The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has announced that employers should continue using the current Form I-9 (Employment Eligibility Verification) until further notice. Separately, the DHS announced that employers will be allowed to inspect Form I-9 documents remotely in certain situations related to COVID-19 until July 31, 2023. Prior to the announcement, this temporary policy was set to expire on Oct. 31, 2022.

On Oct. 13, 2022, the Social Security Administration (SSA) announced the 2023 wage base. The annual wage base limit is the maximum amount of employee wages that are subject to the social security tax for the calendar year.

On Oct. 18, 2022, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced via Revenue Procedure 2022-38 the dollar limitation for 2023 on employee salary reductions for contributions to health flexible spending accounts; the monthly limitation regarding the aggregate fringe benefit exclusion amount for transportation in a commuter highway vehicle and any transit pass; and the maximum amount that can be excluded from an employee’s gross income for the amounts paid for qualified adoption expenses furnished pursuant to an adoption assistance program.

The United States Department of Labor (DOL) has announced increases to the minimum wages that federal contractors covered under Executive Orders (EO) 13658 and 14026 must pay its employees who are performing work on or in connection with certain covered federal contracts.  

The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has published a proposed rule that would change the test for determining whether a worker is an employee or independent contractor under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and rescind and replace the current 2021 rule.

On Aug.  24, 2022, President Biden announced an extension of the pause on student loan repayment through December 31, 2022, along with a plan to forgive a certain amount of student loan debt for certain individuals.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit has ruled that the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) protects individuals with gender dysphoria. The ruling applies in the states of Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia.

The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that employers may compel employees to arbitrate individual claims raised under the California Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA).

The U.S. Supreme Court has held in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, No. 19-1392 (June 24, 2022) that there is no federal protection of abortion rights, overturning nearly 50 years of precedent from the Court’s decision in Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood Pennsylvania v. Casey on the issue. The ruling now enables each state to set its own legal requirements regarding abortions.