Stafford Rosenbaum is pleased to provide you with Short Reports, which are designed to update our clients on recent developments.

The FMLA Expanded for the First Time Since Enacted 1/31/2008 On January 28, 2008, a Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) expansion for military families was signed into law.

Revised I-9 Form Issued by USCIS and Update on "No-Match" Letter Safe Harbor Rules 12/4/2007 The USCIS revised the Employment Eligibility Verification Form (I-9), and developments in federal district court on the no-match letter safe harbor rules.

"No-Match" Letter Safe Harbor Rules on Hold -- Now What? 10/29/2007 A federal district court has temporarily barred the Department of Homeland Security from enforcing the Department's "no-match" safe harbor regulations.

The Importance of Written Compensation Agreements with Key Employees 4/2/2007 A recent decision of the Wisconsin Court of Appeals highlights the dangers (both to the employee and the employer) of an employer’s failure to enter into a written compensation agreement with a key employee.

Electronically Stored Information Retention Policies 1/11/2007 As a result of new federal rules governing lawsuits, businesses must take steps to ensure electronically stored information is properly preserved any time litigation is reasonably anticipated.

Reasonable Accommodation Requires Temporary Tolerance of Absences Pending Medical Evaluation 11/3/2006 Court of Appeals rules that employers must tolerate an employee's temporary absences due to a disability as a form of reasonable accommodation during a period in which the employee is undergoing medical evaluation.

Employer Liable for Independent Contractor's Harassment 2/1/2006 Many employers do not realize that they can be held liable when employees are subject to harassment by third parties in their workplace, such as customers or independent contractors.

Wisconsin Employers Face Greater Liability in Harassment Cases 9/30/2005 The Wisconsin Labor and Industry Review Commission recently decided that anti-harassment policies do not shield employers from liability for claims of hostile environment or similar claims of harassment by supervisors brought under the WFEA.

Release of Liability Agreements: Are Yours Enforceable? 7/29/2005 Many businesses ask their customers to sign releases of liability that waive the signer's ability to sue the business in case the signer is injured or killed. Unfortunately, many liability releases fail to provide the protection sought.

Federal Child Labor Rules Revised 2/11/2005 The U.S. Department of Labor recently issued new regulations governing employment of minors, pursuant to its regulatory authority under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act.

Are You Ready? Compliance Deadline for New COBRA Regulation Looms 11/18/2004 Many employers and plan administrators have not yet come into compliance with the new COBRA regulations, which go into effect on the first day of the plan year beginning on or after November 26, 2004.

Wis. Supreme Court Expands Employers' "Reasonable Accommodation" Obligations 7/30/2004 Wisconsin employers were dealt another blow by the Wisconsin Supreme Court recently when the court issued its decision in Hutchinson Technology, Inc. v. Labor & Industry Review Commission.

NLRB Comes Full-Circle on Application of Weingarten in a Non-Union Setting 7/1/2004 The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) recently reversed its four-year-old decision which granted non-represented employees the right to have a co-worker present during investigatory interviews.

Supreme Court Highlights the Continued Importance of Anti-Harassment Policies 7/1/2004 A recent United States Supreme Court decision on workplace harassment serves as a considerable reminder to employers of the importance of well-crafted policies for reporting and resolving workplace harassment complaints.

DOL Issues Final COBRA Notice-of-Rights Regulations 7/1/2004 The federal Labor Department recently issued regulations clarifying the obligations imposed by COBRA.

Employers to Comply With New Federal Wage and Hour Rules By August 23, 2004 6/11/2004 The U.S. Department of Labor recently released final regulations amending the rules that have governed whether or not employees are exempt from federal overtime and minimum wage laws.