The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has launched a new website – Disability.gov – offering information for people with disabilities, their family members, veterans, caregivers, employers, and others. The new site replaces DisabilityInfo.gov and features information about disability-related programs and services as well as social media tools to serve the more than 50 million Americans [...]

Democrats have reportedly agreed to drop the card-check provision of the controversial Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA). The card-check provision would have made it much easier for employees to form labor unions by allowing a majority of employees to unionize by signing card-check petitions. Under this provision, employers would no longer have been able to [...]

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) held a public hearing on July 15 to review recent developments under the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA). The panel discussed the effects of widespread layoffs, threats to employee benefits, and controversial recent court decisions on older workers. The panelists testified in detail about the damaging effect [...]

There has been a flurry of health care reform activity in Washington over the last couple of days. House Democrats unveiled their version of health care reform July 14, which includes a “pay-or-play requirement” directed at employers. On July 15, the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee approved health care reform legislation that [...]

Late Friday, July 9, the White House announced it had sent the nominations of Craig Becker, Mark Gaston Pearce, and Brian Hayes to be members of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) to the U.S. Senate. If confirmed, the NLRB would have a full, five-member board for the first time since December 2007. The current [...]

By Hector A. Chichoni
On Wednesday, July 8, 2009, the U.S. Senate approved several amendments dealing with immigration enforcement and benefits that were not included in the 2010 homeland security appropriations bill (H.R. 2892) passed previously by the House of Representatives.

On July 24, 2009, the federal minimum wage will increase to $7.25 per hour. The increase is the result of a May 2007 amendment to the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), which boosted the minimum wage in three steps. The first two steps — to $5.85 and then a year later to $6.55 — were [...]

Beginning Sept. 8, 2009, federal contractors and subcontractors will be required to use the E-Verify system to ensure their employees are legally authorized to work in the United States.The requirement is designed to stop federal contractors and subcontractors from hiring illegal immigrants.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is calling its decision to audit hiring records at 652 businesses nationwide a “bold, new audit initiative” that utilizes inspections as one of the most powerful tools the federal government has to enforce employment and immigration laws.