DHS Extends Form I-9 Requirement Flexibility: The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced an extension of the flexibility in complying with requirements related to Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification, due to COVID-19. This temporary guidance was set to expire November 19. Because of ongoing precautions related to COVID-19, DHS has extended this policy until December 31, 2020. This provision only applies to employers and workplaces that are operating remotely. See the original news release for more information on how to obtain, remotely inspect, and retain copies of the identity and employment eligibility documents to complete Section 2 of Form I-9.  Source: Department of Homeland Security 11/18/20

There is no cost sharing for COVID-19 vaccinations: The Departments of the Treasury, Labor, and Health and Human Services (HHS) have issued interim regulations clarifying that plans and issuers must cover, without cost-sharing, qualifying coronavirus preventive services including immunizations. These changes apply as of November 2, 2020, until the end of the public health emergency (PHE) for COVID-19 as determined by the HHS Secretary.  It also covers out of network providers.

Your employees may be looking for a job: 64% of American workers say they are looking for new job opportunities or will consider moving jobs if approached by another company, according to a new study from Ceridian, a human resources software and services firm. The study found that younger workers are most likely to be on the move across the country, with 76% of those under the age of 30 either looking or open to new opportunities. 64% of U.S. based respondents to the survey say job security is a bigger factor now when considering a move. The study also revealed that pay is the top factor that entices talent to apply for a role, followed by good work-life balance and the overall work environment. However, when asked what was the most important factor that keeps workers with their employer, engaging work topped the list.  Source:  CNBC 11/13/20

Remote work is desired as it brings flexibility to employees:  A Deutsche Bank survey found more than half of workers wanted to continue working from home for as many as two to three days a week after the pandemic. The migration to remote work could be so significant that a Deutsche Bank economist this week proposed the idea of a 5% tax on remote workers.  The study found that working from home meant that many people were saving on everyday costs such as travel, lunch, clothes, and cleaning, as well as possibly spending less on socializing. However, the report also said it meant remote workers were “contributing less to the infrastructure of the economy whilst still receiving its benefits.” The pandemic had seen 10 times more people in the U.S. working from home, at 56% of the workforce.  Many want to continue this work from home at least two to three days a week post-pandemic.  The tax would pick up the loss on the contribution to the infrastructure.  Source:  CNBC 11/12/20

The pandemic has broken down geographic barriers for hiring: With remote work becoming the new normal for many, more companies are now willing to not only hire remote workers, but to hire them from anywhere. According to a recent survey by The Conference Board, it found that 36% of companies say they are willing to hire 100% remote workers anywhere in the U.S. or internationally.  Just 12% were receptive to that approach before COVID-19. Compared to before the pandemic, companies are now far more willing to hire remote workers (52% willing before COVID-19 vs. 88% now). However, half still prefer that employees live within commuting distance to the office location. More than one third of respondents expect that 40% or more of their employees will work remotely (at least three days per week) 12 months post-pandemic. That is up from 5% prior to the pandemic.  Source:  CCH 11/18/20

New job – Director of Remote Work:  With pundits predicting that remote work will be the norm of the future, anywhere from 1-4 days a week, a new job has come to the forefront:  Director of Remote Work.  The job description will include the following example from Facebook: “The Director of Remote Work will be a strategic thinker who understands distributed and virtual teams, an outstanding relationship builder, and a change agent. Our ideal candidate is someone who can collaboratively build on and evolve our remote workforce strategy with a passion and proven acumen for experience design, process excellence and change management.” “We expect offices to continue to be important from a talent perspective,” Brynn Harrington, vice president of people growth at Facebook says. “But remote is an important part of the future, too. We’re looking for the person with influence, skills, and experience who can help us pivot the company. When we think about the transformation to remote, it’s a wholesale shift in how we run.”  Source:  Fast Company 11/16/20

EEOC announces record year in settlements and inventory reduction:  The EEOC secured a record amount of recovery, more than $535 million, for victims of discrimination in the workplace. This includes $333.2 million in monetary relief for employees and applicants in the private sector and state and local government workplaces through mediation, conciliation, and other administrative enforcement, and $106 million in monetary relief through litigation. The litigation recovery was the highest since 2004. The EEOC also secured $96.2 million in monetary relief for federal employees and job applicants. With a focus on agency-wide inventory reduction strategies, building on technological enhancements and new digital systems, and the hiring of front-line staff, the EEOC reduced the private sector charge workload by 3.7% to 41,951, the lowest pending inventory in 14 years. This builds on a 12.1% decrease in FY 2019. At the same time, the agency increased the percentage of charges resolved with an outcome favorable to the charging party by nearly two percent, to 17.4%.   Additionally, in the federal sector, the EEOC successfully decreased the pending inventory of hearing receipts for the third consecutive year – a reduction of 15.7%, from 12,933 in fiscal year 2019 to 10,905 in fiscal year 2020 – and reduced the number of federal sector appeals that were more than 500 days old by 32%.  Source:  EEOC 11/16/20