The Department of Health and Human Services Office of Civil Rights (OCR) will begin the second round of audits in early 2016 to ascertain covered entities' compliance with HIPAA's security and privacy requirements for Protected Health Information (PHI). 

Surprisingly, a significant number of employers still believe—for whatever reason—that they do not need an employee handbook. Misconceptions abound, but some of the most common reasons employers think they do not need one are:

• We are not big enough to need an employee handbook. 
• We do not need an employee handbook; we have a "handle on things."
• Our employees don't need to worry about rules and guidelines.
• We don't provide an employee handbook because it is the same as an employment contract. 

None of these are valid reasons for failing to prepare, maintain or distribute an employee handbook. 

Do you have an ERISA compliant Summary Plan Description (SPD) document? Many employers are unaware of the SPD requirements under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) of 1974. And many who have SPDs don't have all of their bases covered either. 

On October 7, 2015, President Obama signed legislation called the Protecting Affordable Coverage for Employees (PACE) Act that amends the Affordable Care Act (ACA) definition of a small employer for the purpose of purchasing health insurance coverage.