Expert Compliance Insights & Tips for Businesses

March 15, 2016

45 view(s)

DOL Sends New Overtime Rule to OMB for Final Review

The Department of Labor (DOL) on Monday forwarded its revised overtime rule to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for final review, setting the stage for publication by July. The OMB has a 90-day window to review the final version of the rewrite of overtime rules that will make eligible some 5 million more workers to receive overtime pay, if the final rule is unchanged from its original...

March 12, 2016

36 view(s)

Obamacare Sign-Ups Fall Short of Goal for 2016

On Dec. 31, 2015, about 8.8 million consumers had effectuated Health Insurance Marketplace coverage -– which means those individuals had paid their premiums and had an active policy at the end of December, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced. The original goal was 9.1 million paying customers. Of the approximately 8.8 million consumers nationwide with effectuated Mar...

March 11, 2016

29 view(s)

HHS Takes Aim at Opioid Abuse

Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Sylvia M. Burwell has announced $94 million in Affordable Care Act funding to 271 health centers in 45 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico to improve and expand the delivery of substance abuse services in health centers, with a specific focus on treatment of opioid use disorders in underserved populations. “The opioid epidemic is one of t...

March 10, 2016

34 view(s)

OSHA Extends Commentary Period on Chemical Hazards

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is extending the commentary period for its draft "Guidance on Data Evaluation for Weight of Evidence Determination" to May 2, 2016. OSHA published the draft guidance on Feb. 16. The agency has received requests to extend the comment period to allow stakeholders more time to review this highly technical guidance and respond constructively...

March 8, 2016

36 view(s)

CMS Seeks to Cut Medicare Drug Payments

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has announced a proposed rule to test new models to improve how Medicare Part B pays for prescription drugs and supports physicians and other clinicians in delivering higher quality care. CMS values public input and comments as part of the rulemaking process, and looks forward to continuing to work with stakeholders through the rulemaking ...

March 8, 2016

48 view(s)

EEOC Files First Two LGBT Discrimination Lawsuits

In 2012 the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) issued its interpretation that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 protects sexual orientation, and now it has brought two LGBT discrimination lawsuits to test its interpretation. "While some federal courts have begun to recognize this right under Title VII, it is critical that all courts do so," explained EEOC General Counsel Da...

March 6, 2016

65 view(s)

USCIS Launches Known Employer Pilot Program

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) this past week announced the launch of a Known Employer pilot program to assess a new process for employers seeking to hire certain workers through employment-based visa categories. By modifying the process U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) uses to review an employer’s eligibility to sponsor individuals under certain employment-based im...

March 4, 2016

47 view(s)

Obamacare Out-of-Pocket Expenses to Rise in 2017

In a publication released this week, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has raised out-of-pocket expenses under Obamacare health plans in 2017 to $7,150 for individuals and $14,300 for joint plans, up from the current levels of $6,850 and $13,700. The raised expense levels were buried on page 332 of an HHS document titled "Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act; HHS Notice o...

March 3, 2016

23 view(s)

New SBC Template Coming for 2017

The Department of Labor (DOL) has submitted for review by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) a new template for the Summary of Benefits and Coverage (SBC) that accompanies health insurance policies, which will take effect for policies issued starting in April 2017. The public has until March 27 to submit comments to the OMB. SBCs, under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), outline benefits a...

March 1, 2016

34 view(s)

Risk Corridor Program Expects to Redistribute $7.7 Billion

The risk corridor/reinsurance program of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is expecting collections of $7.7 billion under the program this year to compensate insurance companies that suffered losses because of high claims in 2015. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) will commence payments in March and wrap them up by June 30 when HHS releases the final payment reports. Insurance com...

164 of 329

Options

Recent Articles

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

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...

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...

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...

EEOC Issues New National Enforcement Plan Through 2029

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.

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...

View All Articles