It’s been a few months now since the Supreme Court has overturned the “Chevron Doctrine.” If you are a business owner, this may have interesting consequences for your business. Ambiguous federal statutes will now be met with higher judicial scrutiny. The courts now have the power to change the interpretation of any statute they deem ambiguous. Most interesting of all, the federal agencies will be forced to defend their interpretations of federal regulations.
Read MoreThe California Worker Freedom from Employer Intimidation Act, which went into effect on January 1, 2025, essentially seeks to give employees the freedom to make up their own minds on religion and politics without feeling pressured or intimidated by their employer. This new law makes it illegal for employers to take any adverse action against any employee if the employee chooses not to attend an employer’s meeting discussing politics or religion.
Read MoreA new bill (Assembly Bill 977) has been signed into law by Governor Newsom and recently took effect on January 1, 2025. This new law increases the punishments for any person who assaults or batters a doctor, nurse, or other hospital worker in the emergency department from a maximum of 6 months to a maximum of one year imprisonment.
Read MoreMany U.S. employers use the H-1B Visa to obtain workers, and many employers have staffed nearly entire companies with such workers. It is a non-immigrant visa that allows employers to hire foreign workers in what is referred to as a “specialty occupation” for up to 3 years, with a maximum of 6 years. The Biden Administration took steps to “modernize” the H-1B program and the new regulation took effect on January 17, 2025.
Read MoreBack in April of 2024, the Federal Trade Commission voted to adopt a ban on noncompete agreements, stating that such a ban was justified because noncompete agreements are an “unfair method of competition.” Texas filed suit in federal court challenging the ban, arguing that the FTC lacks authority to issue such a ban. The court agreed and in August of 2024 blocked enforcement of the ban nationwide. Since that time, on October of 2024, the FTC filed an appeal. Although an appeal is pending, employers can technically continue to enforce existing noncompete agreements against workers.
Read MoreThe new rule, which took effect on July 1, 2024, requires that any salaried workers who earn less than $43,888 (or $844 per week) are entitled to overtime pay for any hours worked beyond 40 hours per week. Under the new rule, the threshold will increase for the first time on January 1, 2025 and will be scheduled to increase every three years thereafter. On January 1, 2025, any salaried employers who earn less than $58,656 a year (or $1,128 per week) will be entitled to overtime pay. In creating a higher threshold, the Department of Labor estimates that approximately $4 Million previously exempt workers will be eligible for overtime pay.
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