Health Law Advisor

By Julia E. Lloyd and Eric J. Conn

Last week, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (“OSHA”) launched a new National Emphasis Program targeting Nursing Homes and Residential Care facilities (“Nursing Home NEP”).  In an accompanying Press Release, OSHA announced that the Nursing Home NEP aims to protect workers from safety and health hazards “common in medical industries.”  Effective upon its announcement and for a three-year period thereafter, the NEP focuses on ergonomic hazards (e.g., strains and sprains from patient  ...

The National Labor Relations Board (the “Board”) recently filed its fourth complaint (since March 2011) against Care Realty and Healthbridge Management, the owner and operator of several Connecticut nursing homes.  The Board’s three prior complaints against Care Realty had included allegations of unilateral changes to work hours, benefit eligibility requirements, holiday and vacation benefits, subcontracting of employees, and allegedly unlawful solicitation policies.  The Board’s latest complaint, filed on February 29, 2012, alleges that the nursing home ...