Articles by Girish Anand

February 7, 2011

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CHIPRA Health Program Marks Two-Year Anniversary

On Super Sunday, Feb. 6, 2011, the Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act (CHIPRA) marked its two-year anniversary, having been signed into law on the same day in 2009 by President Obama. To mark the moment, Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sibelius noted that since CHIPRA's signing, more than 42 million children had been entered into CHIPRA state plan...

February 5, 2011

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Chipotle Fined After I-9 Audit in Minnesota

I-9 ICE

Denver-based Chipolte Mexican Grill was forced to terminate hundreds from its 50 Minnesota locations after an I-9 audit turned up a large number of undocumented workers. The total Chipolte workforce in the state before the audit stood at 1,200. Co-CEO Monty Moran said: "We are surprised at what’s happened here because we are very careful about who[m] we hire, and we try to hire the v...

February 4, 2011

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OSHA Reinforces Guidance on Fall Protection in Residential Construction

slips trips and falls

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has issued new guidance on fall protection in residential construction. Slips, trips and falls have long been the number-one hazard at work sites in general, but on this occasion OSHA is singling out residential construction for renewed emphasis. The new policy requires employers engaged in residential construction to comply with 29 CFR p...

February 1, 2011

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OSHA Aims to Reduce MSDs Through an Emphasis on Ergonomics

General Duty Clause OSHA ergonomics standard OSHA Injury and Illness Program

While the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is busy readying a new Injury and Illness Program standard, dubbed I2P2 and set to be launched in June, administrator David Michaels has made it clear that he hopes to focus on ergonomic issues as well. Though OSHA's previous ergonomics standard was killed by the Bush administration, Michaels and OSHA this time around aren't...

February 1, 2011

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Congress Targets I2P2 & Noise Regulations

Darrell Issa EPA OSHA

Some of the fallout from the November elections that turned the House of Representatives over to the Republicans is that life can get tougher for regulators, though few doubt it will stop them. In particular, Rep. Darrell Issa (R.-Calif.), new chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, with input from surveys he took of trade associations, is targeting a proposed regulatio...

February 1, 2011

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IRS Releases Final Regulations on Hybrid Pension Plans

hybrid pension plans IRS

Four years after Congress passed the Pension Protection Act of 2006, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has released final regulations on hybrid pension plans, which combine defined benefits (payout at retirement) with 401(k)-style defined contributions. According to consulting firm Towers Watson, nearly one-quarter of Fortune 100 companies offer hybrid plans, and it is estimated that nearly on...

January 31, 2011

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OSHA 300A Summary Must Be Posted by Feb. 2

Employers each year must post their OSHA Form 300A Summary each year by Feb. 2 and keep it posted in a conspicuous location through April 30. The Summary lists the numerical results of the much more detailed Form 300 Log of workplace injuries and illnesses. The Personnel Concepts Space Saver-2 OSHA Safety Poster includes a panel for the Form 300A Summary (or its state equivalent), which can be ...

January 28, 2011

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HHS Grants 500 More Health Care Reform Waivers

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has granted Affordable Care Act (ACA) waivers to 500 more entities, most of which are offering so-called mini-med plans with limited health care coverage, to tide them over until the state-run health insurance exchanges kick in starting in 2014. The 500 new waivers are in addition to 222 earlier waivers, bringing the total number of individuals ...

January 26, 2011

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OSHA Withdraws MSD Reporting Standard from OMB Review

MSD musculoskeletal disorder OMB OSHA

Perhaps bowing to pressure from President Obama and his initiative to review all federal regulations to see if they're business friendly or not, OSHA has withdrawn from review by the OMB its proposal to require musculoskeletal disorder (MSD) reporting on the yearly Log 300 injury and illness report. The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) must review all proposed regulations for their fis...

January 25, 2011

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Supreme Court Extends Reach of Retaliation Protection Under Title VII

Supreme Court Thompson v. North American Stainless

In Thompson v. North American Stainless, decided yesterday (Jan. 24, 2011), the U.S. Supreme Court extended Civil Rights Act Title VII protection against retaliation to the fiancé of someone who had filed an EEOC complaint against the same company. Eric Thompson, who worked at North American, was fired after his fiancée lodged a complaint with the Equal Employment Opport...

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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