The DOL has issued its much-anticipated proposed rule on white-collar overtime exemptions under the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (FLSA). This rule replaces the prior Obama-era rule that has been enjoined by a federal court judge since 2016.The DOL’s proposed rule increases the annual salary threshold employees must meet to qualify as “exempt” from…

The Illinois Biometric Privacy Act (BIPA) requires all Illinois companies to notify and obtain consent when collecting biometric information. In a new BIPA case, the Illinois Appellate Court found that employees of the Four Seasons Hotel in Chicago who had brought a class action suit against the hotel were not required to pursue arbitration as sought…

The beneficiary form could pose a serious danger to your financial and estate plan because its importance is frequently overlooked. Unless the estate is the beneficiary, a result which is not reccomended as it results in all of the IRA being subject to income tax at the death of the IRA owner, the IRA will…

As we warned in our blog post of March 11th, 2019 on “The New Perils of Using Electronic Means to Identify Your Workers or Customers”, Highland Baking in Northbrook has been sued for potentially hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars in damages in a class action violation of the new biometric privacy laws by…

On January 25, 2019, The Illinois Supreme Court ruled that violations of the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act (“BIPA”), the toughest privacy law in the nation, did not require actual damages to be shown by workers or customers, but that very serious damages were presumed where violations occur, up to $1,000/$5,000 per person per incident. Under the…

While performance reviews are a routine part of many job positions, they can be a sword or a shield in employment disputes. These documents can be valuable evidence in many types of employment claims, especially those involving allegations of wrongful termination. Performance reviews are intended to provide feedback and identify opportunities for growth. They can…

It’s not all doom and gloom after the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, which curtails charitable deductions, eliminates personal exemptions and limits the deduction of local property taxes and state taxes. Taxpayers with IRAs who are over 70 ½ have an opportunity to gain a tax break this year, and their favorite charities…