Writing on Your Rights
An Educational Wisconsin Legal Blog from the Attorneys of Hawks Quindel, S.C.Attorney Summer Murshid Joins NELA Executive Board
Attorney Summer Murshid has joined the Board for the National Employment Lawyer’s Association for a three-year term. In doing so, she becomes part of an esteemed group of 24 attorneys from around the country who have dedicated their working lives to representing...
Wisconsin Now Allows Tip Pooling to Cooks and Dishwashers
Changes in Wisconsin Tip-Pooling Law: What you need to know if your employer practices tip-pooling The practice of tip-pooling has existed for decades in the Wisconsin service industry. In a nutshell, tip-pooling allows other employees who would not otherwise receive...
COVID-19 Screenings at Work and Employee Legal Rights
Employees Rights Regarding COVID-19 Screenings at Work The COVID-19 Pandemic has created one of the largest work disruptions in history, leaving public and private sectors alike to weigh difficult decisions regarding employees’ physical health and organizational...
What Are the Potential Consequences of the U.S. Supreme Court Decision in Bostock?
This blog was drafted by Hayley Archer (Madison office) and Katherine Charlton (Milwaukee office). This article is the second of a two-part series that explains the recent landmark Supreme Court decision, Bostock v. Clayton, its dissents, and what it all means for...
Wisconsin Car Accident Report Guide: 6 Essential Steps
What to Do After a Wisconsin Car Accident The Wisconsin Department of Transportation estimates there are about 130,000 car crashes per year statewide. While the odds of you getting in a Wisconsin car crash in any given year are small (about 2%), over the course of...
Predicting How Much Money a Long Term Disability Lawsuit Is Worth
What Types of Damages Can a LTDI Lawsuit Possibly Win in Court? If you have exhausted the administrative remedies under your group long-term disability insurance plan, your next step is to file a lawsuit in court. Most people who find themselves in this position want...
TITLE VII PROTECTS LGBT EMPLOYEES
This article is the first of a two-part series that explains the recent landmark Supreme Court decision, Bostock v. Clayton, its dissents, and what it all means for workers in Wisconsin. Decision Summary An employer who fires an individual merely for being gay or...
Hawks Quindel S.C. will be closed this Friday in observation of Juneteenth Day.
Hawks Quindel S. C. will be closed this Friday in observation of Juneteenth Day. On June 19th, 1865, two years after Abraham Lincoln made the executive decision to free enslaved Black people in America, Union soldiers finally went to Texas to enforce the Emancipation...
Charlton Joins Wisconsin Law Foundation Grants Committee
Attorney Katherine Charlton joins the Wisconsin Law Foundation grants committee on June 1, 2020. Charlton is a Fellow of the Wisconsin Law Foundation which promotes public understanding of the law and seeks to improve the administration of justice in Wisconsin...
4 Steps to Applying for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance in Wisconsin
Pandemic Unemployment Assistance in Wisconsin: When and how to apply for this vital benefit A few months ago, in response to COVID-19 and the Safer-at-Home Order, we published a COVID-19 Unemployment Benefits Guide to demystify Wisconsin’s unemployment insurance (UI)...
Getting Divorced? Pay Attention to Enforcement Provisions in Your Marital Settlement Agreement.
Your Options for Enforcing the Terms of Your Marital Settlement Agreement Are Important. An important aspect of any divorce agreement is not only what you agree on but how and whether the agreement can be enforced. In their Marital Settlement Agreements (MSAs),...
Whistleblowers Who Report Paycheck Protection Fraud Can Win Money
False Claims Against the Paycheck Protection Program Two federal laws—one old, one new—could dominate headlines for the months to come. The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act is intended to provide relief to individuals and businesses...
Workplace Options for Workers at High Risk for COVID-19
How Employees at High Risk for COVID-19 Can Stay Safe in the Workplace During the COVID-19 Pandemic, individuals with serious and chronic health conditions have been determined to be at a higher risk of getting extremely ill from COVID-19 should they contract the...
Undocumented Workers & Workers Compensation Benefits in Wisconsin
Undocumented Workers Are Entitled to Wisconsin Workers Compensation Benefits Almost all Wisconsin workers are entitled to Workers Compensation benefits when they are injured at work and their injury requires medical treatment, including undocumented workers. Wisconsin...
Trabajadores indocumentados y beneficios de compensación al trabajador en Wisconsin
¿Los trabajadores indocumentados tienen derecho a los beneficios de compensaión al trabajador? Sí. Casi todos los trabajadores en el estado de Wisconsin tienen el derecho a beneficios de Compensación al Trabajador cuando se lesionan en el trabajo y la lesión requiere...
Attorney Quindel Appears on WPR’s The Morning Show
On Thursday, April 16, 2020, Attorney Barbara Zack Quindel appeared on Wisconsin Public Radio's The Morning Show to discuss employees' rights in the workplace in light of the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. To listen to the episode, please visit WPR's website...
Escaping Noncompete Clauses & Other Employment Agreement Concerns
Managing Noncompete, Nonsolicitation and Other Employment Agreement Terms After Termination In an earlier post, I addressed important legal considerations surrounding terminations and reductions of employee compensation as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. This...
How to Claim Disability Benefits for Mental Health Conditions
A Step-by-Step Guide to Short-Term & Long-Term Disability Insurance Benefits for Mental Health Conditions While most people think of disabilities as physical and observable conditions, not all disabilities are outwardly apparent. In fact, mental health conditions...
Healthcare Workers May Not Be Fired for Reporting COVID Violations
Wisconsin Prohibits Retaliation for Reporting COVID-19 Ethical and Legal Violations Amidst the worldwide coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, health care professionals are speaking out about their employers’ legal and ethical violations. In some cases,...
How to Mitigate Termination or Pay Reduction due to Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Consult Employment Agreement Concerning Termination or Pay Reduction Due to COVID-19 With the economic consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic spreading, employers are beginning to take action to reduce their costs, including terminating employees, or unilaterally...
Paid and Sick Leave Employee Rights During COVID-19 Pandemic
Many Wisconsin employees are concerned about their uncertain employment future due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. We have fielded many questions from Wisconsin workers since the outbreak started, and our attorneys have diligently kept up on developing laws...
WI Workers Comp Aids Injured Workers Laid Off During COVID-19
Injured Employees Laid Off or Fired During the Coronavirus Crisis May Be Eligible for Wisconsin Workers Compensation Many Wisconsin businesses have closed – either temporarily or permanently – due to the COVID-19 crisis. These closures, whether due to the Governor...
COVID-19 (Coronavirus) Can Qualify as a Worker’s Compensation Injury in Wisconsin
Can Contracting COVID-19 (Coronavirus) Be a Worker’s Compensation Injury? Yes. In fact, most viruses and infections can be compensable under Wisconsin’s worker’s compensation law, depending on the circumstances surrounding how and when a worker contracts the illness....
A Guide to COVID-19 Unemployment Benefits for WI Workers
Essential Information for WI Workers Seeking Unemployment Relief During COVID-19 As the coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis worsens in Wisconsin, workers are focused on the safety and well-being of their family and friends. Many businesses are closing or cutting hours in...
Child Placement in Wisconsin during the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) Pandemic
On March 24, 2020, the State of Wisconsin issued an Emergency “Safer-at-Home” Order to combat the spread of COVID-19 (coronavirus disease). The order prohibits all non-essential travel, with certain exceptions. Many divorced and separated parents in Wisconsin are...