If you have a policy how to communicate absences, don’t let managers deviate:  In a recent ruling, Roberts v. Gestamp (Decided August 15, 2022), the Fourth Circuit reversed, in part, the lower court’s decision to grant the Company’s motion for summary judgment on the grounds that the employee did not follow the Company’s “usual and customary” absence notice procedures as required by the Family and Medical Leave Act (“FMLA”). 

OFCCP extends deadline for EEO-1 Type 2 report objections to October 19: OFCCP announced an intention to produce federal contractors’ Type 2 EEO-1 data in response to a FOIA request from the Center for Investigative Reporting (CIR). 

Is there a growing drug problem in the workplace?  With the legalization of marijuana in many states, drug use appears to be growing for young working age employees.  Marijuana and hallucinogen use among young adults has reached a new high.

And you wonder why you cannot find employees:  Detroit unemployment rate dropped 1.1% to 3.5%. Grand Rapids is 3.6%.  Maybe you need to look at other areas in the state-unemployment rates range from 4-6%.  Flint is at 6.7%, Muskegon at 6.2%.  Even Ann Arbor is at 4%.  Source BLS 8/31/22

ICE is moving to permanent review of I-9 forms remotely:  The federal government has moved to permanently allow employers to review Form I-9 identification documents remotely, according to a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking published August 18.  

Michigan’s unemployment rate is down to 4.2%: A drop of 2% since July 2021.

CDC updates COVID guidance:  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention unveiled significant changes last Thursday as part of a sweeping effort to overhaul the agency's COVID-19 guidance.  "This guidance acknowledges that the pandemic is not over, but also helps us move to a point where COVID-19 no longer severely disrupts our daily lives," CDC's Greta Massetti said in a statement announcing the changes.  Among the biggest differences...

VETS 4212 reporting cycle has begun:  Starting last week, the VETS 4212 reporting cycle is on.  For more information, go to VETS-4212 Federal Contractor Reporting | U.S. Department of Labor (dol.gov). This report applies to any federal contractor or subcontractor with $150,000 or more in contracts regardless of the number of employees

Are Millennials utilizing employers’ saving plans?  Likely not.  According to Bank of America’s “2022 Financial Life Benefits Impact Report,” despite 58% of eligible employees participating in a 401(k) plan, 61% of them contributed below $5,000 last year. The study also found that fewer than one in 10 participants’ contributions reached the ceiling on elective deferrals, under IRS Section 402(g)—that is, $19,500, last year.

EEOC changing the rules on COVID testing:  On July 12, 2022, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission updated its COVID-19 FAQs.  Unfortunately, the update does not offer many specifics for employers, who continue to face the challenge of maintaining a safe, healthy, and productive work environment as more and more of their workers return to in-person work.

Do you feel like you are always on? Join the crowd: The ability to disconnect from work remains elusive for many professionals, according to survey data published this week by Fishbowl, a Glassdoor-owned social platform.

Layoffs, what?  In this market?  Employers cannot find workers and yet now there is talk of retrenchment.  Whether soft or hard landing, most agree that a recession is coming. 

Microsoft TEAMS offers an extensive selection of apps that provide tools and services that your organization could use daily. 

OMB looking to change demographic collection requirements: Dr. Karin Orvis, the U.S. Chief Statistician and Branch Chief for Statistical and Science Policy at OMB’s Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, will be updating OMB Directive 15 or as known by its technical title: “Standards for Maintaining, Collecting, and Presenting Federal Data on Race and Ethnicity.”

Should pay be cut for remote work? Remote work could be considered a priced-out benefit.  The latest edition of McKinsey's American Opportunity Survey queried 25,000 Americans in spring 2022 and it found that over half (58%) had the option of working from home at least one day a week.  One in three said that, if they wanted, they could work from home five days a week. And when workers are given the option of remote working, 87% of them will take it.