Chris Irwin is a third-generation auto dealer in New Hampshire. He recently acquired a Chevrolet franchise from Tom Cantin. The transaction — and the transition — was smooth partly because the franchise passed from one family-owned group to another.

On August 7, 2023, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC) issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (“NPRM”) to implement the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (“PWFA”). As required by federal law, the NPRM was published for public comment in the Federal Register on August 11, 2023. Members of the public wishing to comment on the NPRM will have 60 days from the date of publication to do so through www.regulations.gov.

The City of Los Angeles’ Freelance Worker Protections Ordinance is now in effect. This ordinance sets forth requirements for businesses who use freelancers to perform work within the City after July 1, 2023.

On August 02, 2023, the National Labor Relations Board issued a decision (Stericycle, Inc.) that established a new standard for scrutinizing employee conduct rules under Section 8(a)(1) of the National Labor Relations Act. This decision states that prior standards for workplace conduct rules issued by the NLRB, permitted employers to adopt overbroad work rules that chill employees’ exercise of their rights.

Time rounding policies have been a source of unsettled contention and conflicting court rulings recently. The most recent California Court of Appeal came down against the practice in Woodworth v. Loma Linda Univ. Med. Ctr. The plaintiff in that case claimed that she was not paid for all hours worked as a result of the employer’s practice of rounding time punches to the nearest tenth of an hour.

For years, the federal “Equal Employment Opportunity is the Law” poster has been a familiar sight in workplace break rooms, hallways and other work areas. In 2022, this poster was replaced by a new poster issued by the EEOC entitled: “Know Your Rights: Workplace Discrimination is Illegal.” There is now an update to this new poster with the same title, issued June 27, 2023, which includes information about protections under the new federal Pregnant Workers Fairness Act.

Proposition 65 contains approximately 900 chemicals that are known to cause cancer or reproductive toxicity. The list grows every year and, as in the past, new chemicals have been added since January of 2023. In addition to identifying the newly-added chemicals, this article describes the process by which chemicals are considered for and thereafter added to the list.

Scali Rasmussen announced today that Principal Jasmin Bhandari has been listed in the first Lawdragon 500 X – The Next Generation guide. This seminal guide honors the burgeoning legal talent infusing traditional and innovative practices with fresh energy and forward-thinking perspectives.

The lack of an updated I-9 Employment Eligibility Verification Form has caused confusion for some employers who have observed that the latest Form I-9 has an effective date through October 31, 2022 only. Although the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) indicated that an updated Form I-9 will be coming soon, it has still not released the new version, which is anticipated to have some significant alterations per the USCIS’ proposed changes that include restructuring/compressing the form and reducing the length of the instructions section. In any event, employers may, for now, continue using the expired Form I-9s until further notice.

Federal law requires employers to physically inspect identity/eligibility documents substantiating a new employee’s authorization to work in the U.S. within three days of hire as part of completing the Form I-9 Eligibility Verification. Effective March 2020, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency (ICE) relaxed the physical inspection requirements due to concerns about COVID-19 spread from physical proximity and contact.