Religious Accommodation and Undue Hardship: Striking the Balance for Illinois and Wisconsin Employers

Are Your Noncompetition Agreements For Your At-Will Employees Enforceable?

Courts addressing the adequacy of consideration for restrictive covenants in the employment setting have held that where the employment is at-will, the promise of continued employment is illusory. Generally, in Illinois, where employment alone is the consideration for the restrictive covenant, the employment must be for a duration of two years or more to constitute […]

Zero Tolerance Policies After the Illinois Compassionate Use of Medical Cannabis Pilot Program Act

The Compassionate Use of Medical Cannabis Pilot Program Act (“Compassionate Use Act”) was signed by Governor Quinn on August 1, 2013, and went into effect on January 1, 2014. In March 2015, the State of Illinois issued preliminary licenses to eighteen marijuana cultivation centers, allowing those centers to construct facilities, buy equipment and hire employees. […]

When is an Independent Contractor Not an Independent Contractor? Just Ask Uber.

In an atmosphere of rising employee costs, companies, both large and small, have looked to independent contractors to cut employee-related expenses. Hiring an independent contractor can reduce costs in expenses and payroll, as well as benefits such as employer provided health benefits. An independent contractor relationship can mean that a company does not need to […]

Will Your Exempt Employees Remain Exempt?

What does President Obama’s direction to the Department of Labor to change the FLSA’s “salary-level test” for exempt employees mean for employers? If enacted as proposed, it means that if (after the amendment goes into effect) an employee is not being paid at least $50,440 annually, the employee will lose the exempt status even though […]

New Illinois Law to Require Employers to Provide Reasonable Accommodation for Pregnant Workers

On January 1, 2015, a new law is set to take effect that will extend certain protections to pregnant workers in Illinois. The new law amends the Illinois Human Rights Act by requiring employers in Illinois to provide “reasonable accommodations” to job applicants, as well as part time, full time and probationary employees for medical […]