Articles by Editorial Staff

May 11, 2021
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May 11th, 2021: Recent State Regulatory Activity

Personnel Concepts provides timely state regulatory activity and essential employment law information to its customers. Our research and regulatory monitoring team frequently tracks labor law developments from all 50 states. The following list of findings from this week’s state legislation research sweep addresses May 2021 regulatory activity in various states.  Most importantly, as new informa...
Social Security Administration Discontinues Employer No-Match Letters

Social Security Administration Discontinues Employer No-Match Letters

May 10, 2021
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Recently, the Social Security Administration (SSA) has announced it will stop the practice of sending employer No-Match letters. No-Match letters are notifications informing employers that an individual employee’s W-2 form does not match SSA’s records. Accordingly, immigration advocates and employers praised the discontinuation of letters (known to some as EDCOR notifications). The announcement...
Tip Credits Rule

Tip Regulations Final Rule Issued Under the Fair Labor Standards Act

May 4, 2021
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The Department of Labor (DOL) announced a tip regulations final rule delaying portions of a December 2020 tip rule. Subsequently, parts of the previous 2020 tip final rule will not go into effect until December 31st, 2021. The remainder of the 2020 final rule became effective April 30th, 2021. The DOL also recently released the top ten Occupational Safety and Health Administration violations fo...
May 4, 2021
34 view(s)

May 4th, 2021: Recent State Regulatory Activity

Personnel Concepts provides timely state regulatory activity and essential employment law information to its customers. To offer a complete scope of employer responsibilities, we track labor law developments from all 50 states. Below is a list of findings from this week’s state legislation research sweep. Most importantly, as necessary information becomes available, Personnel Concepts will cont...
Worker Task Force

Administration Announces Worker Organizing and Empowerment Task Force

May 3, 2021
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On April 26th, 2021, the White House issued a press release detailing the Worker Organizing and Empowerment task force. The release describes the task force as a “whole-of-government” approach to empowering workers to organize and bargain with their employers. Accordingly, the task force will include at least twenty cabinet members and heads of federal agencies. Vice President Kamala Harris is ...
USCIS Deference Policy

New Immigration Guidance Touts “Deference to Prior Determinations”

April 30, 2021
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The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has issued new “deference to prior determinations” guidance in the USCIS Policy Manual. Specifically, the guidance addresses deference to prior determinations of eligibility when adjudicating a request for an extension of petition validity. Employers use USCIS petition forms for employment authorization purposes. Earlier this year, the USCIS...
Federal Contractor Minimum Wage $15

Executive Order Raises Federal Contractor Minimum Wage to $15

April 28, 2021
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The Biden Administration issued an Executive Order (EO) affecting the federal contractor minimum wage. As a result, federal contractors will pay a $15 minimum wage to any federal contract worker. Furthermore, the latest EO joins a slew of other similar orders issued by the administration. For example, in January 2021, an EO expanded Title IX LGBTQ discrimination prohibitions. Similarly, in Janu...
Top Ten OSHA Violations for FY2020

Top Ten OSHA Violations for Fiscal Year 2020 Released

April 28, 2021
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The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has finalized the agency’s Top Ten OSHA Violations list for Fiscal Year 2020. The list includes the top 10 most frequently cited standards following inspections of worksites by federal OSHA. Accordingly, OSHA publishes the list to alert employers about commonly cited standards to take steps to fix recognized hazards. Generally, OSHA does ...
CDC Interim Fully Vaccinated Guidelines

CDC Interim Guidance for Fully Vaccinated People

April 27, 2021
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Responding to individuals receiving COVID-19 vaccines, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released fully vaccinated public health guidelines. Specifically, the April 27th guidelines address updated principles that fully vaccinated individuals should follow when out in a public location. The latest CDC release follows March guidance focused on what fully vaccinated individuals ...
Cybersecurity Guidance Plan Sponsors

DOL Issues New Cybersecurity Guidance

April 20, 2021
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On April 14th, 2021, the Department of Labor (DOL) announced cybersecurity guidance for plan sponsors, fiduciaries, recordkeepers, and plan participants. Specifically, the direction includes best practices for maintaining cybersecurity, including tips on protecting worker retirement benefits. Moreover, this is the first time the DOL’s Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) has issued ...