Human Resources

HR Roundup: Mandatory E-Verify Bill Introduced in Ohio

• Under House Bill 327 recently introduced in the Ohio House, employers with 75 or more employees would be required to verify the immigration status of their workers. The bill would also impact construction firms.
• OMA Connections Partner Fisher Phillips has published this 10-step compliance plan for employers hiring seasonal workers.
• Even workers who are exempt from many of the Fair Labor Standards Act’s provisions may be entitled to protections for nursing employees under the federal PUMP Act, reports say.
• This guidance from OMA Connections Partner Clark Schaefer Hackett summarizes recent federal changes to employee benefit plans.
• Only 20% of white-collar employees are now working completely remotely, down from 39% a year ago, according to a new report. But in the U.S., employees are spending an average of only two days a week in the office.

Meanwhile, this analysis published by IndustryWeek states that the retreat from globalization and free trade is giving labor unions new power and credibility. 11/22/2023

Ohio’s Unemployment Increased in October

In October, Ohio’s unemployment jumped from 3.4% to 3.6%, while labor force participation declined from 62.1% to 62%. Here are the jobless rates in every county.

From October 2022 to October 2023, Ohio’s manufacturing employment increased by 2,800 as gains in durable goods (+6,600) exceeded losses in non-durable goods (-3,800). See this release from the Department of Job and Family Services, as well as the latest edition of Ohio’s Labor Market Review.

Meanwhile, this payroll survey shows a record number of Ohioans were working last month. 11/20/2023

Analysis: Verbal Demands to Supervisors Can Result in Recognition of a Union

Under a Nov. 2 guidance memo issued by NLRB General Counsel Jennifer Abruzzo, verbal demands to workplace supervisors can result in the recognition of a union, according to labor law experts.

OMA Connections Frantz Ward, in this summary, advises employers to be certain that any individual acting as an agent of the employer is aware of their responsibility when approached by an employee who asserts a recognition demand on behalf of a union. 11/15/2023

HR Roundup: Four-Day Work Week Tied to Higher Disengagement, Gallup Says

• OMA Connections Partner Fisher Phillips has published these six takeaways regarding a new memo from the NLRB’s general counsel providing further restrictions on employers responding to union recognition demands.
• The NLRB has pushed its joint employment rule’s effective date to Feb. 26 “to facilitate resolution of legal challenges,” reports say.
• Auto manufacturers and their suppliers are rethinking strategies to attract and retain talent. OMA Connections Partner RSM examines how in this new insight.

Meanwhile, Gallup’s latest workplace audit, based on interviews with employees, finds that the four-day work week correlates with higher levels of disengagement. Gallup advises employers to first focus on improving the work experience. 11/16/2023

Comparing Manufacturers’ Compensation Costs

U.S. private employer compensation costs averaged $47.25 per hour worked for union employees in the manufacturing sector as of June 2023. That’s compared to $43.13 per hour worked for non-unionized employees, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The bureau has published this page to highlight its most recent compensation data. 11/8/2023

Things to Know Before Filing EEO-1 Reports

Private employers with at least 100 employees, or federal contractors with at least 50 employees, are required to annually file EEO-1 reports with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

The current EEO-1 Component 1 data collection window opened Oct. 31 and runs through Dec 5. OMA Connections Partner Fisher Phillips has published this filing guidance for manufacturers. 11/8/2023

Retirement Plan Limits for 2024

Employees will be able to contribute more pre-tax dollars next year to their retirement savings accounts, including 401(k) accounts, according to the IRS. OMA Connections Partners Schneider Downs and Plante Moran have published the details. 11/7/2023

Summary: NLRB’s Joint-Employer Rule

Businesses that use staffing agencies to provide workers for day-to-day operations may be the target of an unfair labor practice dispute under the NLRB’s expanded joint-employer rule.

OMA Connections Partner Roetzel provides this summary, which notes there’s a bipartisan effort in Congress to overturn the rule. OMA Connections Partner Calfee has also published this analysis. 11/1/2023

HR Roundup: Manufacturers’ Starting Salaries Jump in Northeast Ohio

• In its latest survey of Northeast Ohio manufacturers, OMA Connections Partner MAGNET finds that starting pay for low-skill, entry-level jobs has risen to an average of $16.30 per hour and to $21.10 per hour for mid-skill jobs.
• The White House this week issued an executive order on artificial intelligence. OMA Connections Partner Fisher Phillips published these 10 things employers need to know, including that job discrimination is a focus of the order.
• OMA Connections Partner Frantz Ward has published this summary on the EEOC’s effort to expand its guidance on harassment.
• Regarding Ohio’s Nov. 7 vote on recreational marijuana, Frantz Ward has published this guidance, advising employers to ensure their drug policies are consistent with state and federal law, and to apply them consistently.
• Final forms and instructions for 2023 Affordable Care Act reporting have been released, according to this insight from One Source Advisors, an OMA Connections Partner.

Meanwhile, the employment cost index, a key measure for wage pressure on inflation, shows U.S. labor costs grew 1.1% higher than the Q3 forecast and remained higher than the pre-pandemic average. 11/2/2023

Updated: Hourly Earnings in Ohio MFG

New data show the average hourly earnings of production and non-supervisory workers in Ohio manufacturing have increased $3.75 an hour since the start of the pandemic, rising to $25.58 in September.

The average hourly earnings of all Ohio manufacturing employees — including those in supervisory roles — were $30.67 in September.

Meanwhile, Ohio manufacturers added 2,100 jobs last month, as the state’s jobless rate held steady at 3.4%. This map shows the unemployment rates in all 88 counties. 10/24/2023