News and Analysis
Ohio Manufacturers’ Average Pay Exceeds $29/Hour
January 28, 2022The average hourly earnings of all Ohio manufacturing employees, regardless of position, now exceeds $29. According to the latest update from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Ohio manufacturing employees earned an average of $29.23 in December 2021, up from $28.85 in November.
This map compares average hourly manufacturing earnings across all 50 states.
OMA Connections Partner Clark Schaefer Hackett advises employers to regularly gather salary benchmarking data to ensure they’re offering competitive salaries. 1/26/2022
Ohio Manufacturers Added 2,700 Jobs in 2021
January 28, 2022Ohio manufacturers added 2,700 jobs in 2021, according to the most recent Labor Market Review, published by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services. Overall, employment in the state’s goods-producing industries increased 18,900 last year. The review also provides a summary of labor data for all Ohio’s major metro areas. 1/27/2022
How Manufacturing Companies Can Hire Smarter
January 28, 2022As manufacturers search for new best practices to grow their talent, the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) — an OMA Connections Partner — has published this list of ways to hire smarter for an array of roles. Key points from AEM’s guidance include:
- Nearly 70% of manufacturing job seekers say they prefer to receive a text message over email and phone communication during the hiring process.
- Nearly 70% of recruiters report they use social media, including TikTok, to post job openings.
- Surveys show the most critical factors to a positive candidate experience are prompt communication (54%), ease of scheduling (47%), easy application process (45%), and a quick hiring process (30%).
AEM notes that referrals from current employees are valuable since 82% of workers say they’re likely to explore a job opportunity posted by someone in their social network. 1/25/2022
Gallup: Employee Engagement Drops for First Year in a Decade
January 28, 2022For the first year in more than a decade, the percentage of engaged workers in the U.S. declined in 2021, according to Gallup. The organization reports that just over one-third of employees (34%) were engaged, and 16% were actively disengaged in their work and workplace, based on a random sample of 57,022 full- and part-time employees. 1/26/2022
Measure Employee Sentiment by Using Pulse Surveys
January 21, 2022OMA Connections Partner Paycor says employee engagement surveys, when executed appropriately (not just once per year), can help employers enhance the workplace and employee experience. The firm says many employers now use shorter, more frequent pulse surveys — as often as quarterly or monthly. Check out Paycor’s free employee survey template. 1/20/2022
2022 Absentee Calendar Template Now Available
January 21, 2022Some members have asked about the 2022 absence tracking calendar. Here’s a simple form you can use to track employee absences. It includes a bi-monthly absence review form. 1/19/2022
Supreme Court Blocks OSHA’s COVID-19 ETS
January 14, 2022On Jan. 13, the U.S. Supreme Court issued its decision to block the Biden administration from enforcing OSHA’s vaccinate-or-test mandate, which would have impacted private companies with 100 or more workers. OMA Connections Partner Vorys has published this summary.
U.S. Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh expressed his disappointment in the court’s ruling and urged “all employers to require workers to get vaccinated or tested weekly.” Walsh said regardless of the outcome of the legal proceedings, OSHA would “do everything in its existing authority to hold businesses accountable for protecting workers.”
As reported in the OMA’s COVID-19 Update, OMA Connections Partner Fisher Phillips published this six-step priority list for employers following the Supreme Court’s action. 1/13/2022
OSHA Adapts CDC’s New COVID-19 Isolation Guidelines
January 14, 2022OSHA has adopted the CDC’s most recent COVID-19 isolation and quarantine guidance. According to this insight from OMA Connections Partner Fisher Phillips, employers can now implement the reduced isolation and quarantine periods and allow employees to return to work much sooner. 1/13/2022
Group Health Plans Must Cover At-Home COVID-19 Tests Starting Jan. 15
January 14, 2022Starting Saturday, Jan. 15, private health insurers will be required to cover up to eight home COVID-19 tests per month for individuals on their plans. OMA Connections Partner Fisher Phillips has published this guidance for group health plan sponsors regarding the COVID-19 testing coverage mandate. The firm notes that the mandate does not apply to tests required for employment purposes. 1/14/2022
To Boost Retention, Help Employees Plan Career Goals
January 14, 2022Employees at companies with internal mobility stay almost twice as long, according to OMA Connections Partner Paycor. The firm encourages company leaders to provide employees an outline of a career plan, which should include progress steps, long-term goals, and intermediate activities. Paycor says career development planning should be a continuous process, not “set it and forget it.” 1/10/2022