Magen E. Kellam, Attorney at Law

08/27/2026

Did you receive an “Opt-In Notice”? Don’t ignore it.

If you receive a notice about a collective action involving your current or former workplace, it can be easy to mistake it for ordinary employment paperwork or something being sent by your employer.

An opt-in notice is different. It provides information about a lawsuit and explains whether you may have an opportunity to participate. It may also contain an important deadline for responding.

The notice should tell you who is administering it and provide contact information for questions. If you receive one and do not understand what it means, consider contacting the Notice Administrator listed on the notice before deciding what, if anything, you want to do.

And remember: receiving a notice does not mean that you are required to participate. Read it carefully, pay attention to any deadlines, and make an informed decision.

This post provides general information only and is not legal advice.

07/30/2026

Huge USCIS price increase coming for citizenship applications. The proposed changes to naturalization include a 75% USCIS fee increase. The fee is currently $760, new fee will be $1330!👀 if you are eligible & qualify, you can apply now to avoid the new fees that are coming.

07/20/2026

Please take time to understand every paycheck you receive.

Pay stubs can be difficult to read, especially when they include different hourly rates, shift differentials, overtime, reimbursements, housing charges, or other deductions.
Some items worth reviewing carefully include:

• Hours worked compared to hours listed on the pay stub
• The hourly rate used for each category of work
• Shift, weekend, night, or specialty differentials
• Overtime calculations
• Bonuses or incentive payments
• Mystery deductions

Overtime is not always calculated by simply multiplying the base hourly rate by 1.5. Depending on the circumstances, certain differentials, incentive payments, or nondiscretionary bonuses may need to be included when determining the regular rate of pay.

Not every deduction or payroll discrepancy is unlawful. Some may be authorized or may result from an ordinary payroll error. But unexplained deductions, missing hours, changing rates, or recurring discrepancies should be questioned and documented.

When something does not make sense, ask for an explanation in writing and keep a copy of the response. Immigration sponsorship does not remove ordinary wage and hour protections. Understanding your paycheck is an important part of protecting your work, your income, and your records.

This is general information, and every pay situation can be different.

07/15/2026

Important news for international nurses! Judge Grants Final Approval in CommuniCare/ WorldWide HealthStaff Recruitment Case.

A federal judge granted final approval today for a settlement in a class action matter that will pay $1 million and provide approximately $1.2 million more in debt relief to a class of approximately 220 nurses in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Indiana, Maryland, Missouri, West Virginia, and Virginia.

04/07/2026

Important news for nurses!

Berger Montague, a leading national plaintiff law firm, will move forward with individual confidential arbitrations and, separately, class action claims in a forced labor case alleging that Conexus Medstaff LLC (“Conexus”), an international healthcare staffing company, implemented a system to re...