The United States Department of Labor ("USDOL") recently issued a Final Rule to revise the regulations implementing the reporting requirements under the Vietnam Era Veterans' Readjustment Assistance Act of 1974, ("VEVRAA"). The recent rule changes aim to strengthen the affirmative action requirements so federal contractors and subcontractors ("contractors") may improve their efforts to recruit and hire protected veterans.
The federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, commonly called the Affordable Care Act ("ACA"), was passed into law in March 2010. The goal of the ACA is to improve the health insurance systems and to ensure Americans can afford quality health insurance. The ACA provides Americans with better health security by putting comprehensive health insurance reforms in place, including expanding health coverage. The ACA also provides Americans with the stability and flexibility to make informed health choices best suited for their needs.
You may recall our article in The HR Advisor dated September 6th, 2013, wherein we addressed the latest workplace trend of employees connecting to their work emails and workstations through personal cell phones, computers and tablets. Bring Your Own Device (BYOD), as it is often called, has many advantages for an employer, but may also be a disadvantage for an employer if there are no guidelines in place for employees. While employers may see increased workflow, faster communications with clients and more engaged employees who use their own personal devices, employers should consider compliance issues and create a policy to guide the use of these personal devices in the workplace - as well as outside of the workplace for work-related purposes - in order to avoid risks associated with security, safety and legal issues.
The month of September brings cooler temperatures, changing leaves and the promise of equal employment opportunities wrapped up in the EEO-1 report for a number of employers. The EEO-1 report, formally known as the "Employer Information Report", must be submitted and certified by Tuesday, September 30, 2014. This required form is completed by employers to provide a count of current employees based on job category, ethnicity, race and gender.
Many areas regarding employment law are fairly black and white due to the highly regulated nature of the business. However, there are some aspects of employment law which are endless shades of gray. Two of the most common "gray" areas include "reasonable accommodations" and "proper classification of independent contractors."
Joe Koechner
Pharmacist/Owner
Kex Rx Pharmacy & Home Care
"I’ve been working with HR Partners for seven (7) years and they’ve been a trusted resource for all of our HR needs. From creating our Employee Handbook, Job Descriptions, assisting with the hiring process and terminations, they have been a much needed and valuable partner as our company has grown from one location with six (6) employees to five (5) locations with over forty (40) employees."