Insurance News
- HHS Increases Civil Penalties for HIPAA Violations January 21, 2020Privacy and Security Rule Violations Impacted by Rule On Jan. 17, 2020, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) published a final rule increasing the civil monetary penalties for violations of the HIPAA Privacy and Security Rules. HHS is
- DOL Increases Penalties for Group Health Plan Violations January 15, 20202020 DOL Penalty Amounts for ERISA Violations Issued The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has increased the penalties employers face under ERISA for group health plan reporting and disclosure failures. These new amounts apply to penalties assessed after Jan. 15,
- DOL Adopts New Joint Employer Determination Test January 14, 2020On Jan. 12, 2020, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) announced a new four factor balancing test to determine whether two or more organizations should be considered “joint employers” under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). The final rule establishing
- DOL Publishes Guidance on Lump Sum Bonuses and Per-Project Payments January 10, 2020Opinion Letters Provide an Insight on How the DOL applies the Law to Specific Facts On Jan. 7, 2020 the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) issued two opinion letters that clarify how the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) applies in
- New York Eliminates Tipped Employee Minimum Wage in Miscellaneous Industries January 10, 2020New Rate will Phase in Beginning June 30 On Dec. 31, 2019, New York amended its wage order for miscellaneous industries to eliminate the subminimum wage for tipped employees. Please note that the current tipped employee minimum wage rates still
- Temporary Injunction on California AB 5 for Trucking Industry January 7, 2020Temporary Injunction Applies Only to the Trucking Industry A district court in San Diego has issued a temporary injunction to prevent enforcement of California’s recent AB 5 law for the trucking industry. This injunction does not affect other industries and
- IRS Announces 2020 Standard Mileage Rates December 31, 2019On Dec. 31. 2019, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) issued the 2020 optional standard mileage rates, which are used to calculate the deductible costs of operating an automobile for business, charitable, medical or moving purposes.
- Washington Increases Threshold for Overtime Exemptions December 17, 2019New Law Becomes Effective July 1, 2020 On Dec. 11, 2019, Washington amended its wage and hour laws to increase the salary threshold white collar employees must satisfy to qualify for the state’s overtime exemption. The amendments also update some
- Pennsylvania Extends E-Verify Requirement to Construction Industry December 17, 2019New Law Takes Effect Oct. 7, 2020 A new law in Pennsylvania law will require employers in the construction industry to use the federal E Verify system to confirm the employment eligibility of new hires. E Verify is a federal
- DOL Issues 2020 Form W-4 December 13, 2019Employers Must Begin Using the New Form Jan. 1 On Dec. 5, 2019, the Internal Revenue Service released an updated version of its W 4 form, also known as the “Employee’s Withholding Certificate.” Employers use IRS