Jan 27, 2023
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (“OSHA”) recently increased its civil monetary penalties. As of January 17, 2023, OSHA’s maximum penalties were increased as follows:
- Penalties for “serious” and “other-than-serious” violations were increased from $14,502 per violation to $15,625 per violation.
- Penalties for willful or repeated violations were increased from $145,027 per violation to $156,259 per violation.
As always, we hope that you avoid any workplace incidents that might result in OSHA penalties. Accordingly, please continue to operate safely and remain diligent in complying with all applicable laws and regulations to avoid these increased penalties.
Should you have any questions, Attorneys Randall Comer, Shannon Wahl, Benjamin Noll, or any of our other experienced attorneys would be happy to speak with you.
The information contained in this legal update is not intended as a substitute for professional legal advice and its receipt does not constitute an attorney-client relationship.
Jun 27, 2022
MARTIN, BROWNE, HULL & HARPER, PLL accepted the Ohio Bar 25 Mile Challenge for Mental Wellness Campaign and crushed the goal! The challenge was organized by the Ohio State Bar Association in recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month (May), to encourage positive mental health and raise funds for Ohio Lawyers Assistance Program (OLAP) and National Alliance on Mental Illness of Ohio (NAMI Ohio).
Lawyers and members of the firm’s three (3) local offices presented a team effort and earned 2nd place in the challenge. Further, Randall Comer, the firm’s managing partner, garnered 1st place in the individual results, Kara Stephens, a paralegal in the Urbana Office walked her way to 5th place and Debbie Blair, a legal assistant in the Springfield Office, also hustled to a top ten finish.
OLAP’S MISSION
The Ohio Lawyers Assistance Program is a private, non-profit 501c3 organization dedicated to helping Ohio’s judges, attorneys, and law students obtain treatment for substance abuse, chemical dependency, addiction, and mental health issues.
NAMI OHIO’S MISSON
The National Alliance on Mental Illness of Ohio is a 501c3 group whose mission is to improve the quality of life and ensure dignity and respect for persons with serious mental illness, and offer support to their families and close friends.
ABOUT MARTIN BROWNE
Celebrating the firm’s 150th anniversary in 2022, MBHH roots date back to 1872 with an office opened in Springfield (Clark County). Today the firm has expanded with offices in Urbana (Champaign County) and Bellefontaine (Logan County), Ohio. The firm has twelve (12) attorneys who practice in multiple areas of law, including: agriculture, corporate, creditors’ rights, family law, environmental, labor & employment, litigation, non-profit, probate & estate planning, real estate, tax and workers’ compensation.
May 20, 2021
Martin, Browne, Hull & Harper, P.L.L. (“Martin Browne”) is pleased to announce the addition of local native, Anthony M. Edwards, to the firm. As an associate of the firm, Mr. Edwards will be assisting with providing exceptional legal services to the firm’s clients in a variety of areas.
Mr. Edwards is a graduate of Urbana High School, Georgetown College with a B.A. in History and Political Science, and the Ohio Northern University Pettit College of Law, where he graduated cum laude in May of 2020. Anthony served as Associate Editor of The Ohio Northern University Law Review. During law school, Anthony completed an internship with the ONU Legal Clinic, as well as an externship with the Hardin County Juvenile/Probate Court.
Anthony resides in Springfield and will be practicing in the firm’s Urbana and Bellefontaine offices.
Mar 31, 2021
On March 11, 2021, The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (“ARPA”) was signed into law and includes key employment provisions of which employers should be aware.
Please see the attached legal updates regarding the 100% COBRA subsidy that will go into effect on April 1, 2021 and the extended tax credits and benefit expansion applicable to leave under the FFCRA.
Martin Browne will continue to monitor these situations and provide updates, as appropriate. Our attorneys are on hand to answer your questions and provide guidance on how to navigate these critical issues. Please contact Shannon Wahl, Randall Comer, Steve McCready, or any attorney in Martin Browne’s Labor & Employment Practice group to discuss how this update may impact your business.
The information contained in this legal update is not intended as a substitute for professional legal advice and its receipt does not constitute an attorney-client relationship.
Feb 5, 2021
On January 29, 2021, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (“OSHA”) released new guidance for employers to help keep workers safe from COVID-19 exposure. OSHA has determined that implementation of a COVID-19 prevention program is the most effective way to reduce spread. To create an effective program, addressing the following elements are recommended:
- Conduct a hazard assessment for your work place;
- Identify control measures to control the spread of COVID-19;
- Adopt policies to address employee absences in a way that encourages potentially infected employees to remain at home rather than punishes them;
- Ensure COVID-19 policies and procedures are communicated in multiple languages to accommodate a multi-lingual workforce; and
- Implement protections against retaliation for those who raise COVID-19-related concerns.
The guidance from OSHA provides a comprehensive guideline for developing a prevention program that will help you provide a safe and healthful workplace.
The information contained in this legal update is not intended as a substitute for professional legal advice and its receipt does not constitute an attorney-client relationship. If you have any questions about this information, please contact your attorney at Martin, Browne, Hull & Harper, P.L.L.
