Your organization has been tossing around the idea of implementing an employee wellness program for months….or possibly even years.   We are well aware that Americans spend a lot of time at work—more than the hours they devote to sleep, leisure or sports.   It’s no wonder then that so many of workers suffer from chronic diseases - health and wellness usually take a back seat to earning a living. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 117 million people in the U.S. had one or more chronic health conditions as of 2012 (“Chronic Diseases and Health Promotion,” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, May 9, 2014).

Fines Demonstrate That OSHA is Serious About Worker Safety.

Department of Labor Offers New Guidelines for Classifying Workers

As the issue of worker classification continues to garner more attention, The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has responded with new guidelines for classifying workers as either employees or independent contractors under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FSLA).

Those classified as employees are entitled to the protections provided by FSLA including minimum wage, overtime compensation, unemployment insurance and workers’ compensation. Independent contractors are not covered by the FSLA. According to the DOL, Congress intended that the FSLA be interpreted broadly to classify workers as employees and courts have generally followed a liberal interpretation favoring the employee classification.
The DOL has devised a six-part “economic realities” test of the relationship between a worker and employee that should be used when classifying. This multi-factor test focuses on whether the worker is economically dependent on the employer (employee), or in business for him or herself and therefore an independent contractor.

Economic Realities Test
When determining whether a worker is an employee or independent contractor, all of the factors of the “economics realities” test must be considered in each case, and no one factor is determines if a worker is an employee. The six factors or questions in the “economic realities” test include:

1.    Is the work an integral part of the employer’s business?
2.    Does the worker’s managerial skill affect the worker’s opportunity for profit or loss?
3.    How does the worker’s relative investment compare to the employer’s investment
4.    Does the work performed require a special skill and initiative?
5.    Is the relationship between the worker and the employer permanent or indefinite?
6.    What is the nature and degree of the employer’s control?

Trending: Help Delete Cyber Crime

Sophisticated “phishing” scams are increasing at an alarming rate, making it easier than ever for criminals to gain access to your company’s bank accounts. If not detected quickly, these cyber attacks could result in significant monetary losses.

The Federal Trade Commission sent out a special alert indicating that Web-based commercial Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) origination applications are being targeted by malicious software, including Trojan horse programs, key loggers, and other spoofing techniques designed to circumvent online authentication methods.

"Over time, employees who are lacking energy can zip quickly down the road to burnout. This leads to increased absenteeism and turnover, and decreased productivity and innovation. In fact, according to the American Psychological Association, U.S. businesses lose an estimated $300 billion when employees hit the breaking point."

- Limeade Blog

"Internet crimes pose one of the greatest challenges in crime fighting history as federal, state and local law enforcement try to keep pace with fraudsters looking to outsmart today’s cyber security measures."

- WIVB

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by Stew Nelson

"As we bring more aspects of our lives online — social, shopping, banking, storage — the risks of cyber crime increase."

- Re/Code

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"The safety and health of employees is fundamentally important to having a successful and productive workplace.  Healthy employees equal happy employees and happy employees equals happy customers.  The logistical cycle of benefits from versatile policies implementing workplace health will provide plenty of reasons to enact incentives for a healthy lifestyle."

- FitRev

More and more research is being conducted on the dangers of “sitting” too much. A study of 6,300 people by Vanderbilt University published in the American Journal of Epidemiology estimated that the average American spends 55% of waking time (7.7 hours per day) in sedentary behaviors such as sitting. According to Martha Grogan, a cardiologist at the Mayo Clinic, people who sit most of the day have the same risk of a heart attack as someone who smokes. What’s the solution? Get your employees to move more!

"Organizations are collecting and using data faster than they are able to keep it secure."

- TeachPrivacy

Remember, I am not a lawyer but for those of you that have a hard time reading regulations, here is a summary of the Identity Theft Protection Act, Act 452 of 2004. This act covers notification of state residents that they are the victims of an unauthorized access of a database with their personally identifiable information or personal health information.

"Insurance that protects you in case of a cyber attack may seem like something only large corporations would ever need, or could ever afford. But believe it or not, cyber liability insurance makes lots of sense for small companies as well."

- Inc.

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The Value of Encryption