n Utah, even the smallest local government entity has a duty to create a merit-based employment system, i.e., a civil service system, and conduct an annual review of the system. If you are an elected official, have you assured that such a system has been established or that an annual review has been conducted?
Why do governmental entities have civil service systems?
On Thursday, October 28, 2021, D. Scott Crook will be presenting with other distinguished faculty members at the upcoming National Business Institute (NB() Seminar, Mini Law School for Utah HR Professional, A Comprehensive Primer on Labor and Employment Law. Scott’s presentation will focus on Controlling Unemployment Compensation Costs. To register for the course, please click on the link above.
Read MoreCrook & Taylor Law is pleased to announce that Christopher S. Feuz has joined the firm. Chris has been an attorney for nearly 15 years and is an experienced litigator and problem solver. His last name is pronounced “Foytz.”
Read MoreSometimes commercial landlords and tenants are so eager to sign a written lease agreement that they neglect to include all of the essential terms that will govern the relationship. When this happens, it is likely that the parties do not even have an enforceable contract.
Read MoreIf you are involved in a dispute and you think you may need to hire a lawyer, you may want to know if you can make the other side pay for your attorney’s fees. The answer to this depends on the type of case you have. In Utah, the judge will order the other side to reimburse you for the money you paid your attorney only in certain types of cases. I will address five of them here.
Read MoreIf an individual or a business owes you money and is refusing to pay, the law does provide ways for you to take their money. One of them is to take money from their bank account.
Read MoreUtah law sets forth nine reasons a landlord can evict a tenant. These reasons apply to both commercial tenancies and residential tenancies. If a landlord wants to evict for a reason other than one of these, there is a good chance the landlord may not be able to evict.
Read MoreThe Wage & Hour Division of the U.S. Department of Labor issued a “Field Assistance Bulletin,” providing more information regarding how it will be enforcing the new Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA). (In case you missed it, you can find an overview of the requirements in the FFCRA here.)
Read MoreIn the next installment of the Utah Employment Law Quick Tips, D. Scott Crook explains new legislation recently passed that requires employers to provide paid sick leave during the COVID-19 crisis. Last night (March 18, 2020), the President signed into law the Families First Coronavirus Relief Act. The Act’s provisions will become effective in 15 days (April 2, 2020).
Read MoreDear Clients, Friends, and Colleagues: There are a lot of people who are justifiably concerned about the recent Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. Understandably our clients and colleagues are wondering whether recent events will affect whether they will be able to contact and meet with us.
Read MoreThe laws that govern landlords and tenants in Utah are found
in the following Utah Code sections:
1. Beware the Binding Nature of Your Lease
This should go without saying, and yet, far too many businesses learn this the hard way. Yes, a lease is a binding legal contract. No, a landlord is not likely to let you out of it just because your business is struggling. Let's say you sign a 5-year lease for $3,000 per month. You just signed a $180,000 contract. Every commercial tenant should go into a lease with the mindset that it will be bound to pay all or a substantial portion of the full contract price. (There are some exceptions; e.g., the landlord's duty to mitigate.)
Read MoreHiring is a compliance minefield. Laws, rules, and regulations loom at every turn to trip employers up. The process involved in verifying a person’s employment authorization is no different. Most employers know how to fill out an initial I-9 when taking on a new hire; but they often have questions about other aspects of I-9 compliance, such as:
Read MoreHiring is a compliance minefield. Laws, rules, and regulations loom at every turn to trip employers up. The process involved in verifying a new hire’s employment authorization is no different. Most employers know how to fill out an initial I-9 when taking on a new hire. But they often have questions about other aspects of I-9 compliance, such as:
Read MoreDiversity in the workplace has become a focus for many employers, and for good reason—companies benefit from having a variety of experiences, backgrounds, and viewpoints to draw from. But when people talk about “diverse” employees, they are usually referring to employees whose race, color, sex, national origin, religion, age, ability, gender identity, and/or sexual orientation are different from the employees traditionally found in the company.
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