Compliance

On May 2, 2012 Governor Nathan Deal signed into law significant changes to O.C.G.A. §35-3-37, the law that governs expungement, restriction, correction and supplementation of criminal records in the state of Georgia. This legislative reform is aimed at removing barriers to employment and housing for individuals with criminal history in order to reduce recidivism rates in the state. The Georgia Justice Project (GJP) focuses its mission on breaking the cycle of poverty and crime. GJP sites that at the time of their arrest, 90% of individuals are considered below the poverty line.

Last month, PreCheck partnered with the national employment law firm Fisher & Phillips to present a webinar on the legal environment employers can expect in the next four years. In case you missed it, you can read more about it and access the presentation slides from our blog. The webinar spawned a few interesting questions from attendees that our blog readers might find helpful. The answers are provided by one of the webinar's presenters, Kevin Troutman.

Earlier today, the United States Citizenship and Immigrations Services (USCIS) released the long-awaited revision of the Form I-9 (Rev. 03/08/13)N. Read the full announcement here. You can download the new form here.

PreCheck's Vice President of Compliance, Vu Do's latest article discussing the implications of the EEOC's Enforcement Guidance on employers' use of criminal records was published in the March/April 2013 issue of Compliance & Ethics Professional. If you do not currently subscribe to this publication of the Society of Corporate Compliance and Ethics, you may download the complete article here.

President Obama's first term brought significant changes for healthcare employers. Legislation such as the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 has impacted the direction of the healthcare industry with its legal and compliance implications. With the commencement of Obama's second term, it is a good time to consider the anticipated legal and regulatory environment during the next four years as you plan ahead for your organization. PreCheck hosted a complimentary webinar featuring Healthcare Practice Group Chair A.

PreCheck's Compliance Director, Vu Do, recently wrote an article that was published in the January 2013 issue of Compliance Today, the Health Care Compliance Association's publication only available to its members. If you are not an HCCA member, you may access the full-length article here.

E-Verify is a program operated by the Department of Homeland Security in conjunction with the Social Security Administration. It is a web-based system that verifies an employee’s eligibility for employment based on the credentials presented to the employer upon completion of the Form I-9. While still largely a voluntary program, some states have mandated its use. Here is a summary of states with 2013 deadlines.

Drug screening has become a vital tool to promote a safe working environment and mitigate risk connected to drug-related issues. Countless studies from both the private sector and SAMHSA (DHHS - Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration)   have shown that implementing a drug screening program reduces the over-all costs associated with substance abuse including health care costs, absenteeism and lost productivity.

The Immigration Reform and Control Act, enacted in 1986, made it illegal for employers to knowingly hire unauthorized workers. To enforce the law, completing Form I-9s became a requirement for employers.  They were required to inspect documents present by employees that established their employment authorization. The form is to be kept for as long as the employee is employed or may be eliminated only after following purging rules for terminated employees. Form I-9 violations brought with it civil fines or criminal penalties that varied based on the violations.

The rules surrounding the Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC) and how it applies to the day to day roles of nurse employers and administrators can be quite confusing. Some questions for someone new to a nurse employment role may include the following: