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U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) conducts I-9 audits (or I-9 inspections) to assess employers’ compliance with the federal requirements for confirming employees’ eligibility to work in the United States. When facing an I-9 audit, employers must quickly prepare as thoroughly as possible, and they must make informed decisions about how to approach the audit based on the risks involved.
Facing an I-9 audit (or I-9 inspection) can present substantial risks for employers of all sizes. Employers that are not in compliance with the federal requirements for verifying employees’ work eligibility can face steep penalties, and ICE has become increasingly aggressive in enforcing immigration compliance under the second Trump Administration. With this in mind, knowing what to do (and what not to do) when facing an I-9 audit is essential.
Employees may find themselves facing arbitration under a wide range of circumstances. New York law allows employers to mandate arbitration in employment contracts, and arbitration is commonly used to resolve labor disputes as well. Employers and employees can also voluntarily agree to arbitrate after a dispute arises instead of taking their dispute to court.
The Equal Pay Act is one of several federal anti-discrimination laws that protect workers in New York and across the country. As its name suggests, the Equal Pay Act applies specifically to pay discrimination, and, generally speaking, it requires equal pay for equal work. However, there are some important limitations of which employees need to be aware, and there are some additional anti-discrimination statutes of which employees need to be aware as well.
If you are (or were) a federal employee and you experienced a prohibited personnel practice (PPP) or have information about a PPP or another prohibited activity, you may be eligible to file a complaint with the Office of Special Counsel (OSC). Along with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB), the OSC is responsible for helping to protect federal employees’ rights and hold federal employers accountable when they violate the law. But the OSC can only help protect your rights if you come forward.
If you have received a severance agreement from your employer, it will be important to ensure that you make an informed decision about whether to sign. It may be in your best interests to negotiate some of the terms of your severance agreement as well. When drafting severance agreements, employers generally put their own best interests first, and while your severance agreement might seem fair on its face, there are some important legal, financial, and practical issues that you may need to consider.