In a lightning-fast deal brokered by Governor Gavin Newsom, California lawmakers enacted significant amendments to PAGA, California’s so-called “sue-your-boss” law that deputizes millions of workers across the state to bring labor law enforcement actions against their employers. The amendments, which
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Thanks for Your Opinion, But We’ve Got This: SCOTUS Eliminates Long-Standing Deference to Federal Agency Statutory Interpretation
Based upon a recent ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court, federal regulatory agencies are no longer entitled to deference as to their interpretation of a statute that is ambiguous, and federal courts are now compelled to exercise their independent judgment
FTC’s Updated Health Breach Notification Rule Puts Health App Developers on Notice
The Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) years-long effort to modernize its Health Breach Notification Rule (HBNR) in the midst of a swiftly changing technological landscape appears to be coming to an end. On Thursday, May 30, 2024, the FTC published its
Legal Challenges to the U.S. Department of Labor’s New Overtime Rule
As expected, the first lawsuits have been filed to challenge a new Department of Labor (DOL) “Overtime Rule” that significantly raises the minimum salary threshold for the exempt, administrative, and professional (EAP) and highly compensated employee (HCE) overtime exemptions under
What’s it to You? Justice Scalia’s 41-Year-Old Gatekeeping Question on “Standing” Influences Court to Uphold FDA’s Regulation of Mifepristone
Mifepristone is safe for now. On June 13, 2024, the Supreme Court unanimously held that the plaintiffs — doctors and medical associations alike — lacked standing to challenge 2000 and 2019 FDA approvals of mifepristone (brand name: Mifeprex), a drug
California’s New Drug Testing Rules Protect Employees’ Off-Duty Cannabis Use
With expanding legalization and commercialization—including several state initiatives in 2024 and perhaps even federal legislation—the chances are good that your California business has at least a few employees who consume recreational cannabis in their free time. A new California law,
Wired For Success: How Recent Development in the Semiconductor Industry Can Shape Immigration Programs
America runs on semiconductors, also known informally as chips. Chips are integral to the cars we drive, the planes we fly, the systems that defend our country, and the computers that every single industry, from manufacturing to finance, relies upon.
Employers Must Keep Reproductive Health Information About Their Plan Participants Private Under New HIPAA Privacy Rule
Imagine you are a corporate Human Resources/Total Rewards leader who receives a request from a state’s law enforcement agency for health plan records about a plan participant’s abortions or other reproductive health care. How should you respond? Since most company
California Proposes New Legislation Prohibiting Algorithmic Discrimination in the Workplace
Algorithmic discrimination continues to be a focal point of concern, as evidenced by recent legislation introduced in California which, if passed into law, will require employers who use automated decision tools to make consequential decisions to undergo a cost-benefit analysis
Attention, Group Health Plans: New HIPAA Privacy Rule Governing Reproductive Health Care Information Imposes Obligations, Deadlines
It is critical for employers and plan fiduciaries/administrators to stay informed of HIPAA privacy and security-related legal developments because most employer sponsored group health plans — regardless of the employer’s industry or size — are considered covered entities under the