Working Knowledge

Health plans are only required to cover most COVID-19 testing without deductibles, co-pays and co-insurance when testing is ordered by a medical provider for diagnostic purposes. Following U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines, the provider must make an individual clinical assessment that the test is medically appropriate for symptomatic individuals or for…

Beginning Oct. 1, amendments to Maryland’s Equal Pay for Equal Work law offer additional protections to applicants for employment. Employers are prohibited from directly requesting or indirectly seeking a candidate’s wage history. Employers cannot use an applicant’s wage history to screen the candidate or formulate an offer of compensation. Employers must provide an applicant with…

The U.S. Department of Labor has issued a proposed rule aimed at clarifying the determination of an employee vs. an independent contractor under the Fair Labor Standards Act. The proposed rule (29 CFR Parts, 780, 788, and 795): Adopts an “economic reality” test that considers whether a worker is in business for himself or herself (independent…

Research conducted by Willis Towers Watson indicates that majority of insurance industry professionals expect an increase in frequency and severity of cyberattacks.  In a recent global survey covering 56 countries, 86%, believe frequency of cyberattacks will increase. And 54% believe the severity of attacks will also increase.  The increased concerns over cyberattacks is primarily attributed…

The Worker Flexibility and Small Business Protection Act would require client companies to hire temporary workers after one year, require staffing firms to register with the US Department of Labor and pay a fee among, and establish a national test for independent contractor misclassification.  It aims to protect workers classified as independent contractors, workers from…

The Business Roundtable CEO Economic Outlook reflects an improvement in the economy since the contraction at the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic. However, chief executive officer plans remain fragile and recovery requires more support to be sustained and accelerated. Despite an index increase from 29.7 points in Q2 to 64.0 in the third quarter, CEOs…

North Carolina joins a growing list of States that prohibit asking about criminal history on an employment application for a position with a state agency.  This new law will go into effect on Nov. 1. The state’s Ban-the-Box law (Executive Order 158), signed by Governor Cooper in August, follows legislation passed in June (the Second…

In a series of executive orders, President Donald Trump has restricted the use of H-1B workers.  A Presidential Proclamation restricts the entry into the U.S. of foreign nationals working under an H-1B status until at least the end of 2020. The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has previously conducted unannounced worksite visits to…

In March, the Coronavirus pandemic forced companies to shutter their offices, transforming remote work from a practice that was growing in acceptance to a standard operating procedure literally overnight.  Many reported surprise – and relief – at the relatively smooth transition and early productivity gains. In March, Business News Daily reported the results of a…

The coronavirus pandemic has caused significant business disruption and placed new demands on workforce management policies and procedures. Besides re-setting their operations for the requirements of remote work and safe workspaces, companies must manage layoffs, redesign their payroll processes, interpret, and comply with regulatory requirements, and sort through an extraordinary number of applications for every…