposed rules are expected to be published to the Federal Register on October 17, 2019. Public comments are due 75 days after publication.

CLIENT ALERT: New Overtime Rule Raises Minimum Salary Requirements and Other Changes to the Fair Labor Standards Act

Today, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) issued its Final Rule updating the regulations under the Fair Labor Standard Act: Effective January 1, 2020, employees who make less than $35,568 are now eligible for overtime pay under a final rule issued by the U.S. Department of Labor (“DOL”). The DOL expects 1.3 million workers to become newly eligible for overtime by updating the thresholds. The new rule will raise the salary threshold to $684 per week ($35,568 annualized) from $455 per week. This means that even if your employee qualifies under one of the overtime exemptions, if the employee is not earning at least $684/week, the employee will be eligible for overtime and minimum wage requirements.