Human Resources

Employment Forms Available on OMA Website

The OMA’s online library of commonly used HR forms have recently undergone legal review by our general counsel Bricker & Eckler. Included are forms for employment application, performance evaluation, recording employee absences, state and federal posting requirements, and more. (Be sure you are posting applicable state and federal posters, including Ohio’s new minimum wage poster.)

These free resources are now available on the OMA’s website (see right sidebar under “HR Tools”). Members are urged to carefully read the instructions for use to ensure compliance. 2/9/2022

Quantifying Manufacturing’s Labor Challenge

U.S. manufacturers added 349,000 manufacturing workers in 2021, the most since 1994. Yet the sector has 219,000 fewer workers today than it did before the pandemic began, according to Chad Moutray, chief economist for the National Association of Manufacturers. This is due, in part, to boomers retiring, millennials approaching middle age, and Gen Z being the smallest generation since Gen X.

The U.S. labor pool is set to grow just 0.2% a year from 2024 to 2031. Coincidently, the percentage of Americans in the labor pool over the past two decades has declined while federal spending for social welfare benefits has significantly increased. 2/8/2022

White House Task Force Unveils Pro-Labor Recommendations

The Biden administration is worried about the ongoing decline in labor union membership. For private-sector employees, union membership has fallen to 6.1% in 2021 from 16.8% in 1983. (This infographic shows overall union membership by state as of 2020.)

On Feb. 7, a White House task force released a report with nearly 70 recommendations on how the federal government can make it easier for workers to join unions. Read more in this briefing from OMA Connections Partner Frantz Ward. 2/10/2022

7 People Management Skills Necessary for Success

For managers, the current climate presents new projects, goals, and expectations. Using data from the world’s top performers in a variety of industries, Gallup has published these seven skills required for success in any role — from front-line to executive leadership. 2/10/2022

Ohio Labor Market: Openings Exceed Available Workers

Ohio Means Jobs — the state’s free, online career center — reports there were 312,158 job openings posted statewide from Nov. 14, 2021 through Dec. 13, 2021. (At last check, there were more than 26,100 openings related to manufacturing.)

Meanwhile, Ohio’s total unemployment figure (out-of-work individuals who are actively seeking a job) is around 256,000. 2/3/2022

AG Yost Rejects Anti-Vaccine Initiative for Third Time

Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost has once again rejected an initiated statute petition that would block employer rights related to vaccine requirements. This marks the third time the AG has turned down this particular effort.

Yost told petitioners the summary “does not properly advise a potential signer of the proposed statute’s character and limitations.” He also stated that the summary was misleading, according to Gongwer News Service. 2/2/2022

Survey: More Manufacturers Utilizing Hybrid Work

According to Manpower Group’s new survey of more than 39,000 employers, U.S. employers expect a robust labor market in the first quarter of 2022. In manufacturing, 37% of firms said they planned to add workers in Q1. The survey also revealed that hybrid work continues to expand, even in the manufacturing sector. 2/2/2022

Private Sector Wages, Salaries Rose 5% in 2021

According to the latest employment cost index published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, private-industry wages and salaries rose 5% in December 2021 from a year earlier, while the cost of benefits increased 2.9% for the 12-month period. Manufacturing wages and salaries jumped 4.1%. 1/31/2022

Preparing for Employee Benefit Plan Audits

Due to new federal rules, benefit plans with a year ending after Dec. 15, 2021, will be required to follow a new auditing standard. OMA Connections Partner Clark Schaefer Hackett has published this list of best practices to prepare for the new standard. 2/2/2022

NLRB Set to Review Precedent Established Under Trump

The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) — with its Democratic majority — is set to review NLRB precedent established under President Trump. This after the Board recently asked the public to weigh in on whether it should make it more difficult for businesses to impose certain workplace rules that might impact activity protected by the National Labor Relations Act.

In this analysis, OMA Connections Partner Vorys summarizes recent actions by the NLRB, which is “now advancing a more employee-friendly agenda.” 2/1/2022