Protecting Employers Since 1985

Executive Summary of Shelter in Place Order

By Richard H. Wessels / March 21, 2020

Governor Pritzker’s Shelter in Place Order was announced Friday, March 20, 2020 at his press conference shortly after 3:00 pm. It was only later in the day on Friday that the full text was released. Here is an EXECUTIVE SUMMARY. The fundamental is that all individuals are to stay at home. The Order explains what…

Read More

Model Communication to Labor Unions Regarding Covid-19

By Richard H. Wessels / March 20, 2020

For Employers who have union contrcts – below is a good model communication that has been quite helpful for our clients. You may want to consider using it as a model. To say the least, we are going through difficult times. The Covid-19 pandemic and declaration of national emergency is unprecedented in the recent history…

Read More

For Employers: Coronavirus Leaves and Consequences; Lawful Emergency Payroll Reductions

By Jennifer Adams Murphy / March 19, 2020

Employers are scrambling to find an equitable and lawful plan to manage reduced or eliminated revenue resulting from mandated closures, illnesses, and quarantines and to understand newly enacted laws. On March 18, 2020, President Trump signed the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (“FFCRA”). With respect to employment concerns, the FFRCA provides for expanded coverage under…

Read More

Employers: EEOC Guidelines regarding Covid-19

By Jennifer Adams Murphy / March 17, 2020

The EEOC has issued the following guidance regarding the difficult issues facing employers in their efforts to identify and control Covid-19. While the ADA still, of course, applies to employers’ conduct, limited exceptions have been made to allow employers to, for example, take employees’ temperatures to identify those who may have the virus. The guidelines…

Read More

COVID-19 Advisory from the Wessels Sherman Task Force

By Anthony J. Caruso Jr. / March 12, 2020

By its very nature, COVID-19 (coronavirus) presents a rapidly changing, and thus confusing, landscape for employers. Often employers are presented with damned if you do, damned if you don’t, scenarios. Our experience has been that the best place to start your decision making is with the basics. While they sometimes may be vague and confusing,…

Read More

Employers: Preparing for the Coronavirus/Covid-19

By Jennifer Adams Murphy / March 6, 2020

This flu season is here along with a very unwelcome relative: the coronavirus (covid-19). While the impact of the coronavirus in the United States is still unknown, the workplace, (like schools), are places where disease has an opportunity to easily spread; it has been estimated that each infected person will infect 2-3 more people. Scientists…

Read More

Coronavirus – Next Test for Employers

By Walter J. Liszka / March 5, 2020

The Coronavirus (COVID-19) was originally detected in Wuhan City, Hubei Provence, China, in the early or midpart of 2019 and is now a respiratory disease that has been detected in over 50 locations internationally with at least 137 cases confirmed in the United States and four confirmed in the State of Illinois. In January of…

Read More

Illinois Employers Beware! Don’t Take Your Employee’s Tips! It is Illegal Under Illinois Law

By Anthony J. Caruso Jr. / February 25, 2020

Effective January 1, 2020, the Illinois Wage Payment and Collection Act has been amended regarding employee tips/gratuities. The provisions of the law states as follows: Gratuities to the employees Property of the employees – not the employer. Gratuities must be paid to the employee not more than 13 days after the pay period; otherwise it…

Read More

Finally! The Illinois Department Of Human Rights Has Posted Helpful Information About Their Upcoming Sexual Harassment Prevention Training Module!

By Nancy E. Joerg / February 21, 2020

Under 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 More

Illinois Equitable Restrooms Act

By Walter J. Liszka / February 17, 2020

As of January 1, 2020, all single occupancy-one person restrooms in a “place of public accommodation or public building” need to be identified as all-gender accessible and designated for use by no more than one person at a time or by a family unit. Simply stated, this means that the commonly used signage representing that…

Read More

COVID-19 Resources

Stay up-to-date about developments in the Midwest.

Categories

Schedule your confidential consultation

Contact Wessels Sherman if you would like to speak with one of our experienced labor and workplace attorneys, contact any of our four office locations and schedule a consultation.