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  • Energy Acronyms that will ruin America’s energy supply: NIMBY, BANANA, CAVE, NOPE

    Acronyms that will ruin America’s energy supply: NIMBY, BANANA, CAVE, NOPE

    Everyone knows what NIMBY stands for (Not In My Back Yard).  The ubiquitous nature of the acronym in and of itself provides insight in one of the nation’s biggest problems — everyone wants the benefits of energy but no one wants the generation or transmission near them. BANANA — Build Absolutely Nothing Anywhere Near Anything Well, I’ve got news for you all.  You can’t have it both ways.  This op-ed by Elisabeth Rosenthal in the New York Times provides perfect [...]

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  • HR Employer Policy Requiring Absent Employees to Identify the “Nature of the Absence” May Violate the ADA

    Employer Policy Requiring Absent Employees to Identify the “Nature of the Absence” May Violate the ADA

    By Jill Cheskes – www.salawus.com – Dillard’s Department Store previously had an attendance policy that required employees who were absent from work for health-related reasons to submit a doctor’s note upon their return identifying the “nature of the absence” in order for the absence to be excused.  Dillard’s practice was to refuse to accept doctor’s notes that did not state their medical condition and required more specific notes to verify that there was a legitimate medical reason for the absence. [...]

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  • President's Blog Chamber’s Reaction to Gov. Quinn’s Budget Address

    Chamber’s Reaction to Gov. Quinn’s Budget Address

    Springfield, Ill. – Governor Quinn is to be applauded for finally acknowledging the budgetary crisis that confronts the state of Illinois. It is appropriate that the Governor’s team and the members of the General Assembly undertake unpopular and austere measures in order to address the difficult task of achieving fiscal stability.   The business community expects the state to adopt a balanced budget, live within its means, pay outstanding bills and make tax refunds in a timely manner.   In [...]

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  • Government Affairs Three Key Questions about Quinn’s Budget Address

    Three Key Questions about Quinn’s Budget Address

     The 2012 legislative session begins in earnest next week with Governor Quinn’s budget address on Wednesday.  The speech will be the Governor’s opportunity to demonstrate that the goals he outlined in his State of the State address are realistic and achievable.  For the business community, employers will need to listen for both issues that weren’t included in the State of the State, namely new taxes on employers, and for specifics to proposals only broadly outlined on February 1. These are [...]

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  • Employment Law Chamber Initiatives Seek to Build on WC & UI Advances of Last Year

    Chamber Initiatives Seek to Build on WC & UI Advances of Last Year

     Now is not the time to sit on our laurels as much work lays ahead to reforming Illinois’ workers’ compensation and unemployment insurance laws. These two areas of the law continue to be significant drivers of the cost of doing business. To truly reform workers’ compensation SB 2521 needs to be enacted. Introduced by Sen. Kyle McCarter (R-Lebanon), SB 2521 establishes a ”major contributing” causation standard, strengthens the preferred provider program network provisions and clarifies the new AMA guidelines use in [...]

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  • HR Appellate Court Issues First Published Decision on Illinois’ VESSA Law: Affirms Decision in Favor of Employer

    Appellate Court Issues First Published Decision on Illinois’ VESSA Law: Affirms Decision in Favor of Employer

    By:  Jeffrey A. Risch and Sara S. Zorich, SmithAmundsen LLC – www.salawus.com – Illinois’ Victim’s Economic Security and Safety Act (VESSA) became effective on August 25, 2003 (820 ILCS 180 et. seq.). VESSA was enacted to:  1) promote the State’s interest in reducing domestic or sexual violence by enabling victims to maintain financial independence to leave abusive situations and to reduce the economic consequences of such violence to employers and employees; and 2) protect the employment and civil rights of [...]

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  • Employment Law Do Lawmakers Really Get It?

    Do Lawmakers Really Get It?

    As we close in on the deadlines for introduction of legislation in the Illinois General Assembly, one has to ask…do lawmakers really get it? Once again, Illinois employers and the Employment Law Council will be battling a litany of proposals that continues to send signals that Illinois does not appreciate job creators. Instead of building on some of the modest progress made last year, we will be extending most of our energies combating against bills making the Illinois business climate even less [...]

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  • HR

    Old Man Winter May Get You Yet: PTO and Salary Reductions

    By Beverly Alfon – SmithAmundsen – www.salawus.com  -  The unpredictability of Chicago weather keeps all of us on our toes.  Employers need to remain ready to handle operations in the face of severe weather.  One part of that readiness plan is knowing how to handle employee absences caused by inclement weather. Non-exempt employees are the easiest to address.  If a non-exempt employee does not work, no wages are due to him/her – regardless of whether or not the employer’s location [...]

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