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Illinois employers take note! The Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) has a new notice on its website addressing the remarkable expansion of unemployment insurance benefits under the federal stimulus package known as the CARES Act (Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act). The IDES states that not everyone will be eligible for all the…
Read MoreIn this remarkable era of coronavirus legislative relief from Congress, many new laws are impacting employers. This naturally is very stressful because there is suddenly “a new normal” about so many aspects of the workplace. Employers are being asked to adapt very quickly to a virtual ocean of new legislation, and the unemployment insurance area…
Read MoreYesterday, Congressional leaders passed a historic federal stimulus package in response to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). The bill now travels to The House of Representatives for approval before being signed by President Trump. The legislation includes a new pandemic unemployment assistance program, which would provide unemployment insurance benefits to those who are unemployed,…
Read MoreUnder the Illinois Workplace Transparency Act, ALL Illinois employers are now legally required to train every employee each calendar year. This new law became effective on January 1, 2020. By December 31, 2020, Illinois employers must have trained all their employees. Every employer with employees working in the State of Illinois (even if the employer…
Read MoreIllinois employers have been truly shell-shocked with many new (and sometimes vague or confusing!) employment laws that became effective January 1, 2020. One big and somewhat surprising change in Illinois law is the new requirement that Illinois employers give certain special treatment to Separation and Release Agreements. The following are five commonly asked questions from…
Read MoreMany clients are convinced that it is “hopeless” to protest the often disappointing results of an Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) audit and then win at a Hearing before an IDES Hearing Officer. It is true that IDES Hearing Officers (called Administrative Law Judges) are employees of the IDES. Therefore, clients often believe that…
Read MoreThe IRS SS-8 Program allows either a Company or a Worker to request that the IRS evaluate and determine whether the Worker is an employee or an independent contractor for Federal/IRS Purposes. The resulting Determination by the IRS SS-8 Unit is just the SS-8 Unit’s “opinion” (not an actual audit!). Either party can start the…
Read MoreAs many readers may be aware, there are several new and significant employment laws that were recently passed in Illinois which become effective January 1, 2020. One of these new Illinois laws, the Workplace Transparency Act, places certain strict legal requirements on Illinois employers in the use of Severance and Release Agreements. 21 DAYS TO…
Read MoreIn July 2019, a state appeals court, the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court (hereinafter “Court”), decided that psychological counselors (who provided services to clients) had been properly classified as independent contractors. [The case is Pathways Counseling Services LLC v. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania et al., Case Number 1332 CD 2018.] Pathways Counseling Services LLC (hereinafter “Company”) referred clients…
Read MoreUnder the Illinois Unemployment Insurance Act (hereinafter “Act”), there are certain kinds of workers (for example, real estate appraisers, direct sellers, certain kinds of newspaper delivery people) who are exempt from employment (i.e., independent contractors) as long as the specific legal requirements are met. If your company uses any of these types of workers, it…
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