Human Resources

U.S. Manufacturing Wages Up 5.1% in 2022

U.S. manufacturing wages and salaries rose 1% in Q4 2022, easing from 1.3% growth in Q2 and Q3 of last year, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The Q4 increase translated to 5.1% year-over-year growth (down from 5.2% as of Q3, which was the fastest pace on record).

The cost of employee benefits for manufacturers increased 3.8% in 2022. Overall compensation expenses increased 4.7%. 2/1/2023

U.S. Union Membership Rate Falls to Record Low

Nationwide, union membership as a percentage of the overall workforce fell last year, declining from 10.3% to 10.1% — the lowest percentage on record, according to U.S. Chamber analysis. In contrast, Ohio saw an increase in the percentage of union workers in 2022, Axios reports. 1/30/2023

HR Roundup: Examining Labor Force Participation

• According to this report, maintenance workers, industrial engineers, and first-line supervisors were among the most frequently posted job openings at OhioMeansJobs.com during Q4 2022.
• Nationwide, labor demand surged in December, according to federal data, with job vacancies jumping to 11 million. (Manufacturing openings fell to 764,000 — down from 803,000 in November.)
• Lean labor strategies can help manufacturers address labor shortages, according to this insight from CliftonLarsonAllen, an OMA Connections Partner.
• OMA Connections Partner Frantz Ward has published this brief list of employer tactics for responding to and preventing workplace violence.
• Frantz Ward has also published this list of considerations for employers that are weighing four-day workweeks.
• OMA Connections Partner Thompson Hine will host a complimentary webinar Feb. 22 addressing cannabis use and its impact on employers, including drug testing.
• MishTalk, a popular financial blog, has analyzed factors behind the reduced labor force participation, citing government benefits, household cash reserves, and “abandoned plans of owning a home.”

Meanwhile, EHS Today has published this collection of ideas on how to ensure employees don’t suffer burnout. 2/2/2023

HR Roundup: Ohio’s Jobless Figures by County

• Ohio’s jobless rate remained at 4.2% in December (versus 3.5% nationwide) while labor force participation was 61.2% (versus 62.3% nationwide).
• This map shows the December jobless rates in all 88 Ohio counties.
• The percentage of Ohio workers represented by a labor union rose from 13% in 2021 to 14% last year, a jump of about 52,000 new union employees, reports say.
• Due to a new federal law, beginning in 2025, new 401(k) plans must automatically enroll participants when they become eligible, OMA Connections Partner MCM reports.
• OMA Connections Partner Fisher Phillips has published this list of FAQs regarding a proposal to prohibit employers from using non-compete clauses.
• Fisher Phillips has also developed this checklist for employers considering earned-wage access (or on-demand pay).
• Bricker & Eckler, the OMA’s general counsel, has published this update on new federal protections for pregnant and nursing employees.
• A federal court has struck down certain Trump-era changes to the rules by which the NLRB administers union elections, says OMA Connections Partner Benesch.

Meanwhile, Gallup says the pandemic has forged an even stronger relationship between having a best friend at work and employees’ overall workplace satisfaction. 1/26/2023

HR Roundup: Without Internal Mobility, Talent Will Walk, Study Says

• According to a new study, employees who aren’t informed about job opportunities within their organization are much more likely to quit.
• OMA Connections Partner Fisher Phillips has published guidance on implementing four-day workweeks and updating job descriptions.
• Fisher Phillips has also published this insight on how employers can prepare for increased strike activity and union organizing.
• OMA Connections Partner CliftonLarsonAllen advises employers to consider new contribution limits, while recognizing DEI strategies when communicating your company’s retirement plan.
• OMA Connections Partner Schneider Downs has published this insight into the federal SECURE 2.0 Act’s “saver’s match.”
• Employers should have already posted the new Equal Employment Opportunity Commission poster (“Know Your Rights”), advises Bricker & Eckler, the OMA’s general counsel.

Meanwhile, Gallup has published its top five pillars for boosting employee mental health. The key to improving mental health among workers is employee engagement, Gallup says. 1/19/2023

HR Roundup: Manufacturing Earnings Keep Climbing

• In December, the average hourly earnings of U.S. manufacturing production and non-supervisory employees rose to $25.61, compared to $24.61 a year earlier, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The average for all manufacturing positions was $31.44.
• Ohio’s continued unemployment claims have nearly doubled since Thanksgiving with 60,722 claims last week.
• The U.S. Supreme Court this week heard a case that could have significant implications for the ability of unions to strike.
• OMA Connections Partner Fisher Phillips has examined the pros and cons to offering unlimited PTO.
• Fisher Phillips is predicting the U.S. Supreme Court will open some avenues for employers to fight federal investigations or actions based on two cases before the Court.
• Following the passage of the federal SECURE 2.0 Act, OMA Connections Partner Schneider Downs has published this summary of how the law impacts retirement plans.
  • A Jan. 25 webinar hosted by OMA Connections Partner Vorys will examine how the Secure 2.0 Act alters employee benefits.
• OMA Connections Partner Calfee has published this summary of the Federal Trade Commission’s proposed ban on non-compete clauses.

Meanwhile, Gallup has published this insight on “quiet firing” — a form of neglect that slowly pushes employees out of their job. 1/12/2023

Employment Forms Available at OMA Website

Our online library of frequently used HR forms has recently been reviewed by Bricker & Eckler, the OMA’s general counsel. Included are forms for employment application, performance evaluation, employee absences, state and federal posting requirements, and more.

These resources are free and always available here at the OMA’s website (right sidebar). Members should carefully read the instructions to ensure compliance.

As a reminder, be sure to post Ohio’s new minimum wage poster at your workplace, if you haven’t already.

Also, there’s a new federal posting requirement — the “Know Your Rights: Workplace Discrimination Is Illegal” poster, which replaces the “Equal Employment Opportunity Is the Law” poster. 1/4/2023

Labor Law Predictions, Guidance for 2023

OMA Connections Partner Fisher Phillips has published its top 10 workplace law predictions for 2023. Among them, that new overtime pay requirements will soon be released by the U.S. Department of Labor.

The firm has also published this analysis of changes to employee benefits as authorized by the latest federal spending bill, as well as these FAQs regarding new federal protections for pregnant and postpartum employees. 1/4/2023

FTC Moves to Ban Non-Compete Agreements

The Federal Trade Commission has proposed a rule banning provisions in employment agreements that prevent employees and independent contractors, for a period of time, from working for a competitor or starting a competing business. More details are available in this insight from OMA Connections Partner Frantz Ward. 1/5/2023

Study Blames Government Benefits for Labor Shortage

There are still at least 3 million fewer Americans working now than in 2019. According to a recent study by a free-market think tank, a key factor for this shortage appears to be taxpayer-funded unemployment benefits combined with federal health care subsidies.

This table lists the estimated work-related earnings that two adults with two dependent children would need to match available unemployment benefits and ObamaCare subsidies in each state, as calculated by the study’s authors. In Ohio, the annual figure is $66,506. 1/5/2023