Federal Alerts

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.

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has announced an adjustment to rates used to calculate the deductible costs of operating an automobile for business purposes for calendar year 2022. 

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced that the automatic extension period for certain employment authorizations and employment authorization documents (EADs) has been temporarily increased from 180 days to 540 days. The extension period is provided to certain renewal applicants to help prevent gaps in employment authorization due to delays in processing.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has announced that employers will be allowed to inspect Form I-9 documents remotely in certain situations related to COVID-19 until October 31, 2022. Prior to the announcement, this temporary policy was set to expire on April 30, 2022.

On April 6, 2022, President Biden announced an extension of the pause on student loan repayment through August 31, 2022.