Articles by PC Editorial Staff

February 21, 2023

53 view(s)

FLSA Protections Extended to Teleworkers

In February, the U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL’s) Wage and Hour Division (WHD) issued guidance on applying the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) to teleworkers. The guidance includes information on tracking hours and providing nursing breaks. In addition, it covers determining eligibility under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). While telework and remote work are often used interchangeabl...

February 21, 2023

41 view(s)

OSHA Publishes Interim Final Rule to Protect Antitrust Whistleblowers

On February 10th, 2023, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) published an interim final rule on handling retaliation complaints by antitrust whistleblowers under the Criminal Antitrust Anti-Retaliation Act (CAARA). Briefly, the rule establishes procedures and timeframes for handling such complaints and is effective immediately. As part of the Biden Administration’s Executive...

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

Court: FAA Preempts CA Arbitration Law

February 21, 2023

53 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...

February 14, 2023

37 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...

February 14, 2023

47 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,...

Cal/OSHA Activates Its Non-Emergency COVID-19 Regulation-2-14-23

Company Fined $200K for Harassment Charges

February 14, 2023

69 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...

February 7, 2023

49 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...

February 7, 2023

44 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...

Agency Secures $1.25M Settlement in Reported HIPAA Violations

February 7, 2023

66 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...

January 31, 2023

90 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...

11 of 29

Options

About author

PC Editorial Staff

Recent Articles

Practical articles on HR, Safety, compliance, and people operations—written for real businesses, not legal textbooks.

Latest EEOC Enforcement Data Shows Increased Pre-Litigation Activity

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) recently released its FY 2025 performance and enforcement results. In a news release dated April 6th, 2026, the agency reported increased monetary recoveries for victims of employment discrimination and increased enforcement activity overall....

EEOC Pens Letter to Companies Regarding Title VII Compliance and DEI Initiatives

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) recently issued a letter to 500 of the largest employers in the United States regarding Title VII compliance and potentially "illegal" DEI initiatives. Notably, the document was drafted for the chief executive officers, general counsel, and board...

NLRB Officially Reinstates Previous 2020 Joint Employer Standard

On February 26th, 2026, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) officially reinstated its 2020 Joint Employer standard. Specifically, to do so, the agency needed to formally withdraw a 2023 Joint Employer standard. That final rule was to go into effect on February 26th, 2024.

OSHA Releases New Job Safety and Health Workplace Poster

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has released a new workplace job safety and health notice. Specifically, the OSHA Cares Job Safety and Health poster informs workers about their rights under the Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Act. Per OSHA’s poster page, employers do...

Agency Releases Newly Proposed Independent Contractor Status Rule; Seeks Employer Comments

On February 26th, 2026, the Department of Labor (DOL) announced a proposed rule designed to help determine independent contractor status. Overall, the new independent contractor rule would help employers better understand when a worker is an employee. Conversely, the rule will allow employers to...

View All Articles

Articles by PC Editorial Staff