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Trade Secrets: Court Says Employer’s Insurance Policy Didn’t Cover Stolen Information; Are You Protected?
Employers take many steps to try to prevent the loss of trade secrets. You ask employees to sign nondisclosure agreements, implement security systems and train your workforce on how to keep information confidential. Despite your best efforts, a breach sometimes occurs and your trade secrets end up in a competitor’s hands. In a new case, […]
Comment Period on Child Labor Regulations
By Judith E. Kramer Fortney & Scott, LLC Update: November 1, 2011: The U.S. Department of Labor has extended the comment period until December 1, 2011. The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) is accepting comments through November 1 on revisions to its proposed regulations aimed at strengthening safety requirements for young workers employed in agriculture […]
Bill Would Ease Timing of Termination Pay Obligations
Technology: Can We Prevent Our Employees from Putting Up a Company Website Just for Employees?
Several of our employees have set up a website that is for information relating to our organization. They post all kinds of materials there, including ratings of bosses and departments, complaints, blog-like rants, and so on. And then, as well, they have a calendar, announcements, birthdays, and stuff like that. It’s becoming very popular with […]
Feds Loosen Contraceptive Coverage Rules in Response to Religious Objections
To further accommodate religious organizations outraged over a health care reform requirement mandating the coverage of contraceptive care, three federal agencies — Treasury, Labor and Health and Human Services — jointly issued final regulations Feb. 1 that would exempt more group health plans and policies established or maintained by certain religious organizations from the requirement, […]
HHS Solicits Comments on Essential Health Benefits
An important component of health reform implementation is the imposition of an “essential benefits” package (of health goods and services that insurers of groups and individuals must cover). Under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), that benefit package will be de rigueur (1) for policies sold on exchanges and (2) insurers of small […]
Bulletin: New law expands whistleblower protection for health care workers
Governor Schwarzenegger recently signed A.B. 632, which bars a health care facility from discriminating or retaliating against patients, employees, facility medical staff, or other health care workers for filing a complaint or grievance, or initiating or participating in an investigation into the facility. Employees who are discriminated against in violation of the law will be […]
Short Takes: Terminations
When an employee recently resigned from our company, giving two weeks’ notice, his manager told him to pack up and leave immediately and he wouldn’t be paid beyond that day. Effectively, he fired the employee as of that day. This didn’t sit right with me, but is it illegal?
New I-9 form effective April 3; H-1B visa deadline
Two important deadlines are approaching for HR. On April 3, employers must start using the new I-9 form. Initially the change was set to happen in February, but the Obama administration delayed it and other unimplemented regulations to allow time for further agency review. April 1 marks the beginning of the annual race for the […]