On February 23, 2012, the New Jersey State Assembly Labor Committee voted 6-2 to approve legislation (A2162, S3) that proposes to increase the New Jersey minimum wage rate from $7.25 to $8.50 an hour. As previously reported, in the February 2012 issue of the New Jersey eAuthority, the bill also calls for automatic future annual adjustments linked to the Consumer Price Index. The bill next will go before the General Assembly for additional consideration, and if signed into law, would take effect on July 1, 2012. Several related bills addressing minimum wage also are pending, including S607, which would similarly increase the minimum wage rate to $8.50 an hour but tie subsequent minimum adjustments to increases in the statewide weekly wage rate paid to all workers subject to New Jersey’s workers’ compensation laws.
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New H-1B Petitions May Be Filed on March 31, 2009
The filing period for “new” H-1B petitions to be counted against the annual H-1B quota (the “H-1B cap”) begins on Tuesday, March 31, 2009. Thus, employers are encouraged to begin identifying current and future employees who will need H-1B visa status to be legally employed. Persons currently employed as F-1 students or J-1 trainees and persons outside of the United States commonly require new, cap-subject H-1Bs. March 31 is the initial filing date for petitions seeking H-1B status with an effective date of October 1, 2009.
DHS Announces Significant Changes to H-1B Cap Selection Process
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Broward County Becomes the Second County in Florida to Adopt Wage Protection Ordinance
On October 23, 2012, Broward County became the second county in Florida to adopt a controversial wage protection ordinance. In a seven-to-two vote, with Commissioners Stacy Ritter and Chip LaMarca voting against the ordinance, and despite heavy opposition from Broward County business leaders, the Broward County Commission approved the ordinance, which will become effective on