OSHA is implementing new requirements that raise penalties for workplace safety violations and that mandate a series of new reporting obligations for most employers. Higher Penalties OSHA will be implementing new higher penalties for safety violations effective August 1, 2016. Although just coming into effect now, these changes have been in the works since passage of the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015 in November of last year. Pursuant to this legislation, all federal agencies, including OSHA, were required to adjust their penalty rates to track with inflation. OSHA itself has not increased its fine schedule since 1990. For violations predating …
Merle Wilberding Travels to Sarajevo as part of City of Dayton Delegation to Commemorate 20th Anniversary of Dayton Peace Accords
Merle Wilberding, a senior member of Coolidge Wall Co., L.P.A., was part of the City of Dayton Delegation that visited Sarajevo to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Dayton Peace Accords. The delegation was led by Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley, City Commissioner Matt Joseph, Montgomery County Treasurer Carolyn Rice, and Sister Cities Chair Hunt Brown. The Dayton City Commission had appointed Wilberding to the Sister Cities Committee a number of years ago. The Dayton Delegation was invited to a special reception at the U.S. Embassy in Sarajevo, and later toured the Tunnel of Hope that served as a life-line during …
FTC could squash proposed acquisition by Walgreens
The decision to acquire another company is not one that should ever be made lightly, as this type of transaction can affect both companies involved, consumers, employees, stockholders and investors. The Federal Trade Commission certainly doesn’t take these transactions lightly, and in fact, it has been stopping some high-profile purchases in recent months. However, pharmacy giant Walgreens is hoping that its most recent proposed acquisition will make it past the FTC. According to reports, Walgreens is looking to buy Rite Aid, another chain of pharmacies, for about $9.4 billion. Interested parties are cautious, however, because the proposed acquisition is expected …
Fleischauer To Be Panel Member at DACC HR Forum
Don’t forget to join us at the Human Resources Forum presented by the Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce on Thursday, July 14. Coolidge Wall attorney Marc Fleischauer will be part of a panel discussion covering changes to labor and employment law and the new legislation for medical marijuana use in the workplace. For more information and to register for the event click here.
Have You Checked Your Workplace Notices Lately?
On July 5, 2016, the EEOC more than doubled the previous monetary penalty for failing to post required workplace notices. Under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VII), the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and the Genetic Information Non-Discrimination Act (GINA), employers are required to post notices describing certain key provisions of these laws. The notices must also be placed in a prominent and accessible location in the workplace. Failure to post the required notices means that the employer could be subject to the maximum penalty amount of $525 for each separate violation, up from the …
Tax Treatment of Crowdfunding
Crowdfunding has become a popular way for many entrepreneurs to raise necessary capital from online donations. Projects for which crowdfunding has been used varies greatly in size, industry, and what a contributor may expect in return. While some crowdfunding has been on a very small scale, some projects have eclipsed more than $100 million dollars. Generally, contributions to the capital of a business are tax free when made by the owner of that business, or if the contributor receives an ownership interest in exchange for the contribution. But what happens when total strangers make contributions to the business and receive …
Navigating the Affordable Care Act Minefield
Are you an employer trying to sort through all the changes to the Affordable Care Act? If so, join Coolidge Wall Labor & Employment attorney R. Brent Gambill on July 27th in Columbus, OH, at the Sterling Education Services Affordable Care Act Seminar. This in-depth seminar has been approved for CLE credits for both the legal industry and HR industry and will address the following topics: Separating fact from myth in dealing with ACA The goal of health care reform Records and reporting requirements The impact of recent cases and court rulings The cost of noncompliance
The importance of privacy/data protection for small businesses
While technology can generate many new benefits and opportunities for small businesses, it can also raise challenges. Among these are data and privacy protection challenges. Modern technology has made it easy than ever for small businesses to compile, store, transfer and access data. Given this, many small businesses have a great deal of digital data, with the data sometimes containing a considerable amount of private information. With so much data, concerns can arise regarding ensuring that this data and private information about customers and companies a business is working with aren’t compromised or improperly accessed. Data/privacy problems can put a …
3 Ways Your Business Plan Will Help You Raise Capital
Starting a business is not just about having a good idea or product to sell. It also takes a considerable amount of money to get a business off the ground and running. You need money to hire people, create or make available your goods and services, rent office space, launch a marketing plan and complete a whole host of other objectives critical to operating a business. In order to secure this money, you will likely need to reach out to multiple sources, as noted in a Forbes article. However, before you secure the capital you need to start a business, you …
Impact Of Ohio’s New Medical Marijuana Bill
On June 9, 2016, Ohio Governor John Kasich signed Sub. H. B. No. 523 into law and Ohio officially became the 25th state to legalize the use of medical marijuana. Responding to the growing acceptance of medical marijuana, the new law does allow individuals to use medical marijuana under certain conditions (see qualifying conditions below) outside of the workplace if they have a prescription from a medical professional. But the key point is that Ohio employers can still enforce a zero tolerance anti drug use policy. Even if an individual employee has a prescription for use of medical marijuana, an …