Drug Cost Transparency Rule Blocked
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Department of Justice Revises Guidance for Employers on Controlling Use of Ephemeral Messaging Platforms
Ohio Legislature Lame Duck Session Does Some Helpful Things for Employers
Lame duck legislative sessions are often fraught with risk, as legislators who have been defeated or are retiring have a last chance to leave a “legacy” and the others have the maximum time before their next election. Often, more gets done in the lame duck sessions than in any comparable time period during the rest of the General Assembly’s term. In the 2018 post-election session of the General Assembly, the House Leadership controversy created even…
Are There Changes in the Wind for Union Reporting of Financial Information?
With the position of its director finally filled (by Arthur F. Rosenfeld), the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Labor Management Standards (OLMS) is able to turn its attention to reviewing its rules and interpretations. While the main focus of attention at OLMS during the years of the Obama Administration was the “Persuader Rule” that would have imposed onerous reporting requirements upon both employers and law firms that advised employers about their legal rights during…
Good News for Ohio’s State Fund Employers
The Board of the Ohio Bureau of Workers Compensation at its meeting today approved an 85% premium rebate of the workers compensation premiums paid for the year ending June 30, 2017 for private sector employers and calendar year 2016 for public employers. Checks should go out to the eligible employers over several weeks in July, 2018. There may be some steps employers should take to ensure that they are eligible for the checks. Employers must…
Association Health Plans Get Boost From Labor Department
The Employee Benefits Security Administration of the Department of Labor has just released for public consideration, and published for comment, a significant new interpretation of the term “employer” under ERISA. Under the proposal, small businesses and sole proprietors would have more freedom to band together to provide health coverage for employees in what are referred to as “Small Business Health Plans” or “Association Health Plans”. The proposal would allow employers to form a Small…
President Nominates Four to Key Employment-Related Positions
Ten months after his election, President Trump has sent nominations to the Senate for a number of key positions, including four with significant importance in the employment area. David Zatezalo, the former Chief Executive Officer of coal mining company, Rhino Resources, is the nominee for the position of Assistant Secretary of Labor for Mine Safety and Health. In that role, he will manage the Mine Safety and Health Administration, which regulates safety and health in…
Arbitration Again Under Attack
While not in the employment field, the latest attack on arbitration as a sensible, fair and comparatively inexpensive and fast dispute resolution mechanism comes from the federal government. Until now, the federal level has been a primary supporter of arbitration, through the Federal Arbitration Act, which protects arbitration clauses in contracts affecting commerce from interference by states and local governments, and policies of agencies. Now, the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau has taken a provocative step…
HR Professionals Share Views on Hiring Process
The annual Frantz Ward Labor & Employment Seminar is consistently a great learning experience for both clients and guests and for the presenters from our Labor & Employment Practice Group. This year’s program, at the new Stillwater Place facility at the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, was no exception. Our audience of HR professionals, business owners, and attorneys heard not only from our lawyers, but also from experts in fields such as medical marijuana and managing a…