Expert Compliance Insights & Tips for Businesses

June 7, 2017
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DOL Withdraws Obama-era Administrative Interpretation on Independent Contractors

Secretary of Labor Alexander Acosta today announced the withdrawal of the Department of Labor’s (DOL's) 2015 and 2016 informal guidance on joint employment and independent contractors. Removal of the administrator interpretations does not change the legal responsibilities of employers under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and the Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Worker Protection Act, as ...
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June 6, 2017
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OSHA Designates June 12-18 as 'Safe + Sound Week'

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced it has designated June 12-18, 2017, as “Safe + Sound Week,” a new nationwide effort that calls on organizations of all sizes in a wide range of industries to raise awareness of the value and importance of workplace safety and health programs. Joining OSHA to sponsor the effort are the National Safety Council, American Industria...
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June 1, 2017
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OSHA to Participate in GHS Conference

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) will conduct a public meeting to discuss proposals in preparation for the 33rd session of the United Nations Sub-Committee of Experts on the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (UNSCEGHS) to be held July 10 through July 12, 2017, in Geneva, Switzerland. OSHA, along with the U.S. Interagency GHS (Global...
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May 30, 2017
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New Process Announced for E-Verify Corporate Administrators

On May 25, the E-Verify Modernization Project revamped the employer (child) enrollment process and made it more efficient and user-friendly. When corporate administrators add new employers they will find:  A new webpage and easier navigation Fewer fields, which will quicken processing Improved data fields that require fewer clicks New features including the ability to save enrollme...
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May 30, 2017
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HHS Report: Premiums Have Doubled Under Obamacare

In a report issued this past week, the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE) in the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) said that health insurance premiums offered on HealthCare.gov have doubled since the start of the Affordable Care Act: Comparing the average premiums found in 2013 MLR data and 2017 CMS MIDAS data shows average exchange premiums were 10...
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May 25, 2017
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Uncertainty over Subsidies Has Insurers Talking Huge Hikes in Premiums

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina, the largest Obamacare insurer in the state, has announced it intends to hike health insurance premiums by 22.9 percent in 2018 unless the Trump administration guarantees to continue doling out what are called cost-sharing reductions (CSRs). If the CSRs are continued, the company added, rates would go up just 8.8 percent. "The biggest single reason ...
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May 24, 2017
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DOL Moves to Revoke Persuader Rule

The Obama administration's "persuader rule" requiring law firms to publicly disclose any work they do for employers surrounding union organizing efforts, already subject to a nationwide injunction, is being revoked by the Trump administration's Department of Labor (DOL). The DOL on Monday, May 22, filed a proposal to formally rescind the rule, which was blocked by U.S. District Judge Sam Cummi...
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May 24, 2017
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Labor Secretary Releases Budget Request

Secretary of Labor Alexander Acosta has released the fiscal year 2018 budget request for the Department of Labor (DOL). According to the official press release, it supports President Donald J. Trump’s plan to invest in priorities that will help American workers develop the necessary skills to meet the demands of a 21st century economy and get good, safe jobs, provide working families access to ...
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May 24, 2017
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Trump's Budget Proposes Merger of EEOC and OFCCP

The  budget proposal just released by the White House envisions a merger of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP),  “creating one agency to combat employment discrimination.” The EEOC, a stand-alone agency, polices American businesses for discrimination at work, while the OFCCP, a division within the Department of Labo...
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May 23, 2017
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MSHA Extends Effective Date on Examinations of Working Places

The Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) announced it is extending the effective date of the agency’s final rule on Examinations of Working Places in Metal and Nonmetal Mines until Oct. 2, 2017. This extension will allow additional time for MSHA to provide training and compliance assistance for its stakeholders. MSHA is developing a variety of compliance assistance materials to assist ...
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Practical articles on HR, Safety, compliance, and people operations—written for real businesses, not legal textbooks.

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