The study says that the high stress and long hours of a job in investment banking can lead to “insomnia, alcoholism, heart palpitations, eating disorders, and an explosive temper.”

The USC study, which followed numerous bankers over a 10-year period, found that “by the sixth year, the participants [the bankers involved in the survey], now in their mid-30s, had split into two camps: the 60% who remained ‘at war’ with their bodies, and the remaining 40% who decided to prioritize their health, meaning they paid more attention to sleep, exercise and diet and set limits on how much they allowed work to consume them.”

The silver lining? Nearly half of the bankers figured out how to deal with the 100-hour workweeks, screaming bosses, and pressure to perform at a very high level by simply eating well, exercising, and not allowing work to swallow their entire lives.

But just to be on the safe side, investment banks might want to have employee assistance programs in place to give their stressed employees a place to blow off steam and seek counseling.

It also can’t hurt to dust off your workplace violence prevention program and make sure its adequate. Here are some tips on recognizing and preventing workplace violence.

Latest case in point: The Pennsylvania Human Rights Commission in late January ordered a construction firm to pay a disabled worker $33,170 in lost wages, interest, and expenses. The employer, Gary Deimler & Sons Construction of Harrisburg, allegedly fired Larry Moyer Jr. from his job as a carpenter because of his disability, despite his demonstrated ability to perform his job duties.

The agency imposed the award after finding sufficient evidence to support the former employee’s complaint.

“Work is about ability, not disability,” said JoAnn Edwards, the commission’sexecutive director. “Basing a decision to fire someone on his disability is discrimination, and is illegal in Pennsylvania.”

Currently,  workers classified as “companions” are exempt from the Fair Labor Standards  Act’s minimum wage and overtime pay requirements. When established in 1974,  such exemptions were meant to apply to casual babysitters and companions for  the elderly and infirm—not workers who chose in-home care service as a  vocation and were responsible for supporting their families. The proposal  would, if enacted, grant the exemption to households where the services are  provided but not third-party staffing agencies. It would further clarify that  companionship services are those directly related to the fellowship and  protection of a care recipient.

The division published a notice of proposed rulemaking in the Federal Register on  Dec. 27, 2011, with a comment period originally set to end on Feb. 27, 2012. On  Dec. 15, the proposed rule was announced by President Obama and posted on the  division’s website, giving the public more time than the standard 60-day period  to comment on the proposal. After reviewing requests for an extension from  members of Congress and the public, the division decided to extend the comment  period by 14 days to Monday, March 12.

It seems the government has fallen down on the job when it comes to the right of returning military veterans to resume their careers in the civilian sector.

The Uniform Services Employment and Reemployment Act forbids employers from penalizing service members because of their military service. In short, they cannot disadvantage service members because of their time spent in uniform.

Yet, in some cases, the Post reported, the U.S. government has withdrawn job offers to service members unable to get released from active duty fast enough; in others, service members have been fired after services.

Major offenders include the Defense Department, Department of Veterans Affairs, the Department of Homeland Security, and the U.S. Postal Service.

Need a primer on USERRA? Try this from the U.S. Office of Special Counsel, which enforces the law.

Fortunately, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration just posted a series of short videos on the topic–nine in English and eight in Spanish.

Read more here.

Unbelievably, some employers still give pregnant employees a hard time at work, some 30 years after passage of the Pregnancy Discrimination Act. Women who became pregnant face demotion, prejudice, and even job loss, witnesses said.

Sharon Terman, of The Legal Aid Society Employment Law Center, described situations in which pregnant women were met with harassment and hostility in response to their pregnancies, or were subjected to decreased hours, forced unpaid leave, or job loss.

Some employers also just don’t get it that employees need time off to care for ailing familymembers.  Some men have been penalized for asking for leave to which they are entitled to for caregiving responsibilities, based on gender stereotypes that dictate caregiving should be “women’s work.”

The EEOC is holding the record of the hearing open for another 15 days so that the public may submit comments. Read more here.

In another policy shift, Shumlin said the state would allow businesses with more than 50 employees to remain outside the federally mandated health care exchange until 2016.

As part of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act passed by Congress in 2010, on Jan. 1, 2014, states must have set up health care exchanges where businesses and individuals can buy health insurance. The federal law sets basic requirements for an exchange. However, states have authority to decide matters such as essential benefits insurance companies in the exchange must cover. In 2016, all businesses with 100 or fewer employees must be able to purchase insurance through these exchanges. For 2014 and 2015, states can decide whether to include businesses with 100 or fewer or 50 or fewer employees.

“Bronze” is the lowest level plan under federal law.

Read the governor’s announcement.

The government launched self-check in March 2011 and promised to expand it nationally within one year.

Under the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986, employers must verify the eligibility status of each new hire within three days of the person starting work.

Self-check allows employees to check their own status. Self-check will also work in Washington, D.C., Guam, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands.

For more information, go here.

Latest case in point: Last week, the three agencies charged with implement the law–officially the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act–Treasury, Labor and Health and Human Services issued final regulations governing the content and distribution of “Summaries of Benefits and Coverage.”

My fellow blogger, Christine Roberts, has provided an excellent summary on this development, including how several changes to the regulations should make compliance less burdensome on employers and insurers

Same sex marriage is now legal in New York, Iowa, Washington, Washington, D.C.,  Iowa, Connecticut, New Hampshire, and Vermont.

What does the new law mean for Washington employers?  Presumably employers will have to offer same-sex couples the same benefits as opposite-sex couples.

Of course, there’s still a disjunction with the federal Defense of Marriage Act, which doesn’t recognize same-sex marriage.

Maryland could be the next state to legalize same-sex marriage; Governor Martin O’Malley is advocating for a same-sex marriage bill, and the legislature is holding hearings right now on the issue.

Also keep an eye on New Jersey.  Its state senate just passed a same-sex marriage bill; the house will consider the issue next. The governor has promised to veto the measure if it gets to his desk.