Starting Jan. 1, the AB 701 California warehouse law gives employees who work in warehouse distribution centers important new protections. Targeting behemoths such as Amazon, state lawmakers passed AB 701 in the fall. The law aims to protect workers from extreme productivity quotas that lead to injuries or skipped breaks. With Amazon and its massive package-delivery workforce pressuring other retailers to follow along, California wants to clarify unacceptable practices now. “We cannot … [Read more...]
Arbitration in Employment Contracts: Court Offers Hope to Employees Who Want to Preserve the Right to Sue
A new California law meant to help employees avoid mandatory arbitration in employment contracts got a partial boost from a California court, but nothing is final yet.The law, signed late in 2019, seeks to protect workers who don’t want to sign employment agreements that force arbitration — as opposed to suing in court — if they end up at odds with their employers. Consumer advocates and others have said mandatory arbitration agreements often yield one-sided solutions, keeping secret … [Read more...]
False Claims Act Whistleblower Protection: Senate Committee Advances Strengthening Bill
The U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee recently voted to advance a bill strengthening the False Claims Act and False Claims Act whistleblower protection, the first significant amendment to the law in more than a decade. At an Oct. 28 hearing, the committee voted the False Claims Amendments Act of 2021 (S.2428) out of committee, advancing it to the Senate floor for consideration. The bill boasts bipartisan support. Its cosponsors include Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Patrick Leahy … [Read more...]
Workplace Vaccine Mandates: What Employees Should Know
As efforts to increase the number of Americans who are vaccinated against COVID-19 ramp up, employees can expect to see more workplace vaccine mandates. Over the summer, the California Department of Public Health issued orders requiring certain covered health care facilities and school districts to verify their employees’ vaccination status and implement mandatory regular testing of unvaccinated workers. On Sept. 9, as part of his comprehensive strategy to combat the spread of the … [Read more...]
Medicare Advantage Risk Adjustment: Watchdog Flags Chart Reviews and Health Risk Assessments
In September, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Inspector General issued a report raising concerns that some Medicare Advantage companies inappropriately used chart reviews and health risk assessments, or HRAs, to receive higher payments under Medicare Advantage risk adjustment. The OIG found that 20 of the country’s 162 MA companies accounted for a disproportionate share of $9.2 billion in payments from diagnoses that were only reported on chart reviews and HRAs. … [Read more...]
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