Widespread Data Hacks Need to Serve as a Reminder to Strengthen Employee Email and Password Policies
12/29/16
By: Melissa A. Santalone
With its second, large-scale hack announced on December 14, which this time reportedly compromised more than 1 billion user accounts, Yahoo’s latest cybersecurity conundrum should serve as a reminder to organizations large and small that strong …
Homebuilder Confidence Doesn’t Translate to a Homebuilding Boom
12/21/16
By: Kristian Smith
Confidence doesn’t always translate to construction. A survey from the National Association of Home Builders released earlier this month showed the highest level of homebuilder confidence in 11 years. But the numbers released by the U.S. Census …
Be on the Lookout for Minimum Wage Increases in 2017
12/20/16
By: Brad Adler and Agne Krutules
As we enter into 2017, employers should remember that, while the federal minimum wage remains at $7.25, many state and local jurisdictions have passed legislation that will increase their respective minimum wage in 2017.…
Disability Accommodation & Job Competition
12/20/16
By: Michael M. Hill
We previously have written about the EEOC’s guidance on the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”) and pointed out that, in some cases, reassigning a disabled employee to another position (such as a light-duty position) may be …
FCC Chairman Wheeler Announces Plan to Step Down
12/15/16
By: Matthew N. Foree
Today, the Federal Communications Commission (“FCC”) issued a statement that Chairman Tom Wheeler, a Democrat who has held the position for more than three years, has announced that he intends to leave the FCC on January …
California Strengthens Data Breach Notification Law, Again
12/14/16
By: : Kacie L. Manisco
On January 1, 2017, California’s data breach notification law will become even more stringent than it already is, requiring notification to individuals in some instances when encrypted personal information has been breached.
California’s current data …
Use It or Lose It: Georgia Court of Appeals Upholds Finding of Arbitration Waiver
12/12/16
By: Jake Carroll
Recently, the Georgia Court of Appeals held that a party’s conduct in an original cause of action can constitute a waiver of its right to arbitrate in a renewed action. The opinion brings Georgia jurisprudence in line …
OSHA’s New Rule Requires Electronic Filing and Ditching the Post-Accident Drug Test
12/5/16
By: Daniel Nicholson
Employers may need to rethink their onsite injury and illness policies after the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) released a new rule titled “Improve Tracking of Workplace Injuries and Illnesses.” With the objective of improving the …
Charlotte Officer “Justified” In High-Profile Shooting
12/5/16
By: Wes Jackson
Officer Brantley Vinson will not be criminally charged in a court of law for fatally shooting Keith L. Scott in Charlotte, N.C. on September 20, 2016. It appears that charges are still pending in the proverbial “court …
OCR Issues Alert About Phishing Email Scam
12/2/16
By: David Cole
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office for Civil Rights (OCR) has published an alert notifying HIPAA covered entities and business associates of a phishing email being circulated on fake HHS letterhead and under …
BITAG Releases Report Containing Security and Privacy Recommendations on Internet of Things Devices
12/1/16
By: Matthew N. Foree
With the increase of devices embedded with Internet connectivity and functions, called the Internet of Things (IoT), a corresponding interest in vulnerabilities in the security of such devices has developed. Recently, the Broadband Internet Technology Advisory …
New I-9 Form Takes Effect Next Year
12/1/16
By: Agne Krutules
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) published a revised version of Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification. The revision process commenced over a year ago, with the main goal to strengthen the security and integrity of the I-9 …