Expert Compliance Insights & Tips for Businesses

November 16, 2012

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Deadline for Decision on State Health Insurance Exchanges Extended to Dec. 14

Late yesterday the Obama administration extended today's original deadline for the states to agree to establish their own health insurance exchanges to Dec. 14, effectively giving a group of reluctant and/or wavering governors time to make a decision. Under the terms of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), the states have three options to establish exchanges where consume...

November 15, 2012

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Missouri Minimum Wage to Rise to $7.35 an Hour

Adjusting the rate to inflation, the Missouri Department of Labor announced yesterday that the state minimum wage will rise to $7.35 an hour commencing Jan. 1, 2013. Employers engaged in retail or service businesses whose annual gross income is less than $500,000 are not required to pay the state minimum wage rate. Employers not subject to the minimum wage law can pay employees wages of their c...

November 14, 2012

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OSHA Publishes List of Most Heavily Fined Safety Violations

Earlier, we provided a list of the most frequently cited safety violations for FY 2011, and now the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has completed the listings by showing the most heavily fined violations (below), which are quite similar to the violations listed earlier. Fall protection, construction (29 CFR 1926.501) [related OSHA Safety and Health Topics page] Scaffoldi...

November 12, 2012

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Vermont to Raise Minimum Wage to $8.60 on Jan. 1

Vermont, one of several states that tie their minimum wage to inflation, is set to raise its minimum hourly rate to $8.60, up from $8.46, on Jan. 1. The inflation rate is calculated for the 12-month period ending Aug. 31 of each year and takes effect at the dawn of the new year. This year's increase is less than 2 percentage points, based upon results of the Consumer Price Index (CPI). For ...

November 10, 2012

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Annual Injury and Illness Absences from Work Basically Unchanged from 2010

The rate of nonfatal occupational injury and illness cases requiring days away from work to recuperate was 117 cases per 10,000 full-time workers in 2011, statistically unchanged from 2010, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The total number of private industry, state government, and local government cases with days away from work remained statistically unchanged at 1,181,290. The med...

November 8, 2012

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What the Election Means for Employers

With the election under wraps, employers should be mindful of the following employment and labor issues: The Future of the National Labor Relations Board Unions have not forgotten the promises that President Obama made to them in his first campaign. And while the President has had to>focus on pressing issues concerning the economy, it is likely he will refocus on unions in the second term. T...

November 8, 2012

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Newark, N.J., to Take Hard Line on Criminal Background Checks

Beginning Nov. 18, companies with five or more employees operating in Newark, N.J., will be barred from conducting criminal background checks before an offer of employment is made, and then only if the position is considered "sensitive" enough to warrant such an investigation. Even if the position is labeled "sensitive" (which the law doesn't entirely define), the employ...

November 7, 2012

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Second Largest USERRA Settlement Ever Announced

Though the terms cannot be disclosed, a recent settlement with a returning Wisconsin National Guardsman who was fired from his civilian job is reported to amount to several years' worth of salary. Michael Hanke was terminated by Com Tek, a defense contractor, when he returned from active duty in 2010. Somehow, the U.S. Army, which contracts with Com Tek, is on the hook for the settlement be...

November 5, 2012

28 view(s)

New Employee Background Check Rule Takes Effect Jan. 1

Effective Jan. 1, 2013, employers must use a revised “Summary of Consumer Rights” notice to comply with the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). All businesses that conduct background investigations on applicants and employees must comply with the notification and identify theft provisions of the FCRA. Under the FCRA, employers are obliged to obtain a background check authorization fro...

November 2, 2012

24 view(s)

Disability.gov Launches Campaign to Mark 10th Anniversary

The Disability.gov website has launched "What's Your Connection?" to commemorate the site's 10th anniversary. The initiative emphasizes that disability is a natural part of the human experience and focuses on the integral role people with disabilities play in American society. Disability.gov is managed by the Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy in ...

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