Articles by Editorial Staff

January 25, 2021

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Centers for Disease Control Expands COVID-19 Testing Guidance

On January 21st, 2021, the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued new guidance for businesses and employers on COVID-19 testing for employees. The guidance, in part, offers a more comprehensive approach to reducing virus transmission in non-healthcare workplaces. Previously, the CDC released similar “return-to-work” guidance in October 2020. The newly released guidance, ho...

January 19, 2021

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Department of Labor Increases Fines and Penalties for Non-Compliance

Effective January 16th, 2021, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) increased civil monetary fines and penalties for violating DOL-governed laws. Specifically, these DOL laws include those that control federal minimum wage, overtime, posting, polygraph usage, immigration status, and safety requirements. The higher amounts apply to penalties assessed after January 15 (but occurred after November 2n...

January 18, 2021

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EEOC Updates Guidance on Religious Bias

On January 15th, 2021, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) approved revisions to its previous guidance on religious discrimination. Known as the EEOC’s Compliance Manual Section on Religious Discrimination (Manual), the Commission approved the updates on the same date. Overall, the guidance describes how Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VII) prohibits workpla...

January 16, 2021

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Statute Examines Security Practices and Health Information Privacy

On January 5th, 2021, President Donald Trump signed H.R. 7898 into law. The statute amends the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (HITECH). The amendment, specifically, addresses fines and penalties levied by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Now, before assessing penalties under the HIPAA Security Rule, the HHS must consider the organization’s i...

January 12, 2021

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SBA Announces Reopening of Paycheck Protection Program

On January 8th, 2021, the Small Business Administration (SBA) made an announcement regarding updates to the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). The U.S. Department of the Treasury also consulted on the press release. The final version of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 (CAA) includes the PPP updates. Important PPP Funding Information Under the new rules, the program reopened the we...

January 11, 2021

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Updated Guidance: Remote Workforces Still Have Posting Requirements

As the global coronavirus continues, many workplaces still participate in a remote workforce. In fact, according to Upwork, by 2025, an estimated 36.2 million Americans will be working remotely (pandemic or not). This is an 87% increase from pre-pandemic levels. In response to the increase, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has issued a Field Assistance Bulletin (Bulletin). Known as No. 2020-7...

January 5, 2021

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Department of Labor Clarifies Status of COVID-19 Paid Sick Leave

The U.S. Department of Labor has provided much-needed updated guidance addressing questions about COVID-19 emergency paid sick leave provisions. On December 31st, 2020, the Department's Wage and Hour Division (WHD) announced additional coronavirus-related guidance that provides information about the current status of protections and relief offered by the Families First Coronavirus Response Act...

January 4, 2021

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Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 Revises PPP and Tax Provisions

The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 (CAA) generally provides annual funding for the federal government. Additionally, this year, the CAA contains several important rules concerning COVID-19 relief. For example, these rules include revisions to the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and expansion of the employee retention tax credit. Additionally, the CAA also includes changes to other em...

January 4, 2021

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Due Date for Economic Injury Disaster Loan Applications Extended

On December 31st, 2020, the Small Business Administration (SBA) made an announcement regarding their Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program. According to the agency, they have extended the deadline to apply for the EIDL program to December 31st, 2021. The extension comes as a result of the enactment of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, (CAA) on December 27th, 2020. Previously, th...

December 22, 2020

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EEOC Updates COVID Guidance on Vaccination

On December 16th, 2020, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) announced additions to their COVID-19 technical assistance guidance. In short, it provides employers with crucial information on how to avoid possible workplace discrimination claims during the coronavirus pandemic. As a result of COVID-19 vaccines now being available, the EEOC wanted to address any questions that emp...

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Editorial Staff

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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 Editorial Staff