Articles by Girish Anand

June 14, 2017

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HHS Seeks Input on Remediating 'Burdensome' Obamacare Regulations

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), following an executive order to review all regulations to relieve unnecessary burdens on people, businesses and institutions, is now asking for public input on regulations in the Affordable Care Act, with the goal of identifying burdensome ones and fixing or eliminating them. Here is the exact language from the department's request for informa...

June 9, 2017

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DOL to Seek Public Input on Persuader Rule

The Department of Labor (DOL) has announced it will publish a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) to rescind a rule that would have required employers and labor-management consultants to report consultants’ indirect contact with workers during union organizing campaigns. The NPRM will be published in the Federal Register and be open for public comment on June 12. The public may submit comment...

June 9, 2017

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New Form I-9 to Be Issued in July

A new version of the Form I-9, dated 07/17/2017 N, will become mandatory on Sept. 17, 2017, replacing the version dated 11/22/2016 N, which may continue to be used until Sept. 16, 2017. The International Entrepreneur Rule was published in the Federal Register by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on Aug. 31, 2016, as a proposed rule and the Federal Register accepted comments on this pro...

June 9, 2017

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Fiduciary Rule Takes Effect, But...

The Department of Labor (DOL) Fiduciary Rule, which requires agents marketing retirement plans to put their clients' best interests first, took effect today, but enforcement won't begin until Jan. 1, and maybe not then. The DOL in advance of the June 9 implementation date announced that it "will not pursue claims against fiduciaries who are working diligently and in good faith to comply with ...

June 7, 2017

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DOL Withdraws Obama-era Administrative Interpretation on Independent Contractors

Secretary of Labor Alexander Acosta today announced the withdrawal of the Department of Labor’s (DOL's) 2015 and 2016 informal guidance on joint employment and independent contractors. Removal of the administrator interpretations does not change the legal responsibilities of employers under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and the Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Worker Protection Act, as ...

June 6, 2017

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OSHA Designates June 12-18 as 'Safe + Sound Week'

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced it has designated June 12-18, 2017, as “Safe + Sound Week,” a new nationwide effort that calls on organizations of all sizes in a wide range of industries to raise awareness of the value and importance of workplace safety and health programs. Joining OSHA to sponsor the effort are the National Safety Council, American Industria...

June 1, 2017

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OSHA to Participate in GHS Conference

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) will conduct a public meeting to discuss proposals in preparation for the 33rd session of the United Nations Sub-Committee of Experts on the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (UNSCEGHS) to be held July 10 through July 12, 2017, in Geneva, Switzerland. OSHA, along with the U.S. Interagency GHS (Global...

May 30, 2017

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New Process Announced for E-Verify Corporate Administrators

On May 25, the E-Verify Modernization Project revamped the employer (child) enrollment process and made it more efficient and user-friendly. When corporate administrators add new employers they will find: A new webpage and easier navigation Fewer fields, which will quicken processing Improved data fields that require fewer clicks New features including the ability to save enrollme...

May 30, 2017

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HHS Report: Premiums Have Doubled Under Obamacare

In a report issued this past week, the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE) in the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) said that health insurance premiums offered on HealthCare.gov have doubled since the start of the Affordable Care Act: Comparing the average premiums found in 2013 MLR data and 2017 CMS MIDAS data shows average exchange premiums were 10...

May 25, 2017

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Uncertainty over Subsidies Has Insurers Talking Huge Hikes in Premiums

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina, the largest Obamacare insurer in the state, has announced it intends to hike health insurance premiums by 22.9 percent in 2018 unless the Trump administration guarantees to continue doling out what are called cost-sharing reductions (CSRs). If the CSRs are continued, the company added, rates would go up just 8.8 percent. "The biggest single reason ...

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Girish Anand

Recent Articles

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

EEOC Rescinds Permissible Affirmative Action Guidance

On June 30, 2026, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) officially rescinded two longstanding documents relating to permissible affirmative action. The documents were part of the EEOC's guidance on affirmative action under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

DOJ Challenges EEOC's Stance on Disparate Impact Claims

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) recently issued a legal opinion that may signal major changes ahead in federal workplace discrimination enforcement. In a June 9, 2026 memorandum, the DOJ's Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) expressed the opinion that the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission's...

Department of Labor Issues 2026 Civil Penalty Update: No Adjustments This Year

The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) recently published its annual update announcement regarding federal civil monetary penalties under the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act. In a notice published in the Federal Register on May 27th, 2026, the DOL announced that no penalty increases...

U.S. Department of Labor Issues New Opinion Letters on Overtime Exemptions, Bonuses, and Compensable Time

On May 29th, 2026, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) released several new opinion letters addressing key wage & hour issues. Specifically, one of the four documents informed readers whether an exempt employee could perform additional work in a secondary role at an hourly rate and still be eligible...

EEOC Issues New National Enforcement Plan Through 2029

On June 4th, 2026, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) released a new 2025-2029 National Enforcement Plan (NEP). The NEP sets the EEOC’s specific subject-matter priorities from June through fiscal year 2029.

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Articles by Girish Anand