The PeaceFul Journal

What Fractional Legal Counsel Actually Is (and is Not)

Wed, 04 Mar 2026 16:46:56 GMT

Estimated Read: 7-9 minutes

If you're a home healthcare administrator, you've likely asked " How much does a lawyer cost? " - sometimes quietly, sometimes with hesitation.

Not because legal support isn't valuable, but because traditional legal billing often feels unpredictable, intimidating, and reactive. Many administrators delay calling counsel - not due to neglect, but due to uncertainty about cost.

Fractional Legal Counsel (FLC) exists to solve that problem.

Fractional Legal Counsel is Not a "Prepaid" Plan.

At Hairston Law, LLC , Fractional Legal Counsel is not a prepaid legal subscription or flat-fee bundle of services. Instead, FLC is provided through a monthly evergreen retainer. Here's what that means in practice:

Client funds a trust account each month
Rendered legal services are billed only as work is performed
Billing is based on disclosed hourly attorney and staff rates
Fees are earned when legal work is completed

This structure ensures transparency, ethical compliance, and fairness for clients.

What Are You Actually Paying For?

When you invest in Fractional Legal Counsel, you are investing in consistent access to legal judgment - not just document review or crisis response. The value is in what home healthcare administrators need most: the ability to get answers, quickly and confidently, when real-world issues surface in the middle of operations.

Both Fractional Legal Counsel tiers are designed around how accessible your attorney is, how proactively counsel can engage, and how deeply counsel can integrate into your organization. In other words, our tiers reflect different levels of partnership and availability - so legal support can match the pace, complexity, and risk profile of your agency's operations.

Attorney Accessibility (for minor - but important - questions)

Accessibility is the core benefit of Fractional Legal Counsel. In home healthcare, the questions that feel "small" are often the ones that prevent the biggest problems: Should we document this conversation? Do we need to report this? Can we change the schedule this way? Is this a HIPAA issue or an HR issue? Does this contract clause matter? Fractional counsel gives administrators a reliable path to get those questions answered early - before a misunderstanding becomes a complaint, a compliance issue, or a dispute. That ease of access reduces hesitation and supports calm, timely decision-making.

Attorney Capacity

Attorney capacity determines how much legal thinking, review, and advisory support can be dedicated to your healthcare agency on an ongoing basis. This matters because home healthcare operations move quickly - policies shift, staff issues arise, contracts need review, and regulatory questions surface without warning. A higher-capacity tier supports faster turnarounds, deeper analysis, and the ability to address matters in the right order - so urgent needs are handled promptly while important initiatives continue moving forward.

Responsiveness

Responsiveness is more than timely replies - it is the confidence that when an issue arises, you can reach counsel and receive guidance without unnecessary delay. Each tier reflects a different level of prioritization and turnaround expectations for communications and deliverables. That is valuable because speed often changes outcomes: prompt guidance can prevent a misstep, preserve relationships, and reduce the likelihood that leadership decisions become costly emergencies.

Strategic Involvement

Strategic involvement measures the degree to which your attorney is embedded in your administrative workflow. The Strategic Counsel tier is designed to engage proactively - spotting patterns, anticipating risks, and helping leadership make decisions with legal and operational alignment. This is where agencies often see the greatest return: when counsel is engaged early, the organization can reduce rework, avoid preventable disputes, and pursue growth with fewer legal surprises.

Organizational Familiarity

With consistent engagement, your attorney develops familiarity with your management style, team, policies, operations, and risk profile. That familiarity makes guidance faster and more precise because counsel does not have to relearn your structure, your priorities, or your recurring points with each new question. Over time, this creates continuity - legal advice that is increasingly tailored to your culture and goals, rather than generic recommendations that require extra translation.

You are not paying for a menu of prepaid services - you are investing in ongoing legal judgment that is accessible, responsive, and strategically connected to your day-to-day administrative decisions.

This structure sets up the next critical question : what happens when your organization does not use the full amount deposited into the evergreen retainer each month?

Routine Communications Are Not Metered

One of the most overlooked costs in home healthcare administration is hesitation.

Hesitation to call. Hesitation to ask. Hesitation to address issues early.

In home healthcare, this hesitation is common - and understandable. Many administrators have been conditioned by traditional legal billing models where every call, email, or quick question feels like it may trigger a separate charge. Over time, that "nickel-and-dime" fear trains administrators to pause, second-guess, and wait until an issue feels serious enough to justify the expense.

Layer on tight margins, constant regulatory pressure, staffing shortages, and the reality that legal questions often arise in the middle of already-full days, and hesitation becomes the default - even when early guidance could prevent far greater risk later.

That's why routine communications - calls, emails, texts, and secure portal messages - are not separately billed for Fractional Legal Counsel clients.

This design allows administrators to reach out early, ask questions freely, and address risks before they escalate into emergencies.

Substantive legal work arising from those non-metered communications are billed against the retainer.

What Happens IF You Don't Use All Your Retainer?

Unlike many legal arrangements, unused retainer funds are not lost. Funds deposited into the evergreen retainer remain in the client trust account until they are earned through completed legal work. This structure is intentional: it allows legal counsel to remain consistently available to your agency, rather than engaged only when a crisis forces a last-minute call.

By maintaining the retainer in trust, your healthcare organization secures ongoing access to counsel who is already familiar with your operations, priorities, and risk profile. This eliminates the delay, onboarding time, and uncertainty that often come with hiring an attorney only after an issue has escalated. The retainer ensures that legal guidance is available when questions arise - whether large or small - so administrators can act with clarity and confidence in real time.

Any portion of the retainer that is not used in a given month automatically rolls forward. This allows legal support to flex with the realities of home healthcare operations - some months require more guidance, while others require less - without penalizing the organization for timing or unpredictability. While in trust, your funds remain yours, and preserved for future legal needs as they arise.

If the attorney-client relationship concludes, any unused funds remaining in trust are refundable. This reinforces the ethical foundation of the evergreen retainer model and confirms that the retainer exists to protect access and availability, not to collect fees for unperformed work.

So... What Does Fractional Legal Counsel Cost?

When home healthcare administrators evaluate the Fractional Legal Counsel investment, the true measure isn't the monthly evergreen retainer - it’s the clarity it brings, the access it preserves, and the risks it helps avoid.

Instead of paying for:

Emergency legal responses
Crisis-driven litigation
Unplanned compliance failures

Home Healthcare leaders gain:

Predictable monthly legal support
Embedded legal judgment
Stronger decision-making confidence (PeaceFul Legal Counsel™)

Final Thought

If you're a home healthcare administrator navigating risk, cost pressures, and complex decisions - whether you rely on one-off legal counsel, call an attorney only when a problem escalates, or haven't yet established any legal relationship - this is the moment to pause and consider what level of legal support truly serves your agency.

Fractional Legal Counsel is designed for leaders who want proactive guidance - not last-minute reactions - and a legal relationship that supports clarity, prevention, and peace of mind, regardless of where they are starting.

If you're ready to explore whether Fractional Legal Counsel is the right fit for your organization, we invite you to visit our website at www.hairstonlawlegal.com/fractional-legalcounsel and submit your consultation inquiry. That initial conversation is an opportunity to briefly evaluate your operational realities, risk concerns, and goals to determine whether a fractional legal partnership can support your leadership with consistency and confidence.

Fractional Legal Counsel isn't about spending less on legal support.

It's about spending wisely, ethically, and proactively - so your healthcare organization can grow with peace, clarity, and confidence.

Fractional General Counsel for Healthcare: How On-demand Legal Judgment Protects Your Organization and Sustains Growth

Sat, 24 Jan 2026 19:01:14 GMT

If you lead a healthcare organization—clinic, home health agency, behavioral health provider, Ambulatory Surgery Center, or a Federally Qualified Health Center—your day never slows down. Patient care, staffing, credentialing, payor audits, vendor agreements, and compliance demands all compete for your attention. Carrying the legal and regulatory load alone is unsustainable—and when that burden falls entirely on leadership, risk compounds quietly and quickly. That is why one of the most effective ways to gain proactive, practical legal judgment—without a full‑time hire—is to engage Fractional General Counsel (FGC).

What Is Fractional General Counsel for Healthcare?

Why Healthcare Organizations Need FGC Now

Running without proactive legal guidance is like making enterprise‑level decisions without a clear risk dashboard—growth may continue for a time, but blind spots accumulate until a single issue forces an emergency response. By the time a demand letter, payor audit, or employee claim arrives, the cost—in dollars, time, and culture—has already begun. FGC helps you prevent problems and respond wisely when issues surface. For leaders who want fewer emergencies and clearer visibility into legal risk, the structure of the Fractional General Counsel relationship matters just as much as the advice itself.

How the Fractional General Counsel Relationship Works

Is Fractional General Counsel Right for Your Healthcare Organization?

Choose FGC if you want to:

Stabilize legal spend with predictable support and fewer emergencies
Bring consistency to contracts, compliance, and employment decisions
Lower the temperature on conflicts with mediation‑first strategies
Equip your board and administrators with clear, values‑aligned legal judgment
Be prepared for audits with proactive compliance planning and documentation
Feel confident when issues occur, knowing you have rapid access to legal judgment
Never have to guess if you’re making the best decisions for your company—because you have a trusted legal counsel embedded in your leadership rhythm

Ready to turn these outcomes into your operating reality? Here’s how to start.

Talk with Hairston Law, LLC

Don’t let this year be defined by a payor dispute, a costly PHI incident, or workplace conflicts. Contact Hairston Law, LLC to explore our Fractional Legal Counsel relationships‑built for your healthcare organization—so you can deliver excellent care with clarity, compliance, and peace.

To learn more, call 240.243.3016 today.

Legal Considerations for First-Time Seasonal Hiring

Sun, 24 Mar 2024 14:52:13 GMT

Congratulations! You started your small business and it is thriving. Now, you are ready to hire a small team to help you fulfill some product orders or service obligations during your busier seasons. Since this may be your first time hiring, seasonal hiring is an excellent way to test out the waters as a new employer. But before you post that "Now Hiring" sign, you should give some thought to the legal aspects surrounding this glorious milestone.

Here are a few to get your wheels spinning:

Employee Classification

Will your new hire be an employee, intern, or independent contractor? A common misconception employers have when it comes to classifying seasonal workers, is that such workers are independent contractors simply because of their temporary status. But the truth is, even temporary employment must satisfy specific federal and state tests, in order to classify a worker as an independent contractor.

Effective, March 11, 2024, the U.S. Department of Labor's " economic reality test " is the framework you should use to determine whether your hire should be classified as an independent contractor. Consider these six questions:

(1) Will the hire have an opportunity for profit or loss based on managerial skill that affect the worker's economic success or failure?

(2) Are any investments by the worker capital or entrepreneurial in nature?

(3) Is the work relationship indefinite in duration, continuous, or exclusive of work for other employers?

(4) Will you have control over the performance of the work and the economic aspects of the working relationship?

(5) Will the work performed be integral to your business?

(6) Will the worker use specialized skills to perform the work and will those skills contribute to business-like initiative?

Wages

If your seasonal hire will be classified as an employee, federal law requires you to pay all nonexempt employees at least minimum wage for all hours worked and overtime whenever employees work more than 40 hours in a workweek. Since most states have a higher minimum wage rate than the federal government, your hire's wage must comply with your state requirement.

Some states exempt certain types of seasonal employees and interns from its minimum wage laws. So check your state to see if your seasonal position is exempt.

Job postings

In addition to posting a clear job description that explains the role, responsibilities, requirements, and duration of the seasonal position, be sure to check your state law to see if there is a job posting pay disclosure requirement . Job posting pay disclosure laws generally require private sector employers to disclose the compensation rate or range of pay in the job posting. Even if your state does not have such a requirement, it is a good practice to start. To attract the best candidates for your seasonal position, you want to ensure they have all the necessary information before they apply.

New hire paperwork

Don't forget the paperwork. Here are a few common documents that you should have your new hire complete, depending on their classification:

Form I-9. Employers must complete and retain a Form I-9 for each new employee. Like other new hires, seasonal workers must provide documentation that verifies their identity and their authorization to work in the United States from a list of acceptable documents.

Form W-4. All new hires, including seasonal workers must complete a W-4 to determine the amount of federal income tax to withhold from their wages. Some states also require a tax withholding form. Independent contractors are not required to complete a W-4 form, instead you should have them fill out and return to you tax form W-9.

Notice of Coverage Options. The Affordable Care Act (ACA), requires employers to provide notice to new hires within 14 days of the employee start date of how to access alternative individual health insurance coverage. This requirement applies even if the employer doesn't offer health insurance and/or the employee is not eligible for health insurance.

Workers' Compensation Insurance

Generally, all employees, including seasonal workers and remote employees, are covered by worker's compensation laws. However, some states exclude certain workers from coverage, such as: casual workers earning less than a threshold amount, and farm labor. Independent contractors are also generally ineligible for worker's compensation coverage.

On The Job Training

Regardless of your new hire's classification, effectively training your seasonal worker is extremely important. Implementing a training period is critical for ensuring your compliance with applicable laws and minimizing your business's liability. Job training is more than showing the seasonal worker how to perform the work. It also includes how that worker is suppose to legally interact with other workers and customers. Training on company values and policies is a must to ensure everyone is on the same page around the office or job site. If your seasonal worker will be remote, then you should definitely make your new hire aware of your work expectations. You don't want to be in a situation where you disciplined your worker, and they claim "failure to train".

Since training requirements and recommendations vary depending on an employer's size, location, and industry, you should consult your state and local laws, or consult with an employment attorney about acceptable training standards. But generally speaking, most trainings include the areas of anti-harassment, nondiscrimination, safety and other workplace issues.

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As you can see, there is a lot to consider when putting on the "employer" hat. But don't let that deter you from growing your business and helping others. Just like you overcame the business struggles to get to this point, with legal guidance you can make your way through the legal aspects of hiring. Congratulations again for reaching this milestone ��

Hairston Law, LLC is a modern boutique law firm, dedicated to providing business owners with peaceful "best practice" strategies customized to address their business and employment legal concerns. We ensure your business operations remain with compliant with federal, state, and local laws. We also offer conflict management services when the inevitable arise.

***NEW Regulation: Corporate Transparency Act

Tue, 05 Dec 2023 22:58:00 GMT

Breakdown of Key Provisions of the 2024 Reporting Requirement

On September 30, 2022, the US Department of the Treasury's Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) issued its final rule outlining the Corporate Transparency Act ("CTA" or the "ACT"). The CTA was created to combat various financial crimes such as money laundering, tax fraud, financing of terrorism, and other illicit activity through shell and front companies. The CTA requires certain business entities ("reporting companies") to report their beneficial ownership information ("BOI") and other information to FinCEN.

�� Reporting is to prevent people from funneling money through fake and/or empty companies.

Effective January 1, 2024 , all businesses established on or after January 1, 2024, are required to report to FinCEN information about the beneficial owners of the entity, unless the entity is otherwise exempt. All entities created on or after January 1, 2024, are required to file a report within 30 days of creation/registration. Companies created prior to January 1, 2024, have until January 1, 2025, to file their initial report .

What Companies are Required to Report under the CTA?

Any domestic or foreign business entity created by or are registered with a secretary of state or similar office within the U.S. may have reporting requirements under the CTA. The ACT potentially encompasses corporations, limited liability companies, limited partnerships, limited liability partnerships, business or other statutory trusts, and general partnerships depending on the entity's applicable state law.

✨ �� ✨ basically, all business entities that are not exempt.

What Companies are Exempt?

Business entities that are exempt from the CTA's definition of reporting company, generally include (Note: this list is not exhaustive):

Large Operating Companies that have more than 20 full-time employees in the US; with an operating presence at a physical office within the US; and reported more than $5 million in gross sales or receipts on its previously filed federal tax return.
Any Issuer of Securities .
Inactive Entities that were in existence on or before January 1, 2020; not engaged in active business; is not wholly or partially owned, directly or indirectly, by a non-US person; has not experienced a change in ownership in the prior 12-month period; has not sent or received any funds in an amount greater than $1,000 in the prior 12-month period; and does not otherwise hold any kind or type of assets.
Investment Companies or Investment Advisers registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission under the Investment Company Act or the Advisers Act.
Venture Capital Fund Advisers .
Pooled Investment Vehicles that are operated or advised by certain other exempt entities (a bank, credit union, broker or dealer in securities, federally registered investment advisors, or a venture capital fund adviser).
Insurance Companies and Insurance Producers .
Public Accounting Firms .
Tax-Exempt Entities and Entities Assisting Tax-Exempt Entities .
Governmental Agencies and Authorities .

✨��✨ Seems like the CTA's reporting requirements may principally impact small companies.

What are the Reporting Requirements?

The Reporting Company - the report shall include the entity's full name, any "doing business as" aliases, address, jurisdiction of formation or registration, and tax identification number (TIN/EIN).
Beneficial Owners - the report shall include the full name, date of birth, address, and photograph identification with identification number shown for each individual falling with the definition of "beneficial owner".
Company Applicants - the report shall include the full name, date of birth, and photograph identification with identification number shown for each individual who assisted in forming the entity.

Who is a "Beneficial Owner"?

An individual who, directly or indirectly, exercises substantial control over the reporting company, which includes senior officers.
Anyone with the ability to make important decisions on behalf of the reporting company.
An individual, who directly or indirectly, owns or controls at least 25% of the ownership interests of the reporting company, including of convertible interests irrespective of whether these convertible interests are debt or equity, along with directly held options and warrants.
Certain trust arrangements, or those individuals or entities acting as an intermediary, custodian or agent on behalf of another.

✨ Excluded from "beneficial owner" are minor children (as long as the parent or legal guardian's information is reported), individuals acting as nominees, intermediaries, custodians, or agents, employees acting solely as employees and not as senior officers, individuals whose only interest in a reporting company is a future interest through a right of inheritance or creditors of a reporting company (unless the creditor otherwise meets the definition by the level of control they are able to exercise over the company).

Where do I file the Report?

FinCEN is working on the secure filing system which will facilitate the CTA reports. The system will not be ready to accept filings until January 1, 2024. ( www.fincen.gov/boi )

Can Hairston Law Help File CTA Reports?

Absolutely! If you are an In-House Counsel Client, just contact your HL attorney. If you are not already a HL client, please contact our office to get your report filed within your deadline.

Maryland's Workplace Violence Act: Imposing Legal Duty?

Mon, 11 Sep 2023 12:00:00 GMT

Recently, I've addressed numerous complaints from employers and employees regarding workplace violence and harassment. While it may seem evident that employers should immediately investigate and address employee complaints about violence and/or harassment from co-workers, here lately I think there is some confusion. Therefore, this blog reminds Maryland employers about one way of addressing workplace violence, and why I think Maryland's Workplace Violence Act should NOT impose civil liability on employers. ��

How, When and Where to File Petition?

Employers may file petitions on behalf of their employees with the District Courts in Maryland, as District Courts have sole jurisdiction to hear peace order cases. A petition may be filed if: (i) the act (described above) is alleged to have occurred in the State; or (ii) the petitioner's employee is a resident of the State, regardless of whether the act is alleged to have occurred in the State. An employer petitioning on behalf of an employee must notify the employee before doing so, and must file within 30 days of the incident.

Side Bar: For the sake of this post, "petitioner" is referred to the employer.

The petition shall:

Be under oath and provide notice to the petitioner that an individual who knowingly provides false information in the petition is guilty of a misdemeanor and on conviction is subject to a fine not exceeding $1,000.00 or imprisonment not exceeding 90 days or both;
Contain the address of the petitioner or the petitioner's employee, except in cases where a petitioner's employee alleges, and the commissioner or judge finds, that the disclosure of the address of the petitioner or the petitioner's employee would risk further harm to the petitioner or the petitioner's employee; and
Include all information known to the petitioner of:
the nature and extent of the act for which the relief is being sought, including information known to the petitioner concerning previous harm or injury resulting from an act by the respondent;
each previous and pending action between the parties in any court (if applicable); and
the whereabouts of the respondent.

Side Bar: For the sake of this post, "respondent" is referred to the "bad co-worker".

Prohibitions & Such

My Thoughts

I n reference to the immunity provision being terminated..... I think it would be tragic to hold employers liable for failing to file petitions when an employee has the right not to provide information or testify at a peace order proceeding. What's the point of requiring employers to file a petition to protect the employee, if the employee can choose not to cooperate. The likely outcome of a court granting the peace order is slim, if there is no corroborating evidence to prove the employee needs protection. If the employee doesn't feel the need to seek or cooperate in seeking a peace order, why force the employer into a battle that is not wanted.

Furthermore, there are numerous other legal theories that impose a duty on employers to keep their employees safe. Such as: third-party liability, negligent hiring, negligent retention, negligent supervision, negligent training, etc.

Side Bar: Stay tuned, our next blog will talk about each one..... but spoiler �� - those theories do not require employee cooperation.

Regardless, I do agree that an employer aware of workplace violence within their company should take all necessary steps to remove the "bad co-worker". If an employee is physically violent towards another employee, then the employer is required to call for immediate assistance from law enforcement. In all other circumstances, the employer should utilize their company's disciplinary policy to prevent workplace violence. And the best place to start is TAKING EMPLOYEE COMPLAINTS SERIOUSLY .

I think the Act is a great course of action to take when there is a chance that the violence inflicted on the employee will continue and/or worsen. Meaning if the employer and employee agree that the "bad co-worker" will continue to harm the employee, then a peace order may be useful. Sometimes, terminating a "bad co-worker" is just not enough.

�� THANKS FOR READING ��

***NEW Law PWFA Compared to Maryland's Pregnancy and Childbirth Disabilities Statute

Thu, 22 Jun 2023 13:00:01 GMT

On December 30, 2022, President Biden signed Pregnant Workers Fairness Act ("PWFA") into law and it goes into effect on June 27, 2023. The new law requires covered employers to provide reasonable accommodations to a worker's known limitations related to pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions, unless the accommodations will cause the employer an "undue hardship".

This new law will not replace existing federal, state, or local laws that are more protective of workers affected by pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions. But it will fill in the gaps when existing law does not address certain situations. Because Maryland already have law that requires employers to provide reasonable accommodations for pregnancy or childbirth, this Blog will compare Maryland's law to the new PWFA so you can be aware of when and what accommodations you are required to provide to your employees.

Happy Reading ☺️

Md. Code, State Gov't 20-609

Maryland's Disabilities due to Pregnancy or Childbirth statute requires employers to give reasonable accommodations to an employee's disability caused or contributed by pregnancy. Such disabilities are to be treated as temporary disabilities for all job related purposes; and shall be treated as temporary disabilities under any health or temporary disability insurance or sick leave plan available in connection with employment. Generally, for an employee's pregnancy or childbirth complication to be considered a "disability", the complication must substantially limit a major life activity, as required under the Rehabilitation Act, Americans with Disabilities Act and Maryland Employment Discrimination Law.

�� PWFA : While the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission ("EEOC") has not yet issued regulations to carry out the law*, it doesn't seem like an employee must have a "disability", just a " known limitation ". According to Bill H.R. 2617-1626, the term "known limitation" means physical or mental condition related to, affected by, or arising out of pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions that the employee or employee's representative has communicated to the employer whether or not such condition meets the definition of disability specified in the ADA .

Scope of Reasonable Accommodations

Under Maryland's statute, reasonable accommodations are required unless accommodations will cause undue hardship to the employer (similar to the new PWFA). Reasonable accommodations, according to Md. Code, State Gov't 20-609 include the following**:

changing the employee's job duties;
changing the employee's work hours;
relocating the employee's work area;
providing mechanical or electrical aids;
transferring the employee to a less strenuous or less hazardous position; or
providing leave.

�� PWFA : The EEOC has provided some guidance on what type of accommodations are available for pregnant or childbirth conditions. Those include:

the ability to sit or drink water;
receive closer parking;
have flexible hours;
receive appropriately sized uniforms and safety apparel;
receive additional break time to use the bathroom, eat, and rest;
take leave or time off to recover from childbirth; and
be excused from strenuous activities and/or activities that involve exposure to compounds not safe for pregnancy.

Has you can see, PWFA does allow for more accommodations then Maryland's existing law.

Employer Prohibitions ��‍♀️

Maryland employers may not interfere with, restrain, or deny the exercise of, or the attempt to exercise, any right provided under the Disabilities due to Pregnancy or Childbirth statute.

�� PWFA : Under the new law, employers cannot (1) require an employee to accept an accommodation without discussing the accommodation with the employee; (2) require an employee to take leave if another reasonable accommodation can be provided that would keep the employee working; or interfere with any employee's rights under the new law.

Under both laws, remedies are available for employers that violate those prohibitions.***

Employer Posting Requirements

Pursuant to Maryland's statute, employers shall post in a conspicuous location, and include in any employee handbook, information concerning an employee's rights to reasonable accommodations and leave for a disability caused or contributed to by pregnancy.

�� PWFA : The EEOC revised the "Know Your Rights" poster**** (dated June 27, 2023) to include the new PWFA. Employers are required to post the revised poster in a conspicuous location in the workplace where notices to applicants and employees are customarily posted, within a reasonable time after June 27, 2023.

✨ Best Practice : Both laws should be included in any employee handbook!

Are You READY

Is your company prepared to accommodate employees under either the new PWFA or Maryland's Pregnancy and Childbirth statute? If not, contact Hairston Law today to ensure your compliance.

Thanks for Reading and don't forget to share��

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* EEOC will post a proposed version of the PWFA regulations for public input and comment before regulations become final, possibly within the next two years. HL will keep an eye out and notify clients of publication.

** Additional requirements for some accommodations do apply.

*** PWFA remedies have not been determined yet.

**** A copy of the revised poster can be downloaded from the EEOC website.