On January 31, 2020, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) released a revised version of the I-9 Employment Eligibility Verification Form. Use of the revised form is mandatory beginning on May 1, 2020. The revised I-9 form
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Five USERRA Responsibilities Employers Should Know Regarding Soldiers in the Workplace
Veterans Day is a good time to refresh employers on the federal rights entitled to their employees who serve our country in the uniformed services. U.S. employees who take leave from their civilian jobs to serve in the armed services
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Breaking News: U.S. Department of Labor Issues Final Rule Raising Salary Thresholds
The U.S. Department of Labor released a final rule today providing that employees who make less than $35,568 are now eligible for overtime pay. The new rate will take effect January 1, 2020. The new rule will raise the salary
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FMLA Covers Parental Attendance at IEP Meetings
As students return to school, employers should be mindful of a new U.S. Department of Labor opinion letter impacting when a parent may use qualifying intermittent FMLA leave. On August 8, 2019, the U.S. Department of Labor concluded that an
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President Trump Nominates Scalia to Department of Labor
President Trump has nominated Eugene Scalia, son of the late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, to head the United States Department of Labor. Scalia will replace Secretary of Labor Alexander Acosta, who stepped down amid controversy. Mr. Scalia will have
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U.S. Department of Labor Issues Notice of Proposed Rulemaking for Joint Employment
On April 1, 2019, the U.S. Department of Labor released a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) on joint employment under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).
The Department is proposing to revise and clarify the responsibilities of employers and joint
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New Overtime Rule (Again!)
The U.S. Department of Labor (“DOL”) has finally announced its proposed new rule for overtime eligibility under the Fair Labor Standards Act. The DOL’s Thursday announcement proposes to increase the salary threshold to $35,308 per year, an increase from $455
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Key Takeaways from the Recent Overtime Rule Listening Sessions
The Wage and Hour Division of the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) held public listening sessions on October 30, 2018 to gather views on the Part 541 white collar exemption regulations, the 2016 “Overtime Rule.” Sessions were held in Atlanta, GA, Seattle, WA, Kansas City, MO, Denver, CO, Providence, RI, and Washington DC. A review of the actual transcripts reveals that many different interests presented comments, including human resource professionals, small business, nonprofits, employees, employers, attorneys, and large businesses. Full renditions of the transcripts by city can be found here.
The DOL posed these questions for addressing at the Listening Sessions:
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DOJ and DOL Combine Forces to Combat Employment Discrimination Against U.S. Workers
On July 31, 2018, the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Department of Labor (DOL) signed an agreement that sets guidelines for inter-agency collaboration to combat suspected employer non-compliance with immigration laws. The agencies have agreed to share resources, including records, and education and training where necessary, and refer cases to one another when an agency learns of employer non-compliance.
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Using Offer Letters Correctly
South Carolina is an employment at will state. This means that, absent a written contract guaranteeing employment, employers are free to terminate employees at any time, without notice, for any reason (so long as that reason does not violate another law of course!). Conversely, employees are generally free to quit at any time without recourse.
So, most companies in South Carolina use the initial offer letter to convey the terms and conditions of an employee’s employment. The offer letter typically contains items such as job duties, hours, pay rate, and general benefits information. However, what is legally required to be provided? What are some optional items that should be considered?
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