SimplyHR | Employment & Labor Blog 

The federal employment law landscape saw some interesting developments in 2017, as well as some anticipated changes that were ultimately halted or delayed. Below is a summary of major federal employment law headlines and a look at what employers can expect in 2018.

For Missouri and Illinois employers specifically, a review of 2017 updates and a look forward at 2018 can be found here.

2016 was a busy year for employment law developments on a national level, and 2017 promises to follow suit. To help employers navigate the changes, here is a summary of major developments that may affect your business this year.

The enforcement of anti-retaliation provisions in new injury and illness reporting regulations for employers has been delayed until Nov. 1, 2016.

On May 11, 2016, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) published the final rule revising its regulations on the recording and reporting of occupational injuries and illnesses. The final regulations, which require employers to electronically submit information about workplace injuries and illnesses, also bar employers from retaliating against workers for reporting such incidents.

On May 11, 2016, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) published the much-anticipated final rule revising its regulations on the recording and reporting of occupational injuries and illnesses.

The final rule requires employers to electronically submit information about workplace injuries and illnesses, and it bars employers from retaliating against workers for reporting such incidents. It also requires employers to inform workers of their right to report work-related injuries and illnesses without fear of retaliation and clarifies employees’ rights to access workplace injury data.

OSHA has continued its proactive approach to targeting and inspecting businesses in 2013. It’s not like it used to be, when you could expect to be clear of an OSHA inspection if you kept your employees happy (i.e., no complaints to OSHA) and safe (i.e., no reportable accidents). If you met those two goals not long ago, then you were likely in the clear to avoid OSHA inspections in any given year.