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• Department of Homeland Security’s non-U.S. citizen registration requirement By Laura Jurcevich    What is the new non-U.S. citizen registration requirement? The law requires non-U.S. citizens residing in the United States to register with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), providing personal information such as fingerprints and home addresses. The new rule aims to enhance national security and ensure compliance with U.S. immigration laws. Effective April 11, 2025, and subject to limited exceptions, the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) requires all noncitizens aged 14 and older who were not fingerprinted or registered when... More
• Ohio employers face new paystub requirements By Helen Sudhoff    Ohio’s new Pay Stub Protection Act went into effect earlier this week, modifying and clarifying what must be included in an employee’s pay statement. What are the new requirements for employers? Ohio’s new Pay Stub Protection Act went into effect earlier this week, modifying and clarifying what must be included in an employee’s pay statement. The Act requires all Ohio employers to provide pay statements to employees each pay period and mandates that every employee pay statement include the... More
• What employers need to know about the EEOC’s guidance regarding discrimination related to DEI and Title VII By Kelsey Gee    After President Trump’s DEI-related Executive Orders and Presidential Acts, employers have grappled with their DEI policies. Employers now have some agency guidance on what the Trump Administration considers illegal DEI practices and potential implications. The documents linked below focus on “educating the public about unlawful discrimination related to ‘diversity, equity and inclusion’ in the workplace.” The EEOC and DOJ warn employers about DEI policies conflicting with Title VII The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and the Department of Justice... More
• Planning for the H-1B cap online registration period opening March 7, 2025 By Hannah Harris    The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced the fiscal year 2026 initial registration period for the H-1B cap will run from noon EST on March 7, 2025, to noon EST on March 24, 2025. The H-1B program is for employers sponsoring foreign nationals in specialty occupations. A specialty occupation is a position that requires the application of a body of highly specialized knowledge and at least a bachelor’s degree in a directly related specific specialty, or its equivalent,... More
• Q&A: Can you deduct speeding tickets from employee wages? By Jamie Repasky    Question: Our employees drive vehicles strictly for work purposes, but we do not have a policy on such use. After employees received several speeding tickets, we would like to introduce a policy that would allow management to deduct the cost of tickets from employees’ wages. Are we allowed to start introducing this type of payroll deduction? Answer: Employers should be wary of implementing payroll deductions that are not expressly permitted by federal or state law. Deductions primarily benefiting the employer are... More
• Ohio Supreme Court clarifies employers’ defenses to temporary total disability compensation in workers’ compensation cases By Rebecca Kopp Levine    Last year, we reported on the Tenth District Court of Appeals’ decision limiting employers’ defenses to temporary total disability compensation following the termination of an employee. Recently, the Supreme Court of Ohio reversed the lower court decision and issued a decision favorable for Ohio employers. In State ex rel. AutoZone Stores, Inc. v. Indus. Comm., 2024-Ohio-5519, the Supreme Court clarified when employers may contest an employee’s request for temporary total disability compensation.  Case overview: Injury, termination and compensation... More
• Immigration policy considerations for employers as we embark on a second Trump administration By Hannah Harris    Immigration reform will be a focal point of the new administration in the early days of Trump’s transition back to the White House with a likelihood that some changes initially will come by way of executive action. The practical implications of any immigration policy changes may begin to take shape in the early months of the new administration, but based on his past administration and campaign rhetoric, it is possible that some changes could be swift. The Trump campaign... More
• Changes to Medicare set-aside reporting By Rebecca Kopp Levine    Employers settling workers’ compensation claims with Medicare beneficiaries are required to take into consideration Medicare’s potential interest. Settling parties obtain a Medicare Set-Aside (MSA) report that designates a portion of the settlement to be set-aside for future medical treatment.  This process is to ensure that The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is not paying for medical treatment that should have been covered by a workers’ compensation claim.  CMS announced that the rules for reporting workers’ compensation... More
• Bona fide termination of H-1B employee By Rob Cohen    What is a Labor Condition Application in the H-1B process? An employer must file a certified Labor Condition Application (LCA) with an H-1B petition on behalf of employees who need an H-1B visa for employment. The LCA is certified by the Department of Labor (DOL) and imposes an obligation on the employer to pay the offered wage for the duration of the H-1B petition unless the obligation is terminated earlier. There are two reasons the obligation may be terminated... More
• The Conrad 30 Program provides an avenue for J-1 physicians to remain in the U.S. By Hannah Harris    Many medical residency programs, Graduate Medical Education or GME, will accept international medical graduates in the Exchange Visitor (J-1) program sponsored by the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG). The J-1 program permits physicians to complete graduate medical education or training in the U.S. while in J-1 status. However, the J-1 visa carries with it the two-year home residence requirement, a provision that renders the J-1 physician ineligible to apply for a change of status to another nonimmigrant... More