The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) recently announced two relief programs for employers that may have claimed credits under the employee retention credit (ERC) based on erroneous or specious eligibility standards.
Jones Walker Elects Four New Partners and Strong Board Leadership
Jones Walker LLP is pleased to announce the firm has elected four new partners and reelected Lauren Mastio and Chad Theriot to its board of directors for four-year terms, effective January 1, 2024. The firm also elected Andy Lee to its board of directors for a one-year term, effective December 2023.
OSHA and NLRB Set Forth MOU to Strengthen Protections for the Health and Safety of Workers: A 2024 Outlook,
On October 31, 2023, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to strengthen their interagency partnership.
Employment Law Update: A Year in Review [2023]
This year has brought considerable reform to workplace law. With 2023 coming to a close, it is time to recap this year’s legal changes and prepare for what 2024 will bring.
“EEOC Rolls Out New Guidance on Harassment in the Workplace,” Jones Walker LLP Labor & Employment Client Alert
On September 29, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) released its draft enforcement guidance on harassment in the workplace. This proposed guidance comes after a previous attempt to update in 2017. The last published guidance released by the EEOC was in 1999, titled “Enforcement Guidance on Vicarious Liability for Unlawful Harassment by Supervisors.” Approximately two decades later, the agency has keyed in on today’s current issues of sexual harassment to update its guidance. The desire to implement changes to the guidance has stemmed from events such as the #MeToo movement and the COVID-19 pandemic as well as the rise in online harassment.
“Religious Accommodations Require Favored Treatment, Not Mere Neutrality,” Southeast Employment Law Letter, Vol. 4, No. 11
Jones Walker LLP Relocates Jackson Office to Fondren Building
Jones Walker LLP announced today that the firm’s Jackson office has relocated to the Fondren Building from its previous location in the Pinnacle Building downtown. The new office address is 3100 North State Street, Suite 300, Jackson, MS 39216.
Jones Walker Welcomes Eight Associates
Jones Walker LLP is pleased to announce the addition of eight associates to the firm.
Not So Fast . . . IRS Delays Processing of Employee Retention Tax Credit Claims and Warns Employers to Proceed with Caution
The Internal Revenue Service announced on September 14 that it was “increasingly alarmed” about potentially abusive submissions for tax credits under the Employee Retention Credit (ERC), which is a tax credit passed in conjunction with relief promulgated under the CARES Act. Citing a backlog in reviewing current claims and warning about aggressive promoters pushing employers to take questionable tax positions, the IRS announced an aggressive crackdown on enforcement under the ERC program. The IRS guidance also provides for a longer processing time for current submissions as well as relief programs for ineligible employers that applied for the credit.
Fifth Circuit Overturns Decades-Old Precedent, Expands Scope of Employment Discrimination Claims
On Friday, August 18, the US Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit issued a landmark decision overturning nearly 30 years of precedent limiting plaintiffs in Title VII cases to claims based on “ultimate employment decisions.” Where previously employment discrimination claims were limited to actions such as “hiring, granting leave, discharging, promoting, and compensating,” employees can now pursue claims based on any discriminatory practice that alters the “terms, conditions, or privileges of their employment.”
Employer’s Lack of Documentation Undermines Defense of Discrimination Claim
Hubert & Lavigne Present on Pending FTC Non-Compete Ban
Tom Hubert and Joe Lavigne, partners in the Labor & Employment Practice Group, presented “Federal Trade Commission’s Proposed Rule on Non-Compete Agreements Update” during the Louisiana Chapter of the Association of Corporate Counsel June CLE on June 9, 2023. The pair discussed the uncertainties raised by the Federal Trade Commission’s proposed ban on non-compete agreements and provided attendees with tips on what employers should be doing to prepare while waiting for the final rule.
Lewis Presents During Virtual HR Conference
Sid Lewis, a partner in the Labor & Employment Practice Group presented during the Netchex Mini-Netconnect 2023 virtual conference on May 11, 2023.
OSHA Is Not Backing Down — Employers Must Address Risks of Extreme Heat
Even when you aren’t directly experiencing this summer’s heat, you are probably reading or hearing about it.
A Bigger and (in Some Ways) Better Version of the SECURE Act
The SECURE 2.0 Act of 2022 (SECURE 2.0) was enacted on December 29, 2022, as a component of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023. SECURE 2.0 made sweeping changes to the laws affecting qualified retirement plans and IRAs.