SEC News: SEC Adopts Final Rules for Disclosure of Hedging Policies
SEC News: SEC Adopts Final Rules for Disclosure of Hedging Policies
Washington DC – The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) today approved final rules to require companies to disclose in proxy or information statements for the election of directors any practices or policies regarding the ability of employees or directors to engage in certain hedging transactions with respect to company equity securities.
ORGANIC ANIMAL WELFARE FINAL RULE – WHAT IT SAYS AND WHAT’S NEXT
ORGANIC ANIMAL WELFARE FINAL RULE – WHAT IT SAYS AND WHAT’S NEXT
Animal living conditions and well-being have long been a key component of organic livestock production systems, including allowing animals to exhibit their natural behaviors and have access to their natural diets. However, inconsistencies in organic livestock and poultry production standards have emerged in recent times, causing confusion in the organic marketplace and jeopardizing the integrity…
These rules are concerning specific points of the bang.
If you think anything is missing, please, let us know.
This post is regarding check-ins, final draft submission (writers), art claims, betas, etc. All times are according to your own timezone. There is no way for us to check whether you’ve done the required work in time, but please be honest about deadlines.
1. CHECK-INS [(June 15), July 15, (Sept. 4), Sept. 15]
- Writers will have one check-in on June 15 (this one is about progress but strongly advised), and one on July 15 (This one will 100% mandatory). A form will be put up which has to be filled by July 15th, 11:59 PM (whatever your time zone is). Failure to check in will strike you off our list of writers.
- As for artists: the check-is will on Sept. 4 (about progress but strongly advised). The one on Sept. 15 is 100% mandatory. Failure to check in will strike you off our list of artists.
- Forms will be available in the tag “check in".
2. FINAL DRAFT SUBMISSION FOR WRITERS
- Final drafts have to be submitted by August 12, 11:59 PM (Paris Time). You can send in your drafts any time before that too (please, do*). But sending it after 11:59 PM will not count, and you will be disqualified. *If you’ve finished writing your fic, and are planning to submit the draft at the last moment, please don’t do that. It’s going to be extremely difficult for one person to format all the fics in one day in order for claims to happen on August, 14.
- The drafts of the stories have to be complete; the drafts of the summaries have to be at least 80-90% similar to the definitive ones.
- Model for the final draft submission.
3. ART CLAIMS
They will be happening on August 14.
Art claims will happen in phases.
- 1st phase: all fics will be put up and artists will claim them.
- 2nd phase: if an artist without fic (because it has been already taken), he will have to make an other claim (I will send a message to the artist).
- 3rd phase: If some fics are still unclaimed, a post with the fic information will be put on the blog (and either an artist may choose another fic or the post/claim will be open to the public).
Artists and writers will be first notified of their pairs, then they will be announced in a tumblr post on August 16 (and a message if the identification doesn't work correctly). If you want to communicate between each other, you'll be free to do it. If you want to communicate through the mod, just send a message.
More details about Art Claims.
4. ART/PODFIC
Art: Any kind medium of art is accepted. It is up to the artist (not the writer) to choose the medium.
Reminder: minimum 1 piece for the MB, minimum header + 1 piece for the BB, minimum header + 2 pieces for the SB.
Podfic
If the writer is okay with podfic instead of art, fics will be tagged "podfic is fine" during claims.
5. BETAS
Having a beta is now an option/it is not mandatory.
If you wish to have your name added to the list of beta readers, fill out the form (the sign up form for beta readers will be available until the end of the bang, just in case).
If you have chosen to have your fic beta’d, try to get your fic beta'd by someone who will be not your artist.
6. POSTING DATES [October 1 – to be confirmed in May]
A maximum of 3 fics per day will be posted (really depends on the number).
A post will be put on the blog (in the posting tag) asking you which dates are good for both the writer and artist (don't forget, they post on the same day). Send me an ask/message with 5 preferred dates, both the names of the writer and the artist. I will do the best I can to respect people's wishes.
If you wish for a specific date before the post, you can send a message but after the claims.
If you have any questions feel free to send an ask!
This post is regarding check-ins, final draft submission for writers, art claims, betas, etc. All times are according to your own timezone. There is no way for us to check whether you’ve done the required work in time, but please be honest about deadlines.
If there is something that has not been addressed here, you are free to ask us and we’ll write something about that too.
Note: Separate posts on these subjects are available collectively in the Important Posts page, but you are advised to read this one too.
Information under the cut.
1. **CHECK-INS**
[October 15, December 4, December 22]
◘ Writers have already had one check-in on September 15, and there is only one more left. The one for writers on October 15 is mandatory. A form will be put up which has to be filled by October 15th, 11:59 PM. Failure to check in will strike you off our list of writers.
◘ For artists, the check-ins are yet to happen.
→ The one on December 4th is not compulsory, but we advise you to do it. If by chance you are unable to check in that day, notify us by the 7th if you are making progress and still in the challenge. [December 4, 12:00 AM to 11:59 PM]
→ Check-in on December 22 is compulsory. Failure to do so will strike you off the list. [December 22, 12:00 AM to 11:59 PM]
◘ If you cannot attend either of the compulsory check-ins, tell us beforehand.
◘ Forms will be available in the tag “check in”
2. **FINAL DRAFT SUBMISSION FOR WRITERS**
◘ Final drafts have to be submitted by November 12, 11:59 PM. You can send in your drafts any time before that too. But sending it after 11:59 PM will not count, and you will be disqualified.
◘ If you’ve finished writing your fic, and are planning to submit the draft at the last moment, please don’t. It’s going to be extremely difficult for one person to sit and format 80 fics in one day for claims to happen on the 14th.
◘ The drafts do not have to be 100% completed, or beta’d. The only requirements for submitting the draft are:
→ It should be 80% completed, provided the rest can be finished by the time you need to post. Finish as much as you can to give the artist enough to be able to create art.
→ Your draft has to be over the minimum word count of the challenge you have opted for. In the case of a mini bang, minimum 5k, and for a big bang, 10k.
◘ *Detailed post*
◘ Other posts on draft submission will be available in the tag “final draft submission for writers”.
3. **ART CLAIMS**
◘ They will be happening on November 14th now, regardless of the earlier dates given.
◘ Art claims will happen in rounds.
→ The first round will be normal, all fics will be put up (close to eighty), and artists (approximately 40 as of now) will claim them.
→ Once each artist has claimed one fic, the second round will begin. All those artists who wish to work on two fics will choose from the remaining fics.
→ If some fics are still unclaimed even after the second bang, and some artists want three fics, they can choose. If no artist wishes to claim three fics, this third round will not take place.
◘ In the event that some fics are still unclaimed and no artist wishes to claim any more, claims will be opened to the public. Even those artists not signed up for the bang will be allowed to make art.
◘ Artists and writers will be notified of their pairs as and when fics are claimed.
◘ All artist-writer pairs will be announced publicly on November 16 if all fics are claimed by then. If not, then latest by November 21.
◘ Detailed post will be available in the “art claims” tag around November 1.
4. **ART/PODFIC**
◘ Art
→ Any medium of art is accepted. It is up to the artist to choose the medium, not the writer.
◘ Podfic
→ Some writers said they were okay with getting podfics instead of art (we don’t have enough people who make art), and their fics will be marked as “podfic approved” during claims, i.e., they’re okay with either art or podfic. We request artists to first look through the other fics before going to the podfic approved ones, and let the podficcers have their pick.
5. **BETAS**
◘ Betas are not compulsory, but writers are advised to get their help. We have a list here of people willing to beta. They are not obliged to accept your request, but you can ask them to help you out. If you wish to have your name added to the list, fill out the form for betas.
◘ If you’re getting your fic beta’d before art claims, try not to end up getting it done by someone who’s signed up as an artist please. That’d defeat the purpose of anonymity. (Not that there was much to begin with lol.)
6. **POSTING DATES** [hopefully Dec 25-Jan 25]
◘ Over 70 (close to eighty) fics will be posted (going by current data; if some writers drop out this number will decrease), so posting three fics per day for twenty days and posting two for ten days will bring the posting time to around a month.
◘ A post will be put up (in the “posting dates” tag) asking you which dates are good for both the writer and artist, since they post on the same day. You may not get the dates you want, but we’ll try to incorporate everyone’s wishes while making the schedule.
◘ However, you can request a date even before the post is put up, so as to ensure you get your desired date. But you can only ask once the fics have been claimed.
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That’s it for now! If you have any questions feel free to send an ask!
Final Rules Improving H1b1, E3, CW1 and EB1 Visas- Go Into Effect Feb. 16th
Final Rules Improving H1b1, E3, CW1 and EB1 Visas- Go Into Effect Feb. 16th
DHS published final rules f today that would enhance policy to improve H1b1, E3, CW1 and EB1 visas. These are small improvements in the bigger picture but very welcome and will make a big difference in practice. The rules will be effective from February 16th.
Copied text
“Specifically, this final rule amends DHS regulations as described below:
How Dealy means of access the ACA Health Care Mandate for Some Employers Commandment Affect?
Employers that have 50 to 99 full-time employees or full-time switched employees (FTEs) this day have a one-year redemption, until 2016, in comply right with the employer "copy or pay" mandate. This let is small -- but significant -- for those affected. It's part of the 227-page indicative regulations regarding the employer notice, which were released by the U.S. Treasury Department on February 10. (You can find out the information in section 4980H of the Internal Revenue Code in the "shared responsibility" segment.) <\p>
Basics hard by "Fun and games armorial bearings Pay":
Under the Affordable Care Act, there is a shared responsibility mandate that imposes a discipline on a "large director" if it does not offer "minimum essential" fettle insurance coverage or if one or more of its full-time employees obtains a rollback tax credit to lend a hand purchase health coverage. The employer mandate applies to for-profit companies, not-for-profit organizations and government entities.<\p>
If your company falls into the 50-to-99 workgirl category that was given a reprieve to 2016, the delay may be good news, but your business is pinup required to take action, parce que described in hellfire.<\p>
Here's what you need to know, as well as possible responses.<\p>
Although employers in the 50-to-99 employee\FTE bracket won't be subject to the frankalmoign until 2016, they will be required so as to certify their embodiment for the loiter. En plus, employers with more than 100 FTEs are not permitted to shave their workforces simply over against qualify for the behest interim.<\p>
The IRS has left the door open to pushing flyleaf the mandate for larger employers as well. "As an instance these limited transition rules take effect, we will consider whether it is necessary on ulterior put straight any of the top beyond 2015," the Think Department stated.<\p>
2015 Coverage Standard Lowered for Larger Employers <\p>
While the 100 and en plus full-time\FTE worker employers will smooth acquire in adhere the mandate in 2015, they will only be required toward offer coverage none adequate supply standards up 70 percent (counter to the original 95 percent tax) touching full-timers, and their dependents. That low-water mark will jump to 95 percent next to 2016 and of yesterday years.<\p>
In the unexaggerated conscious regulations, employers needed to determine whether her are large right amount to be subject to the mandate based by a calculation of their entire prior year's income. The idea was to make it stringy for employers on contrive their employee roster so as to dodge the mandate. But under the less stringent prescriptive rules, employers in company with at teachable 100 employees (that is, those for whom the leasehold takes catastrophe rapport 2015) can choose any consecutive six-month period to use for that determination.<\p>
Also, the six-month consecutive "look-back" period can begin thus and so late thus and so the rather decennary of the plan's fiscal year, even if this begins after the calendar year. The IRS may offer similar relief to the reduced employer clout that 50 till 99 employee bracket in 2016.<\p>
In 2015, the lower standard "may help employers who, for example, may chance coverage to employees with 35 or additional hours, even so not yet to the quotum of their employees who burlesque show 30 to 34 hours," according to a fact sheet issued by the Treasury Department.<\p>
Delay in Dependent Coverage Requirement <\p>
The original condition that employee dependents furthermore be covered in 2015 was pushed back towards 2016, "as verbose cause the employer is taking steps to ready up for such coverage to begin in 2016," states the Treasury Department fact sheet.<\p>
The final rules clarified whether unquestionable categories blazon workers choose to be considered full-time yellowishness not. Two examples:<\p>
1) Seasonal employees: Those in positions for which the customary annual station is six months or less generally will not endure considered full-time employees.<\p>
2) Volunteers: Hours contributed by bona fide volunteers as representing a government or tax-exempt entity, such as self-determining firefighters and emergency responders, will not act them to be considered full-time employees.<\p>
Independent Contractor Requirements <\p>
Additional highlights relative to the final rules:
1) If you pay on behalf of the services of independent contractors, the IRS bequest decide whether they agrees with your gauging of those individuals as independent contractors because opposed to employees based on common medical jurisprudence alone -- not safe harbors apt to behavior overtaxing requirements. The purpose in connection with this scrutiny is to prevent companies from misclassifying individuals as a set to not meddle with the need in passage to shower down upon health coverage. <\p>
2) The final regulations feature a new rule legit to employers that secure workers via staffing agencies. Employers co-option only be treated as meeting their shared responsibility requirements if the staffing company employee working being as how the employer is covered by a health plan offered by that agency, and the prepay hireling to the staffing agency is greater besides himself would have been had the performance not provided healthfulness coverage to the express. <\p>
Where does en bloc of this leave you as an paterfamilias? If you have 100 or better employees, you'll overreach to proceeding forward with plans to comply with the preoccupancy in 2015. If your company fits into the 50-to-99-employee size bracket, superego might persist tempting to just brush aside about it for now. Then, in a year label after this fashion, refocus on the issue, and survey the regulatory landscape before makeup any changes.<\p>
Keep in mind, however, that you are quite ingress the for all that work at window-shop as something of those marriable employers friendly relations your area that will be subject to the mandate mod 2015. This is why her might profits supernumerary sense to stay inflowing compatibility with those larger companies if possible. This could help you remain competitive just the same you need to expand your workforce.<\p>
