Alchemizing An HRCI Summit

Join us for “Alchemizing: An HRCI Summit,” March 28-30

HRCI will host its popular Alchemizing summit later this month, offering attendees an in-depth look at the latest strategies and best practices to nurture inclusive and mentally healthy workplaces for all.

office

Additional Time Provided To Submit Comments on Noncompete Rule

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is giving the public until April 19th to file comments on the proposed rule that would ban noncompete agreements. The Office of Federal Contract Compliance (OFCCP) has rescinded the religious exemption rule for federal contractors and subcontractors and a 32 hour workweek bill has been reintroduced in Congress and is part of the growing global four-day workweek movement.

_Blog Image (4)

Supreme Court Approves Overtime for Highly Paid Employee

The United States Supreme Court ruled that an employee who earned over $200,000 per year was paid on a daily rate and was entitled to overtime under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). The Wage and Hour Division issued a Field Assistance Bulletin providing guidance on ensuring that employees who telework are paid properly under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) eligibility rules are properly interpreted

Inverting the Pyramid: How HR Can Respond to the Talent Crisis

While leaders contend with an unpredictable 2023 business environment, the struggle to find and retain talent lingers as a top concern. For some companies, the lack of trained and available staff has been a direct and highly visible cause of lackluster revenue, underperforming earnings and angry customers. A recent Manpower Group study reported that seventy-five percent of companies surveyed across eight countries and regions were experiencing talent shortages, creating profound implications for the retention and upskilling of workers.

Meeting discussion

30th Anniversary of the FMLA

In early February, the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) reached its 30th anniversary. Efforts continue in Congress to expand the law to provide paid leave and increase the coverage of the law. The Labor Department’s Wage and Hour Division has issued an opinion letter concerning taking FMLA by an employee with a chronic health condition who cannot work more than eight hours per day.

Religious Accommodations Case Gets Supreme Court Review

The United States Supreme Court will review during this term, a religious accommodations case involving an employee of the United States Postal Service. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has updated a resource document on hearing disabilities in the workplace. The Occupational Safety and Health Authority (OSHA) requires employers to post by February 1st, a form detailing work-related illnesses and injuries during the previous year and also has increased its civil penalties to reflect the increase in the cost of living.

Office image

Overtime Proposed Rule Release Planned in May

The U.S. Department of Labor has rescheduled the release of its proposed salary basis threshold rule for May and the Federal Trade Commission has issued a proposed rule that would ban employers from imposing noncompete agreements on their workers.

Congress

Congress Enacts Workforce Issues

The start of the year marked the beginning of a two-year session of Congress. Prior to adjourning in December, the Congress included in its bill funding the federal government the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, the Providing Urgent Maternal Protections for Nursing Mothers Act, and the Securing a Secure Retirement Act.

Early Biden Policies Lean Pro-Worker

President Signs Speak Out and Respect for Marriage Legislation

President Joseph Biden has signed the Speak Out Act and the Respect for Marriage Act and The Department of Labor has found numerous Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) violations in the care industry as a result of a recent initiative designed to improve compliance.

Diversity, Inclusion and Disability Employment Awareness

Sixty-one million adults in the United States live with a disability. The majority have mobility issues, followed by neurodiversity, hearing, and vision. And yet, every one of these individuals has abilities – not just disabilities – that can contribute to the workforce when disability inclusion is core to an employer’s DEI programs.

Railway

Freight Railway Workers Strike Prevented

Congress exercised the power it has under the Railway Labor Act to prevent a freight railway workers strike by ratifying the agreement that was negotiated by railway workers and management. The Labor Department issued a final rule that allows retirement plan fiduciaries to consider climate change and other environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors when selecting retirement investments. The US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit decided that the time spent by turning on and loading programs on computers was compensable under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).

Congress image

President Expected to Sign the Speak Out Act

Congress has approved the Speak Out Act, which would make unenforceable pre-dispute non-disclosure and non-disparagement clauses in cases of sexual assault and sexual harassment. The Department of Labor did not meet its October deadline to issue proposed regulations updating the overtime salary basis threshold under the FLSA. Several federal agencies have issued a military employment discrimination resource, and voters in two states approved minimum wage increases.

How Global HR Standards Are Developed

EEOC Issues New Poster

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has released an updated Know Your Rights poster that employers need to post and make available to employees. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has released various benefit plan contributions limits for 2023, the National Labor Relations Board has issued a proposed rule concerning fair choice and employee voice, and the Department of Homeland Security has notified employers that they should continue using the current I-9 form despite its expiration date of October 31, 2022

Taking the Leap: How Darryl Walker Moved from Paratrooper to PHR

Communicating Company Culture & Values to Strengthen Retention of Veterans

Kimberlie England, co-author of Mission Next: Successfully transitioning from the military to the civilian workforce, says that one way to retain veterans – and to keep them engaged and excited about their work – is through creating a veteran-informed culture.

7 New HR Tech Platforms Worth a Second Look

Cybersecurity Awareness Month: HR Leaders can Help Create & Support a Cyber-Aware Culture

One critical business process that every HR professional must be aware of and help bolster is a cyber-aware culture in which every employee plays a role in protecting the organization’s data, devices, and IT networks from unauthorized access and malicious use: cybersecurity.