Expert Compliance Insights & Tips for Businesses

June 5, 2014
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Burwell Confirmed as HHS Secretary

The Senate today, by a vote to 78 to 17, confirmed Sylvia Mathews Burwell as secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), succeeding Kathleen Sibelius, who will be remembered as the architect of HealthCare.gov and its many travails. Ms. Burwell, 48, moves over from the West Wing, where she serves as President Obama's budget director, a post to which she was confirmed unanimously just...
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June 3, 2014
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WalMart Employees to Strike Nationwide Today

In advance of a shareholders' meeting on Friday, WalMart employees nationwide and online will strike today over wages and what they claim is retaliation for employees who speak out about company issues. Protests will be held in some 20-plus cities to demand wages of at least $25,000 a year, Organization United For Respect at Walmart (OUR Walmart), which is associated with th...
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June 3, 2014
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Treasury, IRS Release Employer Reporting Requirements Under ACA

The Department of the Treasury and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) have released final rules to implement the information-reporting provisions for insurers and certain employers under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) that take effect in 2015. “Today’s announcement is part of the administration’s effort to provide certainty and early guidance about major health policies s...
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June 3, 2014
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Seattle Passes Historic $15-an-Hour Minimum Wage Ordinance

Despite reports that nearby SeaTac, which enacted a similar $15-an-hour minimum wage ordinance encumbered by subsequent job losses, reductions in hours, elimination of overtime and implementation of paid parking for employees, Seattle has passed its own historic minimum wage hike. Depending on the size of the business, the Emerald City's $15-an-hour mandate will be phased in over the ...
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June 2, 2014
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Redefinition of Overtime Exemption Expected in November

The Spring Regulatory Agenda published recently by the Department of Labor (DOL) lists November 2014 as the issue date for proposed new regulations on overtime pay exemptions. Currently, under rules issued in 2005 employees in executive, administrative, professional, outside sales and computer positions earning a minimum of $455 a week can be classified as exempt employees, meaning their ...
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May 29, 2014
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I2P2 Also Kicked Down the Road to ... Oblivion?

Yesterday, we reported that the Department of Labor (DOL) had delayed its long-contemplated and anticipated fiduciary rule to January of next year. In the same revised regulatory agenda, the department also delayed another long-heralded and anticipated program, the injury and illness prevention program (I2P2), seemingly past the time Barack Obama will still be in office. Long the pet of O...
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May 28, 2014
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DOL Kicks the Fiduciary Definition Can Down the Election Road

Pressured by industry fears that its proposed fiduciary rule would limit public access to quality financial advice, the Department of Labor (DOL) has once again delayed its long-gestating redefinition of what constitutes a fiduciary. In its regulatory agenda published May 23 in the Federal Register, the DOL pushed back the definition from this August to January 2015, conveniently after th...
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May 28, 2014
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Michigan Joins Growing Ranks of States Raising Their Minimum Wage Rates

Gov. Rick Snyder signed legislation last night to raise the minimum wage in Michigan over four years to $9.25 an hour, up from the current $7.40 an hour. The new minimum wage will thus be fully in force by 2018, and each year thereafter the rate will be raised either by the rate of inflation or by 3.5 percent, whichever is lower. "I commend my partners in the Legislature for find...
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May 27, 2014
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IRS to Penalize Employers Who 'Pump and Dump' to Avoid ACA Mandate

In a question-and-answer posted on its website, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) says it will fine employers $100 a day per employee if they pump up their workers' pay with extra cash and then dump them onto the Obamacare exchanges to buy their own health insurance. This "pump and dump" strategy is designed to make an end run around the employer shared responsibility provi...
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May 27, 2014
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OSHA Launches Campaign to Prevent Heat-Related Illnesses

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has launched its annual Campaign to Prevent Heat Illness in Outdoor Workers. For the fourth consecutive year, OSHA's campaign aims to raise awareness and educate workers and employers about the dangers of working in hot weather and provide resources and guidance to address these hazards. Workers at particular risk are those in outdo...
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EEOC Rescinds Permissible Affirmative Action Guidance
EEOC Rescinds Permissible Affirmative Action Guidance

On June 30, 2026, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) officially rescinded two longstanding documents relating to permissible affirmative action. The documents were part of the EEOC's guidance on affirmative action under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

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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
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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
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.

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