Articles by Girish Anand

October 1, 2013

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Regulatory Agency Status During Government Shutdown

As the federal government shuts down over a budget squabble in Congress, essential services such as Social Security and the military will continue to function, but what about regulatory agencies that monitor America's businesses? Here's a brief rundown: NLRB: The National Labor Relations Board and its field offices all will be closed, though a few senior officials such as the Acting General Co...

September 27, 2013

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ICE Begins Another Round of I-9 Inspections

Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has sent out another 1,000 notices of inspection (NOIs) to U.S. businesses, demanding that they provide I-9 Employment Verification Form proof of their employees' legal right to work in the United States. (A sample letter is shown at right.) The Form I-9 is required of all new hires and employees at all American companies except for those emp...

September 26, 2013

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Businesses Can't SHOP at Marketplaces Until Nov. 1, Administration Admits

Another setback in the Obamacare Small Business Health Options Program (SHOP) was announced today by the Obama administration, admitting its computer system won't be ready to accept online applications until Nov. 1 instead of the Oct. 1 opening of the Health Insurance Marketplaces (though it says individual purchases won't be affected). Previously in April, the administration had ...

September 26, 2013

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Expect More HIPAA Audits in 2014, OCR Says

The Office for Civil Rights (OCR) in the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is gearing up to resume its privacy and security audit program in 2014, following a pilot program conducted in 2012-2013. The audits, based on compliance with both HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) and this year's HIPAA Omnibus Rule, will target not only covered entities bu...

September 25, 2013

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Average Obamacare Silver Plan to Cost $328 a Month

According to a report about the Health Insurance Marketplaces issued today by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), "the average premium nationally for the second lowest cost silver plan will be $328 [a month] before tax credits." However, HHS says about 6 out of 10 of the uninsured today will be eligible for tax credits, meaning they should be able to find coverage...

September 25, 2013

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Workers' Comp Claims Drop Nationwide Except for Fraudulent Ones

In a report covering the past two-and-a-half years, the National Insurance Crime Bureau says the number of workers' compensation claims nationwide is falling year to year -- from 3.35 million in 2011 to 3.24 million in 2012 -- but questionable claims are rising, from 3,474 in 2011 to 4,460 in 2012. Judging by statistics for the first six months of 2013, the bureau says these trends ar...

September 24, 2013

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Sacre Bleu! France Forces Sephora to Shut Down by 9 p.m.

It's not the only store on the Champs-Elysees in Paris that stays open past 9 p.m., the official closing time for all stores in the country according to French law, but it's been "stabbed" by labor unions and forced to observe the curfew, says a spokesperson. It's true that French authorities have ordered Sephora, the international cosmetics chain, to shut its doors ...

September 24, 2013

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'Christmas in July' Spending Intensifies as FY 2013 Nears End

Federal agencies, though with reduced budgets because of the sequestration that kicked in at the start of the calendar year, are still rushing to spend every allocated penny before the close of the federal fiscal year on Sept. 30. The spending is part of a Washington routine known as "Christmas in July" as federal agencies ramp up to spend every cent in their budgets before the ...

September 22, 2013

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Under Obamacare, Lower Costs = Fewer Choices, NYT Reports

In a report that is not all that surprising, the New York Times has concluded that insurers offering health care policies on the Obamacare Marketplaces are keeping costs lower by reducing the number of providers and choices available to purchasers. An article in today's edition by Robert Pear sums it up this way: "From California to Illinois to New Hampshire, and in many states i...

September 20, 2013

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DOL Recognizes 'State of Celebration' for Same-Sex Marriages

Agreeing with an earlier pronouncement by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), the Department of Labor (DOL) has issued guidance that, for purposes of benefit plan administration for same-sex spouses, the agency would recognize a "state of celebration" as the applicable standard. In other words, even if the couple resides in a state that does not recognize same-sex marriages, the...

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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