Workforce Bulletin

Robert S. Groban, Jr. and the Immigration Law Group of Epstein Becker Green recently issued an alert that will be of interest to technology, media, and telecommunications employers.

On February 24, 2015, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued a final rule that extends eligibility for employment authorization to certain H-4 dependent spouses of H-1B nonimmigrants who are seeking employment-based lawful permanent resident status. H-4 spouses who fit the eligibility criteria will be able to apply for employment authorization starting on May 26, 2015.

Read the ...

Robert S. Groban, Jr. and the Immigration Law Group of Epstein Becker Green recently issued an alert that will be of interest to hospitality employers.

On February 24, 2015, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued a final rule that extends eligibility for employment authorization to certain H-4 dependent spouses of H-1B nonimmigrants who are seeking employment-based lawful permanent resident status. H-4 spouses who fit the eligibility criteria will be able to apply for employment authorization starting on May 26, 2015.

Read the full Client Alert here.

On February 18, 2015, the U.S. Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board (the “Access Board”) announced the release of its Notice of Proposed Rule Making (“NPRM”), refreshing and revising the existing accessibility requirements under Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (“508 Standards”) and Section 255 of the Communications Act of 1934 (the “255 Guidelines”), and merging them into a single rulemaking intended to support the accessibility of Information and Communications Technology (“ICT”) for individuals with ...

In a case emphasizing the importance of acting in good faith in the interactive process and how an employer can do it right, on February 13, 2015, the First Circuit denied the EEOC’s petition for a rehearing en banc of the court’s decision to dismiss a lawsuit brought against Kohl’s Department Stores, Inc. by a diabetic former employee who claimed that her erratic working hours were exacerbating her condition.  EEOC v. Kohl’s Dep’t Stores, Inc., 774 F.3d 127 (1st Cir. 2014), reh’g en banc denied (Feb. 13, 2015).

Pamela Manning, a former sales associate at Kohl’s, had type I ...

Michelle Capezza of Epstein Becker & Green  recently returned from the TechAmerica DC Fly-in held February 10^th and 11^th in Washington, D.C., a Tech Policy Summit that brought together members of technology councils, business leaders and academicians from across the country to discuss various policies and legislation impacting today’s technology companies and our economy.    As a member of the New Jersey Technology Council and an NJTC Ambassador, Michelle joined the NJTC delegation for this summit which included James Barrood (President and CEO-NJTC), Karen Lisnyj (Government ...

We were recently interviewed in Corporate Counsel, in “Employment Law Risks Abound for Startup Companies,” by Rebekah Mintzer. (Read the full version — subscription required.)

Following is an excerpt:

“We think they should be focused on it from day one,” Ian Carleton Schaefer, a member in Epstein Becker & Green’s labor and employment practice and co-leader of the firm’s technology, media and telecommunications strategic industry group, told CorpCounsel.com. “Oftentimes it takes a triggering event, whether it’s a lawsuit or a government audit to get ...

President Obama’s recent budget proposal to Congress includes a proposed $592.1 million budget for OSHA this fiscal year -- a 7 percent increase from fiscal 2015.  Although gaining approval of the proposal will surely be an uphill battle, which may be insurmountable in light of opposition from Republican lawmakers who oversee the appropriations process, the content of OSHA’s budget justification provides strong signals of its agenda for the coming year.

First, OSHA seeks to add 90 full-time positions to the agency for fiscal 2016.  Sixty of the new positions would be assigned to ...

Corporations incorporated in Delaware, regardless of whether they are domiciled in Delaware, should take note of a new Delaware law that went into effect on January 1, 2015 regarding the destruction of unencrypted personal identifying information concerning employees.  Under the new Safe Destruction of Records Containing Personal Identifying Information law (19 Del. C. § 736), employers are required to take “reasonable steps to destroy or arrange for the destruction” of unencrypted records containing employees’ “personal identifying information.”  Upon passing ...