Workforce Bulletin

Michelle Capezza of Epstein Becker & Green  recently returned from the TechAmerica DC Fly-in held February 10^th and 11^th in Washington, D.C., a Tech Policy Summit that brought together members of technology councils, business leaders and academicians from across the country to discuss various policies and legislation impacting today’s technology companies and our economy.    As a member of the New Jersey Technology Council and an NJTC Ambassador, Michelle joined the NJTC delegation for this summit which included James Barrood (President and CEO-NJTC), Karen Lisnyj (Government ...

We were recently interviewed in Corporate Counsel, in “Employment Law Risks Abound for Startup Companies,” by Rebekah Mintzer. (Read the full version — subscription required.)

Following is an excerpt:

“We think they should be focused on it from day one,” Ian Carleton Schaefer, a member in Epstein Becker & Green’s labor and employment practice and co-leader of the firm’s technology, media and telecommunications strategic industry group, told CorpCounsel.com. “Oftentimes it takes a triggering event, whether it’s a lawsuit or a government audit to get ...

President Obama’s recent budget proposal to Congress includes a proposed $592.1 million budget for OSHA this fiscal year -- a 7 percent increase from fiscal 2015.  Although gaining approval of the proposal will surely be an uphill battle, which may be insurmountable in light of opposition from Republican lawmakers who oversee the appropriations process, the content of OSHA’s budget justification provides strong signals of its agenda for the coming year.

First, OSHA seeks to add 90 full-time positions to the agency for fiscal 2016.  Sixty of the new positions would be assigned to ...

Corporations incorporated in Delaware, regardless of whether they are domiciled in Delaware, should take note of a new Delaware law that went into effect on January 1, 2015 regarding the destruction of unencrypted personal identifying information concerning employees.  Under the new Safe Destruction of Records Containing Personal Identifying Information law (19 Del. C. § 736), employers are required to take “reasonable steps to destroy or arrange for the destruction” of unencrypted records containing employees’ “personal identifying information.”  Upon passing ...

Our colleague Mollie K. O’Brien at Epstein Becker Green wrote an advisory on a new law that will increase the protection of personal information under HIPPA by mandating encryption on all computerized data collected by health insurance carriers: “Beyond HIPAA: New Jersey Law Requires Encryption of Personal Data by Health Insurance Carriers.” Following is an excerpt:

In response to data breaches that have occurred across the United States, several of which involved the theft of laptop computers, beginning August 1, 2015, health insurance carriers in New Jersey will be ...

By John F. Fullerton III

On January 26, 2015, in an issue of first impression at the appellate level, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit held that a federal catch-all four year statute of limitations applies to whistleblower retaliation claims filed in federal court under Section 806 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX), rather than a two-year statute of limitations applicable to cases alleging fraud under the securities laws.  In addition, the Fourth Circuit joined the Fifth and Tenth Circuits in holding that emotional distress damages are available to successful ...

While 2014 was certainly a noteworthy year under Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (“Title III”), July 26, 2015, will mark the 25th anniversary of the ADA (“25th Anniversary”), an event that will almost certainly be celebrated with significant developments impacting the scope of Title III’s coverage. The U.S. Department of Justice (“DOJ”), charged with regulating Title III, is expected to advance and finalize regulations affecting a variety of industries, including, in some instances, financial services. Additionally, it would be reasonable to ...

In light of the many high profile cyber-attacks on businesses this past year, employers should assess their vulnerability relative to data breaches and take steps to protect themselves from hackers as well as more innocuous business practices that could result in data breaches. Businesses that handle protected health information are regulated under HIPAA to adopt administrative, technical, and physical safeguards to protect the confidentiality of this information. However, various state and federal laws place duties upon employers to protect non-HIPAA-covered sensitive ...

On January 21, 2015 at The Standard, Highline, New York, New York, members of Epstein Becker Green’s Technology, Media & Telecommunications Strategic Industry Group, Stout Risius Ross (SRR), Axial and the New York State Innovation Venture Capital Fund led an informative roundtable discussion regarding “Moving to the Next Level: Valuation & Financing Considerations and Employment Strategies for Start-Ups and Emerging Technology Companies.”  This two-part discussion addressed how to take a company to the next level from a financial and valuation perspective, and ...

Our colleague Joshua A. Stein authored Epstein Becker Green’s recent issue of its Take 5 newsletter.   In this special edition, Josh focuses on the 25^thAnniversary of the ADA and recent developments and future trends under Title III of the ADA. 

1. Website Accessibility
2. Accessible Point-of-Sale Devices and Other Touchscreen Technology
3. Movie Theater Captioning & Audio (Narrative) Description
4. The Availability of Sign Language Interpreters at Health Care Facilities
5. “Drive By” Design/Construction Lawsuits