Tag: news

New ADA Design Standards Take Effect March 15

Employers covered under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) must make sure any new building projects are in compliance with the 2010 Standards for Accessible Design by March 15. The new standards replace the 1991 standards devised when the ADA became law. The 2010 standards set minimum requirements for new construction and alterations of more […]

EEOC Issues New Guidance on Employing Veterans with Disabilities

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has released new guidance addressing how changes to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) affect the employment of veterans with disabilities. One of the guides is aimed at employers, and the other is for veterans. Both are available at www.eeoc.gov. The guides reflect changes brought about by the ADA […]

Departments Issue Final Summary of Benefits and Coverage Regulations

Employers have a new health care reform deadline to add to their calendars. Last week, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the Department of Labor (DOL), and the Department of the Treasury issued final regulations under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act that are intended to help: individuals easily understand their health […]

New FMLA Certification Forms Available

The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has released new certification forms for leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). The new forms carry an expiration date of February 28, 2015, and replace forms that had a December 31, 2011, expiration date. The new forms appear to be identical to the old forms except […]

DOL Unveils $12 Billion 2013 Budget Request

The U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) fiscal year 2013 budget request continues many priorities emphasized in the previous year’s budget, such as the effort to combat worker misclassification, while ending or consolidating some programs aimed at helping women and veterans find jobs. The DOL’s 2013 budget request comes in at $12 billion. The 2012 request […]

Fearing State Employee Liability, Delaware Douses Medical Marijuana Law

by Molly DiBianca and Michael P. Stafford Delaware’s medical marijuana program has been extinguished. According to the Delaware News Journal, Governor Jack Markell “has suspended the regulation-writing and licensing process for medical marijuana dispensaries — effectively killing the program.” The decision comes in response to a letter from U.S. Attorney Charles M. Oberly III. The […]

Comment Period Extended for OFCCP’s Disability Hiring Rule

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) has extended the comment period on its proposed rule aimed at increasing employment of people with disabilities. The new deadline for comments is February 21. The OFCCP published a notice of proposed rulemaking on December 9, 2011, that outlined the proposal to revise […]

Prop 8 Unconstitutional, For Now

By Mark I. Schickman The legal status of gay marriage in California has been a rollercoaster ride. First, the California Supreme Court held that a ban on gay marriage was unconstitutional. Then California passed Proposition 8, writing a ban on gay marriage into the California Constitution — and the California Supreme Court bowed to that […]

HRHero 2012 Health Insurance Benefits Survey Results

Nearly 65 percent of respondents to a recent HRHero survey on health insurance benefits said they expect their health insurance costs to rise because of health care reform. Half of respondents said they were not sure if their organizations would eliminate health care plans in 2014, when it may be easier for workers to get […]