Regulatory

Wage and hour violations are on the rise. Avoid headaches, risks with internal audits. In 2018, the U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) Wage and Hour Division (WHD) recovered a record $304 million in wages from employers for wage and hour law violations. These kind of “wage theft” accusations continue to present a huge risk for employers. Internal wage and hour audits can enable you to manage this risk. Specifically, they will help uncover areas of risk you need to address and provide or contribute to a “good-faith” defense to wage and hour claims. … [Read more...] about Use Internal Audits to Prevent Wage Woes

Talk about raising federal wages moves to action, but barriers remain. Late last month, Congressional Democrats introduced legislation to raise the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour. The bill, the Raise the Wage Act of 2019, calls for a gradual increase, reaching $15 per hour by 2024. Six years after enactment, and each subsequent year, the minimum wage would increase based on the percentage increase, if any, in the median hourly wages of all employees. The bill would also would phase out sub-minimum wages for tipped, youth, and disabled workers. … [Read more...] about Minimum Wage Raise Proposed: What This Means for Employers and Employees

If an employee is subject to a wage garnishment, you need to know what this means and how you should respond. When an employee has an unpaid debt of some kind, you may receive a court order obtained by creditors to collect an outstanding debt. The most common types of garnishment include tax levies, court-ordered child and spousal support, bankruptcy orders, student loans, wage assignments, and creditor garnishments. … [Read more...] about How To Handle Wage Garnishments

The stakes are higher, so take some steps to protect your workers and your organization. Starting on January 23, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) raised civil monetary penalties for violating federal minimum wage, overtime, posting, and safety requirements. These penalties apply to violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSH Act) occurring after November 2, 2015. Take a minute to review and shore up any practices, postings, or protocols that could put you at risk. … [Read more...] about Labor Violations Now Come with Stiffer Penalties

Now that the government shutdown has ended, Congress is settling in and getting down to business. Watch for action on a number of issues affecting HR. While not all issues or proposed bills will go anywhere, paid leave has the best chance of being signed into law. This issue has some broad bipartisan support; and the president has even spoken out favorably about the concept of paid family leave and paid sick leave. Most likely, the issue will be addressed with an expansion of leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act. However, some Republicans have expressed support for a voluntary paid-sick-leave program or one where employees shoulder the cost through a reduction in Social Security or other benefits. However, these ideas have not been well-received by Democrats. … [Read more...] about HR Issues Head to the Hill in New Congress

As the workforce ages and people are working longer, understand age discrimination and how to prevent it. The number of employed older Americans (65 years old and over) rose by nearly 35% between 2011 and 2016, and this is projected to be the fastest growing segment in the workforce through 2024. HR professionals need to ensure their company complies with the laws regarding older workers and promotes a positive environment for workers of all ages. … [Read more...] about Put Ageism in the Past

Paid sick-leave laws dictate what eligible employees can expect if they call in sick this winter. Are you prepared? Cue the sneezing, coughing, red noses, and watery eyes. It’s flu season, which means you are likely have employees calling in because they or family members are sick. Make sure you know relevant state and local paid-sick-leave statutes; and clarify who is covered, the rates at which sick leave is accrued, and the waiting periods before paid sick leave is available. … [Read more...] about Know the Laws to Prepare for Flu Frenzy

New guidelines developed by leading experts offer practical ways to cost-effectively reduce cybersecurity risks. Cybersecurity is on every healthcare organization’s list of top priorities for 2019; and last week, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released “Health Industry Cybersecurity Practices (HICP): Managing Threats and Protecting Patients.” This four-volume publication provides guidance on voluntary cybersecurity practices for healthcare organizations of all types and sizes, ranging from local clinics to large hospital systems. … [Read more...] about HHS Releases Voluntary Cybersecurity Practices for Health Industry

In planning/managing benefits, HR needs to know the health risks facing employees. A new Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) analysis shows that life expectancy for Americans continues a downward trend, and mortality rates increased for seven of the 10 leading causes of death in the U.S. this past year.  … [Read more...] about The Year in Health: CDC Reviews Trends, Looks Ahead

HIPAA may be changing. Your HR team needs to know about the rules, privacy, and what tools and training employees need to ensure compliance. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Office for Civil Rights (OCR) is seeking to facilitate information-sharing and improve care coordination—while still protecting privacy. Toward that end, the agency has issued a Request for Information (RFI) seeking input from the public about how the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) rules could be modified to enhance value-based healthcare. … [Read more...] about Government Seeks Input To Make HIPAA Work Better for Everyone