Practical HR Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
In the latest big-ticket enforcement action for alleged HIPAA privacy and security violations, the University of California at Los Angeles Health System (UCLAHS) has agreed to pay the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) $865,500 to settle allegations the hospital violated HIPAA’s privacy and security rules. The settlement, announced July 7, resolves two […]
by Karen McAndrew As of March 15, 2011, boa constrictors, ferrets, wildebeests, and rabbits are no longer considered “service animals” under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), so assuming the Attorney General’s Office of your state concurs, you will not have to let those animals dine in your restaurant or hang out in a cubicle […]
Litigation Value: likely to skyrocket with Robert California’s new sex-fueled approach to paper sales. The word around The Office is that James Spader will be returning next season as Robert California, a character Paul Lieberstein (a.k.a. Toby) has described as “this uber-salesman that has a power to convince and manipulate like a high-class weirdo Jedi […]
By Julia Kennedy Employers may now need to report all serious accidents that take place on their premises — even if no worker is involved or harmed. Workplace health and safety laws have long been in force in all Canadian provinces to protect workers from hazardous situations and environments. These laws require employers to take […]
As you know, dear readers, this summer Ford & Harrison has taken on the gargantuan task of helping Sabre sift through the many eager and hopeful candidates for Michael Scott’s replacement. We’ve already discussed Dwight Schrute and Darryl Philbin, from among the internal applicants, and outside candidate Robert California. But there’s one more internal candidate, […]
by Gary S. Fealk Businesses often find it advantageous to hire independent contractors to perform a variety of duties in place of employees. Using independent contractors can reduce expenses for payroll taxes and benefits, avoid the impact of laws like the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), and […]
The kind of information exchange that’s necessary before and during a merger or acquisition can raise thorny HIPAA privacy issues, and federal guidance on the subject is sparse at best — especially for employers and other plan sponsors, Senior Editor David Slaughter writes. In such a transaction between companies that are themselves covered by HIPAA […]
New York State will become the sixth state where same-sex marriage is legal on July 24. Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) on June 24 signed the Marriage Equality Act (MEA) into law. Same-sex marriage already is legal in Massachusetts, Iowa, New Hampshire, Vermont, Connecticut and the District of Columbia. The measure goes into effect one month […]
Email has made it easier than ever for plaintiffs’ attorneys to discover wrongdoing and prove liability, an expert said today at the Society for Human Resource Management’s annual conference in Las Vegas. “The ‘e’ in email is for ‘eternal evidence,’” said Mindy H. Chapman, Esq., president of Chicago-based training firm Mindy Chapman & Associates LLC. A company that has 1,000 employees, each of […]
How’s this for an illustration of how quickly developments can pop up that may require you to revise your employee handbook? Speaking at the Society for Human Resource Management’s annual conference today, Christine V. Walters discussed a new ruling only five days old, in which a federal appeals court held that an overly broad confidentiality policy […]