Monthly Archives: May 2014
What Northwestern’s Football Player Union Could Mean
On April 25, 2014, 76 student athletes from Northwestern University cast their votes on whether the players should certify a union to bargain on their behalves under the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA). While the results of the election may not be known for some time — and are certain to have significant ramifications… Read More »
U.S. Supreme Court Rules that Severance Payments are Considered Wages
Quality Stores was in financial trouble in 2001 when it began offering its employees severance packages. The question presented in United States v. Quality Stores, Inc. was whether severance payments from employers to employees constitute “wages” under the Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA). FICA is a mandatory federal payroll tax imposed on employers and… Read More »
U.S. Supreme Court Determines Scope of Whistleblower Protection under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act
In Lawson v. FMR LLC, whistleblowers worked for mutual fund advisers, rather than the public company mutual funds. The Court of Appeals determined they did not fall within the whistleblower protections of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. The Court of Appeals held that the protections only applied to employees of public companies, not those… Read More »
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Issues H-1B Visa Timetable
Many U.S. technology companies use the H-1B visa program to hire foreign workers with highly specialized knowledge in fields like science and engineering. On April 1, 2014, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) began to accept H-1B petitions subject to the fiscal year (FY) 2015 cap. According to a USCIS press release, the… Read More »
