Insights

In January 2017, the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) released a newsletter entitled “Understanding the Importance of Audit Controls.”  Shortly after its release, HHS announced a $5.5 Million settlement, one of the largest reported settlement payments to date for violations of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA). The...Read More

The Seventh Circuit just became the first federal appellate court in the country to extend Title VII protection to discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. The decision was issued today in Hively v. Ivy Tech Community College. In Hively, the plaintiff was a part-time adjunct professor who identified as a lesbian. The plaintiff sued...Read More

Are you a supplier of goods?  Or do you purchase goods from a supplier on a regular basis?  A number of court cases recently decided lend credence to the notion that buyers and suppliers of goods should enter into long-term supply contracts as opposed to engaging in the confusing and somewhat reckless “battle of the...Read More

As of January 22 of this year, all employers must use the new version of Form I-9. The updated version includes several changes.  The new form along with instruction for completing the form can be found here: https://www.uscis.gov/i-9. We suggest using the downloadable, fillable PDF version rather than the paper form. The fillable PDF is a...Read More

Regardless of whether or not  you agree with the Trump administration’s stance on immigration, it is undeniable that actions taken and promises made to-date have created a great amount of concern and uncertainty for both undocumented immigrants and legal permanent residents. This concern was amplified by the fact that, in the wake of the President’s executive action...Read More

The impact that the Trump administration will have on the various governmental agencies is not yet known. However, the Trump administration will likely reduce the reach of the Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) and its regulations based on the promises made and actions undertaken to date. An article in BNA Environment Reporter indicates that the number...Read More

President Donald Trump appointed Philip A. Miscimarra Acting Chairman of the National Labor Relations Board (“NLRB” or “Board”) on January 23, 2017. Miscimarra has frequently disagreed with fellow members of the Board and we hope that with his interim appointment, President Trump will begin to recast the NLRB to reflect a more tempered point of view. The five-member...Read More

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]If your organization or employees are subject to the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), keep these tips in mind the next time inclement weather disrupts your operations. Non-Exempt Employees If an employer remains open during inclement weather and non-exempt employees perform work, they must be paid for the time spent working.  However, if non-exempt employees...Read More

Nationwide, employers’ potential exposure to the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) employer penalties, which apply if an applicable employer fails to offer adequate, affordable coverage, could reach $31 billion for 2016 according to a new report from Accenture, a global management consulting firm.  This exceeds previous Congressional Budget Office projections that non-compliant employers would face $21...Read More