Crisis Coaching

Crisis Coaching: "One-Stop" Crisis Risk Mitigation Training for Professionals

Training. Lobbying. Research & Analysis, Forecasting. Keynotes, Expert Witness.

What We are Working on - October 2018:

  • Family Medical and Leave Act
  • Net Neutrality regulations challenge

Family Medical and Leave Act

Pending Bill: Pay replacement for up to 12 weeks for caregiving.

[The Act is] requiring covered employers to provide employees with job-protected and unpaid leave for qualified medical and family reasons. These include pregnancy, adoption, foster care placement of a child, personal or family illness, or family military leave.[1] The FMLA is administered by the Wage and Hour Division of the United States Department of Labor.

The FMLA was intended "to balance the demands of the workplace with the needs of families." The Act allows eligible employees to take up to 12 work weeks of unpaid leave during any 12-month period to attend to the serious health condition of the employee, parent, spouse or child, or for pregnancy or care of a newborn child, or for adoption or foster care of a child. In order to be eligible for FMLA leave, an employee must have been at the business at least 12 months, and worked at least 1,250 hours over the past 12 months, and work at a location where the company employs 50 or more employees within 75 miles. The FMLA covers both public- and private-sector employees, but certain categories of employees are excluded, including elected officials and their personal staff members.

SOURCE: Wikepedia https://en.wikipedia.or/wiki/Family_and_Medical_Leave_Act_of_1993

 

Net Neutrality  Regulations Challenge

Abstract What's Happening Now: This week, US Justice Dept. is suing California over Net Neutrality regulations. https://www.npr.org/2018/10/01/653216821/u-s-justice-department-sues-california-over-net-neutrality-law

California, as all other states, is supposed to follow the federal regulations set by Commissions. Instead, it takes the stand that the Internet must remain open to all. Attorney General Jeff Sessions filed suit against California  now  for not following the federal regulations. "Attorney Jeff Sessions said in a statement, "under the Constitution, states do not regulate interstate commerce — the federal government does."

Defined:  "Should the Internet be regulated / protected by the FCC (Federal Communications Commission)  OR does it need to be overseen by the FTC (Federal Trade Commission) which would allow for market competition?

The two-year experiment ended in 2017. It was an experiment to keep the Internet open for all and have it protected by FCC  regulation.

What is Affected: Anything / device or appliance that can access the Internet.

Outputs Affected:

  • Healthcare delivery and records, smart vehicles and appliances, Internet banking and financial services (PayPal, Stripe, Zelle), changing or updating billing  or paying bills online, online education, accessing databases, research, educational services such as TED Talks, webinars and podcasts, new sites, weather
  • Live Streaming (such as SKYPE, Zoom, Belive, Go To Meeting / Go to Webinar)
  • Entertainment: You Tube, movies such as HULU and Netflix, social media (FaceBook, Twitter, Instagram, Periscope, Google Hang Outs, Meet Ups, and others)
  • Online shopping (Amazon, for example)

Regulatory Agencies: If you are a "YES" on Net Neutrality it means you are "pro open Internet"  and having the FCC oversee the Internet, and support the Obama-era thinking that everyone should decide for him/ herself what he/ she wants to listen to, watch, read, review based on his own agenda. The examples often cited by the "NO" people often include that the "cat video watcher" has just as much right to access as the person needing to access records or do banking. Supposedly "no" means putting heavy demands on Internet Service Providers (ISPs).

FCC side does NOT believe in: Internet rates being controlled by corporations. ISPs being able to throttle services, or ISPs being able to block access to services.

The FCC rolled back rules that went into effect in 2015 banned cable and telecom companies from blocking or slowing down websites and applications.

The rollback dramatically favored Internet companies.

If you are a "NO" on Net Neutrality, it means you are "pro Trade" and support the FTC  (Federal Trade Commission) and US Justice Department overseeing the Internet, and support the President Trump era thinking that business should compete on the Internet. You believe the US government should continue to decide what is best for everyone and what he/ she should be allowed to see on the Internet, and at what speed and price.

This would mean that the FTC could  - not a definite to happen  - allow ISPs to control access to content. Companies such as Comcast, Cox, Time Warner Cable could "deny access" or may you pay a premium for content, or slow down certain websites such as Netflix or FaceBook.   The examples often cited by the "No" people often include that new business start ups might have a harder time growing and competing using the Internet - a new "PayPal type company, or new "Netflix" type company might never get off the ground again due to too much bandwidth, speed and access gobbled up by the big players. Comcast, which owns MSNBC, could push its news station over access to CNN, FOX, or other news.

Broadband companies and then-FCC board member Ajit Pai — who was appointed as chairman of the commission in 2017 — opposed net neutrality in 2015 arguing that it prevented the opportunity for investment in broadband companies and stifled innovation.

 

Timeline: 2014 ruling gave the regulation rights to the FCC - the "NO" side. 2017 decision gave regulation rights to the  "YES" side. The decision was reversed 3: 2.

Official Public Hearings: None.

 

 

 

 

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