Compliance Stuff

In today’s landscape of evolving cyber threats, assuming your business is safe is no longer an option – it’s time to take proactive steps to defend against cyberattacks. In the arms race between cyberattacks and organizations defending their IT infrastructures and network systems, malicious actors are compelling businesses to bolster cybersecurity resiliency and vigilance to create a more level playing field. By harnessing the power of artificial intelligence (AI), cybercriminals are beginning to surpass manually generated threats in speed, sophistication and the damage they inflict. The numbers speak for themselves: $10.22 million is the average cost to U.S. companies per cyber breach* Every 39 seconds a cyberattack takes place globally 70% of attackers target small- and medium-sized businesses** 60% of small businesses shut down within six months after a cyberattack As criminal AI applications continue to advance, organizations must ensure that they stay prepared. How AI Is Reshaping...

Takeaways Puerto Rico Occupational Safety and Health Administration (PR OSHA) has increased penalty amounts for workplace safety violations.   The new penalty structure ensures consistency with federal OSHA enforcement standards.   Strengthening workplace safety programs, verifying postings, and implementing prompt corrective action can reduce exposure under the new penalty framework. Related Links PRDOL OSHA Public Notice Act. No. 212 of September 17, 2024 Act No. 16 of August 5, 1975   Article PR OSHA recently issued a public notice announcing its updated fines and penalty structure for employer noncompliance with adopted OSHA standards. The updated fines are summarized here:  Nature of Violation Minimum Penalty (per violation) Maximum Penalty (per violation) Willful or repeated    $11,823   $165,514   Serious $1,221  $16,550  Nonserious $0  $16,550  Failure to correct a cited violation  N/A  $16,550 per d...

Effective January 1, 2026, New York’s LLC Transparency Act imposing beneficial ownership reporting on New York LLCs and foreign LLCs authorized to do business in New York goes into effect. Despite the interim final rule (IFR) issued by the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) in March 2025 revising the definition of “reporting company” for purposes of the federal Corporate Transparency Act (CTA) exempting entities formed under the laws of a U.S. state or tribal authority from reporting under the CTA, the New York Limited Liability Company Transparency Act (NYLLCTA) survives and will go into effect on January 1, 2026 . The NYLLCTA applies to both limited liability companies (LLC) formed in the state of New York or LLCs formed in any other state (foreign LLCs) that are registered to do business in the state of New York. As a result, LLCs formed under New York law or registered to do business in New York (each a “reporting company) must file either the required beneficial ownersh...

With the federal government shutdown ending, employers need to shift gears fast. Key federal agencies will soon resume normal operations, and we’ll see regulatory action and oversight surge back into motion. This is the moment to move from pause to power-up: review where your organization hit the brakes, identify what got delayed, and prepare for the ramp-up ahead. Here’s what you should expect and what you should do. Mechanics of the Restart With federal funding resumed, many previously “non-essential” agency functions will begin to re-activate. But don’t expect an immediate return to normalcy. Agencies will need to dig out from the backlog created by the longest shutdown in our nation’s history, so you’ll see a gradual ramp-up period for pending investigations, audits, applications, and compliance checks. Officials will likely prioritize high-risk or high-profile issues. For employers, your quiet window is now closed. If your organization postponed compliance initiatives, filings,...

  As 2026 approaches, employers may want to assess the following wage-and-hour compliance issues: rising salary thresholds for overtime exemptions, widening gaps between federal and state minimum wage amounts, and increasingly complex state-specific duties tests and exemption standards. Each can present operational risk if job classifications and pay practices are not carefully aligned with both the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and stricter state laws. Employers can benefit from ensuring they have updated pay rates and job descriptions to align with the new and changing standards explained below. Quick Hits Employers may want to prepare for 2026 by mapping exempt roles in Alaska, California, Maine, New York, and Washington to new salary thresholds and implementing adjustments aligned with effective dates. To avoid salary compression, employers may want to reconcile pay bands in the thirty-one states with higher minimum wages than federal law and ensure that any threshold multipl...