News Category: Blog Articles
EMPLOYMENT LAW ALERT: THE NEW HEALTH EMERGENCY LABOR STANDARDS ACT
On May 11, 2021, Governor Inslee signed into law the Health Emergency Labor Standards Act. The Act revises the state’s workers’ compensation and industrial health and safety statutes to provide new protections for high risk and frontline workers during any public health emergency, including the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. As a result, the additional protections under
COVID Has Brought Your Marital Issues to a Head; is a Collaborative Divorce Right for You?
More and more couples are opting for a process called a “Collaborative divorce” when their marriage is at an end. At its core, Collaborative Divorce is a dispute resolution process that asks each party to determine his/her goals, interests, and priorities for the divorce process which are then openly discussed and used to form the
Federal Estate Tax Legislative Update
Four months into the 117th United States Congress, the anticipated federal legislative proposals to restructure the federal estate tax are finally seeing the light of day. Senator Bernie Sanders and others recently introduced the For the 99.5% Act (the “Act”). True to its name, the Act takes direct aim at income and wealth inequality through
I Created an Estate Plan When My Spouse and I Had Kids, Why Should I Update it Now?
When you were younger, after getting married and having children, you met with a lawyer and created an estate plan. Now the kids are grown, finished with college, and are is settled in their adult lives. Of your three children, two are married. One has your first grandchild on the way. Your retirement is still
Privacy in the Workplace: Employee Searches
(This blog is the second installment in a multi-part series regarding privacy in the workplace.) Employers have a general right to protect their property and employees. In addition to surveillance and monitoring, some employers choose to conduct searches of areas and equipment used by employees. This can include searches of offices, lockers, desks, phones, computers,
As We Celebrate Diversity Month, We are Pleased to Introduce our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee!
At Lasher, we believe in having a workplace that is diverse, inclusive, equitable, and which builds goodwill in the many and varied communities in which we live and serve. We all need to be the change we want to see to build a better future. To that end, we are making it our mission to be
EMPLOYMENT LAW ALERT: ARPA Updates to COBRA
On March 12, 2021, President Biden signed into law the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). Importantly for employers, under the ARPA, any employee who is eligible for continuation of health insurance benefits pursuant to the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA) due to an involuntary termination (or reduction in hours) must be offered a subsidy
At Lasher, We Stand with Diverse Communities in Recognizing and Condemning Systemic Xenophobia and Racism
All of us at LHSE remain outraged and saddened by the ongoing acts of violence including the recent events in Georgia that stole the lives of eight people six of which were Asian women. The intersectionality of racism and sexism cannot be ignored, and the impact on Asian American and Pacific Islander communities and others
Seven Things to Do Before Announcing Your Intent to Divorce
Your divorce can be one of the most important business decisions that you make in your lifetime. Whether you have years of employment ahead, have stayed home to support the household, or are nearing retirement, a divorce is a life event with long lasting personal, emotional, and financial implications. Some couples are quick to call
Tax Day is now May 17th, 2021 – The IRS extension: What it means to you.
The IRS announced Wednesday that the April 15th deadline for federal tax return filing and payments due for individuals, tax year 2020, will be automatically extended to May 17th, with formal guidance to practitioners to follow in the coming days. Individual taxpayers can also postpone federal income tax payments for the 2020 tax year due