News and Analysis
Survey: More Employers Expect to Impose Vaccine Mandates, Restrictions
September 10, 2021A recent nationwide survey finds that vaccination mandates and related requirements are expected to proliferate among U.S. employers in the fourth quarter of 2021.
HR Dive reports that the poll, conducted by Willis Towers Watson, found more than half of the 961 employers surveyed could have vaccination-related requirements in their workplaces by Q4. Examples included requiring a vaccine for workers to enter common areas or requiring vaccination for a subset of employees.
A new Gallup poll, meanwhile, finds the share of Americans required by their employer to be vaccinated against COVID-19 has jumped to 19% — up from 9% in July. 9/9/2021
DeWine Challenges Biden Administration on Work Requirements for Medicaid Benefits
September 10, 2021Gov. Mike DeWine has asked Attorney General Dave Yost to challenge the Biden administration’s decision to withdraw Ohio’s Medicaid work requirements. DeWine said: “Removing a provision that says a healthy, able-bodied individual should be working, looking for work, participating in job training, or participating in a recovery program in order to receive free, taxpayer-funded health care is contrary to Ohioans’ values.”
Meanwhile, Ohio’s first-time claims for traditional unemployment remained above 13,500 last week. A new comparison by WalletHub finds Ohio has experienced the tenth worst recovery in unemployment claims since the start of the pandemic when measured against the progress of other states. 9/9/2021
Analysis: Labor Shortage, Costs Hinder Reshoring
September 10, 2021In this new analysis, OMA Connections Partner RSM says labor costs and shortages are hindering efforts to return U.S. manufacturing from foreign locations. The number of manufacturing employees in the U.S. has declined by about 25% since 1992, while the average manufacturing wage in the U.S., as of 2019, was nearly four times that of China’s — a gap that has widened due to current wage inflation.
RSM concludes that to address the lack of skilled labor, “businesses must rapidly harness available technological capabilities to increase productivity and efficiency.” 9/7/2021
Democratic Majority Now In Place at NLRB
September 10, 2021This week, Politico reported that the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) now officially has a Democratic majority for the first time in years — and businesses are preparing for the agency’s inevitable policy shift.
Significant anticipated moves include: “increasing the number of people who qualify as employees instead of independent contractors, expanding protections for employees who speak out on the job, and cracking down on businesses that try to thwart union elections.” 9/8/2021
Ohio’s Key Labor Indicators
September 3, 2021As Labor Day approaches, here’s a look at key labor indicators for Ohio manufacturers:
- Ohio currently has an estimated 660,500 manufacturing jobs — roughly 40,000 fewer than in mid-2019, but about 2,000 more than in mid-2020.
- Ohio’s labor force participation rate stood at 60.5% as of July, down from nearly 64% in January 2020.
- Ohio’s unemployment rate stands at 5.4%, but the jobless rates of all 88 counties vary widely, as shown by this list and this map. (Note: Ohio’s first-time jobless claims jumped significantly last week.)
OhioMeansJobs.com currently lists more than 210,000 available jobs statewide. More than 25,000 of these jobs are in manufacturing. On Indeed.com, there has been a 76.6% jump in manufacturing postings compared to February 2020, according to reports. 9/2/2021
Questions to Ask Employees During the Great Resignation
September 3, 2021Employees are resigning from their jobs in record numbers. What can employers do to keep their most talented people? OMA Connections Partner Clark Schaefer Hackett has published this list of questions to ask employees during the “Great Resignation.” 9/2/2021
Ohio Overpaid Nearly $3.4B in Unemployment Benefits
September 3, 2021Since March 2020, Ohio has overpaid nearly $3.4 billion in unemployment benefits — not including $478 million paid for fraudulent claims. The Statehouse News Bureau reports that the bulk of overpayments was tied to the federally-funded Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program for residents who do not qualify for traditional benefits. (This chart breaks down the overpayments.)
The state is still working on fraud investigations with assistance from private-sector experts. 9/1/2021
Pandemic-Related Unemployment Benefits Set to Expire
September 3, 2021The federal government’s pandemic unemployment benefits end nationwide this Saturday, Sept. 4, according to the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services. Here’s the announcement from the agency. 9/1/2021
More Lawsuits Filed to Restore Extra Unemployment Payments
September 3, 2021Two new lawsuits were recently filed in Ohio to restore federal pandemic unemployment benefits, which are set to expire over the Labor Day weekend. These new cases — filed by former Ohio Attorney General Marc Dann — complement the original lawsuit filed shortly after Gov. Mike DeWine earlier this summer announced Ohio would end its participation in the extra $300-per-week benefit program.
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court of Ohio this week sided with the DeWine administration in the original case that questions the governor’s power over unemployment payments. The court declined a motion for a quicker decision — but has yet to decide whether to rule on the case itself. 9/2/2021
Workplace Bullying: What Managers Need to Know
September 3, 2021Around 30% of workers report being bullied at work, according to surveys. If the person being bullied is part of a protected group (e.g., workers over 40, or women), bullying becomes harassment and can result in legal action. In this guidance, OMA Connections Partner Paycor advises company leaders to curb bullying by conducting an anonymous survey and, if necessary, following up with a workplace civility policy. 8/31/2021