Articles by PC Editorial Staff

December 13, 2022

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Agency Releases Informational Copies of the 2022 Form 5500 Series

On December 8th, 2022, the U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL’s) Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) released informational copies of the 2022 Form 5500 Series Annual Return/Report. The release includes informational copies of Form 5500-SF short-form reporting for small employee benefit plans. The Form 5500 series return/report satisfies the requirement for pension and benefit plans t...

December 13, 2022

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DOL Proposes Updates to the Voluntary Fiduciary Correction Program

Recently, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) proposed a self-correction option under its Voluntary Fiduciary Correction Program. Specifically, proposed updates would allow fiduciaries to self-correct specific transactions like late deposits to a 401(k) plan. The voluntary program currently allows eligible participants to correct certain prohibited transactions and fiduciary breaches to avoid a ...

Agency Releases Informational Copies of the 2022 Form 5500 Series-12-13-22

Employer Pays $503K in Independent Contractor Misclassification Case

December 13, 2022

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On December 6th, 2022, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) announced that a Florida-based hotel staffing agency paid more than $500 thousand in back wages to settle an independent contractor misclassification case. Briefly, misclassifying employees as independent contractors, whether willfully or mistakenly, prevents employees from accessing wages owed to them, as well as associated benefits. Ci...

December 6, 2022

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IRS Offers Five Ways to Prevent Cyberattacks During Tax Season

During National Tax Security Awareness Week, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the agency’s Security Summit partners offered five ways businesses can protect against cyberattacks during tax season. The IRS warned businesses to be wary of identity theft, phishing schemes, and other cyberattacks during tax season, especially. These cyberattacks can put customers’ personal information and oth...

December 6, 2022

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Agency Bulletin Applies HIPAA Obligations to Online Data Tracking

This month, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS’s) Office for Civil Rights (OCR) issued a bulletin applying a covered entity’s obligations under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) to online data tracking activities. Online data tracking tools like Google Analytics or Meta Pixel collect and analyze users’ data when interacting with the cove...

Company to Pay $8M for Pregnancy and Disability Discrimination Claims

December 6, 2022

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Recently, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) announced that a nationwide convenience store chain agreed to pay $8 million to resolve pregnancy and disability discrimination claims. The settlement follows an EEOC investigation that found multiple charges of pregnancy and disability discrimination, as well as charges of retaliation. Earlier, in September 2022 alone, the EEOC ...

November 29, 2022

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HHS Long COVID Research Report Finds One Million Workers Absent a Day

This month, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released a new Long COVID research report focusing on patients’ experience with the long-term health effects of COVID-19 while offering solutions for the workplace. The unique, “human-centered” approach to research and problem solving, which the HHS calls “Health+”, gathers input from impacted individuals. The firsthand experien...

November 29, 2022

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Labor Department Final Rule Allows Fiduciaries to Consider ESG Factors

On November 22nd, 2022, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) announced a final rule that allows 401(k) plan fiduciaries to consider climate change and other environmental, social, and governance factors (or ESG factors) when they select retirement investments or exercise shareholder rights like proxy voting. Briefly, the DOL reviewed feedback from various stakeholders before making its decision. ...

CA Extends COVID-19 Supplemental Paid Sick Leave and Other Regulations

November 29, 2022

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In 2022, California passed several assembly bills (ABs) extending COVID supplemental paid sick leave and other pandemic-related aid to workers and obligations for employers. Notably, these assembly bills include AB 152, which covers COVID-19 supplemental paid sick leave, AB 1751 on COVID-related workers’ compensation, and AB 2693, which extends the employer’s workplace COVID exposure notificati...

November 22, 2022

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House Passes Bill Limiting Sexual Harassment Nondisclosure Agreements

On November 16th, 2022, the U.S. House of Representatives approved a bill dubbed the “Speak Out Act,” which makes sexual assault and sexual harassment nondisclosure agreements entered into before a dispute judicially unenforceable. Previously, the Speak Out Act passed in the U.S. Senate in September 2022. Currently, the bill will head to President Joe Biden’s desk for consideration. The Speak O...

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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...

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Articles by PC Editorial Staff