Blog Post: 2009: What are employers in for?

My name is Laura, and I am an employment law nerd. I like to pretend that I am a vibrant, interesting person with diverse interests. Unfortunately, amidst the chaos of raising two daughters, occasionally speaking in full sentences to my husband and working full time as a partner in a law firm, much of my free time is spent shopping for kitty socks and, well, reading and talking about the law.

As a result, many of my conversations, whether at the office, gym or over lunch, are about the law. This week, I was talking to my partner Michelle Ferguson about an article she recently wrote about the new laws that crept in toward the end of 2008 and those lurking on the horizon in 2009. We chatted about the new FMLA regulations, the new I-9 form, minimum wage increases and GINA – the Genetic Information Non-Discrimination Act. The most fascinating, to me, is GINA, which prohibits employers from discriminating against employees on the basis of their genetic information or the genetic information of their family members. Futuristic stuff, to be sure. We were all atwitter about these new developments, and I judged us for it.

In an attempt to salvage this conversation and pretend that we really were working and not just enjoying our legal musings for their own sake, I thought I would share Michelle's summary with you.

Learn more about Michelle, here:

http://www.irelandstapleton.com/people/attorneys/bio?id=40&name=Michelle%20B.%20Ferguson

And read her article, here:

http://www.irelandstapleton.com/files/File/Ferguson%20Article%20Legal%20Changes.pdf

2009 is going to be an exciting year. With a new administration entering the White House, we are undoubtedly in for serious change in the HR legal field. The best thing that you, as employers, can do is to keep alert and stay in touch with the legal experts in your life. While the topics on their mind may feel a bit dry, it is worth listening when they advise you of the upcoming changes in our legal lives.

And, I swear, we really are fun.

Laura J. Hazen is a Director at Ireland Stapleton Pryor & Pascoe, P.C.  In her employment practice, Laura provides day-to-day advice and coaching to public and private companies on various employment matters.  She also has an active litigation practice where she concentrates on representing business in all aspects of complex business and employment disputes.

Notice:  Ireland Stapleton Pryor and Pascoe, P.C. is pleased to provide you with this information.  This information is provided for your general reference, and is not intended to be, and should not be relied upon as legal advice, or as a substitute for the advice of qualified legal counsel.  As legal advice must be tailored to the specific circumstances of each case, nothing provided herein should be used as a substitute for advice of competent counsel.  This information is not intended to create any legal relationship between our firm or any attorney and the user.