In this episode of our Cross-Border Catch-Up podcast series, Carlos Colón-Machargo (Atlanta) and Goli Rahimi (Chicago) delve into the upcoming amendments to Japan’s childcare and caregiver leave laws. Goli and Carlos discuss how these changes aim to promote flexible work arrangements and expand leave entitlements, as well as the implications of these expanded entitlements for employers.
In this episode of our Safety Perspectives From the Dallas Region podcast series, shareholders John Surma (Houston) and Frank Davis (Dallas) discuss the critical topic of workplace safety during wildfire season. With Texas currently facing significant wildfires, Frank and John discuss essential OSHA guidelines, preparedness steps, and emergency action plans to ensure the safety of employees in affected areas.
In this episode of our Safety Perspectives From the Dallas Region podcast series, shareholders John Surma (Houston) and Frank Davis (Dallas) discuss the U.S. Department of Justice’s (DOJ) recent statement concluding that the removal restrictions for administrative law judges (ALJs) are unconstitutional. Frank and John explore the implications of this decision for employers, particularly those facing OSHA citations, and examine its broader impact on the evolving legal landscape of OSH Act enforce...
In this episode of our new podcast series, The AI Workplace, where we explore the latest advancements in integrating artificial intelligence (AI) into the workplace, Sam Sedaei (associate, Chicago) shares his insights on crafting and implementing effective AI policies. Sam, who is a member of the firm’s Cybersecurity and Privacy and Technology practice groups, discusses the rapid rise of generative AI tools and highlights their potential to boost productivity, spark innovation, and deliver valua...
In this installment of Ogletree Deakins’ Safety Basics podcast series, John Surma (shareholder, Houston) is joined by Robert Rodriguez (shareholder, Sacramento) to discuss the important process of workplace safety audits, specifically focusing on voluntary self-audits. In their discussion, Robert (who is co-chair of Ogletree’s Workplace Violence Prevention Practice Group) and John emphasize the value and benefits of these audits, such as the ability to identify potential hazards, ensure complian...
In this podcast, shareholders Nonnie Shivers and Scott Kelly delve into the enforcement activities after a preliminary injunction blocked key provisions (including the certification requirement) of two executive orders (EOs) issued to eliminate “illegal” diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs and initiatives. Scott (who co-chairs the firm’s Government Contracting and Reporting Practice Group) and Nonnie (who co-chairs the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Compliance Practice Group) discu...
In this episode of our Cross-Border Catch-Up podcast series, Goli Rahimi (Chicago) and Kate Thompson (New York/Boston) discuss recent developments in remote work regulations, with a focus on New Zealand and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Kate and Goli highlight New Zealand’s relaxed visa requirements, which now allow digital nomads to work remotely from the country for up to nine months. They also cover the Abu Dhabi Global Market’s introduction of new employment regulations designed to facilit...
In this episode of our Cross-Border Catch-Up podcast series, Shirin Aboujawde (New York) and Maya Barba (San Francisco) discuss an important global mobility topic: international secondments. Maya and Shirin focus on key issues for employers to consider, including immigration compliance, employment law considerations in both the home and host countries, as well as obligations related to income tax, social security, and corporate taxation.
In this episode of our Cross-Border Catch-Up podcast series, Patty Shapiro (shareholder, San Diego) and Maya Barba (associate, San Francisco) discuss the effect of the recent United States Agency for International Development (USAID) stop-work order on global employers. Patty and Maya delve into the challenges that impacted organizations are facing as a result of the stop-work order and discuss strategies to manage workforce disruptions in compliance with local labor and employment laws. The spe...
In this episode of our Safety Perspectives From the Dallas Region podcast series, shareholders John Surma (Houston) and Frank Davis (Dallas) discuss the new settlement process implemented by the Dallas Regional Office of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the Dallas Regional Solicitor’s Office. John and Frank emphasize that this process now includes a second round of negotiations following the contesting of citations. This change could lead to more favorable outcomes fo...
In this inaugural episode of 2025 for our Safety Perspectives From the Dallas Region podcast series, shareholders John Surma (Houston) and Frank Davis (Dallas) discuss President Trump’s new executive orders and their impact on the Dallas region. Frank and John address staffing issues arising from the hiring freeze, explore the “fork in the road” email regarding deferred employee resignations, and examine the return-to-work executive order, among other topics.
In the second part of our two-part podcast series on H-1B visa applications, Kara Lancaster (shareholder, Raleigh) and Meagan Dziura (of counsel, Raleigh) begin with a deep dive into the process of how individuals selected in the H-1B lottery file petitions (including related travel restrictions) the filing options for those selected (including change of status and consular notification), and the timeline for when individuals can enter the United States. Kara and Meagan touch on special provisio...
In part one of this two-part podcast series on H-1B visa applications, Kara Lancaster (shareholder, Raleigh) and Meagan Dziura (of counsel, Raleigh) discuss recent updates from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and provide valuable insights on how to prepare for the fiscal year 2026 H-1B lottery. Meagan and Kara cover the basics of the H-1B visa, its benefits, and why it is a popular choice among employers. They share practical tips on what steps you can take now to prepare for t...
In this podcast, shareholders Scott Kelly (Birmingham) and Lauren Hicks (Indianapolis/Atlanta) provide an update on the current status of the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP), which has been in flux since President Trump’s inauguration. Lauren and Scott discuss the uncertainty that federal contractors have faced since the new administration issued Executive Order (EO) 14173, Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity, which immediately revoked EO 11...
In this podcast, shareholders Scott Kelly (Birmingham) and Lauren Hicks (Indianapolis/Atlanta) discuss the implications of President Donald Trump’s Executive Order 14173, which aims to end illegal discrimination and restore merit-based opportunities. Lauren and Scott delve into the executive order’s impact on federal contractors and subcontractors, particularly the revocation of Executive Order 11246, which mandated affirmative action and non-discrimination obligations. They also explore the pot...
In this episode of our Cross-Border Catch-Up podcast series, Skye Hao (Atlanta) and Goli Rahimi (Chicago) discuss changes to South Korea’s childcare support laws that will go into effect on February 23, 2025, and how these amendments will affect South Korean employees and employers alike.
In this episode of our Cross-Border Catch-Up podcast series, Diana Nehro (New York, Boston), chair of the firm’s Cross-Border Practice Group, and Skye Hao (Atlanta) discuss the use of probationary periods for new employees in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region. Skye and Diana cover the ins and outs of probationary periods, including how probationary periods enable employers to evaluate a new hire’s performance. They also address common misconceptions about probationary periods, including who is elig...
In this episode of our new podcast series, The AI Workplace, Patty Shapiro (shareholder, San Diego) and Sam Sedaei (associate, Chicago) discuss the European Union’s (EU) Platform Work Directive, which aims to regulate gig work and the use of artificial intelligence (AI). Patty outlines the directive’s goals, including the classification of gig workers and the establishment of AI transparency requirements. In addition, Sam and Patty address the directive’s overlap with the EU AI Act and the poten...
In this first episode of our Dirty Steel-Toe Boots podcast series for the year, Tampa shareholders Phillip Russell and Dee Anna Hays discuss anticipated changes and developments within the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) during President Trump’s second term. Dee Anna and Phillip address the status of the proposed heat illness standard and walkaround rule, expected changes in OSHA leadership, and the potential impact that the incoming administration’s policies, regulatory adj...
In this episode of our Cross-Border Catch-Up podcast series, Patty Shapiro (shareholder, San Diego) and Kate Thompson (associate, Stamford) discuss recent updates to employment laws in Norway, Denmark, and Sweden. Kate kicks off the episode by highlighting amendments to Norway’s Working Environment Act, which went into effect on July 1, 2024. These amendments enhance employee rights and require detailed employment contracts. Patty and Kate also review changes to Denmark’s Posting of Workers Act ...
In this podcast, shareholders Karen Tynan (Sacramento) and Charles Thompson (San Francisco) discuss California Code of Civil Procedure Section 527.8, which allows employers and unions to obtain temporary restraining orders (TROs) in response to credible threats of violence in the workplace. Charles, who co-chairs the firm’s Leaves of Absence/Reasonable Accommodation Practice Group, and Karen, who co-chairs the Workplace Violence Prevention Practice Group, review the nuances involved in securing ...
In this installment of Ogletree Deakins’ Safety Basics podcast series, John Surma (Houston) is joined by Jeff Leslie (Dallas) and Ryan Swink (Houston) to discuss OSHA’s Hazard Communication Standard. The speakers cover the criteria for what constitutes a hazardous chemical and outline the five key elements of the Hazard Communication Standard: (1) identification, (2) labeling, (3) safety data sheets, (4) employee training, and (5) program implementation. They also provide insights on how employe...
In this podcast, Karen Tynan, the West Coast chair of the firm’s Workplace Safety and Health Practice Group, and Noel Hernandez from the firm’s Las Vegas office discuss Nevada’s newly adopted heat illness regulation. The regulation, which went into effect on November 15, 2024, applies to employers with more than ten employees and requires them to provide employee training and conduct a written job hazard analysis. Noel and Karen review the regulation’s trigger temperature and outline the respons...
In this podcast Jim McGrew, Ogletree’s chief client services officer and Dr. Martin Römermann a shareholder in the Berlin office, discuss some of the top issues (e.g. employer of records, data protection and formal requirements) U.S. employers face when conducting business in Germany.
In this roundtable discussion, members of the firm’s Cybersecurity and Privacy Practice Group discuss a wide range of topics, including setting up a new cybersecurity plan and practicing it within an organization with buy-in from various departments (IT, HR, etc.), appointing a cybersecurity or data protection officer, deciding whether that officer should be from outside the organization, and instituting role-based training to help employees recognize threats (such as the recent proliferation of...
In this podcast, Ogletree Deakins attorneys Sam Sedaei and Ben Perry delve into Illinois’s newly enacted artificial intelligence (AI) law, HB 3773. Sam, a member of the firm’s Technology Practice Group who focuses on the use of technology in the workplace, and Ben, who is co-chair of the firm’s Cybersecurity and Privacy Practice Group, discuss the AI law’s implications for employment practices, including the law’s broad definition of AI and its goal to prevent discriminatory effects in employmen...
In this installment of our Safety Perspectives From the Dallas Region podcast series, shareholders John Surma (Houston) and Frank Davis (Dallas) discuss OSHA’s recordkeeping rules. Frank and John cover the forms that employers are required to complete and maintain, including OSHA Form 300, Form 300A, and Form 301. They also emphasize the importance of knowing and understanding your North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code, as well as the obligations electronic reporting and the...
In this episode of our Cross-Border Catch-Up podcast series, Shirin Aboujawde (New York) and Patty Shapiro (San Diego), both of whom are members of Ogletree Deakins’ Cross-Border Practice Group, discuss Status of Forces Agreements (SOFAs). SOFAs are treaties that allow members of the U.S. armed forces and their dependents, as well as government contractors to operate in foreign countries with specific exemptions, such as special immigration status and tax exemptions. Shireen explains the intrica...
In this installment of our Safety Perspectives From the Dallas Region podcast series, shareholders Frank Davis (Dallas) and John Surma (Houston) discuss the implications of a recent federal court ruling that extends the Supreme Court’s June 2024 decision in SEC v. Jarkesy, barring the use of administrative law judges (ALJs) in certain matters before the SEC. In November 2024, a federal district court judge in Texas expanded the bar to include ALJs at the U.S. Department of Labor—a decision that ...
In this episode of our Cross-Border Catch-Up podcast series, Patty Shapiro (San Diego) sits down with Shirin Aboujawde (New York) to discuss the unique aspects of doing business in the Middle East, focusing on the importance of physical presence and the expat-dominated workforce. They highlight the mandatory requirements for local real estate, the distinct workweek schedules, and the necessity of having a public relations officer to interact with the government. Additionally, they cover the lack...
