The Bureau of Labor Statistics announced that the U.S. consumer price index (CPI) rose 9.1% year over year in June 2022. This is the highest level since December 1981, surpassing last month’s record 8.6% reading and even economists’ predictions of an 8.8% CPI increase in June. Americans paid sharply higher prices for various goods in June as inflation kept its hold on the economy.

The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline (Lifeline) launches nationwide on July 16. Similar to dialing 911 for medical emergencies, people in emotional distress or suicidal crisis can call or text 988 and be connected immediately to trained counselors who will listen, provide support and connect them to resources if necessary.

The gig economy is a system in which organizations contract directly with individuals, usually for temporary job positions, instead of relying solely on full- and part-time employees. It’s quickly becoming a key component of the world economy. According to a 2020 report from Mastercard, the gig economy generated approximately $204 billion in gross volume worldwide in 2018 and is expected to grow to $455 billion by 2023.

In the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, which allows states to regulate and prohibit abortion, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued new guidance regarding HIPAA’s privacy protections for reproductive health care. The guidance focuses on health care providers’ obligation under the HIPAA Privacy Rule to safeguard the privacy of patients’ protected health information (PHI) related to reproductive health care, including abortions.

Employers are seeing an increase in lawsuits from former employees alleging deficient Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA) election notices. These lawsuits are generally class actions and can result in significant attorneys’ fee awards for successful ex-employees. Understanding current COBRA notice regulations and litigation trends can help employers stay compliant and avoid costly lawsuits.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) recently released its May Job Openings and Labor Turnover Summary. The number of employee quits continued to fall for the second month in a row; May’s reported number of employee quits fell to around 4.3 million, down from 4.4 million in April and from a record high of 4.5 million in March.

Employers with employee benefit plans that operate on a calendar year basis must file their annual reports (Forms 5500) for 2021 with the Department of Labor (DOL) by Aug. 1, 2022. An employer may extend this deadline by two and one-half months (until Oct. 17 2022) by filing IRS Form 5558 by Aug. 1, 2022.

Driving is a common task for many employees. Workers across industry lines may get behind the wheel for various reasons, such as moving between job sites, delivering or picking up goods or materials, or transporting passengers.

Spending time outdoors is a wonderful way to bond with family and friends, and enjoy nature. But before you head into the great outdoors, you need to be aware of a danger lurking in the woods—Lyme disease.

In today’s supermarket, it’s normal to see the same produce available year-round. However, that doesn’t mean the quality always remains the same. Eating seasonally means you are simply taking advantage of the harvest schedule and enjoying fully mature produce at the peak of its growing season.

Health care debt is a significant issue in the United States. According to a recent report by Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF), over 100 million Americans have medical debt, most of which comes in the form of credit card balances, family loans or payment plans to hospitals and other medical providers.

U.S. homeowners insurers paid out $1.31 billion in claims caused by lightning damage last year, down 36.5% from 2020, according to a report by the Insurance Information Institute (III). The total number of lightning-caused claims and the average cost per claim also fell year over year.

In anticipation of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization that overturned Roe v. Wade, states have enacted various laws regarding insurance coverage of abortion. Some states have banned or restricted abortion coverage, while other states require plans to cover abortions.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently issued market denial orders on products from electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) company Juul Labs, effectively placing a ban on the company’s currently marketed items in the United States. This ban applies to the selling and distribution of the company’s e-cigarette device and four types of pods, with nicotine concentrations ranging from 3% to 5%.

Tuning into the news may be highly stressful or upsetting for many Americans. If you’ve been experiencing stress or anxiety due to current events, you are not alone.

Every year, the Environmental Working Group (EWG) releases a report ranking pesticide residue levels of fruits and vegetables based on samples taken by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Food and Drug Administration.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) announced that the U.S. consumer price index (CPI) rose 8.6% year over year in May 2022. This is the highest level since December 1981, pressuring employers to raise wages to keep pace.

Cyberespionage is a type of cyberattack that involves an unauthorized user (or multiple users) accessing a victim’s sensitive information in order to secure economic benefits, competitive advantages or political gain. Also known as cyberspying, the primary targets of such cyberattacks include government entities, large corporations and other competitive organizations.

The Transparency in Coverage Final Rules (TiC Final Rules) require group health plans and health insurance issuers to disclose on a public website detailed pricing information in three separate machine-readable files (MRFs).

Hackers exploit virtual vulnerabilities to gain access to networks and devices illegally. While most engage in this activity for financial gain, others, called hacktivists, have different motivations.