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  • HR Specialist: Employment Law
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David B. Ritter

How should we report new hires?

11/15/2010
Q. What are an employer’s obligations to report new hires?

7th Circuit rejects ‘cat’s paw’ theory in age discrimination claim

11/15/2010
The recent 7th Circuit decision in Lindsey v. Walgreen Co. addresses the cat’s paw theory of liability in the context of an age discrimination claim. The court held that a supervisor who decided to fire an employee was not the “cat’s paw” because she did not rely solely on the employee’s allegedly biased supervisor.

What are the new federal I-9 rules?

10/12/2010
Q. How does the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s new rule change an employer’s Form I-9 responsibilities?

Did child labor penalties just get tougher?

10/12/2010
Q. I heard that the U.S. Department of Labor recently implemented tougher penalties against employers that illegally employ child workers. How have these penalties changed?

How will the new Illinois Family Military Leave Act amendment affect us?

10/12/2010
Q. How does the recent amendment to the Illinois Family Military Leave Act affect employers?

Federal court makes it tougher for employees to prove retaliation

10/12/2010

Federal courts often use the well-known McDonnell Douglas burden-shifting test to determine whether an employer has unlawfully discriminated against an employee. Now the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled that when it considers an Illinois workers’ compensation retaliation claim, it must apply an Illinois state law rule that is more demanding for employees than the McDonnell Douglas test.

What are the new rules for nursing mothers?

09/16/2010
Q. Could you give us some guidance on our requirement to provide breaks for nursing mothers?

Must we provide health insurance coverage for employees’ adult children?

09/16/2010
Q. How does the new health care reform law affect coverage for adult dependent children under a group health plan?

What are the rules on applicant credit checks?

09/16/2010
Q. Our company would like to review applicants’ credit information when we make hiring decisions. Can we do this?

How will Illinois’ wage law change next year?

09/16/2010
Q. How are employees affected by the amendment to the Illinois Wage Payment and Collection Act?