Last month, we wrote about the new I-9 Form employers must use for all employees starting January 22, 2017.  Today, our Immigration attorneys issued an Advisory to offer some additional guidance and clarification for employers in transitioning from the old I-9 Form to this new Form, and addressing some questions that may come up related to the Form and the use of E-Verify to confirm an employee’s legal status to work in the United States.  This Advisory is based on some information just provided by the American Immigration Lawyer’s Association’s Verification and Documentation Liaison Committee, and our Immigration experts wisely wanted to pass along the advice right away.

A recent federal Appellate Court decision offers employers greater flexibility and decision making authority in considering job reassignments for qualified disabled employees.  In EEOC v. St. Joseph’s Hospital, a case decided by the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals (which covers Georgia, Florida and Alabama), an employee sought a job reassignment as a reasonable accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).  The employer allowed the employee thirty days to apply for vacant positions, but did not automatically grant her a new position.  Rather the employer required the employee to compete for a new position pursuant to its best qualified applicant hiring policy – she would be given the job only if she was the best qualified applicant for the position.

Q.  My company is based in Philadelphia.  We often set salaries for new employees based on the applicant’s wage history.  Are we still permitted to do this?

A.  Effective May 23, 2017, a new Philadelphia Ordinance makes it unlawful for employers in Philadelphia to inquire about a prospective employee’s wage history or require disclosure of wage history as a condition of employment.  The law was passed to encourage employers to base salary offers on the job responsibilities of the position sought, rather than on the applicant’s prior wages.  Employers will no longer be able to rely on the wage history of a prospective employee when determining the wages of that individual, unless the individual knowingly and willingly disclosed his or her wage history to the employer.

Q: Unfortunately, I need to lay off some employees, and possibly close my business. What steps do I need to take to ensure I am in compliance with legal obligations?

A: There are many factors and obligations to consider when laying off multiple employees and/or closing a business. It is best to consider these aspects as early as possible, even if you think layoff/closure is only a possibility.

A nationwide restaurant chain is in a “sticky” situation, and not because of the barbeque sauce on its ribs.  Rather, it faces a trial in a lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, alleging years of pervasive age discrimination in its hiring of hourly, “front of the house” employees.  The EEOC alleges  that the company failed to hire applicants over 40 for public, visible positions such as servers, hosts, and bartenders, and instead instructed managers to hire younger applicants for those positions at its hundreds of locations.

Last Fall’s election, where so much was said about hacked emails, should serve as a reminder to employers that cyber security is of the utmost important.  Cyber crime continues to rise across the globe.  In some European countries it even outpaces traditional crime.  A single data breach can cost a company millions of dollars in lost revenue, fines, and corrective action, not to mention the damages to its reputation and brand loyalty.  So what are the biggest cyber threats and how can businesses best defend against them?

Q:  What does it mean to discriminate against someone based on their national origin?

A:  Title VII prohibits employers from acting in a way that would have the purpose or effect or discriminating against an employee because of his or her national origin.

But what does the term “discrimination based on national origin” really mean?

Q: As a New York employer, what do I need to know about the increases to the minimum wage and the exempt salary threshold?

A: This is a timely question, since both the minimum wage and exempt salary threshold increased, effective December 31, 2016.

Late last year, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) issued its Final Rule amending certain regulations related to employment-based immigrant and nonimmigrant visa programs.  USCIS’s effort is intended to benefit both U.S. employers and foreign workers participating in these programs by “streamlining the processes for employer sponsorship of nonimmigrant workers for lawful permanent resident (LPR) status, increasing job portability and otherwise providing stability and flexibility for such workers, and providing additional transparency and consistency in the application of DHS policies and practices related to these programs.”  The changes contained in the Final Rule go into effect on January 17, 2017, so employers with foreign workers (or employers who are considering hiring foreign workers) need to understand the implications of these changes and be prepared.

Out with the old and in with the new?  Not so fast.  For California employers, it’s more like keep the old and add the new.  And, as so often happens, the new year brings new concerns.  While this list is not exhaustive, California employers should keep their sights on the following new state and local regulations or requirements for 2017: