Articles by PC Editorial Staff

On October 6th, 2023, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the agency that enforces the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), published its 2023 annual inflation adjustments to the civil monetary penalties for HIPAA violations. In brief, these penalties are assessed or enforced by the HHS and are pursuant to the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustm...

On October 4th, 2023, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed SB 616, expanding California paid sick leave under the Healthy Workplace Healthy Family Act of 2014. The new law will cover virtually all California employees who work for at least 30 days in a year. SB 616 will take effect on January 1st, 2024. The 2023 California legislative session ended in the middle of September. Since then, a s...

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) recently announced that a New Mexico-based company will pay $750,000 for violating Title I and Title V of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), including ADA disability discrimination and retaliation. Specifically, the EEOC’s lawsuit alleges that the company denied employees with disabilities reasonable accommodations. Additio...

On September 29th, 2023, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) announced its preliminary Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 litigation statistics. Overall, the EEOC significantly increased its litigation filings in 2023. This included several broadly impactful systemic cases. The 2023 litigation statistics cover virtually all statutes the EEOC enforces. This broad range of case filings inf...

To mark the 50th Anniversary of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and the Department of Labor (DOL) released a commemorative disability resource guide. The guide provides information regarding recruiting, hiring, and employing individuals with disabilities. The two agencies issued the guide specifically to explain the key roles each has in e...

On September 28th, 2023, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced that it will hold an online meeting to gather input on its whistleblower program. The meeting is open to the public and will allow OSHA to hear public comments and suggestions. OSHA enforces whistleblower provisions for more than 20 statutes. OSHA’s continued focus on improving its whistleblower program ...

The following legislation was recently passed in the state of Texas. As an employer, the information included in this post may apply to your business. It is every employer’s responsibility to verify that they are in compliance with applicable laws and regulations. House Bill 609 (2023) Pandemic Liability of a Business Owner or Operator Under House Bill 609, Texas businesses are no longer lia...

The following legislation was recently passed in the state of California. As an employer, the information included in this post may apply to your business. It is every employer’s responsibility to verify that they are in compliance with applicable laws and regulations. Senate Bill 699 (2023-2024) Contracts in Restraint of Trade On September 1st, 2023, Governor Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill...

This month, the  U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) released its 2024-2028 Strategic Enforcement Plan. The plan sets the EEOC’s specific subject matter priorities for the next four fiscal years. Broadly, the EEOC’s enforcement efforts include equal employment opportunity (EEO) protections for all protected classes under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VII) and ...

Last week, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Department of Labor (DOL) partnered to protect workers against anticompetitive, deceptive, and unfair employment practices. The agencies’ memorandum of understanding (MOU) outlines ways in which the FTC and DOL can jointly tackle issues like labor market concentration, one-sided contract terms, and developing labor rights issues within the g...