Human Resources

Labor Advocates Make Aggressive Push for PRO Act

A pro-union group called Our Revolution, created by U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), has launched a nationwide tour in support of federal legislation that would impose unprecedented measures to expand union membership and influence.

The Protecting the Right to Organize Act (PRO Act) — opposed by the OMA, the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM), and other business organizations — would eliminate the secret ballot in union elections; limit the use of independent contractors; and permit unions to access private employee data, among other things.

A representative of Our Revolution told Politico that “there’s an army coming together that’s ready to make the PRO Act the law of the land.” OMA members are encouraged to use this NAM tool to communicate with their federal representatives regarding the PRO Act. 12/8/2021

U.S. Job Openings Exceed 11 Million (Again)

U.S. job openings, a proxy for labor demand, reached 11.03 million in October — just under the all-time high set in July, according to OMA Connections Partner RSM. Within manufacturing, there were a record 1,009,000 job openings.

Meanwhile, initial unemployment claims across the U.S. have dropped to their lowest level in more than 50 years. (In Ohio last week, initial and continued jobless claims rose to 50,099.) 12/9/2021

U.S. Manufacturing Pay Jumps to Average of $24.24/Hr.

Last month, U.S. manufacturers continued to experience significant upward pressure on wages. Chad Moutray, chief economist for the National Association of Manufacturers, says the average hourly earnings of production and non-supervisory workers in manufacturing rose to $24.24 in November. That’s a 4.9% spike over the past year, up from $23.10 in November 2020. 12/8/2021

‘Unretirements’ Could Help Address Tight Labor Market

The pandemic has driven many Americans into early retirement. Now it appears those individuals could help revive the economy by “unretiring,” according to reports.

COVID-19 has resulted in millions of “excess retirements,” a Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis analysis says. When it comes to hiring, employers “need to cast a wider net,” according to some HR experts. 12/7/2021

Survey: More Childcare Could Boost Number of Ohio’s Working Women

A new survey finds the lack of access to childcare is keeping many women out of the workforce. The survey, conducted for advocacy group Groundwork Ohio, found 60% of non-working or part-time working mothers said they’d return to work if their child had access to quality child care at a reasonable cost.

Columbus Business First (subscription) reports that Ohio economists have said the state’s labor force participation rate continues to suffer because the participation rate for women is hovering around 56% — the lowest mark since the 1980s. 12/8/2021

Survey: Majority of U.S. Employers Plan to Require Vaccination

new nationwide survey of employers finds that 57% of respondents require or plan to require their employees be vaccinated for COVID-19. However, 32% of employers said they’ll require vaccinations only if OSHA’s emergency temporary standard (ETS) takes effect.

More than 30% of respondents said they were very concerned a vaccine mandate could contribute to employees leaving their organization — although only 3% of respondents with vaccine mandates reported a spike in resignations.

A large majority (84%) of respondents reported they were simultaneously preparing for the ETS’ testing mandate. But 47% are either unsure or have not decided what type of testing to use, and 40% are either unsure or have not yet decided who will pay for testing. (One-quarter will require unvaccinated employees to pay for testing unless prohibited by state law.) 12/1/2021

What’s the Latest on the Federal Vaccine Mandate?

Here’s a summary of this week’s developments related to federal actions addressing COVID-19:

• The U.S. government will require private health insurers to reimburse customers for the cost of over-the-counter, at-home COVID-19 tests, while issuing new testing requirements for international travelers.
• OSHA has extended the comment period for the COVID-19 vaccinate-or-test emergency temporary standard (ETS).
• The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit is still considering legal challenges to the ETS, which applies to employers with 100 or more employees. (OSHA has suspended ETS implementation and enforcement.)
  • There’s no indication when, or if, the ETS will take effect, according to OMA Connections Partner Benesch. HR experts say the Sixth Circuit’s briefing schedule will likely result in the ETS remaining blocked until at least Friday, Dec. 10. (It’s also possible the stay could be lifted before Dec. 10.)
• Meanwhile, another court has temporarily blocked the federal contractor vaccine mandate in Ohio, Kentucky, and Tennessee. OMA Connections Partner Vorys says businesses should assess on a case-by-case basis whether their covered contracts are still subject to the vaccine requirement.
• A federal judge has also temporarily blocked the federal mandate that all health care workers be vaccinated, OMA Connections Partner Dinsmore reports.

OMA Connections Partner Frantz Ward notes that this week’s court injunctions don’t prohibit employers from going forward with voluntary vaccination-related programs (if the programs comply with any applicable state and local laws). 12/3/2021

At a Glance: Ohio’s Unemployment by County

Ohio’s statewide jobless rate remains above 5%, but unemployment varies widely throughout the 88 counties. According to the monthly map published by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, more than 40 counties saw jobless rates of 3.8% or less as of October. (The agency has also published the latest county-by-county labor force estimates.)

Meanwhile, private-sector employment in the state remains nearly 200,000 jobs below pre-pandemic levels. Ohio Means Jobs reports that there are currently more than 277,000 posted job openings statewide, with roughly 34,000 of those openings tied directly to manufacturing. 12/1/2021

Manufacturing Summit Highlights Talent Attraction Strategies

Sixty-six percent of currently unemployed individuals want to switch careers — and career switchers are seeing the biggest wage increases (7.5% in manufacturing). Those were among the findings reported by OMA Connections Partner MCM CPAs & Advisors at the firm’s annual manufacturing summit. (Watch the recorded event or review the presentation slides.)

The firm shared some best-practices being used by manufacturers to boost their talent pipeline, including moving away from traditional job posts, offering on-site child care and flexible schedules, highlighting workplace safety, providing “stay bonuses,” and utilizing referrals from current employees. 12/2/2021

Employer Checklist: Maintaining Employee Records

Employee record retention is a core function of HR. To help employers manage and maintain employee records, OMA Connections Partner Paycor has provided this checklist to ensure businesses are appropriately maintaining important documents. 11/30/2021