Right to Work in Michigan is no longer the law: On Friday last week Governor Whitmer signed the bill repealing Right to Work. Michigan became the first state to repeal Right to Work in the country in the past sixty years.  This was no surprise. The Governor said she would sign the bill once passed even though it contains features that prevent a popular vote referendum.

Highest share of work at home has stabilized: Nearly 30% of all work happened at home in January, six times the rate in 2019, according to WFH Research, a data-collection project. In Washington and other large urban centers, the share of remote work is closer to half. In the nation’s biggest cities, entire office buildings sit empty.

ChatGPT is an edge to applicants applying for jobs: A recent report from resume template service ResumeBuilder found that 46% of applicants are actively using ChatGPT to write their resumes and cover letters. And the results were overwhelmingly positive — 78% secured an interview when using application materials written by the AI and 59% were eventually hired. 

Daylight Savings starts March 12th:  Set your clocks forward one hour Sunday morning, March 12^th. Daylight Saving Time was first proposed by George Vernon Hudson in 1895, and its use in the U.S. was first mandated during World War I. It was subsequently used on and off for years by various countries and U.S. states.

Employers supporting treatments for weight loss: More employers are becoming aware of the dangers of obesity among their employees and are opting to assist them with weight loss and weight management efforts. That is one significant finding of the 2022 “Employee Benefits Survey” recently released by the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans. 

How do you know your applicant isn’t AI? New artificial intelligence tools are making it easy to generate professional and personalized application materials, and recruiters encourage job seekers to use them.

H-1B season starting soon:  On January 27, 2023, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that the registration period for Fiscal Year 2024 will open at noon on March 1, 2023, and will close at noon on March 17, 2023, both Eastern Time.

Illinois joins states with Paid Sick Leave for any reason: On January 10, 2023, the Paid Leave for All Workers Act (the “Act”), S.B. 208, passed both chambers in the Illinois Legislature, mere days into the new legislative session.

Federal Contractors, OFCCP’s Corporate Scheduling Announcement Letter (CSAL) is out:  On January 20, 2023, the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs published the latest Corporate Scheduling Announcement List (CSAL) for supply & service contractors, which is comprised of 500 federal contractors and subcontractors. 

Telehealth flexibility extended two more years: The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023 has extended telehealth flexibility for two years. These provisions are now set to expire December 31, 2024, for calendar-year plans.

IRS mileage rate is 65.5 cents per mile in 2023:  The rate for business use of a car, van, pickup, or panel truck is now 65.5 cents per mile. This represents an increase of 3 cents from the agency’s midyear increase back in June for the second half of 2022, when the IRS set the per mile rate at 62.5 cents.

Michigan minimum wage could be $13.03 starting February 19^th:  In a press release issued December 5, 2022, the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity confirmed that the state’s minimum wage will increase to $10.10 on January 1, 2023, and may increase again to $13.03 on February 19, 2023, pending ongoing litigation.

Are you overwhelmed by email? Join the club.  67% of people feel overwhelmed by their inbox, and 82% say they miss important emails because their inboxes are bogged down, a survey released by email service provider Gated, found. 

Going Pro Talent Fund Application Period Closes Next Week: If your company is applying for 2023 Michigan Going Pro Talent Funds the application deadline is next week – December 12, 2022. Employers are advised to work with their local Michigan Works office to get some of the $55 million of funds to put toward training current and newly hired employees. ASE’s Principles and Practices of Supervision classes qualify.

Who’d expect religious discrimination raising its head: Kanye West (who now goes by Ye) and his latest headline-making commentary may be the most public example of the insidious nature of antisemitism — which could be more widespread in recruiting than assumed, data released Nov. 22 by ResumeBuilder shows.