News and Analysis
Analysis: Verbal Demands to Supervisors Can Result in Recognition of a Union
November 17, 2023Under 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
November 17, 2023- 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
November 10, 2023U.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
November 10, 2023Private 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
November 10, 2023Employees 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
November 3, 2023Businesses 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
November 3, 2023- 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
October 27, 2023New 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
HR Roundup: Jobless Rates in Ohio Counties
October 27, 2023- The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services has provided this update on the fallout caused by the UAW strike. Workers who strike may be ineligible for unemployment benefits, the agency says.
- Ohio’s September 2023 Labor Market Review is now available, showing employment gains and losses by sector in each metro area.
- This summary from OMA Connections Partner Frantz Ward identifies potential enforcement efforts that employers can expect if the EEOC pursues a more aggressive agenda.
- Federal immigration authorities have just published revisions to the H-1B visa process, according to this update from OMA Connections Partner Fisher Phillips.
- Fisher Phillips predicts the NLRB’s finalized joint-employer rule will mean more workers will be seeking union membership. The firm has published this 10-step plan for employers.
- OMA Connections Partner Dinsmore is advising employers to revise their employment and separation agreements to ensure they don’t include language that can be interpreted as impeding communication with the SEC for potential whistleblowers.
Meanwhile, reports say more businesses are issuing an ultimatum to remote employees: Come to the office or be fired. 10/26/2023
At a Glance: Ohio’s Labor Force Participation
October 20, 2023Besides increased migration, the primary way to grow Ohio’s talent pool is by increasing the labor force participation rate, which is currently around 62%. As illustrated by this graph, the Buckeye State has seen its labor force participation rate fall from nearly 68% in 2007 to around 62% today.
Earlier this year, research from the Health Policy Institute of Ohio linked substance abuse to the drop in Ohio’s labor force participation rate, according to reports.
Read this brief report by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services for a look at the impact of unemployment in different counties. 10/18/2023