As Election Day nears, employers across the country may be wondering how they can properly address political discussions in the workplace. This article provides employers simple and straightforward strategies for managing potentially tense workplace discussions.
Archives for October 27, 2020
HIPAA Enforcement Remains Strong in 2020
It seems like every aspect of healthcare is changing during these uncertain times, but one thing remains the same – HIPAA enforcement is going strong. The Office for Civil Rights (OCR) within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), responsible for enforcing HIPAA regulations, has been active this year in terms of settlements of potential HIPAA privacy and security violations. More than $12.2 million has been recorded this year in resolution agreements, despite the Notification of Enforcement Discretion related to COVID-19 issued by HHS.
IRS Releases 2021 Benefit Plan Limits and Thresholds
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) recently announced cost-of-living adjustments that affect limitations on qualified retirement plans and health plans. The increases take effect on January 1, 2021, and are modest when compared to prior years.
Executive Order Bans Certain Diversity Trainings for Federal Contractors — May Also Impact Private Employers
On September 22, the president issued an Executive Order on Combating Race and Sex Stereotyping, which prohibits certain types of diversity trainings for federal employees and federal contractors. The Order prohibits federal contractors from using “any workplace training that inculcates in its employees any form of race or sex stereotyping or any form of race or sex scapegoating.” The prohibition on these types of training applies to any training that would ascribe “character traits, values, moral and ethical codes, privileges, status, or beliefs to a race or sex.”
Going Back to the Office
What it’s like inside recently reopened offices and whether going in is worth the trouble.
EEOC to Hold Remote Public Meeting on November 2
California Supreme Court to Hear Oral Arguments on Retroactive Application of Dynamex
On November 3, 2020, while the rest of the country is focused on the 2020 election, the California Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in Vazquez v. Jan-Pro Franchising Int’l, Inc. to address an unanswered question stemming from the Court’s 2018 decision in Dynamex Operations West, Inc. v. Superior Court
EEOC Announces Two Staff Appointments
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has announced the appointment of Darrell Stewart and Katrina Grider to the agency’s Revolving Funds Program. Stewart will serve as the Revolving Funds Management and Administration Associate Director, and Katrina Grider as the Revolving Funds Program Associate Director for Curriculum, Training, and Education. Both will start on October 26.
Kushner, Employing Racist Stereotype, Questions if Black Americans ‘Want to Be Successful’
In a “Fox & Friends” interview, President Trump’s son-in-law and senior adviser also criticized protesters as more concerned with what he called “virtue signaling” than in coming up with “solutions.”
The female recession: Why the workplace gender gap is growing during the pandemic
Men are getting promoted while women are losing their jobs — and this workplace inequality is only getting worse
5 key steps managers can take to address workplace burnout
Taking intentional steps to show employees that you care about them as individuals may be the most important role you play as a leader.
6 skills employees will need in the post-pandemic workplace
As organizations find their way through the pandemic, the workplace is changing. Here are the skills that will help employees thrive in the future.
Feminism In The Workplace Supports Everyone
I didn’t think much about feminism as a child or young woman.
Hacked Healthcare Provider Refuses to Pay Ransom, Attackers Target Psychotherapy Patients
Earlier this year, we reported on an evolution in the form of cyberattack known as ransomware –attackers transitioning from denying affected users access to critical data by encrypting it to removing data from the compromised systems and threatening public release in exchange for payment. These attacks typically target the companies
Management professor discusses team communication for the virtual workforce
Workplaces looked very different nine months ago. For those who became telecommuters in the era of COVID-19, office door knocks and team meetings ’round the conference table have been replaced by pinging chat bubbles and cascading Zoom windows. During this nine-month transformation, researchers have learned many lessons about team communication and performance in the virtual environment.
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