On July 30, 2026, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (“CMS”) issued its final rule updating Medicare payment policies and rates for skilled nursing facilities (“SNFs”) under the Skilled Nursing Facility Prospective Payment System (“SNF PPS”) for federal fiscal year (“FY”) 2027. The final rule also includes significant revisions to the Skilled Nursing Facility Quality Reporting Program (“SNF QRP”) and the Skilled Nursing Facility Value-Based Purchasing (“SNF VBP”) Program. The rule becomes effective October 1, 2026.
2026 Wisconsin Worker’s Compensation Forum Registration Now Open!!
Please join us for the 2026 Wisconsin Worker’s Compensation Forum on October 7 and 8, 2026, at the Brookfield Conference Center. In addition to programming, the event offers networking opportunities, an exhibitor hall, attendee giveaways, and the popular happy hours!
Lindner & Marsack is one of the founding members of the Wisconsin Worker’s Forum and our own Chelsie Springstead sits on the Forum Board.
If you are unable to attend in person, a virtual option will be
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New Illinois Law Expands Attorney General Powers to Investigate Employers
On July 31, 2026, Governor Pritzker signed new legislation greatly expanding the already-broad investigatory powers of the Workplace Rights Bureau in the Attorney General’s Office (“OAG”). Effective January 1, 2027, the law authorizes the OAG to investigate supposed violations of Illinois employment law and creates penalties for employers that do not comply. In essence this signals yet another move by Illinois to dispense with the fundamental due process rights of employers.
How the Illinois Attorney General’s Workplace Rights Bureau
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The End for Federal EEO Data Reports?
The EEOC’s Proposed Rule to Rescind Annual Demographic Reporting Requirements
By: Carmen N. Decot
As most employers are aware, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s (“EEOC’s”) existing regulations require certain employers covered by Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and certain federal contractors, to collect and maintain information on the sex and race/ethnicity of their employees and to file annual data reports detailing such employee demographics by job category. However, these requirements may soon become a thing
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Still more claim-filing tips
Wisconsin Watch has some unemployment claim-filing tips to offer.
These tips are largely based on the unemployment primer, with an extra focus on Wisconsin’s work search requirements — do five work searches per week rather than just the four required work searches — and the documentation you need to retain about those work searches for the eventual work search audit that will come your way.
These tips also include my advice to file weekly certifications for the
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Missouri Employers Face New Military Leave and Reemployment Obligations Under House Bill 2593
Missouri Employers Face New Military Leave and Reemployment Obligations Under House Bill 2593
Missouri employers will soon face expanded military leave and reemployment obligations following Governor Mike Kehoe’s signing of House Bill 2593 on July 9, 2026. The new law goes into effect beginning August 28, 2026, potentially opening up new litigation exposure for noncompliance.Missouri Extends USERRA Reemployment Protections to National Guard MembersThe new protections align Missouri law with federal leave protections. Specifically, the law explicitly grants the same Wage & Hour Traps on Wisconsin Construction Sites: Travel Time, Prep Time, and Misclassifications of the Workforce
Calculating accurate wages and hours for employees remains a persistent risk area for Wisconsin employers, particularly those operating in construction and other job site–driven industries. While many employers understand the basic requirement to pay hourly employees for time worked, less obvious issues, such as travel time, pre- and post-shift activities, and overtime calculations, often create significant exposure. Missteps in these areas can quickly lead to costly claims, audits, or class-based litigation.
Overtime: the Baseline Obligation
Under Wisconsin law, most
Continue Reading Wage & Hour Traps on Wisconsin Construction Sites: Travel Time, Prep Time, and Misclassifications of the Workforce
Profound Changes Afoot to EEOC’s Guidelines and Enforcement in Disparate Impact Cases
As part of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s (EEOC) new National Enforcement Plan (NEP), the commission stated its intent to “eliminate the use of disparate impact liability theories in investigations,” and vowed “not [to] commence, develop, or continue to pursue litigation advancing disparate impact claims.”
The NEP, voted into effect on June 4, 2026, replaces the EEOC’s Biden-era Strategic Enforcement Plan and is intended to comply with the Trump Administration’s Executive Order 14281, issued in April 2026, directing
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What the Supreme Court’s Trump v. Slaughter Decision Means for the NLRB,the EEOC, and Employers
A major Supreme Court decision could reshape how federal workplace agencies operate and how quickly their priorities can change from one administration to the next.
On June 29, 2026, the Supreme Court overruled a 91-year-old precedent and held that the president may remove the heads of independent federal agencies at will.
Although Trump v. Slaughter focuses on the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), its impact could extend to the agencies employers face every day, including the National Labor Relations
Fake Hearing Scams
The Department of Workforce Development and Wisconsin Watch indicate that a scam has started up of FAKE HEARINGS for workers compensation benefits. As Wisconsin Watch explains:
DWD spokesperson Haley McCoy told Wisconsin Watch that 10 Wisconsin workers reported receiving emails instructing them to attend “online workers’ compensation hearing(s)” via video call. The emails’ senders generally use “.org” addresses and bill themselves as government agencies like the “Workers’ Compensation Board.”
Workers who joined the calls via Zoom, WhatsApp, Teams and
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On the Move: IRS Increases Standard Mileage Rates Mid-Year
July 17, 2026
Due to the sustained increase in the price of fuel, the Internal Revenue Service (the “IRS”) has increased the optional standard mileage rates mid-year for computing the deductible cost of operating an automobile for business, medical, and moving expenses.
Effective July 1, 2026, the optional standard mileage rates are 76 cents per mile for business transportation, and 23.5 cents per mile for travel relating to medical and moving transportation expenses.
These increased mileage rates apply only
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Accepted But Still Unpaid: How Attorney Pierobon Mays Held an Insurance Carrier Accountable
By Attorney Lisa Pierobon Mays
One of the most frustrating experiences an injured worker can face is having their workers’ compensation claim accepted – only to have benefits unnecessarily delayed for months.
Recently, Attorney Lisa Pierobon Mays of Mays Law Office successfully represented M.M., a health care employee, whose case demonstrates why injured workers often need experienced legal representation even after their claim has been conceded.
A Conceded Claim Shouldn’t Become a Battle
M.M. injured his left knee while
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Illinois Expands Project Labor Agreement Requirements for Renewable EnergyProjects
Illinois Expands Project Labor Agreement Requirements for Renewable Energy Projects
Illinois’s renewable energy landscape shifted significantly back on January 8, 2026, when Governor Pritzker signed the Illinois Clean and Reliable Grid Affordability Act (CRGA). Among its many provisions, one significant change stands out for developers, EPCs, investors, and contractors who perform the underlying construction of green energy projects: a major expansion of project labor agreement (PLA) requirements.
While PLAs have long been required for many utility-scale solar and wind
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EEOC Rescinds Affirmative Action Guidance: What Employers Need to KnowAbout Title VII, DEI Programs, and Compliance Risks
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) formally rescinded the federal guidance employers have relied on for nearly 50 years when designing voluntary affirmative action plans under Title VII. In a June 29, 2026 vote, the EEOC voted to rescind the two documents that provide a long-standing roadmap for employers. This move follows the EEOC’s recent National Enforcement Plan (NEP), which signaled that the agency would treat race- and sex-conscious workplace programs as intentional discrimination.
For employers, the practical impact
A test for covered employment and for statutory interpretation
On 16 June 2026, the state supreme court accepted Abby Windows LLC v LIRC, 2025 WI App 50, 418 Wis.2d 92, 25 N.W.3d 631, for review. This case concerns whether a door-to-door sales person paid on a commission basis and then laid off is eligible to receive unemployment benefits based on that sales work. Here are the basic facts:
The claimant went into prospective customer’s homes and sold doors, windows, roofs, gutters, and siding for the employer. The
Continue Reading A test for covered employment and for statutory interpretation
Attorney Alexander Ferrone Presents on Real Estate Traps & Fraud for National Business Institute
Attorney Alex Ferrone presents on traps and fraud in real estate transactions for business law audience
Stafford Rosenbaum Attorney Alexander Ferrone will present on hidden defects and disclosure traps in real estate transactions, and broker, agent, and contractor fraud as part of a daylong CLE program, available live online or via on-demand recording. The program, Forged Deeds, Wire Fraud, and More: Protecting Clients Against Real Estate Scams, takes place on Wednesday, July 8, 2026, and is facilitated by
Continue Reading Attorney Alexander Ferrone Presents on Real Estate Traps & Fraud for National Business Institute