Articles by Girish Anand

October 27, 2016

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OSHA Launches Distracted Driving (Texting) Campaign

Following an executive order on the issue by President Obama, which covered federal employees and their driving, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is launching its own "initiative" on distracted driving -- generally, texting while driving -- to cover all employers. The agency's District Driving Initiative states: OSHA will first focus on texting while driving. Employers...

October 26, 2016

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Federal Judges Blocks Provisions of Fair Pay and Safe Workplaces Rules

A day before they were to take effect, a U.S. District Judge in Texas issued a nationwide injunction against the disclosure and arbitration agreement provisions of the Fair Pay and Safe Workplaces Rules (Executive Order 13673) that took effect Tuesday, Oct. 25. The disclosure rule required any company applying for a federal contract to disclose any prior labor law violations, and the arbitrati...

October 25, 2016

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AARP Sues EEOC to Block Wellness Program Rule

AARP, the nation's premier senior advocacy group, has filed action in the Federal District Court in Washington, D.C., alleging that the company wellness program rule issued by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), which allows monetary incentives of up to 30 percent of the cost of a health insurance policy for employees to reveal personal health information, not only is invasive o...

October 25, 2016

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Obamacare Premiums Rise 25 Percent as Insurers Flee the Market

Open enrollment in Affordable Care Act (ACA) health insurance policies sold on government marketplaces begins Nov. 1, but consumers will face a 25-percent jump in premiums on the popular silver plans at HealthCare.gov, the Wall Street Journal reports in today's edition. Administration officials caution, however, that up to three-quarters of enrollees will qualify for federal subsidies, lowerin...

October 24, 2016

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DOL Clarifies Injury, Illness Reporting Requirements and Violations

A Department of Labor (DOL) memorandum issued on Oct. 19 to all regional administrators of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) clarifies both an employer's obligation to facilitate injury and illness reporting by employees and also an employer's obligation not to retaliate for such reporting through disciplinary action, incentive programs or drug testing, even if inadverten...

October 24, 2016

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Slips, Trips and Falls Again Top OSHA's List of Violations

For FY 2016, the results are in, and slips, trips and falls once again came in as the most frequently cited workplace safety violation by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). The next nine, in order, are fall protection, hazard communication, scaffolds, repiratory protection, lockout/tagout, powered industrial trucks, ladders, machine guarding, electrical wiring, and elect...

October 22, 2016

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BLS Slates Survey to Determine the Nation's Gig Economy

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) has requested approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to conduct the first Contingent Worker Supplement (CWS) survey since 2005 to determine the size, shape and usage of the gig economy -- those jobs that obtained "through electronic matching platforms" as well as "alternative employment arrangements, including independent contractors, on-cal...

October 20, 2016

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HHS Looks for 13.8 Million Obamacare Sign-Ups

Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Sylvia M. Burwell announced that she expects 13.8 million individuals to sign up for coverage through the Marketplaces during the upcoming open enrollment. The projection was announced as part of her remarks highlighting what she called the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA’s) success in dramatically expanding access to coverage, and describing ...

October 19, 2016

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Federal Judge Blocks Transgender Bathroom Edict Nationwide

A federal judge in Texas has affirmed a nationwide injunction against implementation of the Education and Justice Departments' guidance on transgender bathroom access, which also means federal funds cannot be withheld from schools that do not comply with the mandate announced in May. Judge Reed O'Connor first issued his injunction in August in the case of Texas v. the United States, but implem...

October 19, 2016

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OSHA Delays Enforcement of Retaliation Rule Until Dec. 1

OSHA has agreed to further delay enforcement of the anti-retaliation provisions in its injury and illness tracking rule until Dec. 1, 2016. The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas requested the delay to allow additional time to consider a motion challenging the new provisions. The anti-retaliation provisions were originally scheduled to begin Aug. 10, 2016, but were previous...

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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

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

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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

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Articles by Girish Anand