Expert Compliance Insights & Tips for Businesses

August 25, 2017
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OSHA Plans to Update Lockout/Tagout Rule

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) will launch a request for public input next April as it seeks to update its 1989 lockout/tagout standard, which is falling behind the times, especially when it comes to computer-based control of hazardous energy. “The agency has recently seen an increase in requests for variances for these devices,” an OSHA spokeswoman emailed the public...
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August 25, 2017
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5th Circuit to Hear Overtime Rule Appeal Arguments on Oct. 3

The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has set Tuesday morning, Oct. 3, as the time for oral arguments on the Obama-era overtime rule that was blocked by a federal judge days before it was to take effect this past December. That rule would've doubled the salary threshold for exemption from overtime pay from $455 a week ($23,660 yearly) to $913 weekly ($47,476). The Trump Department of Labor (D...
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August 25, 2017
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Last of 81 'Bare' Counties Lands an Obamacare Insurer

Seven states had been scrambling to find insurers willing to sell Affordable Care Act (ACA) health insurance policies in 81 "bare" counties, and this week the sole remaining, unserviced county -- Paulding in rural Ohio -- found a suitor in CareSource. The result is that there are no longer any areas of the United States where Obamacare policies won't be available. The 81 "bare" counties had be...
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August 24, 2017
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Iowa Seeks Obamacare Waiver to Fill Void

Faced with the possibility of having no insurance company selling on the Obamacare exchanges in the state, Iowa has applied for a 1332 innovation waiver under provisions of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). If approved, Iowa will sell just one standard policy on the ACA exchange and will back it up with tax credits to help individuals afford the coverage. "This does not fix all of the problems w...
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August 23, 2017
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Judge Orders EEOC to Reconsider Its Wellness Rule

A federal judge has granted summary judgment to the AARP in its suit against the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) over the latter's May 2016 wellness rule concerning company-run wellness programs. Judge John D. Bates of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia on Aug. 22 issued a memorandum, siding with the plaintiff's argument that the EEOC did not explain the reason...
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August 23, 2017
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4 Million Paid Average of $708 in Obamacare Penalties in 2016

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) reports that 4 million Americans paid an average of $708 for not having health insurance in 2016 -- what the IRS terms the Individual Shared Responsibility Payment (ISRP). The average is just over the base penalty of $695 imposed for a whole year without coverage. Interestingly, 22.6 million others filed for exemptions and were not docked an ISRP, while those...
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August 21, 2017
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OSHA to Host Second Public Meeting on Voluntary Protection Programs

The  Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) will hold the second of two meetings Aug. 28, 2017, in New Orleans, La., to continue the discussion on the future direction of the agency’s Voluntary Protection Programs (VPP). The discussion will include a review of the July 17, 2017, meeting along with comments and suggestions from the public on potential avenues for action. OSHA is s...
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August 17, 2017
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IRS Says It Will Continue to Enforce ACA Mandates, Fines for Non-Compliance

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) recently issued four letters emphasizing that the employer shared responsibility and individual mandate provisions of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) are still the law of the land and will be enforced. In the two years since businesses had to start filing reports on the health insurance, or lack thereof, they provide their employees, the IRS has yet to fine any...
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August 16, 2017
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HHS Names Mental Health Professionals to New Committee

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced today the appointment of national experts to guide a new initiative to better serve Americans with serious mental illness. The Interdepartmental Serious Mental Illness Coordinating Committee (ISMICC) was established by the 21st Century Cures Act to improve federal coordination of efforts that address the pressing needs of adults with ...
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August 15, 2017
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Latest EEO Digest Includes Article on Disparate Treatment Discrimination

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has announced the latest edition of its federal sector Digest of Equal Employment Opportunity Law (EEO Digest), which is available on the EEOC's website. This edition (Fiscal Year 2017, Volume 3) features a special article titled "Establishing Disparate Treatment Discrimination." The comprehensive article discusses the analysis of disparate tr...
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Practical articles on HR, Safety, compliance, and people operations—written for real businesses, not legal textbooks.

DOJ Challenges EEOC's Stance on Disparate Impact Claims
DOJ Challenges EEOC's Stance on Disparate Impact Claims

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) recently issued a legal opinion that may signal major changes ahead in federal workplace discrimination enforcement. In a June 9, 2026 memorandum, the DOJ's Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) expressed the opinion that the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission's...

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Department of Labor Issues 2026 Civil Penalty Update: No Adjustments This Year
Department of Labor Issues 2026 Civil Penalty Update: No Adjustments This Year

The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) recently published its annual update announcement regarding federal civil monetary penalties under the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act. In a notice published in the Federal Register on May 27th, 2026, the DOL announced that no penalty increases...

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U.S. Department of Labor Issues New Opinion Letters on Overtime Exemptions, Bonuses, and Compensable Time
U.S. Department of Labor Issues New Opinion Letters on Overtime Exemptions, Bonuses, and Compensable Time

On May 29th, 2026, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) released several new opinion letters addressing key wage & hour issues. Specifically, one of the four documents informed readers whether an exempt employee could perform additional work in a secondary role at an hourly rate and still be eligible...

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EEOC Issues New National Enforcement Plan Through 2029
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On June 4th, 2026, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) released a new 2025-2029 National Enforcement Plan (NEP). The NEP sets the EEOC’s specific subject-matter priorities from June through fiscal year 2029.

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prior overtime exemption rules
U.S. Department of Labor Officially Restores Prior Overtime Exemption Rules

On May 14th, 2026, the Wage and Hour Division (WHD) of the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) announced it has officially rescinded the 2024 overtime exemption rules. Specifically, the WHD published a technical amendment to restore previous 2019 regulations that dictated overtime exemptions for...

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