EEO delays reporting of 2019 EEO-1 reports until 2021:  The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) will delay the opening of the 2019 EEO-1 Component 1 data collection and the 2020 EEO-3 and EEO-5 data collections because of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) public health emergency, the agency announced today in a Federal Register notice.  The EEO (equal employment opportunity) surveys collect data from employers in different sectors of the workforce. The EEOC was planning to open the following EEO surveys in 2020: the 2019 EEO-1 Component 1 (Employer Information Report); the 2020 EEO-3 (Local Report); and the 2020 EEO-5 (Elementary-Secondary Staff Information Report).  The EEOC recognizes the impact that the current public health emergency is having on workplaces across America and the challenges that both employers and employees alike are now facing. EEO-1, EEO-3, and EEO-5 filers should begin preparing to submit data in 2021. Pending approval from the Office of Management and Budget under the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) the EEOC would expect to begin collecting the 2019 and 2020 EEO-1 Component 1 in March 2021 and will notify filers of the precise date the surveys will open as soon as it is available. Source:  EEOC 5/7/20

CDC recommends 10-day self-isolation period up from 7 days:  Employers that have continued doing business during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as those that are reopening or planning to reopen, should take note that the CDC on May 3 updated information about the length of self-isolation period required for those who have displayed coronavirus symptoms or tested positive for COVID-19. Isolation is now recommended for 10 rather than seven days. "At this time, replication-competent virus has not been successfully cultured more than 9 days after onset of illness," according to the CDC. "The statistically estimated likelihood of recovering replication-competent virus approaches zero by 10 days (CDC unpublished data, Wölfel 2020, Arons 2020)."  The CDC said that this time period will capture a greater proportion of contagious patients, but it will not capture everyone.   Source:  CCH 5/7/20

Michigan limits review for unemployment to the last job:  Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed Executive Order 2020-76, which extends and "builds upon" a previous order expanding unemployment in the wake of broad business closures.  A statement said the new order would help for tens of thousands of Michiganders who have filed for unemployment benefits by allowing the state to review only an individual's most recent job separation, which is the cause of the current unemployment, to determine the individual's benefit entitlement.  Source: Gongwer 5/7/20

OSHA’s Ten Steps safety  poster translated into 12 languages:  OSHA announced that it has translated its "Ten Steps All Workplaces Can Take to Reduce Risk of Exposure to Coronavirus" poster into 11 additional languages. The poster was already available in English and Spanish. The poster is now  available for download in the following languages:   Arabic, Chinese Traditional, Korean, Tagalog, Brazilian Portuguese, French Creole, Polish, Vietnamese, Chinese Simplified, Hmong, and Russian.

DOL issues new sample COBRA notices:  The Department of Labor (DOL) posted new model notices on its website which employers may use to satisfy notice obligations under the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985 (COBRA), along with a short series of FAQs regarding the model notices. The main changes to both the general and the election model notices clarify the interaction between Medicare and COBRA. A newly inserted paragraph does not reflect any changes in the law but provides more information to employees about when they can enroll in Medicare and under what conditions enrolling in Medicare can terminate COBRA coverage.  Source: Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton LLP 5/4/20

Kronos provides tool for COVID-19 workplace tracing: Kronos has unveiled an automated reporting tool that allows employers to identify and communicate with employees who may have come into contact with a coworker who has tested positive or is presumed positive for COVID-19, according to an April 28 statement.  The tool, which aids a process known as contact tracing, analyzes labor records and time and attendance data collected by Kronos solutions, the company said. According to a Kronos document, employers enter an employee's ID number, a date range, and a location of interest, generating a report of potentially affected coworkers. No health-related information is required or used in compiling the report, Kronos said.  The tool is available globally to customers of Kronos' Workforce Dimensions, Workforce Central, Workforce Ready, and iSeries Central solutions at no additional cost.  Source:  HR Dive 4/30/20

Recruiting is changing:  Jobvite, a software firm, published a research report April 21 that found video, social media, and phone calls are increasingly being used in the recruiting process.   During the first week of April, Jobvite's research team surveyed more than 200 recruiters from industries including technology, healthcare, finance and insurance, and professional services. The majority of talent acquisition teams (84%) are adapting their processes to work remotely. Even in times of adversity, the recruiters and leadership are committed to building teams, according to Jobvite. Almost half (46%) of recruiters surveyed have increased social media posting on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram to advertise jobs.  58% said they've used social media to promote their employer brand and connect with talent. A large percent of respondents (80%) increasingly use video for interviews, and 61% use video when screening candidates, according to the report. However, fewer respondents use texting (27%) and chatbots (8%) to facilitate initial candidate screening. Video is also widely used (73%) to make the onboarding process and online meetings run smoothly. More than half of respondents are using traditional means of communication by making more phone calls.   Source:  HR Dive 4/28/20

Mercer finds employers will reduce onsite workforce footprint:  54% of employers intend to reduce the number of onsite employees when planning return-to-work strategies amid the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic, according to survey results released Thursday by Mercer Human Resource Consulting.  Of the nearly 400 employers who responded to Mercer’s online COVID-19 survey, 76% said they will provide flexible work arrangements in the coming months, and 43% said they will continue virtual work where possible.  Among the onsite staffing approaches being considered is dividing workforces into two groups alphabetically and having them work on alternate days, according to the survey results.   Among other risk management protocols, 92% of respondents said they will enhance cleaning and disinfecting, and 56% will provide masks to workers.  Source: Business Insurance 4/24/20