When electronic cigarettes, or e-cigarettes, first entered the market, there were few rules regulating who they could be sold to and what warnings (if any) they must carry. In recent years, concerns about the safety of e-cigarettes has grown and many have criticized e-cigarette manufacturers for targeting teenagers with candy-like flavors like cookies and cream, chocolate and birthday cake.

On May 5, 2016, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that e-cigarettes and other tobacco products, like hookahs, will be regulated in the same way that traditional cigarettes are. Retailers will now be required to verify that all e-cigarette customers are at least 18 years old, and they will no longer be able to distribute free samples to customers. Read Full Story

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 7 out of 10 Americans die each year from chronic diseases, many of which are preventable. When preventive care is used and illnesses and diseases are caught early enough, individuals can avoid or better control their health problems.

What Is Preventive Care?

Preventive care is a type of health care whose purpose is to shift the focus of health care from treating sickness to maintaining wellness and good health. Preventive care occurs before you feel sick or notice any symptoms and is designed to prevent or delay the onset of illness and disease. The CDC asserts that treatment for chronic diseases works best when they are detected early. Read Full Story

The Department of Labor (DOL) announced the final rule on changes to the “white collar” exemptions under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) on May 18, 2016. The final rule is effective Dec. 1, 2016.

To qualify for certain white collar exemptions, an employee must meet a salary basis test, a salary level test and a duties test. An employee must meet all three tests in order to be exempt from FLSA minimum wage or overtime pay requirements.

The final rule only changes the minimum salary threshold required in order to satisfy the administrative, executive and professional employee exemptions. The final rule also increases the salary threshold for highly compensated employees. Read Full Story

On May 16, 2016, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) issued final rules that describe how the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA) apply to employer-sponsored wellness programs.

The final ADA rule provides guidance on the extent to which employers may offer incentives to employees to participate in wellness programs that ask them to answer disability-related questions or to undergo medical examinations.

The final GINA rule clarifies that an employer may offer a limited incentive to an employee whose spouse provides information about his or her current or past health status as part of the employer’s wellness program. Read Full Newsletter