Articles by Girish Anand

May 26, 2016

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Insurers Seek Hefty 2017 Increases on Obamacare Policies

Stung by the reality of more older-sicker than younger-healthier customers signing up for their policies, Obamacare health insurers are seeking some whopping premium increases for 2017. From what's publicly available, for example, Humana in Georgia is seeking a 65.2 percent increase, according to today's Wall Street Journal. In nearby Florida, Blue Cross and Blue Shield wants a relatively more...

May 25, 2016

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DOL Signs Alliance to Promote Employment of the Disabled

To promote inclusive workplaces that embrace the skills and talents of workers with disabilities, the Office of Disability Employment Policy of the Department of Labor (DOL) has signed an alliance with the Association of University Centers on Disabilities. The association is a non-profit membership organization that brings together university-based interdisciplinary programs and community res...

May 19, 2016

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SCOTUS Sides with Trucking Company Against EEOC in Attorney's Fees Award

A unanimous Supreme Court has overturned a circuit court's decision throwing out the award of $4.5 million in attorney's fees to a trucking company, which had won a class action sexual harassment lawsuit brought against it by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). The EEOC brought the class action lawsuit against CRST Van Expedited Inc. to district court, alleging female employees...

May 18, 2016

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It's Official: Overtime Exemption Threshold to Be $47,476 a Year

The Department of Labor (DOL) today will unveil its new overtime rule, setting an annual salary of $47,476 as the minimum compensation for an employee to be exempt from overtime pay. The current standard is $23,660. Vice-President Joe Biden, who will be touting the new rule at a stop in Columbus, Ohio, today, said: “The middle class is getting clobbered. If you work overtime, you should actual...

May 17, 2016

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May 18 the New Witching Day for Overtime Final Rule?

UPDATE: Earlier (see below) we ventured that Monday, May 16, might see the arrival of the new overtime rule, but several sources are now indicating it will be tomorrow, Wednesday, May 18. Stay tuned. Growing speculation has it that the Department of Labor (DOL) and the Obama administration will issue their final rule on overtime exemptions on Monday, since May 16 is the last day that a rule wo...

May 16, 2016

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EEOC Issues Final Rule on Wellness Programs, ADA and GINA

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) today issued final rules that describe how Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Title II of the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA) apply to wellness programs offered by employers that request health information from employees and their spouses. The two rules provide guidance to both employers and employees abo...

May 16, 2016

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Obamacare Insurers Pulling Out of Rural Areas

According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, 400 more U.S. counties will see their health insurance options whittled down to just one provider in 2017. In 2016, insurers pulled out of 225 counties, and next year the total is expected to rise to as many as 650. In those counties, consumers will have no option but to go with the one insurer left standing. These counties are about 70 percent rural,...

May 14, 2016

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Wendy's to Replace Order Takers with Self-Service Kiosks

In response to rising minimum wage standards in many states, Wendy's the fast food chain is rolling out self-service kiosks for customers to punch in their orders, replacing human order takers. The kiosks will be available at Wendy's 6,000 nationwide locations in the second half of this year, but it will be up to franchisees whether to use them, according to Wendy's President Todd Penegor. Mc...

May 12, 2016

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Federal Judge Rules Obamacare Payments Unconstitutional

A federal judge has sided with House of Representative Republicans in a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of unappropriated funds totaling some $175 billion being transferred over 10 years to insurers under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). U.S. District Judge Rosemary Collyer issued the ruling but put it on hold pending appeal. “None of the Secretaries’ extra-textual arguments – whether...

May 11, 2016

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Coming Soon to Cyberspace: Your Company's Injury and Illness Data

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration today issued a final rule to modernize injury data collection in an effort to better inform workers, employers, the public and OSHA about workplace hazards. With this new rule, OSHA claims it is applying the insights of behavioral economics to improve workplace safety and prevent injuries and illnesses. OSHA already requires many employers to k...

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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