Articles by Girish Anand

February 25, 2014

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Obamacare Said to Reach 4 Million Enrollees

Administration officials told The Huffington Post yesterday that another 700,000 individuals have signed up for Obamacare in February, bringing the total up to the 4-million range. The goal, however, is 7 million by the end of March, meaning in one month they'll have to sign up another 3 million. "With individuals and families enrolling in coverage every day, we continue to see s...

February 25, 2014

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HIPAA Audits to Return With a Vengeance

Following issuance of the landmark HIPAA Omnibus Rule in 2013, the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) is now gearing up for another round of HIPAA privacy and security rule audits, targeting 1,200 firms -- both covered entities and business associates. Specifically, the audits will focus on 800 covered entities and 400 business associates, but the number represents "an oversupply," a...

February 24, 2014

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CMS Actuary Predicts Premium Hikes for 11 Million in Small Business

In a just-released report, the Chief Actuary for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) predicts that 11 million individuals covered by small business health plans will experience premium increases, while 6 million will see reductions. The report pegs the pending rate hikes to the new community rating system implemented by the Affordable Care Act (ACA) on Jan. 1, 2014. The c...

February 22, 2014

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DOL Backs Off on Small Farm Regulation

Under pressure from farm-state congressmen, the Department of Labor (DOL) has withdrawn a memorandum that enabled the agency to inspect, regulate and fine farms with fewer than 10 workers, something which has been banned by law since 1976. Brian V. Kennedy, assistant DOL secretary, responded to three letters from congressmen with a written reply on Feb. 10, indicating that it was never th...

February 21, 2014

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EPA Proposes New Rules to Protect Farm Workers

Yesterday, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced proposed revisions to the Worker Protection Standard in order to protect the nation’s two million farm workers and their families from pesticide exposure. “Today marks an important milestone for the farm workers who plant, tend, and harvest the food that we put on our tables each day,” said Gina McCarthy...

February 20, 2014

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Final Rule Issued on ACA 90-Day Waiting Period Limitation

The U.S. Departments of Labor, Treasury, and Health and Human Services have announced the publication of final regulations implementing a 90-day limit on waiting periods for health coverage, as specified in the Affordable Care Act (ACA). "This is a common sense measure that helps workers access employer-sponsored health insurance while providing employers flexibility," said Assi...

February 19, 2014

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CBO Weighs In on Proposed Minimum Wage Hikes

The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has analyzed the effects of raising the federal minimum wage, using two options: One raising the minimum wage to $9 an hour in two steps, and one raising the wage rate to $10.10 in three steps. Not surprisingly, the CBO concluded that the "$10.10 option would have substantially larger effects on employment and income than the $9.00 option would.&...

February 18, 2014

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New Jersey Seeks Supreme Court Reversal of Sports Betting Ban

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is taking his case for statewide sports betting to the U.S. Supreme Court after having his bid to overturn a federal ban rejected by three other courts. In November 2011, New Jersey voters approved a bill establishing sports betting, and Christine signed it into law in January 2012. The NFL, NCAA, three other major sports leagues and the U.S. Department of J...

February 17, 2014

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OSHA Aims for 'No More Falling Workers'

A maintenance worker fell to his death Jan. 31 from a cell tower in Cameron County, Texas. The next day, a cell phone tower collapsed in Clarksburg, W.Va. Minutes later a second tower at the same Clarksburg site also fell. The collapse of these two towers resulted in the deaths of two workers and a firefighter responding to the scene, and sent two other employees to the hospital with serious in...

February 16, 2014

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Seminal Unionization Vote at Tennessee VW Plant Fails

Even though the vote was held without input from Volkswagen, workers at the VW plant in Chattanooga, Tenn., have voted to turn down unionization efforts by the United Auto Workers (UAW), which was looking for a victory here to carry it to another win at the Mercedes-Benz plant in Vance, Ala. The vote was 712 against and 626 in favor. UAW President Bob King, looking to expand his union'...

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About author

Girish Anand

Recent Articles

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

U.S. Department of Labor Officially Restores Prior Overtime Exemption Rules

On May 14th, 2026, the Wage and Hour Division (WHD) of the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) announced it has officially rescinded the 2024 overtime exemption rules. Specifically, the WHD published a technical amendment to restore previous 2019 regulations that dictated overtime exemptions for...

NLRB General Counsel Takes Action to Tackle Current Case Backlog

On May 6th, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) and NLRB General Counsel Crystal Stowe Carey announced the bulk transfer of thousands of labor practice cases. Specifically, this action fulfills an initiative signed by the NLRB General Counsel earlier this year. Overall, the initiative...

Privacy Agency Invites Comments from Businesses on the CCPA’s Usage of Personal Data

Recently, the California Privacy Protection Agency (CPPA) issued a call for comments on the current state of personal data collection under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA). Specifically, the invitation to deliver remarks was issued on April 20th, 2026. The information provided by the...

DOL Proposes New Joint Employer Rule To Unify Standards Under Federal Labor Laws

In April 2026, the U.S. Department of Labor issued a proposed rule to establish a single, clear standard for determining when joint-employer status applies under three major federal laws: the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), and the Migrant and Seasonal...

DOL Updates Enforcement Approach for Employee Benefit Plans: What Employers Should Know

The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) recently announced a significant change in its enforcement of employee benefit plan rules. The DOL will now focus more closely on serious violations that harm workers and retirees, meaning compliant employers may face less scrutiny under the updated approach.

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Articles by Girish Anand