Are wellness plans worth the investment?  According to a recent study the answer is yes.  Gympass surveyed over 2,000 benefit leaders to answer this very question, and a majority said yes. In fact, 90% of companies believe they see a positive return on their wellness benefits, 85% said their wellness programs decreased the cost of recruitment and retention and 78% reported that their benefits saved them money on healthcare. Any investment in well-being, whether mental health,...

Employer violates pregnancy act by not providing accommodation for employee who later miscarried: One employer did not want to continue providing accommodations to a pregnant employee, and it was a game changer.  According to the EEOC's lawsuit, “[the employer] violated federal law when one of its stores ... 

Speaking only Japanese in meetings not discriminatory:  In Kurtanidze v. Mizuho Bank, Ltd., 2024 WL 117180 (S.D.N.Y. Mar. 13, 2024), the plaintiff was a Caucasian male of European descent who was employed for three months in the defendant bank’s New York branch. After his employment was terminated, he sued, claiming, among other things, that the bank discriminated against non-Japanese employees based on race and national origin.

OFCCP Portal opens April 1 and closes July 1: The U.S. Department of Labor announced its Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs will begin accepting online submissions on April 1 from covered contractors to certify they have developed and maintained affirmative action programs for each establishment or functional unit.  

12-year age gap of managers to subordinates has negative impact on workplace:  With four generations actively participating in the workforce, there's a lot that employees can learn from each other. Instead, these age gaps may be getting in the way of progress and productivity.  

President Biden proposes $13.9 billion budget for Department of Labor FY 2025:  President Biden released its proposed budget for the next fiscal year.  The proposal calls for $13.9 billion in discretionary funding for the DOL, up $318 million, or 2.3%, from the 2023 amount.

Daylight Savings starts March 10th: Set your clocks forward one hour Sunday morning, March 10^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

H-1B season opening soon:  Beginning March 6, 2024, U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) will conduct its annual H-1B Cap Lottery to award H-1B slots for professional workers in specialty occupations.

Expect health care premiums to increase next year thanks to prescription drugs: Nonprofit research company 46 Brooklyn found that pharmaceutical companies are raising prices for over 700 medications in January alone, with the average increase sitting at about 4.5%. Popular weight-loss drug Ozempic, for example, will see a price hike of 3.5%, while the antidepressant Wellbutrin will increase by 9.9%.

A possible new law leading to a myriad of lawsuits: A potentially groundbreaking bill making its way through the Massachusetts State Legislature aims to broadly ensure psychological safety in the workplace, marking a key development in efforts to combat workplace bullying and potentially stoking momentum for similar bills in other jurisdictions.

Oops.  They’re not a convicted murderer? In August 2023, a job seeker received an offer of employment conditioned on passing a background check, which the employer contracted with ADP Screening & Selection Services Inc. (SASS) to perform – the complaint in Mott v. ADP Screening and Selection Services, Inc., alleged.

Is AI being used by HR yet? Unlikely.  According to HRE’s annual What’s Keeping HR Up at Night? survey nearly two-thirds of HR teams have yet to embrace artificial intelligence in their operations. More than 60% of respondents shared that HR teams at their organizations aren’t using AI and its counterpart, gen AI, for any functions, including talent sourcing, interviewing, onboarding, learning, and managing employee leave.

Michigan withholding rates: Michigan has issued the 2024 withholding rate and wage-bracket tables for wages paid on and after January 1, 2024. The Michigan personal income tax withholding rate is 4.25% for 2024. The personal exemption amount will be $5,600.

Back to office required in 2024 – will it backfire?  Eight in 10 companies plan to track office attendance in 2024, according to a survey of 800 business leaders conducted by Resume Builder in December. Nearly all respondents — 95% — said employees will see consequences if they don’t comply with the office attendance policy.  

Will second time be the charm?  Julie Su, the Acting Secretary of Labor, was renominated for the Secretary position a second time.  The first time she failed to get through the Senate process as Senator Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., said he would not back her.  There has been no change in support for Ms. Su. Therefore, her nomination will be squeaker if successful.

Did you feel guilty taking time off over the holidays? According to CalendarLabs, 75% of employees say they feel guilty about taking time off, and 66% will put in more work time before leaving to make up for their time away.

2024 Mileage rates:  The Internal Revenue Service issued the 2024 optional standard mileage rates used to calculate the deductible costs of operating an automobile for business, charitable, medical, or moving purposes.  Beginning Jan. 1, 2024, the standard mileage rates for the use of a car (also vans, pickups, or panel trucks) will be:

U.S. States 2024 Minimum wage updates:  Click here to see minimum wage rates for 2024 by state.  

Gen Zers are outnumbering Baby Boomers in the workforce: The number of full-time Gen Z workers in the U.S. is set to surpass baby boomers in the first few months of 2024, according to a new report from Glassdoor Economic Research.

Michigan’s Right-to-Work law effective February 13, 2024:  The Michigan legislature became the first state in almost 60 years to repeal its right-to-work law earlier this year. However, in doing so, the initiative did not have sufficient support to allow the repeal to be immediately effective. Most thought the repeal would not be effective until approximately March 30, 2024.  We now know it will be effective six weeks sooner than originally thought.

NLRB and OSHA sign MOU – watch out employers:  On October 31, 2023, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced that the agencies have executed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) “to strengthen the agencies’ partnership to promote safe and healthy workplaces through protecting worker voice.” The MOU seeks to enable the NLRB and OSHA to “closely collaborate” by more broadly sharing...

State of Michigan funding apprenticeship programs for underrepresented: The Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity (LEO) has issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) encouraging organizations who can help provide underrepresented individuals with access to life-changing career pathways through Registered Apprenticeship to apply for funding from the Michigan Statewide Targeted Apprenticeship Inclusion and Readiness System (MiSTAIRS). Successful respondents to this RFP will become...

Healthcare policy costs rises 7%: The average annual premium for both employer-sponsored single and family health insurance coverage rose 7% in 2023, faster than last year but consistent with inflation and wage growth, according to a survey conducted by KFF and published in Health Affairs.  

Daylight Savings Time ends November 5: When clocks are turned back an hour in the early morning on November 5th, workers on the midnight shift at that time will actually work an extra hour. Assuming that these workers are nonexempt employees, meaning that they are governed by the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), they must be paid for all hours worked.

Daylight Savings Time ends November 5: When clocks are turned back an hour in the early morning on November 5th, workers on the midnight shift at that time will actually work an extra hour. Assuming that these workers are nonexempt employees, meaning that they are governed by the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), they must be paid for all hours worked.