Human Resources

DOL Announces Plans for New Overtime Rulemaking

OMA Connections Partner, Bricker & Eckler, reported that this week the Department of Labor (DOL) issued a news release announcing its intention to engage in new rulemaking regarding overtime.

Bricker wrote: “As many employers followed closely, the DOL previously increased the salary threshold for exempt employees to $47,476, which was set to take effect December 2016. Those regulations were halted by a federal judge in Texas in November 2016 and eventually struck down in August 2017. The DOL, however, has appealed that decision and plans to ask for the proceedings to be stalled to give it time to come up with new rules.

“DOL Secretary Acosta has stated that he thinks the current threshold of approximately $24,000 (set in 2004) needs to be updated, but almost doubling it to $47,000 will be a “shock to the system.” … Given Secretary Acosta’s signals, it appears that an increase to the salary threshold is inevitable, so employers should be mindful of adjusting their exempt employees at or near the old threshold if they wish to maintain those employees’ exempt status.”

Read more from Bricker. 10/31/2017

Get Ready for Health Care Open Enrollment Season

OMA Connections Partner, One Source Advisors, OMA’s endorsed employee health care insurance broker, offers this brief whitepaper: “5 most common open enrollment mistakes.”

And here is a summary of 2018 benefit notices for open enrollment.

If you have any questions at all about employee health care insurance, contact Cheri Gillfillan or Stacie Hoover at One Source Advisors. 10/31/2017

Businesses Could Do More re. Workplace Substance Abuse (video)

One in three Ohio businesses do not administer any components of a drug-free workplace program or do not know if they do.

That is a finding of a recently conducted, first of its kind, survey among businesses in 17 Ohio counties. The study was executed by OMA Connections Partner, Working Partners®, together with participating community health boards.

The goal of the survey was to assess the perceptions, attitudes, knowledge and practices of businesses as they relate to preventing and addressing the harmful use of substances in the workplace and workforce.

One conclusion of the study is that Ohio businesses could do more to grow and maintain Ohio’s employable, drug-free workforce. Best practices include: 1) written policy and operations; 2) employee education; 3) supervisor training; 4) drug and alcohol testing; 5) assistance for employees.

Another conclusion of the study is that businesses have limited connections to helping resources.

Watch a short video here.

To learn more, contact Working Partners®. 10/24/2017

“ICE” Storm Coming

OMA Connections Partner, Barnes & Thornburg, posted this alert about immigration actions in the workplace: “On Oct. 17, the acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Thomas Homan, announced that the agency intends to quadruple the number of worksite enforcement actions throughout the country. This means employers should expect a dramatic increase in the number of Form I-9 inspections initiated by ICE. These inspections involve ICE agents auditing an employer’s Form I-9s and other employment records to evaluate whether the employer properly verified its employees’ work authorization statuses and to determine whether the employer is employing unauthorized aliens.”

And: “Employers should consider preparing for these anticipated enforcement actions, particularly in the food service, hospitality, manufacturing, construction and agriculture industries, which ICE tends to target.”

Read more from Barnes & Thornburg here. 10/23/2017

Where are the Workforce Resources?

Right here! Check out our Manufacturers’ Workforce Supplier Connections Directory!

Need help recruiting and/or training qualified workers for your manufacturing facility?

We have researched organizations and institutions across Ohio that offer workforce services for Ohio’s manufacturers.

Search for them by name, category, region and key word here. 10/9/2017

Minimum Wage in Ohio to Increase January 1, 2018

OMA Connections Partner, Bricker & Eckler, posted: “Effective January 1, 2018, the minimum wage in Ohio will be $8.30 per hour for non-tipped employees. The state’s minimum wage applies to non-tipped employees at businesses with gross annual receipts of more than $305,000 per year, an increase from the current threshold of $299,000.

“For tipped employees, the new minimum wage will be $4.15 per hour. For people who work at companies with gross receipts below $305,000, and for 14- and 15-year-olds, the minimum wage will be the federal rate of $7.25 per hour.

“Employers are required to post the minimum wage and overtime information in a conspicuous place, such as an employee break room, HR office that can be accessed by employees or other common space.

“A free downloadable copy of the poster is available here.” 10/3/2017

‘Pay or Play’ Coverage Penalties Remain in Effect

Despite recent attempts in Congress to “repeal and replace” the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and President Trump’s executive order calling for executive agencies to minimize the ACA’s regulatory burden, penalties for failing to comply with the ACA’s employer shared responsibility (“pay or play”) provisions remain in effect.

In general, an applicable large employer (ALE), generally one with at least 50 full-time employees, will owe a “pay or play” coverage penalty for calendar year 2017 under either of these scenarios:

• The ALE does not offer coverage to at least 95% of its full-time employees (and their dependents), and at least one full-time employee receives a premium tax credit to purchase individual coverage through the Health Insurance Marketplace. Under this scenario, the ALE will generally owe a penalty of $2,260 per full-time employee.
• The ALE offers coverage to at least 95% of its full-time employees (and their dependents), but at least one full-time employee receives a premium tax credit to purchase individual coverage through the Health Insurance Marketplace because he or she was not offered coverage that was affordable or provided minimum value, as defined by federal regulations. Under this scenario, the ALE will generally owe a penalty of $3,390 for each full-time employee that received a premium tax credit.

Questions? Please contact OMA Connections Partner, Cheri Gillfillan or Stacie Hoover of One Source Advisors, at (614) 822-0212. 10/2/2017

Ohio Incumbent Workforce Training Program – Application Process for FY ’18 Funds Underway

Online applications for the Ohio Incumbent Workforce Voucher program are now available. The program is designed to offset a portion of employers’ costs to upgrade the skills of its incumbent workforce. Eligible employers demonstrate that by receiving funding assistance through the program their business will not only obtain a skilled workforce but will improve their company processes and competitiveness.

Eligible applicants will be able to qualify for up to $25,000 in assistance. FY ’18 awards will reimburse training that begins and is completed between January 1, 2018 and December 31, 2018.

Online applications will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis and can be submitted on October 12, 2017 between 10:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.

Here is more information about the Ohio Incumbent Workforce Training Voucher Program. For assistance, contact Shannon Vanderpool at (614) 644-8560. 9/25/2017

Drug-free Workplace Opportunity for Employers in Allen, Auglaize, Hancock, Hardin & Montgomery Counties

OMA Connections Partner, Working Partners®, is working with these five counties’ Alcohol, Drug and Mental Health (ADAMH) Boards to provide full scholarships (valued at approximately $2,500) for employers to attend a drug-free workplace technical assistance class.

In addition to in-depth and practical education, attendees will leave that class with a customized and comprehensive drug-free workplace policy/program for their organizations.

This is an important opportunity for businesses that either have no policy or that haven’t updated their policies in the last year or so. (Lots has changed in the world of drug-free workplace!)

Contact Katie Lemke at Working Partners® to learn more or apply; the number is (614) 337-8200. 9/21/2017

Judge Strikes Down Obama-Era Overtime Rule

OMA Connections Partner, Roetzel, posted: “On Thursday, August 31, 2017, Judge Amos Mazzant struck down the Obama administration’s overtime rule that would have extended mandatory overtime pay to more than four million U.S. workers. Specifically, the rule would have doubled the threshold for exempting “executive, administrative, and professional” workers from overtime pay. This is the latest blow to the rule, which has been battered since shortly before it was scheduled to go into effect.”

And: “Although the current version of the rule may never take effect, Labor Secretary Alexander Acosta and the DOL have indicated that a revised rule is being considered. In July, the DOL issued a request for information seeking public feedback that will aid the DOL in formulating a revised rule. The 60-day public comment period will end in late September. ”

Read more from Roetzel here. 9/5/2017