Author: Rebecca S. Webber

On Tuesday, March 21, at the Carriage House in Lewiston, Amy Sneirson, executive director of the Maine Human Rights Commission, and Bridget McAlonan, of Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Services, will present a program discussing the law, regulations, and practical advice and guidance on handling LGBTQ issues in the workplace. They will also discuss how to integrateRead More

On January 7, Maine’s new minimum wage went into effect. That meant that hourly workers had to be paid at least $9 an hour as of that day. The new minimum salary requirement will be $519.24 per week, up from the federal minimum of $455 per week. State law requires that overtime-exempt employees be paid anRead More

The EEOC just released a publication on the rights of job applicants and employees with mental health conditions. Such applicants and employees are likely to be protected by state and federal laws protecting disabled persons, and may entitle them to reasonable accommodations. There are also privacy rights attached to any information about mental health conditions,Read More

As you may have heard, a federal judge in Texas blocked the federal Department of Labor’s (DOL’s) new federal overtime rule, issuing a “preliminary injunction.” This was the rule that would have raised the salary threshold for exemption from overtime pay from $23,660 to $47,476. One result is that employers do not have to comply withRead More

The newest version of the Form I-9 is now available as announced by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Employers may continue using the current version of Form I-9 until Jan. 21, 2017. After Jan. 21, 2017, all previous versions of the Form I-9 will be invalid. Go here for the new form: https://www.uscis.gov/i-9   Failure to Accommodate MayRead More

The Feds Talk Turkey: Business Resource Center on Federal Discrimination Laws Well in advance of Thanksgiving, the federal agency responsible for enforcing federal discrimination laws (the EEOC) launched not just some helpful articles but an entire resource center designed to help business owners comply with the discrimination laws enforced by the EEOC. Although labeled theRead More

As the summer air begins to chill, folks around the workplace are talking (and maybe worrying) about the DOL’s proposed increases to the minimum salary to get overtime. Beginning December 1, 2016, the DOL will double the minimum salary needed to qualify for a white collar exemption from overtime from the current $455 a week ($23,660Read More

Effective August 1, 2016, employers must put up new Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and Employee Polygraph Protection Act (EPPA) postings. The federal Department of Labor has removed penalty amounts from the posters and has added a section about the rights of nursing mothers to the FLSA poster. And where can you find this posterRead More

I have to say, I love SHRM. They have lots to offer, from updates to forms to webinars, but they also have some great articles that I generally find to be quite practical. I recently saw a link on an email alert about an article on How to Fire Someone Without Getting Sued. This articleRead More

First, before we get to that FMLA poster…….. still no updated I-9 form. Stick with the version that expired on 03/31/2016 for now. The take away: Department of Homeland Security is not a winner when it comes to updating its forms. Which governmental agency has gone in the opposite direction and updated when not necessary?Read More