Expert Compliance Insights & Tips for Businesses

May 26, 2011

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OSHA Cuts Some Reporting Requirements

The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) today announced the forthcoming release of a final rule that streamlines and simplifies standards while reducing employer burdens. The rule, which soon will be published in the Federal Register, will help keep OSHA standards up-to-date and better enable employers to comply with their regulatory obligations. ...

May 25, 2011

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Auto-Enrollment Pushes 401(k) Participation to Record Level

401(k)s

After Congress passed legislation in 2006 to make it easier for businesses to auto-enroll new employees in their companies' 401(k) defined-contribution plans, the overall participation rate has gone up to 75.8 percent from 67.2 percent in 2005, according to a study to Aon Hewitt Inc. Though 60 percent of the 120 companies analyzed are now offering auto-enrollment, up from just 24 perc...

May 23, 2011

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Final ADAAA Regulations from EEOC Take Effect Tomorrow (May 24, 2011)

ADAAA EEOC

Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) prohibits employment discrimination on the basis of a disability and requires employers to accommodate a qualified individual’s physical or mental impairment in the workplace, unless such accommodation causes an undue hardship. All employers with 15 or more employees are subject to the ADA as enforced by the U.S. Equal Employment ...

May 19, 2011

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NLRB Again Moves to Protect Fired Workers for Their Online Comments

Facebook NLRB

In a batch of recent decisions, the National Labor Relations Board has been moving aggressively to safeguard both "protected concerted activity" among co-workers and online commentary by employees on social media sites. Yesterday (May 18, 2011), the NLRB joined the two initiatives in a complaint filed against Hispanics United of Buffalo after the nonprofit "unlawfully discharged ...

May 17, 2011

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OSHA Seeks Input on MSD Column Proposal

MSD musculoskeletal disorders OSHA

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) first proposed, then abandoned, and finally reintroduced a rule that would add a column for reporting musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) on the annual Form 300 Injury and Illness Log that each business must submit. In its latest incarnation, the rule was opened to public commentary during teleconferences held on April 11 and 12. In today...

May 16, 2011

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USCIS Launches I-9 Central Online Resource

E-Verify I-9 USCIS

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has launched I-9 Central, a new online resource center dedicated to the most frequently accessed form on USCIS.gov: Form I-9, Employee Eligibility Verification. The free Web site builds on recent employment-related enhancements by providing employers and employees simple one-click access to resources, tips and guidance to properly complete Form ...

May 12, 2011

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HHS to Release Final HIPAA Privacy, Security Rules by Year-End

HIPAA HITECH

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is aiming to release its long-awaited (and consolidated) Final Rule on the HIPAA privacy and security rules by the end of 2011, it was announced by Susan McAndrew, deputy director in the HHS Office for Civil Rights (OCR). The revamped regulations for the privacy and security rules were mandated by the Health Information Technology for Economic a...

May 10, 2011

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DOL Offers Employees Free Timesheet Smartphone App

The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has announced the launch of its first application for smartphones, a timesheet to help employees independently track the hours they work and determine the wages they are owed. With both English and Spanish versions, users can conveniently track regular work hours, break time and any overtime hours for one or more employers. This new technology is significant b...

May 9, 2011

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EEOC Restricts Release of Employee Medical Information to Courts

ADA EEOC Rehabilitation Act

Both the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 and the Rehabilitation Act of 1974 contain privacy protection for employees and their company-retained medical records, but a narrow exception in these acts allows for the release of such information if requested by a court order. However, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) in a recent case has further narrowed that exemptio...

May 5, 2011

54 view(s)

New FLSA Regulations Take Effect Today (May 5)

FLSA tip pooling tips

New Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) regulations incorporating amendments and clarifications from recent years take effect today, May 5, 2011. The new rules also concern tip pooling arrangements, which make clear that tips cannot be diverted from people receiving them unless a valid tip-pooling arrangement has been established and promulgated to participants. The regulations navigate a course be...

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