First, the simple answer: employers should use the most recent Form I-9 found at www.uscis.gov/i-9. The form indicates the most recent revision date on the lower right hand corner: Rev. 08/07/09. Also acceptable is the immediately prior version of the form dated 02/02/09 on the lower right hand corner.

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More than one in 10 employers have suspended their matching contributions to their 401(k) plans, and more are considering doing the same, according to a survey released Wednesday, September 23.

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U.S. troops have already begun leaving some Iraqi cities, and we now are about a year away from the target deadline the Obama administration has set for pulling a significant number of combat troops out of that country. The United States has more than 140,000 men and women currently serving in Iraq, all of whom we hope will be returning home and most of whom will someday return to the civilian workforce.

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The federal Department of Homeland Security, in conjunction with the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and the Small Business Administration (SBA), provides this advice to small businesses in its recently released, Planning for H1N1 Influenza: A Preparedness Guide for Small Business. The Guide suggests a seven step process for developing your written plan:

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Covered entities, such as group health plans, ("CEs") and business associates, such as vendors that provide services to group health plans, ("BAs") that are subject to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 ("HIPAA") now must comply with the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health ("HITECH") Act breach notification rules (the "HITECH breach notification rules"). The HITECH breach notification rules require CEs and BAs to send out notifications to affected individuals upon a breach of unsecured protected health information ("PHI").

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U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) launched a nationwide I-9 audit initiative on July 1, issuing Notices of Inspection (NOIs) to 652 employers (see the ICE press release). This action confirms the new method of enforcement promised by representatives of the Obama Administration. In April 2009, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Janet Napolitano indicated that ICE would focus its resources in the worksite enforcement program on the criminal prosecution of employers that knowingly hire illegal workers and that ICE would use all available civil and administrative tools, including civil fines and debarment, to penalize and deter illegal employment.

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In the wake of the highly publicized theft of massive amounts of confidential customer information, Massachusetts enacted comprehensive data security legislation intended to prevent unauthorized access to such information. The Office of Consumer...

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It's 6 p.m. and you still have tons of e-mail to answer. You find yourself grabbing a bag of chips from the office vending machine and settling in for another hour or two -- again.

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