The Beltway Buzz is a weekly update summarizing labor and employment news from inside the Beltway and clarifying how what’s happening in Washington, D.C., could impact your business.
Archives for February 4, 2024
DOL Contractor Rule Critics Aim For Familiar Judge’s Review
In a case that centers around the DOL’s a new independent contractor rule, Michael Lotito said if the Fifth Circuit remands the case, the business coalition that sued to block the previous rule plans to file an amended complaint in the district court with arguments tailored to the new rule.
#LaborOscars2024: 55 Labor Movies to Watch Before the Oscars
As the Academy Awards selections and ceremony approach, the Power At Work Blog is proud to shine a light on the films that feature worker power and unions, labor leaders, and workers’ collective action.
We’ve curated a list of 50 labor films you should watch from several different genres that
[Podcast] Workers by the Numbers #16: Analyzing the January Jobs and Unemployment Report with Aaron Sojourner and Seth Harris
Due to technical difficulties, the Power At Work Blog was unable to share this month’s Workers by the Numbers stream live, but you can still catch our labor experts’ latest takes on the January BLS report. Watch below to hear a conversation between Alicia Modestino, Seth Harris, and Aaron Sojourner
Workers Poised to Score Benefits as DOL Rule Creates ‘Employees’
Alexander MacDonald says its very difficult to classify a worker as an independent contractor for one purpose, but an employee for another, because there are things you have to do with respect to an employee that you don’t do with an independent contractor.
Bloomberg Law
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5 Things to Know About the Independent Contractor Rule
Michael R. Gotzler talks about best practices for businesses that partner with staffing agencies.
XpertHR
H-1B Update: New Rule Focuses on Beneficiary-Centric Improvements
USCIS published its Improving the H-1B Registration Selection Process and Program Integrity final rule on Feb. 2, 2024. The new final rule has three basic categories: creating a beneficiary-centric selection process, specifically allowing for start date flexibility, and other enhancements to the integrity of the selection process.
This is the
Free Webinar: Why ChatGPT Won’t Steal Your HR Job
The Evil HR Lady has teamed up with Brabo Payroll to bring you a series of FREE webinars! This is the first in this series, presented by Suzanne Lucas.
You’ll learn some of the ins and outs of ChatGPT and why it shouldn’t put you into a panic (but also
J&M Industries to Pay $105,000 to Settle EEOC Age Discrimination Lawsuit
NEW ORLEANS – J&M Industries, Inc., a manufacturing and distribution company based in Ponchatoula, Louisiana, has agreed to pay a former employee $105,000 to settle an age discrimination lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the federal agency announced today.
New, Higher USCIS Filing Fees Take Effect April 1, 2024
Many USCIS filing fees are being adjusted upward beginning on April 1, 2024. That date, of course, is particularly significant. It is the earliest date that Cap H-1Bs can be filed.
The H-1B filing fee, for example, will rise from $460 to $780. The ACWIA Fee (to fund the training
USCIS Announces FY 2025 H-1B Registration Period and New Beneficiary-Centric System
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced that the registration period for fiscal year (FY) 2025 will open on Wednesday, March 6, 2024, at noon ET and run until noon ET on Friday, March 22, 2024. USCIS will implement a new beneficiary-centric system to ensure all beneficiaries have the
USCIS Issues Final Rule Increasing Filing Fees
On January 31, 2024, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) published a final rule in the Federal Register to adjust immigration benefit request fees, effective April 1, 2024. The agency has stated that the “[t]he final rule will allow USCIS to recover a greater share of its operating costs and
Reminder for Employers—February 14 Deadline for California Employers to Notify Employees Noncompete Agreements Are Void
Under a new law passed in October 2023, California employers must provide all current and certain former California employees with individualized written notices by February 14, 2024, advising them that any noncompete clauses or noncompete agreements with employers are void.
In the Year of the Union, Black women and Latinas lead union growth in 2023
This post is a part of the Power at Work Blog’s “Partners in Power” series, which features articles republished in partnership with other labor publications. Click here to read more Partners in Power pieces on the Power At Work Blog.
2023 was a banner year for labor actions and unions. “Hot Strike
A Better Way for Companies to Address Pay Gaps
Pay gaps are an enduring and growing source of social tension and management frustration — statistical evidence that workers of one particular group (usually women or people of color) are systematically underpaid across an organization or within business divisions.