On Nov. 16, 2021, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) suspended its implementation and enforcement activities of the COVID-19 Emergency Temporary Standard it published on Nov. 5, 2021. The agency posted a brief statement on its webpage stating: “While OSHA remains confident in its authority to protect workers in emergencies, OSHA has suspended activities …
Read full articleThis morning, the Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued the COVID-19 Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) to implement President Biden’s vaccine mandate stating that employers with 100 or more workers must require COVID-19 vaccinations or a weekly negative test result before coming to work. The implementation of the vaccine mandate will impact more than …
Read full articleCompliance for HR, HR Innovation, HR Management
The limited pros and myriad of cons of Professional Employer Organizations Professional employer organizations (PEOs) require a “joint-employment relationship” with their clients. Under this arrangement, the PEO hires the employees from their clients and leases them back to their original employer. This allows the PEO to “share and manage employee-related responsibilities and liabilities,” including outsourcing …
Read full articleCompliance for HR, HR Innovation, HR Management
You’ve probably seen certain large, well-known companies here on LinkedIn and other social media and networking sites advertise their HR services. They’ll offer to do payroll administration, employee benefits, workers’ compensation, employment taxes, even employee relations, recruiting and training, at a lower cost than having an internal HR department. Sounds good, right? Sure. Who doesn’t …
Read full articleCompliance for HR, HR Management
As many businesses reopen and employees start returning to work, it’s important to remember how big of a change this will be for many. After more than a year of working from home, most people have settled into new routines, especially with their pets, whether they’re long-time family members or one of the many companions …
Read full articleCompliance for HR, Hiring Strategy, HR Management
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has withdrawn the previous administration’s rule that allowed businesses to more easily classify workers as independent contractors instead of employees. “The department believes that the rule is inconsistent with the [Fair Labor Standards Act’s] FLSA’s text and purpose and would have a confusing and disruptive effect on workers and …
Read full articleFor those employers that are required to post OSHA’s Form 300-A, the agency provided an update for 2021. If you aren’t sure whether you are required to post, check the list of exempt industries here. For all OSHA recordkeeping requirements, click here. Will OSHA expect employers to post their 300A Form in 2021? Check out this …
Read full articleCompliance for HR, HR Management
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) recently published a final rule on its interpretation of the Fair Labor Standards Act’s (FLSA) classification that determines whether a worker is an employee or an independent contractor. According to the DOL, there are no significant changes from the independent contractor rule proposed in September 2020. That rule adopted …
Read full article2020 was the year that HR was required to react to the unexpected, but it’s now time to plan for the known challenges in the coming year. 2021 is the year that HR will be on the front lines dealing with employment law related compliance, including enforcing COVID-19 safety rules, crafting policies that support working …
Read full articleOn January 21, 2021, President Biden issued an “Executive Order on Protecting Worker Health and Safety,” which requires the Department of Labor (“DOL”), acting through its Occupational Safety and Health Administration (“OSHA”), to issue new COVID-19 workplace safety guidance for employers under the Occupational Safety and Health Act within two weeks of the date of …
Read full article
