Illinois Workers' Compensation Management Commissioners Mario Basurto, Kevin Lamborn and Ruth White provided insights on Commission activities to the members of the Illinois Chamber Employment Law Council's Workers' Compensation Committee that met on December 12th in Chicago. The Commissioners indicated that they believe PPD awards are down due to the shakeup of arbitrators and the intent of the 2011 law ch ...

Since there were only a handful of vetoes that Gov. Quinn had returned to the General Assembly and the democrat leadership has decided to wait until a lame duck session in 2013 to tackle several controversial issues, the Veto Session was cut back to four days by the House and five by the Senate. Several key issues such as pension reform, income taxes, gaming, health insurance exchange and much more await fu ...

Contributed by Brandon Anderson – SmithAmundsen LLC – www.salawus.com On December 11, 2012, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit issued a decision finding Illinois’s ban prohibiting civilians from carrying concealed weapons to be unconstitutional. What does this mean for employers? Following Wisconsin’s passage of concealed carry legislation, in 2011, Illinois became the only state with an out- ...

By Nancy E. Joerg, Esq., Managing Shareholder – St. Charles Office, Wessels Sherman Joerg Liszka Laverty Seneczko P.C., St. Charles, Illinois, (630) 377-1554, najoerg@wesselssherman.com, www.wesselssherman.com In many of the audits that I handle on behalf of Illinois companies who are being audited by the Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES), the IDES auditor will demand all available proof of ...

By: Jeffrey A. Risch, Esq., Labor & Employment Practice Chair, SmithAmundsen LLC, jrisch@salawus.com Elections have consequences. Indeed, there is no question that over the course of 2013, what certain employee-side advocacy groups may not be able to accomplish through federal legislation, will likely be achieved through administrative rulemaking and judicial activism. Of significance, the National Labo ...

Contributed by Sara Zorich – SmithAmundsen – www.salawus.com It is that time of year again when the snow begins to fall and the holiday shopping begins.  It is also the time of year when employers determine whether their employees are entitled to certain bonuses - thus it is a good time to review your pay practices! When employers analyze paying bonuses, the first step is reviewing whether an employee is ex ...

Ryan Helgeson – Wessels Sherman, 2035 Foxfield Road, Saint Charles, IL 60174 All employers in the United States must complete an employment verification procedure for each of their employees at the time of hire.  This verification is accomplished through timely and accurate completion of Form I-9. Your business should maintain a standard, written I-9 compliance plan to be followed by all managers with hirin ...

By Nancy E. Joerg, Esq., Wessels Sherman Joerg Liszka Laverty Seneczko P.C., (630) 377-1554, najoerg@wesselssherman.com, www.wesselssherman.com Many clients contact me once they have received the Notice of Determination & Assessment resulting from an Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) audit of their company. They are seeking guidance about their legal options. This article will address so ...