The Department of Labor’s update to the Fair Labor Standards Act became effective January 1 for overtime pay. Is your company overlooking this new rule? In other headlines, using marijuana in Illinois may be legal, however employers still have the right to fire employees who partake. We saw many employment laws change in 2019 that will reshape employment decisions during this new decade. Click the headlines below to learn more.
Are Employers Overlooking the Overtime Rule?
When the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) finalized a rule updating the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA)’s minimum overtime pay threshold for certain “white-collar” employees in 2019, legal experts advised employers to prepare.
Attorneys and other experts recommend that employers audit both pay practices and employee classifications potentially impacted by the new $35,568 threshold. Doing so would help employers determine whether they should raise salaries or convert workers to hourly, overtime-eligible status.
Using Marijuana is Legal, but it Can Still Get You Fired.
Now that recreational pot is legal in Illinois, marijuana enthusiasts may feel like it’s finally time to emerge from hiding. But people with jobs or looking for them might want to stay in the shadows for now as companies figure out how to handle employees who partake.
In Illinois, employers are allowed to fire workers who bring cannabis to the office, show up impaired or fail random drug tests, according to the state’s new law legalizing recreational marijuana use, which was amended in December to clarify employers’ rights. Companies are also able to reject job applicants who don’t pass drug screens.
2019 Laws and Legal Decisions Force Big Changes in Hiring
For employers, the past decade came with plenty of highs, lows, and turbulence. We moved away from the job losses and bankruptcies associated with the 2008 financial crisis into a period of historically low unemployment, a skilled labor shortage, and new pushes to make the workplace fair for all.
“Ban the box” legislation, pay equity laws, and support across the country for legalized marijuana use are forcing new rules and policies in the workplace. As we look back on 2019, here are the employment laws and legal decisions that are reshaping the way employers evaluate job candidates and manage them once they’re hired.
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