Tallahassee, FL - On Friday, June 23,  Governor Rick Scott signed into law a broader medical marijuana system for the state of Florida.  Lawmakers had been unable to pass the measure in the regular session, so it passed the new law ( SB 8A ) in a special session.  Before the ink is dry, there are several lawsuits threatened.  John Morgan, the Orlando trial lawyer who bankrolled the constitutional amendment, plans to sue over the ban on smoking marijuana and Joe Redner, the Tampa strip club owner plans to file a lawsuit because people cannot grow their own plants. Here are highlights from the new rules.

Washington DC - The original electronic reporting rule set an initial deadline of July 1, 2017, as the date by which certain employers are required to submit the information from their completed 2016 Form 300A to OSHA electronically. Now, OSHA seeks comments to extend the initial submission deadline for 2016 Form 300A data to December 1, 2017.  The new administration wants time to review the new electronic reporting requirements and allow affected entities more time to familiarize themselves with the electronic reporting system, which will not be available until August 1. Read the formal comments.

The last thing any manager wants their team members to do is dread coming to work each day. Because people spend the majority of their time at work, it is important managers do all they can to make that time enjoyable, exciting and well-spent.

A dictatorial manager who lacks empathy or insight may produce but high turnover will cause them to ultimately fail. Excellent managers do their best to make 80 percent of the job rewarding, with a 20 percent balance of healthy stress. Read more from Entrepreneur article.

Washington DC - Last month, the Taxpayer Advocate Service (an independent organization within the Internal Revenue Service) published a tool to assist employers (50 plus employees) in understanding how the Affordable Care Act's employer shared responsibility ("pay or play") provisions work and how the provisions may apply to them. It is called the    Employer Shared Responsibility Provision Estimator. Employers can use the E stimator  tool to determine:

• Number of full-time employees, including full-time equivalent employees (FTEs);
• Applicable large employer (ALE) status; and
• Estimated maximum amount of potential liability for the employer shared responsibility payment.

Washington DC -  In June, the U.S. Department of Transportation's (USDOT) Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) proposed to simplify the process and cost for certain individuals to obtain a commercial driver's license. One proposed rule would allow State Driver Licensing Agencies to waive the CDL knowledge test for qualified veterans and active duty personnel seeking to obtain a civilian CDL. The second proposal would allow states to issue a CDL learner's permit with an expiration date of up to one year, replacing the current six-month limitation.2016).   Read more or comment on these proposals.

If your HIPAA covered entity were to experiences a ransomware attack or other cyber-related security incident, Health and Human Services (HHS) wants you to have a checklist on what to do. The HHS guide explains, in brief, the steps for a HIPAA covered entity or its business associate (the entity) to take in response to a cyber-related security incident.   Click here to read the entire cyber-attack checklist .

In June, the EEOC filed a lawsuit against a Nebraska bank for violating federal law (Equal Pay Act) by paying women and men unequally for jobs with the same required skill, effort, responsibility, and working conditions. After a female relationship manager quit the bank, it hired a male for the same position and paid a base salary 33% higher. The female learned of the pay inequity and complained, Heritage Bank did nothing.  Six years later she was still earning the same lower salary. The EEOC seeks monetary relief, an order requiring the company to implement policies and practices to prevent future discrimination, and declaratory judgment. Read the press release.

Lesson learned: market driven salary decisions can result in salary inequities.