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Showing 21 posts in Employment.

The Corporate Transparency Act and its Impact on ESOPs

Figures Looking at OwnershipThe Corporate Transparency Act (“CTA”), which became effective on January 1, 2024, requires that many businesses report a significant amount of information about the company and its “beneficial owners” to a federal database. This article outlines the general rule, exceptions to the rule, the definition of “beneficial owner” and the CTA’s implications for companies owned by Employee Stock Ownership Plans (“ESOPs”). Read More ›

Categories: Corporate Transparency Act (CTA), Employee Benefits, Employment, Technology

Risks Make AI Workplace Policies a Requirement

Using AI to Write at WorkArtificial intelligence (AI) is fast becoming an integral element in the operation of virtually every business and organization. Read More ›

Categories: Artificial Intelligence (AI), Cybersecurity, Digital Assets, Employment, Intellectual Property, Privacy, Technology

Corporate Transparency Act: What You Need to Know Before 2024

Depressed Man with Stacks of FoldersIntroduction and Scope of New Rule

With a stated goal of countering money laundering, the financing of terrorism and other illicit activities (including those of Russian oligarchs currently under U.S. sanctions), Congress passed the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA) in January 2021 as part of the National Defense Authorization Act. In 2022, the Department of Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) began to publish rules in its efforts to begin enforcement of the CTA likely beginning on January 1, 2024. Read More ›

Categories: Alerts and Updates, Did you Know?, Employment, Legislative Updates, News

Federal Trade Commission Issues Sweeping Proposed Rule to Prohibit Noncompete Agreements

Banning Non-Compete ContractOn January 5, 2023, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) issued a proposed new regulation that would broadly prohibit employers from using or enforcing noncompete agreements with employees, former employees, contractors, or other workers. Read More ›

Categories: Alerts and Updates, Did you Know?, Employment, Labor Relations, News

A Guide to the Employee Retention Tax Credit: An Alternative to the PPP

PPP Loan with Sticky NoteFor more articles from the June 2020 issue of Business & Tax Law News, click here.

The CARES Act created the Employee Retention Tax Credit (“ERTC”), which is designed to provide financial relief to employers during the COVID-19 pandemic. The ERTC is a refundable tax credit that is credited against an employer’s share of social security taxes for specific wages paid on or after March 12, 2020 and before January 1, 2021. An eligible employer can access ERTC funds by (1) immediately reducing employment tax obligations, (2) applying for an advance payment of the estimated credit, or (3) calculating the final credit amount at the end of the applicable calendar quarter, usually on Form 941.  Importantly, an employer that has received a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan cannot also claim the ERTC (unless the employer has repaid its PPP loan by May 14, 2020). Read More ›

Categories: Employment, Tax

Latest Trend in Executive Compensation: To Include Diversity & Inclusion or Not?

Diversity & Inclusion in WorkplaceCompanies are increasingly tying executive compensation to diversity and inclusion (“D&I”) initiatives in an effort to increase female and minority representation among the workforce and management. Despite progress in recent years, an overwhelming majority of executives in the United States remain Caucasian males. Many companies have previously adopted diversity measures at the directorship-level; however a lack of diversity remains at the management level and among the rank and file employees. Read More ›

Categories: Compliance, Employment, Inspirational, Liability

Legal Impact of a Pandemic - Interview with John Mashni

Attorney John Mashni discusses several topics affecting Michigan businesses amidst the COVID-19 pandemic during an interview with mConnexions' Principal Strategist, Julie Holton. Mashni offers some insight for businesses dealing with issues such as cybersecurity, contract enforcement, and employment. You can view the entire interview below. Please visit our Coronavirus Task Force Page for more resources related to this ongoing situation.


Categories: Compliance, Contracts, Cybersecurity, Employment, Tax

How does the "Hire American" portion of the "Buy American, Hire American" Executive Order impact H-1B visa applicants and start-up businesses?

Visa ApplicationMuch ado has been made about the Trump administration's stance on immigration issues. Throughout the 2016 campaign and into the first months of the new presidency, immigration has been a hot-button issue that has consistently garnered media attention. Last month, the administration took one of its first major swings at immigration reform in putting into effect an Executive Order titled "Buy American and Hire American" (the "Executive Order.") The "Hire American" portion of this Executive Order focuses on the H-1B visa program, a program that is used to give skilled foreign workers a temporary visa, granting them work authorization to utilize their skills in the United States. This blog post will analyze the impact of the proposed reforms, and in particular, the impact of those reforms on startup businesses. Read More ›

Categories: Employment, News, Startup, Venture Capital/Funding

Border Searches May Compromise the Privacy and Security of Company Technology

International FlightRecently, international travelers have noticed US Customs and Border Protection agents with increased interest in searching cell phones, laptops, and other portable technology. Employers should be aware that this trend increases the risk that an unauthorized individual will access sensitive company information, which could result in an inadvertent data breach.

Some international travelers have been asked by border agents to unlock cell phones or provide a password needed to unlock the device. One report included a customs agent threatening to seize a travelers' phone if he did not unlock his cellphone. Employers are rightfully concerned that these searches may allow unauthorized individuals to access sensitive company information. Read More ›

Categories: Employment, News, Privacy

Fiduciary Rule update: the beginning of the end?

Shortly after our first article on the DOL Fiduciary Rule the White House issued an Executive Order that requires the Department of Labor (the "DOL") to revisit the Fiduciary Rule (the "Fiduciary Rule" or the "Rule") and the Prohibited Transaction Exemptions (the "PTEs") that were amended alongside it. President Trump's Executive Order requires the DOL to determine if the rule will adversely affect retirement investors or financial firms. If the answer is yes, the expectation is that the Fiduciary Rule and the related PTEs will not survive as currently written, and the DOL will rescind or revise the Rule. Read More ›

Categories: Employment, News