According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the HIPAA Privacy Rule "establishes national standards to protect individuals’ medical records and other personal health information and applies to health plans, health care clearinghouses, and those health care providers that conduct certain health care transactions electronically."

In order for an organization to avoid costly legal fines and other penalties, compliance with employment laws is essential. Below are the employment laws that every HR professional should know.

New I-9 Form

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has released a revised Employment Eligibility Verification I-9 Form which contains many improvements including new fields, reformatting, and clearer instructions for 2013. Employers should begin using this I-9 form (effective date: March 8, 2013), however previous versions of the form may be used until May 7, 2013.