Supreme Court Ruling Leaves Door Open to Local Regulation of Oil & Gas Development
- February 17, 2015 | By Alan D. Wenger | Oil & Gas
Headlines seem to say that the Ohio Supreme Court has upheld the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) statewide preemption over local municipal governments’ regulating oil and gas development within their municipal boundaries (read the ruling here). A majority of…
New OSHA Rules Require Sound Plan To Report Accidents
- February 12, 2015 | By Matthew M. Ries | Business & Employment
Recent changes in federal laws covering workplace injury reporting make it more important for employers to have reliable systems for documenting and reporting serious accidents. Here are some recent examples of important changes in reporting laws: On September 11, the…
New OT Rules for Direct Care Workers Take Effect Jan. 1
- December 16, 2014 | By Martin J. Boetcher | Business & Employment
(Update 3/26/2015 : The new U.S. Department of Labor overtime regulations for direct care workers are being challenged in court. In January, a Federal judge in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia invalidated the new regulation. The…
Corporate Shield Law Offers Protection, But Has Some Exceptions
- November 17, 2014 | By Kevin P. Murphy | Business & Employment
It is well established that the Corporate Shield Doctrine applies in Ohio, operating to protect individual agents and employees from exposure to personal liability for acts committed in their employment capacities. The doctrine allows a corporate officer to avoid individual…
Ruling Could Free Some Bosses From Individual Liability
- October 14, 2014 | By Neil D. Schor | Public Sector
In a key ruling that could affect the way some discrimination lawsuits are resolved in the public sector, the Ohio Supreme Court decided in August that public employees, including supervisors, may not be liable on an individual basis in such…
What Employers Should Know About Background Checks
- July 15, 2014 | By Martin J. Boetcher | Business & Employment
Many employers have background checks performed or perform background checks themselves on job applicants or employees when making decisions about hiring, retention and promotion. Background checks can include obtaining information about the person's work history, criminal record, education, financial history…
Advance Planning Needed for Effective Business Succession
- June 25, 2014 | By Shawna L. L'Italien | Business & Employment, Estate Planning
Business owners spend much of their lives building up their businesses but often fail to plan for succession. This lack of planning can invite unfavorable consequences for the owner’s financial picture, his or her family, the business itself and its…
Ruling Finds Telecommuting May Be Required As ‘Reasonable Accommodation' for Disability
- June 12, 2014 | By Martin J. Boetcher | Business & Employment
A recent appeals court ruling that an employer may be required to permit an employee to work from home as part of a “reasonable accommodation” for a disability could have implications for Ohio employers. The U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of…
Ohio BWC Transitions to Prospective Billing
- June 10, 2014 | By Martin J. Boetcher | Business & Employment
The Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation is transitioning to a prospective premium payment plan for Ohio state fund employers. Previously, the Bureau had billed state fund employers retrospectively for the prior six months of workers' compensation coverage. However, beginning July…
Left Behind: Is Valley Missing Royalty Rapture?
- June 4, 2014 | By Alan D. Wenger | Oil & Gas
From 2010 through 2012, the Mahoning Valley experienced a mad rush of oil and gas companies tying up drilling rights. This included thousands of new leases as well as thousands of already leased “deep rights” being assigned by conventional lessee…