In This Issue:

- Political Speech At Work By D. Albert Brannen (Atlanta):

With the election just a month away, everyone seems to have strong opinions about the candidates and issues. Inevitably, these opinions will come up during conversations on the jobsite and can be disruptive and interfere with productivity. They also can expose employers and employees to legal risks if they do not fully understand the laws that govern political speech at work...

- Getting Off OSHA’s “Black List” By Matthew Korn (Columbia):

After two years of uncertainty, employers have finally been given some guidance on how to be removed from OSHA’s Severe Violator Enforcement Program (SVEP). On August 16, 2012, the Directorate of Enforcement Programs (DEP) issued a memorandum detailing the removal criteria for the SVEP, clarifying a process that has not been clear since the implementation of the program in June 2010...

- Politics In The Workplace - A Practical Approach By Laurel Cornell (Louisville):

As the 2012 presidential election rapidly approaches, employers must brace themselves for an inevitable spike in political banter in the workplace. Indeed, with social and political issues such as healthcare reform and same-sex marriage on the forefront, political passions are almost certain to flare in the coming months...

- Stretching The Limits On Flexible Work Arrangements By Michael Abcarian (Dallas):

Are we seeing the end of 40-hour work weeks by employees? While some workers may be accustomed to toiling around the clock in an effort to climb the corporate ladder, a recent study shows that more and more employers are encouraging improvements in work-life balance by offering flextime, alternative worksites, and optional overtime in hopes of retaining employees who may be lured away by less intensive hour requirements or more lucrative job opportunities...

- “Preparing for and Surviving an OFCCP Compliance Review” By Cheryl Behymer and Richele Taylor (Columbia) and Celia Joseph (Philadelphia):

The Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) is the U.S. Labor Department’s enforcement agency for federal contractors subject to affirmative action requirements. In general, these requirements are imposed by Executive Order 11246, Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the Vietnam Era Veterans’ Readjustment Assistance Act of 1974, as well as the Jobs for Veterans Act...