See what is new with us and keep up on the latest employment laws and legislation that affect your business with articles by Joe Stein, WNY HR Professional.
The Great Disconnect!
I refer to the first quarter as the “great disconnect”, where more people are job hunting, yet fewer companies are hiring.?Consequently, many of the companies that DO advertise fill their openings, and do not need to advertise very long.
A local college advertised a two-day open interview event with us, and nearly 200 people showed up for?Cleaning positions.?A manufacturing company looking for a?Controls Engineer?had 19 applicants interested in the position.?These two examples show the variety of positions we can help you advertise by combining our?newspaper?(free to job seekers) with our local?job board.
See our Success Stories below, with more examples of different types of positions that were filled in January!
If you have never tried us, or haven’t in some time, give us a call at 716-648-5627 or visit the Employer tab on WNYjobs.com!?
We have some great incentives to entice you to give us a try.
RN Manager, Internal Auditor, Administrative Assistant, Custodian, Receptionist, Customer Service Rep., Dump Truck Driver,?Test & Balance HVAC Technician Assistant,?Laundromat Customer Service Representative,?Bookkeeper/Office Manager,?Manufacturing Engineer,?School District Laborers,?Overnight Delivery Driver,?General Laborer/Driver,?Warehouse Pick & Pack,?Driving Instructor,?Engineer,?Construction Analyst,?Cleaners,?Kitchen Staff,?Bus Drivers,?Office Assistant
We have heard from a few returning customers that they have "quit Indeed because it's become too expensive".???
If you are realizing this too, then give us a call and we can help!
Extra Distribution at a NYS DOL Job Fair
This week’s issue (February 7th) will be distributed at the NYS Dept. of Labor Job Fair on Friday, February 7th at the Lincoln Park Athletic Complex in Tonawanda (10am-1pm). Receive extra exposure for your job openings!
Reply to this email, or call our office today. Deadline: Wednesday, February 5 at 4pm.
February 2025 Human Resources Update
by Joe Stein, WNY HR Professional
January certainly started the year with a bang, as several items that impact Human Resources occurred while we continued to battle winter. There is so much more than I could place in this update! If the first month is an indicator of the future, we should be in for one busy year.
- Perhaps the biggest recent news was the removal of the federal contractor requirement that had employers practice affirmative action based on race and gender. This was a rescission of Executive Order #11246, which went into effect in 1965 under President Johnson. Federal Contractor affirmative action requirements will continue for people with disabilities and veterans. Of course, race and gender is still protected from discrimination under Title 7 of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
- On December 17th, the U.S. Department of Labor officially vacated their 2021 “tipped wage rule” that the 5th U.S. Circuit of Appeals had vacated in an August 2024 decision. This “80/20/30 rule” had replaced the definition adopted under the first Trump Administration, that simply held that workers could be paid the tipped minimum wage if they primarily performed tipped duties. The pre-2021 language has now been restored.
- Benefit Administrators saw two pieces of legislation signed on December 23rd which will ease the reporting burden of employers under the Affordable Care Act. Employees are now only required to receive either the 1095-B or 1095-C tax forms by request. These forms document that the employer provided minimum essential health coverage.
- On January 16th, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) issued updated guidelines that indicate that wage-fixing, no-poaching, and non-compete agreements may violate federal antitrust laws. This is in response to the Texas judge who overturned the FTC’s rule that banned non-compete agreements last year.
- The U.S. Supreme Court issued a decision on January 15th, that employers need only to apply the preponderance of the evidence standard when determining exempt status of an employee. Employers do not need to show clear and convincing evidence when making their Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) decision.?
- If you are in the supply chain industry, please note that on December 21st, the New York Governor signed into law the “Warehouse Worker Injury Reduction Program”. This legislation requires applicable distribution center employers in the state to prepare and implement formal injury reduction programs. Specifically, these programs should focus on identifying and minimizing the risks associated with musculoskeletal injuries faced by their employees. To qualify, a company has to employ at least 100 at a single location or at least 1,000 across all their distribution centers in the state.
- On December 6th, New York State announced an expansion of its Workers’ Compensation coverage for work-related stress claims. The legislation went into effect on January 1, 2025. Workers can now file a claim even if the stress was not greater than what normally occurs in the work environment. The litmus test will now be the degree and type of stress suffered, rather than the cause.
- A recent Mercer compensation survey provides some interesting, updated data regarding 2025 average pay increases. Merit increases are expected to be 3.3%, which is an identical number as 2024. Overall compensation increases are projected at 3.7%, which is .1% lower than last year.
We have now completed another update. Many of the items covered above are quite complex, and a short paragraph summary does not begin to address the subject. We encourage you to further research any of the items above that are of interest to you. See you again in March!
The following has been prepared for the general information of readers. It is not meant to provide advice regarding any specific legal or policy matter and should not be acted upon without verification by the reader.
DID YOU KNOW...
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