News & Events

Only a few weeks into his new Administration, President Biden has already started to change the landscape for employers. Summaries of the most pertinent changes are below.

At the start of the year, the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals in Lemon v. Myers Bigel, affirmed the dismissal of a North Carolina lawsuit brought by an equity partner alleging gender and race discrimination on the part of her former law firm.

As a general rule, state courts in the United States are not in the habit of making specific arrangements to hear and consider the views of children in every family law case where child custody is an issue.

The Montgomery County Executive recently signed into law a bill that significantly expands prohibitions on employers inquiring about an applicant’s criminal record (commonly known as “Ban-the-Box” laws).

The CARES Act was amended at the end of 2020 to provide further tax benefits to taxpayers who received PPP loans.

In mid-December, the D.C. Council passed what may perhaps be the broadest ban on non-compete provisions in employment agreements in the United States.

In acknowledgment of the increased number of employers now managing a workforce remotely, the U.S. Department of Labor recently issued guidance regarding the electronic posting of notices required by certain federal statutes.

Maryland: Effective January 1, 2020, Maryland’s statewide minimum wage increased from $11.00/hour to $11.75/hour for employers with 15 or more employees. For employers with fewer than 15 employees, the new rate is $11.60/hour. The $3.63/hour rate for tipped employees remains unchanged.

As originally enacted in March 2020, the Families First Coronavirus Relief Act (FFCRA) required employers to provide 10 days of sick leave and up to 10 weeks of family leave for COVID related absences, and provided a payroll tax credit to reimburse employers.