On April 29, 2021, the Ontario government passed Bill 284, COVID-19 Putting Workers First Act, 2021 (the “Act”), which amended the Employment Standards Act, 2000 (the “ESA”). The Act requires employers to provide employees with up to three days of paid leave if they miss work for COVID-19-related reasons. The paid leave entitlement is retroactive to April 19, 2021 and will end on September 25, 2021, the same day that the Canada Recovery Sickness Benefit ends. The Act may be extended beyond that date.
DOL Mulls Return to Obama-Era “Persuader” Reporting Rule
In late April 2021, the Department of Labor’s (DOL) Office of Labor-Management Standards (OLMS) signaled its intent to revisit the “Persuader Rule” — an Obama-era regulation that imposes strict reporting requirements on employers facing organization. Although the Persuader Rule has not yet been reinstated, and will almost certainly face significant opposition, employers should be aware of the possible ramifications of the regulation.
Continue reading “DOL Mulls Return to Obama-Era “Persuader” Reporting Rule”
President Biden Raises the Minimum Wage to $15 for Certain Federal Contractors
On April 27, 2021, President Joe Biden signed an Executive Order (EO) requiring certain federal contractors to pay workers on government contracts at least $15 per hour beginning January 30, 2022. After 2022, the minimum wage will be adjusted annually for inflation at a rate set by the secretary of Labor (the secretary). The EO supported the minimum wage increase by stating that raising worker wages will promote efficiency in federal procurement through: (1) enhanced worker productivity and generation of higher-quality work from increased workers’ health, morale and effort; (2) reduced absenteeism and turnover; and (3) lowered supervisory and training costs.
Continue reading “President Biden Raises the Minimum Wage to $15 for Certain Federal Contractors”
The EEOC Opens Portal for 2019 and 2020 EEO-1 Component 1 Reports With New Data Collection Website
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) begins EEO-1 Component 1 data collection today with its recently updated website. In addition to launching the new online filing system, the EEO-1 website features refreshed resource information, including 21 FAQs and four fact sheets, which discuss pointers for preparing to file and getting started, as well as reporting requirements for company organizational changes.
The U.K. Immigration Video Series: A Guide to Commonly Used Visas
As employees, business leaders and travelers begin to adapt to the U.K.’s post-Brexit immigration system, a strong grasp of the most commonly used visa categories — including new visas established as a result of Brexit — is essential. To help you get up to speed, we’ve created a series of short videos providing basic overviews of each major visa category, prepared and narrated by the trainee solicitors of the Faegre Drinker immigration and global mobility team in London.
To view the videos, visit the Faegre Drinker website.
Summer Sun and State-Sponsored Stipends in Malta
First it was digital nomads. Now will “state-sponsored stipends” become part of the mainstream global lexicon?
As we have discussed at length, the COVID-19 pandemic has affected employers and employees across the world. Since the outbreak of COVID-19, governments have implemented measures to address the economic impact of the pandemic, including job retention schemes and promoting remote work. Last year, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the governments of Barbados and Estonia took a dynamic approach to changes in the workplace and introduced digital nomad visas that allow individuals to live in those countries while they work for foreign employers.
Continue reading “Summer Sun and State-Sponsored Stipends in Malta”