Category Archives: Court Decisions & Legislation

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Proposed Changes to the Wisconsin Worker’s Compensation Act Included in Governor Walker’s 2015 Budget Bill

Governor Walker, as part of his budget bill that was released on February 3, 2015, proposed removing the Worker’s Compensation Division from the Department of Workforce Development (DWD) and moving the functions to the Department of Administration – Office of Hearings and Appeals (DOA) and to the Office of Commissioner of Insurance (OCI).  Specifically, the […]

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WORKPLACE SOCIAL MEDIA LEGISLATION INTRODUCED IN THE WISCONSIN SENATE AND ASSEMBLY

By: Daniel Finerty Wisconsin legislation was recently introduced in the State Senate and Assembly, Senate Bill 223 and Assembly Bill 218 (generally, “legislation”), respectively, limiting employer access to, and observation of, an employee’s social media accounts. Because Wisconsin does not currently have any law expressly regulating employers in this area, the legislation was introduced in […]

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D.C. CIRCUIT INVALIDATES NLRB POSTING RULE

By: Thomas W. Mackenzie The Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia issued a decision on May 7, 2013 which invalidated a rule issued by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) requiring employers to notify workers of a right to unionize. The rule was originally promulgated in 2011, but was never implemented. The NLRB […]

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FEDERAL COURT OF APPEALS DECISION MAY VOID ALL NLRB DECISIONS ISSUED AFTER JANUARY 4, 2012 DUE TO THE LACK OF QUORUM

By: Daniel Finerty After President Obama’s re-election, many employers assumed they would be faced with an aggressive and re-invigorated National Labor Relations Board (“Board”). However, last Friday’s decision from the District of Columbia Court of Appeals may slow the Board, at least in the short term. Noel Canning Div. of Noel Corp. v. National Labor […]

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STATE LAW PLACES ELECTION RESTRICTIONS ON PRIVATE EMPLOYERS

By: John E. Murray Many employers believe the upcoming election could have a significant impact on their business. This belief has led some employers to share these opinions with their employees. Normally there is nothing wrong with political discussions in the workplace. However, Wisconsin prohibits political discussions which unfairly influence how employees will vote. Wisconsin […]

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