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As you likely know, the Wisconsin Supreme Court struck down the statewide Safer at Home orders as invalid and unenforceable. That means that any further statewide rules will need legislature’s actions. Many counties and municipalities then implemented their own orders, but many did not. Some municipalities that originally said they were going to have such orders have now taken them back. Dane County, however, released a detailed, phased plan on Monday. We are not going to discuss the opinion. There are lots of attorneys who want to do that more than we do. Dissecting the opinion won’t help…
This week our blog features guest author Ryan Waite of Neckerman Insurance Services. While it was written pre-COVID, it still holds true and contains some great information for those of you finding yourselves looking at side gigs or maybe even a brand new, full-time freelancing gig. I know many of you are, because we are getting all sorts of start-up questions including ones about insurance. Therefore, I’ll let Ryan take it away. Gig E·con·o·myNounA labor market characterized by the prevalence of short-term contracts or freelance work as opposed to permanent jobs. It’s never been easier for people to follow…
I graduated from college in May 2009. During that time, “unpaid internships” were all the rage (whether they were legal or not was another consideration all together). As the economy is going though another downturn, I suspect unpaid internships will be on the rise again. While the Department of Labor rules governing unpaid internship programs have certainly gotten more “employer friendly” in recent years, the realities and implications for employers running such programs are considerable. Read on for more information. The 6 Part Test (DOL 2010 Rule): Prior to January 2018, the Department of Labor used a 6 part test…
Under Section 2104 of the CARES Act, nearly all individuals receiving unemployment benefits could temporarily receive an emergency increase of $600.00 in their weekly benefit. This increased benefit is fully funded by the federal government until July 31, 2020. The federal payments were contingent on the execution of a signed agreement between the US Department of Labor (“DOL”) and the respective states. As of March 28, 2020, all states had executed agreements in place with the DOL. Illinois and New York were the first two states to start providing the extra $600.00.  Although the states entered into an agreement about unemployment with the DOL, that doesn’t mean that the implementation of unemployment benefits is the same…
Under Section 2104 of the CARES Act, nearly all individuals receiving unemployment benefits could temporarily receive an emergency increase of $600.00 in their weekly benefit. This increased benefit is fully funded by the federal government until July 31, 2020. The federal payments were contingent on the execution of a signed agreement between the US Department of Labor (“DOL”) and the respective states. As of March 28, 2020, all states had executed agreements in place with the DOL. Illinois and New York were the first two states to start providing the extra $600.  Although the states entered into an agreement about unemployment with the DOL, that doesn’t mean that the implementation of unemployment benefits is the same…
Taking a slight break from the current news and topics this week to talk about our favorite topic at OG+S: trademarks. A Little Background: Not every word or phrase in the universe can be trademarked. Specifically, words that are generic or descriptive (without something more) cannot be protected. It sounds complicated, but most of the time, it’s really not. In fact, whether you realize it or not, you intuitively know this already. Time for an example: Example 1: If I were to start a store called “Collin Schaefer’s Eyeglasses Emporium” I probably could not trademark that name out of the…
Taking a slight break from the current news and topics this week to talk about our favorite topic at OG+S: trademarks. A Little Background: Not every word or phrase in the universe can be trademarked. Specifically, words that are generic or descriptive (without something more) cannot be protected. It sounds complicated, but most of the time, it’s really not. In fact, whether you realize it or not, you intuitively know this already. Time for an example: Example 1: If I were to start a store called “Collin Schaefer’s Eyeglasses Emporium” I probably could not trademark that name out of the…
Taking a slight break from the current news and topics this week to talk about our favorite topic at OG+S: trademarks. A Little Background: Not every word or phrase in the universe can be trademarked. Specifically, words that are generic or descriptive (without something more) cannot be protected. It sounds complicated, but most of the time, it’s really not. In fact, whether you realize it or not, you intuitively know this already. Time for an example: Example 1: If I were to start a store called “Collin Schaefer’s Eyeglasses Emporium” I probably could not trademark that name out of the…
The Payroll Protection Program supposedly was taking first applications on April 3, 2020.   I have to admit that I know of no one that got an application in to a bank on that day.   But last week, people were actually getting applications in, and some have already received approvals.  That means that if you are eligible and haven’t talked to your bank yet, you better send an email or call them – yeah, like right now.  So, are you eligible?  Are you a “business”?  That includes nonprofits, veterans organizations, Tribal business concerns, sole-proprietorships, self-employed individuals, and independent contractors. Do you…
The Payroll Protection Program supposedly was taking first applications on April 3, 2020.   I have to admit that I know of no one that got an application in to a bank on that day.   But last week, people were actually getting applications in, and some have already received approvals.  That means that if you are eligible and haven’t talked to your bank yet, you better send an email or call them – yeah, like right now.  So, are you eligible?  Are you a “business”?  That includes nonprofits, veterans organizations, Tribal business concerns, sole-proprietorships, self-employed individuals, and independent contractors. Do you…
The Payroll Protection Program supposedly was taking first applications on April 3, 2020.   I have to admit that I know of no one that got an application in to a bank on that day.   But last week, people were actually getting applications in, and some have already received approvals.  That means that if you are eligible and haven’t talked to your bank yet, you better send an email or call them – yeah, like right now.  So, are you eligible?  Are you a “business”?  That includes nonprofits, veterans organizations, Tribal business concerns, sole-proprietorships, self-employed individuals, and independent contractors. Do you…
There are currently two COVID-19 related acts:  The Families First Coronavirus Response Act (“FFCRA”) and the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. I know everyone wants to know about the Payroll Protection Program under the CARES Act. We’ve been looking at it and talking to banks, but let’s address the Families First Act first because if you haven’t done the following, you need to act on that promptly. The FFCRA requires companies under 500 employees to provide paid sick time of up to 80 hours for full-time employees who need time off for the following circumstances: Quarantine order…
There are currently two COVID-19 related acts:  The Families First Coronavirus Response Act (“FFCRA”) and the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. I know everyone wants to know about the Payroll Protection Program under the CARES Act. We’ve been looking at it and talking to banks, but let’s address the Families First Act first because if you haven’t done the following, you need to act on that promptly. The FFCRA requires companies under 500 employees to provide paid sick time of up to 80 hours for full-time employees who need time off for the following circumstances: Quarantine order…
There are currently two COVID-19 related acts:  The Families First Coronavirus Response Act (“FFCRA”) and the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. I know everyone wants to know about the Payroll Protection Program under the CARES Act. We’ve been looking at it and talking to banks, but let’s address the Families First Act first because if you haven’t done the following, you need to act on that promptly. The FFCRA requires companies under 500 employees to provide paid sick time of up to 80 hours for full-time employees who need time off for the following circumstances: Quarantine order…
We have offices in Cedarburg and Madison – but in reality, we work all over the place (or did, until we all started working from home). Making that happen seems pretty easy, especially with technology, but getting the right mix and hitting our stride took time – and there were bumps in the road. Along the way, we picked up tools that helped and made things actually pretty easy. Here’s a few: Microsoft Teams Teams is Microsoft’s answer to Slack. (We are Slack converts, by the way.) Slack or, instant messaging generally, is pretty ubiquitous in the larger business world…