On April 23, 2024, the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) issued a final rule (“Final Rule”) broadly banning non-competition (“non-compete”) agreements nationwide. With limited exceptions, the Final Rule prohibits employers from entering new non-compete agreements with workers and requires employers to notify workers with existing non-compete agreements that those agreements will not be enforced ...
Our Energy practice group has been following the progress of the legislative project which aims to clarify the requirements and processes for offshore wind power in the Finnish exclusive economic zone ("EEZ"). On 23 May 2024, the Finnish Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment ("Ministry") held a third stakeholder meeting to inform and discuss in detail the draft government proposal, which has just been submitted for consultation ...
A General Election will be held on 4 July 2024. In this article, Sarah Jenkins considers what that might mean for the pensions industry What does the General Election mean for pensions? It has been a busy time for the pensions industry of late - a new policy, consultation or legislation seemingly appeared each month. However, the pensions plates are not the only ones which the Government has been spinning, and much of the planned pension reform has not yet made it to the statute books ...
For many years, nurses in Ohio were only required to disclose convictions to the Ohio Board of Nursing on their biennial license renewal application. However, a new regulation from the Ohio Board of Nursing now requires licensees to additionally report a guilty plea, conviction or treatment in lieu of conviction of certain crimes within 30 days of the plea or entry ...
Finland and Sweden secure key arms procurement under EU security exemption The Finnish Defence Forces Logistics Command has finalized a framework agreement with the Swedish Defence Materiel Agency and Finnish arms manufacturer Sako Oy. This agreement – critical for the enhancement of both nations’ military capabilities – bypasses conventional public procurement procedures, invoking Article 346(1)(b) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) ...
On 15 May 2024 a new report, titled 'Skills 2030; Building a World-Class Skills System' was launched in Westminster. Below are our key recommendations of the report and what it could mean for the automotive sector. The report includes contributions from multiple industries and sector leaders including the Institute of the Motor Industry (IMI), Jisc, The University of Derby and The University of Warwick ...
In recent years, the regulatory framework for human genetic resources ("HGR") in China has become increasingly mature ...
The Automated Vehicles Act has received Royal Assent after a smooth and quick passage through parliament. In this article, Ben Gardner outlines what organisations in the sector can expect to happen next. What is the Automated Vehicles Act? The Act lays the foundations for the future deployment of automated vehicles on public roads ...
HR teams have a lot on their plate, but a key priority for 2024 is undoubtedly protecting the employee brand proposition. Our 2024 online programme is focused on supporting HR teams to do just this, equipping them with the tools they need to protect the employee brand proposition of the organisations they work for. Our latest webinar focused on what organisations need to do to protect their employee data ...
Recently, modifications announced by the Department of Health and Human Services (“HHS”) to 42 C.F.R. Part 2 (“Part 2”) rules governing Confidentiality of Substance Use Disorder (“SUD”) Patient Records went into effect. This is a major rule change for Part 2 providers and the enhanced penalties and enforcement measures make compliance with the new rules essential for any Part 2 provider ...
Did the United States Supreme Court upend specific jurisdiction in Ford Motor Co. v. Montana Eighth Judicial District Court, 141 S. Ct. 1017 (2021)? Not quite. But the Court did rule for the first time that due process does not require a causal link between the defendant’s activities in the forum and the alleged injury to the plaintiff. This case calls into question decades of precedent in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit suggesting otherwise ...
Chapter 12: Family, Medical, and Military Leave: Recent Developments Under the FMLA and USERRA April 2024 Co-Authored By: Michelle Brookfield The Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) was enacted by Congress in 1993 and has now developed over thirty years of regulations and extensive caselaw ...
May 10, 2024 By: Dylan W. Wiseman and Sarah Andrzejczak On April 23, 2024, the Federal Trade Commission approved and issued its final rule effectively banning employers’ use of non-compete agreements (subject to very few exceptions). The rule becomes effective 120 days after publication in the Federal Register, heralding yet another stride towards enhanced employee mobility. Despite the unfavorable reception from many employers, it’s important to understand that all is not lost ...
Five years ago, the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement Act of 2019 (the “SECURE Act”) made several significant changes to certain distributions required pursuant to Internal Revenue Code (“Code”) Section 401(a)(9) (“Required Minimum Distributions” or “RMDs”). The changes related to the RMD ‘10-Year Rule’ (summarized in greater detail below) have proven to be particularly difficult to interpret ...
In our fourth article in the series focusing on the risk of discrimination in the workplace, we consider the protected characteristic of pregnancy and maternity, the common issues that arise and what employers should do to avoid claims of discrimination. Despite the Equality Act 2010 (EqA) making it unlawful to discriminate against women because of pregnancy or maternity leave, women continue to face significant challenges in the workplace when they become parents ...
On 23 April 2024 the U.S.A.’s Federal Trade Commission (FTC) issued a final rule banning non-compete clauses in employee contracts. The rule will take effect six months following formal publication.1 The scope of the rule is an absolute and immediate prohibition of non-compete clauses, with the obligation on employers to serve notice on employees informing them they are no longer bound by the clause ...
Saleform 2012 is one of the most widely used contract formulars for the sale and purchase of second hand tonnage. The Saleform has its origins back to 1925 and was adopted by BIMCO in 1956. Since then, the Saleform has been amended several times, latest in 2012 ...
The United States is on the verge of one of the biggest, if not the biggest, transformations to marijuana policy in the last 50 years. According to an Associated Press report, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is expected to reschedule marijuana from a Schedule I drug to a Schedule III drug under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) ...
As the first round of H-1B Cap selections ended on April 1, 2024, employers began looking for options to sponsor highly qualified employees to fill positions of need. We outlined some options for those not selected in a previous client alert, including L-1 visas for intracompany transfers, O-1 visas for extraordinary ability individuals, J-1 and F-1 visas for students and other country-specific options ...
Mamo TCV Advocates in collaboration with the Foundation for Human Resources Development (FHRD) will once again be organising the course entitled ‘Award in the Practical Applications of Maltese Employment Law’. This course shall consist of a number of lectures on various topics related to Maltese employment law including employment contracts, termination of employment, occupational health and safety matters, employee data processing and immigration issues ...
By: Sarah Andrzejczak On April 29, 2024, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) issued new enforcement guidance on workplace harassment in a step toward fostering a more inclusive workplace environment. This guidance serves as a crucial resource for employers striving to uphold fairness and equality for all employees, irrespective of gender identity. The new guidance builds on the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2020 decision in Bostock v ...
Between September 2021 and May 2022, the words 'stress', 'mental health' and 'depression' appeared in more than 12,000 early conciliation or employment tribunal cases , demonstrating the prevalence of this subject matter in employment-related disputes. Today, more than ever, employers are expected to afford greater consideration to workplace conditions that do or could impact upon employees’ mental health ...
China's National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) released the 2023 Drug Review Annual Report on its official website on February 4, 2024, closely followed by the 2023 Medical Device Registration Annual Report on February 5. According to the public information, more than 60 innovative drugs have been approved by NMPA from 2022 to 2023, and a total of 61 innovative medical devices have been approved in 2023 ...