Compliance News

Keeping you current on the ever changing labor laws

Those employers that participate in the Texas Workers’ Compensation System must post notice of the OIEC Ombudsman Program. This notice has mandatory changes effective 9/1/2013. EMPLOYER’S NOTIFICATION OF OMBUDSMAN PROGRAM TO EMPLOYEES (a)  The poster must be posted in the personnel office, if the employer has a personnel office, and in the workplace where each Read more

Arkansas has passed a new law requiring private clubs permitted to sell or dispense alcohol beverages, beer, or wine for on-premises consumption to post alcohol-related warning signs. The required warning sign is intended to educate the public concerning the risk of birth defects from drinking alcohol beverages during pregnancy. Signs must be posted in English Read more

Each year, about 30 million Americans are exposed to hazardous noise while on the job. For the last 25 years, noise-related hearing loss has been one of the most widespread occupational health concerns in the U.S. Because of increased noise levels on the job, thousands of workers suffer from hearing loss that could otherwise be prevented Read more

Rhode Island’s Governor, Lincoln Chafee, has signed a minimum wage bill that increases the state’s minimum wage rate for hourly workers. Rhode Island’s current minimum wage of $7.75 went into effect in January 2013, also a result of enacted legislation. The 25 cent per hour jump puts Rhode Island just under Vermont with a minimum Read more

As part of President Roosevelt’s New Deal, a federal law was passed in 1936 that established overtime pay for the number of hours worked by contracted employees, beyond the standard 8 hours per day and 40 hours per week. The Walsh-Healey Public Contracts Act was established to ensure that the minimum wage was equal to the Read more

As one of America’s staple foods, the U. S. consumed almost 12 billion hamburgers in 2007. Statistics show that ground beef patties are grilled more frequently than any other meat. It doesn’t just stop with patties: meat loaf, meat balls, sloppy joes, and tacos are also some of America’s most popular food items. Because beef is Read more

The Department of Defense provides a hotline for the public and Department of Defense Employees to confidentially report allegations of wrong-doing about programs, personnel, and operations covered under the scope of the DoD. The kinds of violations that should be reported include: threats to homeland security, trafficking in persons, whistleblower reprisal, leaks of classified information, Read more

Massachusetts has required changes to the Department of Unemployment Assistance (DUA) mandatory-to-post UI notice. The DUA administers the Unemployment Insurance (UI) program which provides temporary income assistance to separated Massachusetts workers, those unemployed through no fault of their own. The individuals must be: Able to work, Available for work, and Looking for a job. On Read more

Eating out means entrusting others to prepare the food you consume in a safe and thoughtful manner. Foods should be prepared carefully so that others don’t get sick. Raw vegetables should be washed, cooked, cooled, reheated, frozen, and thawed. It’s important to keep germs that are already in the food from growing and causing food poisoning. A Read more