René Thorne discusses the future of excessive fee suits following a recent ruling from the Sixth Circuit in which the court dismissed the plaintiff’s claims stating they failed to show their plan’s fee exceeded the fees of comparable plans or were excessive for the services provided.
Archives for July 21, 2022
“Healthcare Workers Minimum Wage Ordinance” Provides Los Angeles City Healthcare Workers With Minimum Wage of $25 on August 13, 2022 and Rising in 2024
Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, many cities throughout California have enacted “hazard pay” or “hero pay” ordinances across a variety of industries with the healthcare industry as a focal point.On July 7, 2022 Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti signed the “Healthcare Workers Minimum Wage Ordinance” (“Ordinance”) which, effective August 13, 2022, increases minimum wages for non-supervisory/managerial employees of privately-owned healthcare facilities within the City of Los Angeles. The stated purpose of the Ordinance is to “fairly compensate[] [healthcare workers] for keeping us safe while facing risks to themselves and their families.” The bill recites that between 2019 and 2020 job vacancies for various types of nursing personnel increased by up to 30%, and that nearly 30% of healthcare workers are considering leaving the profession altogether (based on a 2021 survey by the Washington Post-Kaiser Family Foundation). The authors claim that an increase in the minimum wage to $25.00 per hour will help alleviate some of these concerns. The Ordinance will go into effect on August 13, 2022 and provides for further annual increases to the minimum wage based on the annual increase in the cost of living (as measured by the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers) beginning on January 1, 2024.
America’s Safety Net for Workers Hurt by Globalization Is Falling Apart
A 60-year-old program that provides retraining to workers whose jobs are eliminated because of foreign competition has expired, leaving many at risk.
Chipotle closes a Maine store, and workers say it’s because of a union drive.
The shutdown was announced hours before a hearing on a possible vote to unionize the location, which employees said was understaffed.
How to Write a Resignation Letter
You’ve made the decision to quit your job and you want to leave on a positive note.
Interrupting Bias So Everyone Can Just Work
Processes are boring, right?
AARP Foundation Files Charge Against Workplace Wellness Program in Illinois
Construction workers faced health insurance penalties of up to $2,400 per year.
Guy Fieri’s restaurant broke labor laws on pay, former waiter says in Tennessee lawsuit
A former waiter has accused celebrity restaurateur Guy Fieri’s Downtown Flavortown restaurant in Tennessee of illegal pay practices when it comes to its tipped employees in a new federal lawsuit.
Big Labor’s Covert Plan To Kill Union Elections
Union partisans in the Biden administration want to bypass Congress and enact controversial labor policies by dusting off rejected 1940s-era legal theories.
40% of workers are considering quitting their jobs soon—here’s where they’re going
More than 4 million people have left their jobs each month in the U.S. so far this year — and according to new research, this record-breaking trend isn’t going to quit anytime soon.
How employers can recognize menopause in the workplace
We are stuck in a place where women’s health topics are seen as taboo and unfit to discuss, especially in a workplace setting. It’s time to change the conversation.
California Employers, Labor Split on Workplace Violence Rule
A proposed rule preventing workplace violence in California, if enacted, would be the nation’s first to apply to employers outside of health care.
Workers aren’t having to settle for part-time work any more
Part-time work has become a lot less popular, both with job seekers and employers.
Federal Judge Blocks Guidance on LGBTQ Workers
The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee last week temporarily invalidated guidance from the U.S. Department of Education and the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) that held that LGBTQ employees are protected from discrimination under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
Crypto Crash Be Damned, Some Workers Still Choose Digital Pay
About 5% of all remote-work payments taken in crypto this year