The recently enacted American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (the “Act”) includes what is being called the “COBRA Subsidy,” which provides laid off workers with a reduction in the cost for continuing their group health insurance. COBRA is an acronym for the federal law requiring group health plans to extend insurance protection to qualifying terminated employees who would otherwise lose coverage. Because …Read More
President Bush recently signed into law the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (“GINA” or the “Act”), which prohibits discrimination on the basis of genetic information. In overwhelmingly passing the Act, Congress sought to encourage individuals to take advantage of advances in genetic testing to obtain information regarding a possible predisposition to develop certain diseases or disorders and then to take steps to reduce the likelihood …Read More
In a recent decision, the Ohio Supreme Court attempted to clarify the confusing issues relating to employees who are unable to work due to work-related injuries. To understand the ruling, it is necessary to review Ohio law regarding “at-will” employment. As is sometimes the case, the courts’ position on this fundamental doctrine has swung back and forth as they …Read More
The Family and Medical Leave Act (“FMLA”) was recently amended by the National Defense Authorization Act (“NDAA”) to provide expanded leave opportunities to families of service members serving in Iraq and Afghanistan and injured in those theatres of operation. In general, under the FMLA, employers with 50 or more employees within a 75-mile radius are required to allow workers to take …Read More