Beginning on January 17, 2017, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will implement a new rule that amends certain regulations relating to employment-based immigrant and nonimmigrant visa programs.
Over the weekend, Kentucky lawmakers passed a right-to-work bill, which was promptly signed by Governor Matt Bevin. The new law took immediate effect, making Kentucky the 27th state in the nation and the last state in the South to adopt such a measure.
The January edition of the Insider Report reviews what federal agencies accomplished in the final weeks of 2016, discusses state and municipal laws that advanced in December, and previews what the 115th Congress has in store for 2017.
According to the DOL, the “largest question” for the incoming administration will be how to “embrace innovation” as part of the changing nature of work, while ensuring a level of workforce protections for participants in the on-demand economy.
Recently California’s Division of Labor Standards Enforcement issued an FAQ concerning 2016 legislative changes that impact the state minimum wage in 2017 and future years.
The New York State Department of Labor has adopted the proposed amendments to its Wage Orders, ending weeks of speculation about whether and when increases in the minimum salaries for employees to be exempt from overtime will come into force.
After more than a year of debate, on December 20, 2016, the District of Columbia Council voted to create one of the most generous paid leave laws in the country.
Although employers (for now) do not need to comply with the DOL's new overtime exemption rule, they should consider whether current salary levels for their exempt employees satisfy state law requirements.
