Texas is booming. As of 2022, Texas had 89,600 more jobs than it did before the onset of the pandemic. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the unemployment rate steadily declined from 5% in October 2021 to 4.4 % in March 2022. Texas has always touted itself as an employer-friendly state, with the Texas Economic Department advertising …
Employers, Employees, & HIPAA, Oh My!
Oftentimes, healthcare entities’ employees are also patients of the healthcare entity, creating a dual role as employer and employee as well as doctor and patient. But what can an employer do when they need to access an employee’s medical records? Are these medical records treated differently than non-employee patients? Throughout the last few years, we …
Yes, CBD Registers On a Drug Screen as THC and, Yes, You Can Be Terminated for It
There is a lot to unpack in the Lehenky v. Toshiba America Energy Systems Corporation, Case No. 20-4573 (E.D. PA, February 22, 2022) case as it answers two very interesting questions. First, does CBD register on a drug screen as THC, and can employees be terminated for using it? Second, is an employer test for …
Continue reading “Yes, CBD Registers On a Drug Screen as THC and, Yes, You Can Be Terminated for It”
#MeToo 5 Years Later – How The States Took Over the Narrative
Although the COVID-19 pandemic has occupied a preeminent place in all of our minds for the past two years, it was not that long ago that the #MeToo movement swept the nation, forcing employers and employees to examine new—yet somehow also old—issues of discrimination, retaliation, and harassment in the workplace. From a cultural standpoint, #MeToo …
Continue reading “#MeToo 5 Years Later – How The States Took Over the Narrative”
Using the New Group Health Plan Fee Disclosure Rules To Reduce Plan Costs
Like a 401(k) plan, a group health plan must comply with ERISA’s rule that prohibits a plan fiduciary from paying more than a reasonable amount for services provided to the plan. When a group health plan offers insured benefits, service providers may receive a commission from the insurance company instead of direct payment from the …
Continue reading “Using the New Group Health Plan Fee Disclosure Rules To Reduce Plan Costs”