By Alicia J. Samolis Beginning October 1, 2020, the minimum wage that employers must pay Rhode Island employees increases to $11.50 per hour. All employers must pay this minimum wage regardless of the employers’ size and revenue. Employers should update their workforce posters accordingly. It is important for employers to note that failing to pay...
Regulations governing the issuance of certain marijuana-related state licenses in Rhode Island do not require that applicants have specific municipal approvals but do require evidence of compliance with local zoning laws. This can create a hurdle that applicants do not anticipate in . In one recent decision, the Superior Court upheld the City of Pawtucket’s...
By David M. DiSegna On September 21, 2020, Rhode Island Commerce revised the eligibility criteria for the Restore RI grant program to allow more small businesses to receive aid. The program provides grants of between $1,500 and $15,000 to small businesses impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Eligible businesses must have a physical location in Rhode...
Partridge Snow & Hahn attorneys Jay Peabody and Russell Stein serve as panelists for The Metro South of Boston 2020 Virtual Conference hosted by New England Real Estate Journal, on September 17, 2020. This virtual conference features the insightful panel discussion on how the pandemic is impacting commercial and residential real estate in Boston and...
By Alicia J. Samolis The Department of Labor (“DOL”) published a new temporary rule (“New Rule”) today, September 16, 2020, revising and clarifying its previous April 1, 2020 temporary rule (“Prior Rule”) concerning the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (“FFCRA”). The New Rule clarifies intermittent leave issues, revises the optional exemption for employees of health care providers...
In an article which appears in this month’s issue of The Standard, PS&H Attorneys Brian Reilly and Brian Fishman discuss developments in Massachusetts’ law that could impact insurance companies with commission-only employees. In May 2019, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court issued a decision interpreting the method for calculating overtime wages for Massachusetts commission-only employees. The article...
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) issued guidance on Thursday, September 10, 2020, to marijuana businesses. The new guidance does not change existing IRS rules, but briefly explains the rules for reporting income, paying taxes with cash, and keeping financial records. The new guidance, which also links to a “Marijuana Industry Frequently Asked Questions” document, confirms that income from...
By Alicia J. Samolis Beginning in March of 2020, companies everywhere were forced to comply with local shelter and closure orders, as well as alter their operations to respond to the negative economic fallout from COVID-19. Companies rushed to keep their businesses going by implementing new, essential and often untested business practices. Common changes businesses...
By Russell J. Stein On Friday August 28th the IRS issued limited guidance on the payroll tax deferral that was part of President Trump’s August 8th executive order. Under IRS Notice 2020-65 (the “Notice”), employers are not required to withhold the employee share of Social Security taxes (the “Applicable Taxes”) attributable to wages paid to...
On August 26, 2020, Jay Clayton, Chairman of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), released a Statement on Modernization of the Accredited Investor Definition. This Statement reflects the SEC’s commitment to expanding the pool of eligible accredited investors. For over thirty years, the accredited investor test for individuals has been a binary test based...
