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High Court Advances Same-sex Marriage and Impacts Employers

As a result of the U.S. Supreme Court rulings on same-sex marriage, employers throughout the United States will have to adjust their benefits plans, policies and documents to accommodate employees’ same-sex spouses for purposes of federal law and regulations. California employers will need to do the same for purposes of state law. On June 26, […]

HHS to Step Up HIPAA Privacy Enforcement in ‘Abject Failure’ Cases

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is refocusing its HIPAA privacy enforcement efforts on seeking monetary penalties in cases of “abject failure” to comply, the head of HHS’ Office for Civil Rights (OCR) indicated. “The majority of matters we handle are going to be resolved through education” as they have in the […]

Disability Bias: Disability-Based Misconduct Is Part of Disability, Says Court

The U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, which covers California, has released a controversial new opinion suggesting that the Americans with Disabilities Act protects misconduct stemming from a disability as part and parcel of the disability itself. The case involved Stephanie Gambini, an employee of Total Renal Care, Inc, who suffered from bipolar disorder. Gambini […]

Infographic: Company Plans to Increase Hiring in Q4 2016

As the year winds down, hiring picks up at many companies, new research from staffing firm OfficeTeam shows. More than one-quarter (26%) of Human Resources (HR) managers interviewed said their organization typically increases hiring in the fourth quarter. Of those, 69% of respondents indicated they bring on staff at year-end to fill vacated positions, 62% […]

Radio Show Features Discussion with BLR’s Patricia Trainor on Presidential Election’s Impact on HR Issues

Where do Barack Obama and Mitt Romney stand on employment law and HR issues? Patricia Trainor, BLR’s Senior Managing Editor, Human Resources, was the featured guest on the November 1 broadcast of “The Proactive Employer” –a radio show hosted by Stephanie Thomas that features one-on-one discussions with leading policymakers and thought leaders—on how the presidential […]

BusinessWeek’s Bestseller List

BusinessWeek ranks business books that are the most recent bestsellers and provides a short summary. 1. Hot, Flat, and Crowded: Why We Need a Green Revolution–and How It Can Renew America by Thomas L. Friedman. New York Times columnist Friedman offers an urgent plea to unleash U.S. creativity—and capitalism—on the challenges of energy, climate change, […]

E-Alerts: Wage and Hour: Minimum Wage Increase Petition Under Consideration; New Wage Order Guide Available Online

Last month, the Industrial Welfare Commission rejected a labor-backed petition to increase the state minimum wage, currently at $6.75 per hour. The California Labor Federation reintroduced the petition for IWC consideration at a February 21, 2003 public meeting. But the IWC has once again rejected the petition.

Reform Reinsurance Fund Refund Requests Due Soon

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced an April 30 deadline for claiming certain overpayments of the transitional reinsurance fee. The announcement covers overpayments due to miscalculating enrollment counts on which the fee is based. Such miscalculations occur for two reasons, CMS said: misapplication of a permitted method for determining the annual enrollment count; […]