Insights

Federal and state laws protect whistleblowers from retaliation by employers under the rationale that such laws combat fraud and/or abuse. One of these protective laws is the 2002 Sarbanes-Oxley Act (“SOX”). The U.S....

At the end of 2023, New York State followed New York City’s lead by broadening the rights of freelancers and enacting the “Freelance Isn’t Free Act.” In many respects, New York State’s law is even broader than New...

The U.S. Department of Labor released its final rule on January 9, 2024, regarding the test for determining when a worker is an employee or an independent contractor. While the rule will likely be challenged in the courts,...

USCIS has announced a fee increase for most immigration applications for the first time since 2016. Effective April 1, 2024, application fees will be increased for most family and employment-based categories, including: H-1B...

The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will modify the H-1B registration process this year with the intent of modernizing the program and, at the same time, to crack down on fraudulent and duplicate...

Effective March 12, 2024, employers in New York cannot request or require employees or applicants to disclose their personal account logins as a condition of hiring or employment or for use in a disciplinary action. The law...

Under a new law, employers in California must develop and implement a written workplace violence prevention plan (WVPP) and provide appropriate training by July 1, 2024. Notably, employers cannot simply purchase off-the-shelf...

Non-competition agreements in employment have been subject to increasing restrictions in many states, including New York. In 2023, the New York legislature passed an almost complete ban on non-compete agreements, which would...

Employees in California are entitled to additional paid sick leave under a law effective January 1, 2024. The legislation affects most employers and employees in the state with a few exceptions. Notably, employers have...

The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that it will raise the fees for premium (expedited) processing on February 26, 2024. The stated reason for doing this is to adjust the fees for inflation. Certain...