There are federal and state (Illinois) laws small business owners need to know about rest and meal breaks for non-exempt employees- and corresponding compensation. These laws generally address the following questions: Should an employee be paid while on breaks? Are employers required to offer breaks? How long such breaks should be? Federal Laws According to the Fair [...]
With little fanfare, the one-year-old Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has become the chief enforcer of the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) and has issued revised forms. Employers and consumer reporting agencies must start using the new FCRA forms no later than Jan. 1, 2013. The updated forms are available in Appendixes K, M, and N [...]
Small business owners in Illinois are receiving official looking green or blue envelopes from “Corporate Records Services,” which call them to provide corporate and personal information, such as the business name, address and credit card information with the payment of $125 to prepare corporate records. With the scam looking official, small business owners are sending [...]
As 2012 nears the end, now is a good time to review your business contracts containing automatic renewal and extension provisions. The 2009 Wisconsin Act 192, Wis. Stat. § 134.49 (the “Act”) created a new law requiring businesses, including, but not limited to, the health care providers and insurers, to notify their customers of automatic [...]
The Illinois Equal Pay Act of 2003, 820 ILCS 112 et seq., has recently been amended to add a new Section 27. Under the new amendment, any officer or agent of an employer who "willfully and knowingly" permits that employer to evade a final judgment or award of damages, will be considered an employer under the [...]
A new bill, House Bill 5665, was recently introduced to the House of Representatives, creating the Class 3 felony for false representation and fraudulent claims for real estate title. This bill has been long overdue. Legislative Summary: "Amends the Code of Civil Procedure. Provides that a person commits false representation concerning title to real estate, [...]
We recently received the following email communication from our website hosting company and felt that it's important to pass the word around. The email's text is copied in its entirety, and we disclaim any and all responsibility associated with the information set forth therein. "Dear Sir/Miss, You may have heard about Protect-IP (PIPA) and the Stop [...]
The IRS has issued the new 2012 optional standard mileage rates used to calculate the deductible operating costs of an automobile used for business purposes. The new rates are as follows: Beginning on Jan. 1, 2012, the standard mileage rates for the use of a car (also vans, pickups or panel trucks) will be: • 55.5 [...]
Recently, the Wisconsin Department of Justice posted an extensive guidance on the implementation of the new Wisconsin concealed carry law, 2011 Wisconsin Act 35. For a summary of the DOJ’s emergency rules and procedures enacted to implement the new concealed carry law, see the DOJ’s website: http://www.doj.state.wi.us/dles/cib/ConcealedCarry/ConcealedCarry.asp http://www.doj.state.wi.us/dles/cib/ConcealedCarry/ccw-faq-20111020.pdf On November 7, 2011, the Joint Committee [...]
Effective November 1, 2011, the Wisconsin legislature enacted a new concealed carry law, 2011 Wisconsin Act 35 (the “Act”). Wisconsin joined the other 48 states that allow their residents to carry concealed weapons. In essence, the Act permits qualified residents to carry certain concealed weapons, including electric weapons, into parks, beaches, private business properties, and [...]
