In the context of employment-related immigration, the overriding theme of the year was the change in how U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) analyzes and processes applications and petitions for foreign national workers, resulting in significant increases in requests for evidence and denials. https://goo.gl/tYTSjM
Government Shutdown Decision Down to the Wire
A partial government shutdown would hit businesses and employees hard but will occur unless Congress and President Donald Trump agree to funding before the end of the day Dec. 21. Nine out of 15 federal departments and dozens of agencies would close if a compromise isn’t reached. Agencies and departments—including the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and Department of Homeland Security—have prepared for the closure. https://goo.gl/abFRWt
South Korea: Significant Changes to Workplace Safety Law Anticipated
New legislation in South Korea is expected to expand employers’ health and safety obligations toward their contractors’ employees and workers who are not employees. https://goo.gl/YDZqCb
UK: More Employment Law Reform Expected
In an attempt to improve the rights of gig economy workers, the government is set to implement its “Good Work Plan” by proposing legislative changes to ensure that workers can access fair and decent work. https://goo.gl/cwjx5P