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Showing 12 posts by Clifford L. Hammond.

What Employers Need to Know About DOL Employee Classification Rules

The much-anticipated independent contractor final rule issued by the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) that became effective on March 11, 2024, is the next step in the evolution of employer/employee/independent contractor. Read More ›

Categories: Employment, Labor Relations, Liability

How Employers Handle a Remote Workforce

Remote employee on laptop at homeIn a June 2022 study by Gallup.com, 8 in 10 employees are working hybrid or entirely remote, while only 2 in 10 are entirely on-site.  Read More ›

Categories: Employment, Labor Relations, Liability

Federal Trade Commission Issues Sweeping Proposed Rule to Prohibit Noncompete Agreements

Banning Non-Compete ContractOn January 5, 2023, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) issued a proposed new regulation that would broadly prohibit employers from using or enforcing noncompete agreements with employees, former employees, contractors, or other workers. Read More ›

Categories: Alerts and Updates, Did you Know?, Employment, Labor Relations, News

Employee Misclassification and the Gig Economy

W2 vs 1099 FormOne of the most concerning trends in employment law today is employee misclassification. Stringent labor protections put in place by the government, the increased use of of independent contractors and explosion in the gig economy means that the burden is on employers not only to classify employees correctly, but also to treat them strictly within the boundaries of the law under that classification. Read More ›

Categories: Department of Labor, Did you Know?, Employment, Labor Relations, Lawsuit

Wage and Hour Law 101 for Employers

Wage Folder HR DepartmentEvery employer and HR department has reviewed wage and hour laws, but even for the most experienced companies, a few common questions always come up.

  • How much do I have to pay?
  • What will wages look like in the next few years?
  • Does a bonus affect overtime?
  • What type of damages could I face if I don’t pay employee's properly?
  • How do I stay out of the crosshairs of the government?

Some of the answers might not be as straightforward as you’d think. Below, we’ve put together some of the most important points on the basics of wage and hour laws and what employers need to know. Read More ›

Categories: Audits, Employment, Labor Relations, National Labor Relations Board, Overtime, Wage and Hour

Vaccination Mandate Could Come With Crippling Fines for Businesses

Man Receives Awful NewsPresident Biden's recent COVID-19 vaccination mandate for businesses with 100 or more employees could come with enormous fines for offenders. Page 168 of the $3.5 trillion "reconciliation" bill highlights a tenfold increase in fines for employers that "willfully" or "repeatedly" violate the mandate. Read More ›

Categories: Alerts and Updates, Compliance, Did you Know?, Employment, News

The Pro-Union PRO Act passes the U.S. House of Representatives

Union Contract and GavelOn March 9, 2021, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Protecting the Right to Organize Act, known as the PRO Act, with a largely party line vote of 225-206.

The bill’s passage in the U.S. House is a victory for labor unions, as it includes sweeping changes to federal labor laws that would significantly impact employers and empower unions. The legislation now moves to the U.S. Senate, where stiffer opposition to passage is expected. Read More ›

Categories: Alerts and Updates, Labor Relations, Legislative Updates, Union

Preparing to Deal With Employee Absences as Schools Move to Remote and Alternate Schedules

Backpack at SchoolAs the fall nears, the school year is about to kick off. While employees juggling work and school obligations can always present an issue, this year could prove to be a little more complicated than usual. Although some schools are preparing to go back to school in-person, others are utilizing a variety of modified schedules, or going totally remote. Even those schools going back in-person will inevitably be faced with children who have COVID-19 or at the least, symptoms as we move into flu season. Read More ›

Categories: Department of Labor, Employee Handbook, Employment

The Impact of Coronavirus on Employers

Attorney Cliff Hammond addresses issues facing Michigan employers amidst the COVID-19 epidemic during an interview with mConnexions' Principal Strategist, Julie Holton. Hammond covers topics such as the new Families First Coronavirus Response Act, as well as the Michigan Stay Safe, Stay Home Executive Order and what these new rules mean for employers. You can view the entire interview below. Please visit our Coronavirus Task Force page for more resources related to this ongoing situation.


Categories: Employment

Smile, You’re On Camera: Best Practices for Workplace Video Surveillance in Michigan

Preventing theft, avoiding frivolous lawsuits, increasing productivity, and improving workplace safety: these are all important objectives that employers in Michigan hope to achieve through monitoring their workers and work environments often with video surveillance. While video surveillance can be an important asset for an employer, it can also lead to liability if your surveillance program runs afoul of the law. Read More ›

Categories: Cybersecurity, Employee Handbook, Employment, Labor Relations, Privacy, Technology