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Department of Homeland Security to Hold Employer Symposium

Department of Homeland Security to Hold Employer Symposium

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) recently announced plans to hold a one day symposium entitled “Government and Employers 2009:  Working Together to Ensure a Legal Workforce.”  According to DHS, the talk is intended to cover employment eligibility compliance, the E-Verify federal contractor rule, the future course of worksite enforcement and other topics.  Aside from […]

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Senator Dodd Expected to Propose Paid Sick Leave Today

Senator Dodd Expected to Propose Paid Sick Leave Today

As chairman of the subcommittee on Children and Families, Christopher Dodd (D:CT) is expected today to unveil the Senate’s version of a bill that would provide up to seven (7) days of paid sick leave for workers and perhaps worker’s family members who are ill, including individuals who have contracted H1N1 swine flu.  Given that the Department of […]

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State and Federal Officials Study Chinese Drywall

State and Federal Officials Study Chinese Drywall

As Florida and other states sought to rebuild after the 2004 and 2005 hurricanes, building materials were at a premium.  Unfortunately, homeowners are now finding that certain drywall imported from China and used in building or repairing homes is toxic and is believed to be causing a variety of problem ranging from corrosion of pipes […]

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Employee Free Choice Act Expected to Gain Momentum

Employee Free Choice Act Expected to Gain Momentum

With the passing of Senator Ted Kennedy, Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) became the Chairman of the influential Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee on September 10, 2009.  Although the HELP committee has spent much time on the topic of health care reform, Washington insiders expect that the HELP committee will soon turn its attention to […]

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Citizens Rate Filing Approved for PLA

Citizens Rate Filing Approved for PLA

Citizens Property Insurance Corporation had its first rate increase in several years approved by Florida Insurance Commissioner Kevin McCarty on October 29, 2009.   The Order approves rates for the Personal Lines  Account and the Mobile Homeowners Physical Damage Accounts and Commercial Lines Accounts. The order approving the filing does not address the High Risk Accounts (coastal territories […]

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Congress Likely to Pass Employment Non-Discrimination Act

Congress Likely to Pass Employment Non-Discrimination Act

There is little doubt that Congress and the White House are moving rapidly to pass laws affecting the workplace.  In fact, the first piece of legislation signed by President Obama was the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act which expanded the limitations period applicable to some claims of unfair compensation under the Equal Pay Act. This […]

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Modeling Commission Outlines Mitigation Concerns

Modeling Commission Outlines Mitigation Concerns

The Florida Commission on Hurricane Loss Projection Methodology continued its discussion of Florida’s mitigation discount program on October 29, 2009.  The commission received testimony from several interested parties.  Among these presentations, I gave the commission information about the effects of the current discount program on premium levels and insurers’ underwriting decisions.  My comments highlighted several […]

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NCCI Rate Decrease Approved

NCCI Rate Decrease Approved

Insurance Commissioner, Kevin McCarty, accepted the National Council on Compensation Insurance’s (NCCI) revised rate filing and issued an order approving a rate decrease of 6.8% on October 26, 2009.  The Office and NCCI had previously reached an agreement on the amount of the decrease, 6.8%, but the Office took issue with some of the NCCI’s methodology, […]

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President Obama Nominates David Lopez as General Counsel for EEOC

President Obama Nominates David Lopez as General Counsel for EEOC

This past week, the White House announced President Obama’s selection for the EEOC’s General Counsel position:  P. David Lopez.  Mr. Lopez is a seasoned litigator and has served the EEOC for more than 13 years in various capacities.  This year alone, Mr. Lopez appears as counsel of record on more than 10 federal opinions published […]

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Wage And Hour Recovers $560,000 in Back Wages

Wage And Hour Recovers $560,000 in Back Wages

This month, the USDOL Wage and Hour Division announced that it had recovered $560,000 in back wages owed to workers of Stone and Webster Construction Company in Pueblo, Colorado.  That number may seem large, but Wage and Hour has announced similar and larger amounts this year, highlighted by April’s announcement of a 1.7 million dollar back […]

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