Expert Compliance Insights & Tips for Businesses

Ninth Circuit Rules FAA Preempts California Arbitration Law-2-21-23

Court: FAA Preempts CA Arbitration Law

February 21, 2023
67 view(s)
On February 15, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit (Ninth Circuit) ruled that arbitration provisions under the Federal Arbitration Act (FAA) preempt California arbitration law under Assembly Bill 51 (AB 51). In brief, AB 51 prohibits state employers from requiring employees to arbitrate claims and imposes criminal penalties for violating the AB. AB 51 was enacted in October 2019, e...
by
Read More
February 14, 2023
57 view(s)

Court Rules USERRA Requires Paid Military Leave of Comparable Duration

This month, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit (Ninth Circuit) found that, under the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA), employers that provide non-military paid short-term leave for specific reasons must also offer paid military leave of comparable duration. The Ninth Circuit’s decision reversed an earlier district court’s too-broad comparability an...
by
Read More
February 14, 2023
65 view(s)

Cal/OSHA Activates Non-Emergency COVID Rule

Recently, California’s Office of Administrative Law approved the Division of Occupational Safety and Health’s (commonly known as Cal/OSHA’s) Non-Emergency COVID-19 Regulation. The regulation is effective immediately and covers most California employers. Additionally, Cal/OSHA released a document of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) as guidance for the Non-Emergency COVID-19 Regulation. Earlier,...
by
Read More
Cal/OSHA Activates Its Non-Emergency COVID-19 Regulation-2-14-23

Company Fined $200K for Harassment Charges

February 14, 2023
80 view(s)
On February 8th, 2023, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) announced that an Illinois-based auto parts company will pay $200,000 to settle workplace sexual harassment charges. The charges involved sexual harassment and abuse against both male and female employees. Legislators have recently supported the EEOC as it enforces anti-discrimination and anti-harassment laws under i...
by
Read More
February 7, 2023
69 view(s)

EEOC Discusses Implications of Artificial Intelligence in Employment

On January 31st, 2023, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) held a public hearing to examine the use of artificial intelligence in employment decisions. Topics addressed included using artificial intelligence in recruitment and hiring, as well as in monitoring and firing workers. As employers increasingly use artificial intelligence in the workplace, the EEOC seeks to educate...
by
Read More
February 7, 2023
50 view(s)

IRS Plans Consolidated Tip Reporting Program

Yesterday, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) issued, as a part of Notice 2023-13, a proposed service industry tip reporting program for employers. The proposed program, called the Service Industry Tip Compliance Agreement (SITCA), would be the primary tip reporting program between service industry employers and the IRS. According to the IRS, the new program will improve compliance and make rep...
by
Read More
Agency Secures $1.25M Settlement in Reported HIPAA Violations-2-7-23

Agency Secures $1.25M Settlement in Reported HIPAA Violations

February 7, 2023
95 view(s)
This month, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS’s) Office for Civil Rights (OCR) announced a $1.25 million settlement after a cybersecurity breach exposed a non-profit health organization’s data that was covered by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA), constituting possible HIPAA violations. The potential HIPAA violations affected 2.81 milli...
by
Read More
January 31, 2023
135 view(s)

EEOC Offers Guidance for Deaf Worker Accommodations

On January 24th, 2023, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) released updated guidance on how the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) applies to hearing disabilities, including accommodations for deaf people and hard-of-hearing individuals. The resource document also provides information on avoiding actions that lead to discrimination against deaf and hard-of-hearing individ...
by
Read More
January 31, 2023
66 view(s)

OSHA Issues More Aggressive Instance-by-Instance Citation Policy

Recently, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued targeted enforcement guidance that includes an instance-by-instance citation policy for specific “high-gravity” serious violations. An instance-by-instance citation may apply where the rule's language supports a citation for each instance of non-compliance. Under the authority of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of ...
by
Read More
Contractor Fined $724K for Denying Overtime Pay and Falsifying Records-1-31-23

Contractor Fined $724K for Denying Overtime Pay and Falsifying Records

January 31, 2023
87 view(s)
This month, the U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL’s) Wage and Hour Division (WHD) recovered $724,082 in back wages and damages from an electrical contractor charged with denying overtime pay and falsifying records. Standards under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) include a federal minimum wage, mandatory overtime pay, recordkeeping requirements, and protections for tipped workers. However, uns...
by
Read More
29 of 329
Options chevron-down
Contact Us
Compliance 101A
Categories chevron-down
Search the blog chevron-down

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
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...

Read more
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...

Read more
U.S. Department of Labor Issues New Opinion Letters on Overtime Exemptions, Bonuses, and Compensable Time
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...

Read more
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.

Read more
prior overtime exemption rules
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...

Read more
View All Articles