Congress passed H.R. 34, which exempts certain health reimbursement arrangements (HRA), including premium-reimbursement plans, from most Affordable Care Act (ACA) requirements for small employers (i.e. those employing less than 50 full-time equivalents).

On December 13^th, President Obama signed the 21st Century Cures Act. This legislation establishes a new type of HRA for small employers that do not offer health coverage - known as “Qualified Small Employer Health Reimbursement Arrangements.” 

The Federal Motor Carrier Administration (FMCSA) is establishing the Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse (Clearinghouse). This new database will contain information pertaining to violations of the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) controlled substances (drug) and alcohol testing program for holders of CDLs.   

Yesterday was the final day that the Texas lawsuit against the OSHA anti-retaliation and discrimination rule could have pushed off the rule to a later date. However, a judge denied the preliminary injunction that would have delayed the enforcement from taking effect as scheduled. As a result of this ruling. the final rule went into effect on December 1, 2016.

The new Department of Labor (DOL) overtime regulations - which greatly altered the overtime exemptions - were set to take effect on December 1, 2016, but as of November 22, 2016, that is no longer the case. A federal judge in Texas issued a nation-wide preliminary injunction to stop the new overtime regulations from taking effect on their originally scheduled date.  However, the judge did hold open the possibility that these new regulations could be implemented at a later date.

The IRS recently announced it will be extending the ACA reporting deadline to provide employee statements from its original date of January 31, 2017 to March 2, 2017. This means that you will no longer need to apply for a 30-day extension - here's what you need to know.

OSHA recently announced its top ten most frequently cited safety violations for workplace safety with its top category including almost 7,000 violations. Do you know how to avoid these common pitfalls when it comes to your employees' health and safety? We share ten tips to avoid these top ten OSHA violations.

Within the past week the IRS released Revenue Procedure 2016-55 indicating there will be a $50 increase in the health flexible spending arrangement (FSA) salary reduction contribution limit for 2017 to $2,600. But - what does this mean for employees and employers?

The rule was originally scheduled to take effect on August 10, but OSHA extended the enforcement deadline to November 1 due to the fact that employer groups filed a lawsuit in July seeking to block the rule.

In mid-October the judge in this case asked the employer groups and the government to agree to delay the effective date for one more month so that the parties would have time to fully brief the issues. OSHA has now delayed for a second time the enforcement date of this reporting rule to December 1. 

In some trucking companies, the words safety and compliance are used interchangeably. The line that divides these two areas has been further blurred as focus has been placed on CSA numbers by federal regulators - but, don't be fooled by simply complying with the FMCSA to boost your safety performance. 

Most people would rather be unhealthy than do something they feel others disapprove of or might be embarrassing.

Think about it. 

We know that making a loop (or two) around the office a few times a day can improve health. As can doing lunges while waiting for your food to heat up in the microwave. Or jumping up and down at your desk a few times a day. 

So why don’t people do it?