Voluntary Benefits ERISA Compliance Exemption - Voluntary benefits are optional benefits that employers may offer to enhance their traditional benefits packages. Offering voluntary benefits allows an employer to include...

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Employee Assistance Programs - Employee assistance programs (EAPs) are work-based intervention programs that connect employees with resources to identify and address personal problems. EAPs typically include a variety...

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Tips for Preventing Common ACA Reporting Mistakes - Employers often find the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) reporting process to be complex and challenging to navigate. Even though the requirements have been in place for...

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Common Health Plan Compliance Mistakes to Avoid - Employers that sponsor group health plans are subject to many different compliance requirements under federal law. Keeping track of these various requirements can be...

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Mental Health Parity: New Comparative Analyses Requirements - On Sept. 9, 2024, the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and the Treasury (Departments) released a final rule to strengthen the requirements of...

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Federal Youth Employment Law - The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) oversees and enforces federal youth employment laws through the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). Under the FLSA, employers are prohibited from employing “...

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Overview of the EEOC's workplace Guidance to Prevent Harassment - On April 29, 2024, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) published its final guidance on harassment in the workplace, which went into...

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New HIPAA Rule Will Require Updates to Privacy Notices - On April 26, 2024, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued a final rule that strengthens the HIPAA Privacy Rule by prohibiting the...

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HHS’ FAQs on Section 1557 Nondiscrimination Final Rule - Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) prohibits discrimination based on race, color, national origin, sex, age or disability in certain health programs...

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Answers to Frequently Asked Questions About the DOL’s Final Overtime Rule - On April 23, 2024, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) announced a final rule to amend current requirements employees in white-collar...

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Mental Health Parity Compliance Remains a Key Focus in 2024 - The federal government is continuing its efforts to improve access to mental health and substance use disorder (MH/SUD) care in 2024, with a top enforcement...

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- OSHA’s Worker Walkaround Designation Process Frequently Asked Questions - On March 29, 2024, OSHA announced its final rule that clarifies the rights of employees to authorize a nonemployee, third-party representative...

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- New CDC Isolation Guidance and Employee Leave Considerations - The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) new guidance that individuals no longer need to isolate from work for five days following a...

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DOL Independent Contractor Rule - Worker classification directly impacts employee eligibility for benefits, legal protections (such as minimum wage and overtime rights) and taxation. Employee misclassification is a...

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EEOC Significantly Increased Discrimination Lawsuits in FY 2023 - Preliminary data from the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) showed that the agency filed 50% more employment discrimination lawsuits in...

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Leveraging AI in Employment Decisions - Organizations are increasingly utilizing artificial intelligence (AI) in employment-related decisions. According to the Society for Human Resources Management, around 25% of...

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Interstate vs. Intrastate Experience Modification Rating - An experience modification rating (EMR) is a numerical indicator crucial in workers’ compensation insurance. It quantifies an employer’s workplace safety and...

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How to Read an Experience Modification Worksheet - An experience modification worksheet, often referred to as an experience rating worksheet or experience mod worksheet, is important in workers’ compensation insurance....

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- - EEOC Identifies Practices for Preventing Workplace Harassment - The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) recently issued guidance for preventing workplace harassment. Although the report was aimed at...

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- - EEOC Issues New Guidance on Visual Disabilities and the ADA - On July 26, 2023, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) issued new guidance that explains how the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)...

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- New Law Requires Poster on How to Report Workplace Violence - On June 14, 2023, Texas enacted a new law, House Bill (HB) 915, that requires employers to post a notice about how employees may report workplace violence...

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