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By Immigration Attorney James O. Hacking, III, founder of Hacking Law Practice, LLC.

It was a move that Attorney General Jeff Sessions has been heavily criticized for, and will likely be heavily criticized for in the months to come. In his own interpretation of immigration law, Sessions has ordered that credible fear is no longer a valid reason for entry into the United States.

One primary example of credible fear is those leaving their home countries in fear of gang violence. The owner of a bus company in El Salvador was beaten in front of his child after denying a gang to use his bus for transportation of drugs and weapons. He was denied entry into the United States.

Another woman from Honduras was denied entry after stating that she had been verbally threatened over the phone by a gang member. Unfortunately, these are just two cases of the thousands that wait at the border trying to get to a better life for them and their families.

This is because the credible fear of gang violence, which was once considered a legitimate reason to allow immigrants into the United States, is no longer allowed. And, after Sessions’ decision, immigrant judges throughout the country are bound to the same law.

Not only do immigration judges have to disqualify threats of credible fear, but Sessions has also stated that border officials must make this part of the first interview questions immigrants face at the border. This would essentially disqualify most of them before their interview even gets started.

“It is not only reprehensible on moral grounds, it could be illegal,” states James O. Hacking, III of Hacking Law Practice, LLC. “According to international and domestic law, these claims do not need to be made at the border. And they are certainly not just reasons for keeping those looking for a safer, better life from entering our country.”

In the past, approximately 80 percent of people seeking entry into the country at the border have claimed credible fear as the reason for doing so. Now, those and more may be denied entry on those very grounds.

Unfortunately it will likely take weeks, and maybe even months, for a court challenge of this new law to be successful. In the meantime, thousands of people seeking refuge and a safe place could be affected.

By Personal Injury Attorney Matthew Tomkiel, partner of Tomkiel & Tomkiel.

Many Americans are aware that workplace accidents cost employers millions of dollars every year. But what might be surprising is that in 2015, the cost of those accidents cost employers throughout the country over $1 billion a week.

This number was released in Liberty Mutual’s Workplace Safety Index in May 2018. The index is a ranking of workplace injuries that are serious but non-fatal. The rankings are accumulated based on data from Liberty Mutual, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and the National Academy of Social Insurance.

The good news for workers is that the cost of the most serious injuries decreased by 1.5 percent in 2015 from the year before. However, the cost of medical and low-wage costs increased by 2.9 percent.

This number shows that perhaps while serious injuries were less of an issue, more workers sustained less serious injuries and illnesses that kept them from being able to work in 2015.

Overexertion remained as the leading cause of workplace injuries for the fourth year in a row, with a total cost of $13.7 billion. Following overexertion the most common workplace injuries were falls on the same level, falls to a lower level, being struck by an object or equipment, and other types of exertions of bodily reactions.

These causes of workplace accidents collectively cost employers $26.6 billion for the year.

Roadway incidents with motorized land vehicles, slips or trips that did not result in a fall, being caught in equipment, being struck against equipment, and repetitive motions followed as the lowest-costing workplace injuries.

These top ten injuries were ranked in an identical order from the year before. These less common injuries cost $11.1 billion in worker’s compensation costs.

“The increased cost of workplace accidents shows the importance of both employers and employees understanding the main causes of workplace accidents,” says Matthew Tomkiel of Tomkiel & Tomkiel. “With this knowledge, everyone in the workplace can take measures to prevent more accidents from happening.”

Employers may be the most effective in reducing the costs of workplace accidents through better training, ensuring their equipment is up to date, and designing better, safer work spaces.

Are you a creative looking to expand your network and share your work? Join DC’s creative community at City Winery DC on August 29 to kick off the 3rd installment of Mayor Muriel Bowser Presents 202Creates with live performances, vendors and more!

202Creates was established to celebrate DC’s innovators, makers and artists throughout all 8 wards of the city. It connects District residents with government resources, educational opportunities and spaces to support their projects.

This results in the creation of business development tools, original media content and performances, as well as community-building events, activities and roundtables.

This September’s 202Creates programming is made possible in partnership with the DC Office of Cable Television, Film, Music and Entertainment; The DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities; The DC Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development; and the DC Executive Office of the Mayor.

With nearly 60 percent of the District’s workers employed in the creative roles, this program is more valuable now than ever. Let’s celebrate DC’s creative culture!

RSVP for the kickoff here, and check out upcoming events here.

By Employment and Consumer Attorney Jonathan Street, founder of The Employment Law Group.

Movements such #MeToo and #TimesUp have been making strides across the country, particularly in Hollywood by women that have huge platforms to speak to millions of people. It seems it has worked, as now the movement has given women the courage in many other industries to speak up about sexual harassment.

The latest to face allegations is McDonald’s restaurants. Currently there are nine different McDonald’s franchises to face allegations from ten different women across the country.

New Orleans, St. Louis, Chicago, Detroit, Los Angeles, Miami, Orlando, Durham and Kansas City in Missouri are the locations in which complaints of sexual harassment are currently being filed against McDonald’s franchises. Allegations include inappropriate groping and touching, indecent exposure and lewd comments, most often made by supervisors.

McDonald’s currently has a zero tolerance policy in regards to sexual harassment, but it does not seem as though it is being enforced.

In their complaints, the women have stated that when bringing their complaints to the company, they were typically ignored. In other cases, they were mocked for making the allegations. Some even faced retaliation in the workplace.

This is not the first time the fast food chain has faced such allegations. Two years ago they faced similar charges. At that time they stated an investigation into the allegations would be conducted.

However, Terri Hickey, spokesperson for McDonald’s, refused to comment on whether or not those complaints resulted in any policy changes or increased enforcement of the company’s zero tolerance policy.

“The only way things are going to change,” says Jonathan Street of The Employment Law Group, “is if brave women continue to come forward. This is no longer something that will be ignored, or swept under the rug. Everyone has to be held accountable for their actions, and that includes anyone in the workplace that believes they can treat people unfairly or disrespectfully.”

The latest complaints were filed with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Because the McDonald’s locations named in the complaints are franchises, the franchise owner is named in each complaint. So too however, is McDonald’s Corp.

Due to the fact that the women filing complaints are most often making minimum wage and cannot afford the legal costs associated with pursuing their case, they are being covered by the TIMES UP Legal Defense Fund.

They are working with Fight for $15, who is handling and organizing the women’s complaints in the hopes that they can get the justice they deserve and prevent it from happening to anyone else.