Employers Weigh Whether to Rescind Vaccination Policies

Now that the vaccine-or-testing emergency temporary standard (ETS) from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has been withdrawn, employers that have instituted mandatory vaccination or vaccine-or-testing policies are deciding whether to stay the course or backtrack. The U.S. Supreme Court recently blocked OSHA’s vaccine-or-testing rule, an ETS that applied to employers with at least 100…

Read More

7 trends likely to shape HR in 2022

From the Great Resignation to vaccine mandate confusion, last year was a wild ride for HR. Some things may not have cleared up much — like when the pandemic will end or when the labor market will stabilize — but current predictions build on the learnings from the last 12 months. Nearly two years into…

Read More

COVID-19 Related Litigation Surges: What Employers Can Do To Minimize Exposure

The much-anticipated surge of COVID-19 pandemic-related litigation has begun. As the pandemic continues to lay siege to the United States economy, claimants’ lawyers and government agencies have begun setting their sights on employers. In early May, we predicted an uptick in a variety of claims, including those relating to workplace safety, discrimination in furlough and…

Read More

3 Steps to Prevent Discrimination Complaints

Claims can take a toll on an employer’s reputation, finances, culture and more — not to mention the effect on employees directly involved. While the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission reported a drop in charges received last year, the more than 72,000 filed show that discrimination and harassment complaints are still very much a concern for employers.…

Read More

Senate Confirms 3 Commissioners, Maintaining EEOC’s Right-Leaning Quorum

The U.S. Senate this week confirmed the nominations by Republicans of three commissioners for the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). Keith E. Sonderling, deputy administrator of the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division, was confirmed Sept. 22 with a term that expires July 1, 2024 with a vote of 52-41. Sonderling was nominated in July 2019,…

Read More

IRS Announces 2021 Limits for HSAs and High-Deductible Health Plans

Health savings account (HSA) contribution limits for 2021 are going up $50 for self-only coverage and $100 for family coverage, the IRS announced May 21, giving employers that sponsor high-deductible health plans (HDHPs) plenty of time to prepare for open enrollment season later this year. The annual limit on HSA contributions will be $3,600 for…

Read More

Justice Department Says ACA Should Be Struck Down

The Justice Department is supporting a federal judge’s ruling that the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is unconstitutional in a case that could eventually be heard by the U.S. Supreme Court. In the meantime, all ACA coverage and reporting obligations for employers remain in place. “The Department of Justice has determined that the district court’s comprehensive opinion…

Read More