by Susan Fahey Desmond
You’ve probably had enough of hearing about the swine flu (now called the H1N1 virus). It’s front-page news across the world. We are now in a full pandemic as defined by the World Health Organization, but the first thing to understand is not to panic. Your company may already have been required [...]

by Brian Molinari
The ripple effect of stunning job losses since the recession that began in December 2007 have become commonplace across the United States. And it continues: the global pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly has just announced plans to cut 13.6% of its workforce, roughly 5,500 workers. During the 20 months from December 2007 through July [...]

A swine flu pandemic was a no-show this past spring, but there’s no guarantee it won’t come roaring back when the regular flu season gets under way this fall. Swine flu (also called the H1N1 virus) should be taken seriously because this particular strain hasn’t been seen before, so people haven’t built up natural immunity. [...]

One of the clearest indications of an administration’s priorities is the budget and the amount of funding provided to various programs. Budgets always have winners and losers and reflect the degree to which programs will be implemented. A review of President Barack Obama’s proposed budget and recent agency actions demonstrates that increased enforcement of labor [...]

In these troubled economic times, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has hit upon a sure-fire way to increase government revenue without any extra work or change in procedures. If it wasn’t so ominous for employers, we might be tempted to applaud the agency’s ingenuity and audacity.
Required federal and [...]

The changes promised by the Obama administration are beginning to take hold at the federal agencies regulating the workplace. Typically, the change in leadership can be a strong predictor of the changes in policies and directions that will be pursued by a new administration.
Not surprisingly, the changes that already have occurred suggest [...]

Last week, we discussed four employment law issues state legislatures will be grappling with in 2009 — layoff notification laws, immigration, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and it’s state equivalents, and unemployment benefits. This week, we’ll discuss four more – family and medical leave, workplace discrimination, minimum [...]

Summer is in full swing so it’s time to make sure employees stay safe in the hot weather.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) doesn’t have a specific standard for addressing heat stress. However, the agency has previously issued citations to employers that have allowed employees to be exposed to a risk of serious [...]

At a top-level management meeting of Unsafe Corporation, located in midtown Manhattan, the newest addition to the legal department, Eager Beaver, inquired into the company’s efforts to ensure Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSH Act) compliance.
Laughter was heard around the table, punctuated by the CEO chiding, “The OSH Act doesn’t apply [...]

Memorial Day, the unofficial start of summer, is just a few weeks away and many employers have started thinking about adding students to their workforce. Here are some issues to consider as those eager, money-hungry youngsters join your workplace.
Safety first
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the U.S. Department of [...]