Human Power
In this post, we aren’t going to discuss the implications of blue vs. red; nor are we going to get political – instead, we present just the facts about ballot initiatives with workplace impacts from a handful of states. Voters in three states approved ballot initiatives related to marijuana and voters in two states approved ballot…
What We’re Reading – November 2018 We scour the web for interesting and actionable HR news and information, so you don’t have to. Here are 10 curated stories that caught our attention this month. Go Beyond Veteran’s Day Veteran’s Day was November 11, and although it’s a one-day observance, it serves as a powerful reminder…
OSHA Crane Operator Final Rules On November 9, 2018, the U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced the release of its Cranes and Derricks in Construction: Operator Certificate Extension final rule (Final Rule 82: 51986-51998). The final rule: Removes the requirement that crane operator certifications include the crane’s rated lifting capacity.... Read more ›
Arkansas Minimum Wage Increases On November 6, 2018, Arkansas voters approved the Arkansas Minimum Wage Increase Initiative (Issue 5), which will incrementally raise the state’s minimum wage, per Ark. Code Ann. § 11-4-210(a), as follows: $9.25 per hour effective January 1, 2019. $10 per hour effective January 1, 2020. $11 per hour effective January 1,... Read more ›
City of Mountain View Minimum Wage Increase In November 2018, the City of Mountain View announced that employers who are subject to the Mountain View Business License Tax or who maintain a facility in Mountain View must pay to each employee who performs at least two hours of work per week in Mountain View, minimum... Read more ›
Veterans’ Right to Participate and Take Leave On August 9, 2018, Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker signed legislation (S.B. 2632) requiring employers to allow eligible employees to participate in Memorial Day events and take leave to observe Veterans’ Day. Specifically, the law states the following: An employee who is a veteran, or a member of a... Read more ›
Legalized Recreational Use of Marijuana On November 6, 2018, Michigan voters approved the Michigan Regulation and Taxation of Marijuana Act (Michigan Proposal 18-1) legalizing the recreational use and possession of marijuana for persons age 21 and older. The act does not: Require an employer to permit or accommodate conduct otherwise allowed by the act in... Read more ›
Medical Marijuana Legalized On November 6, 2018, Missouri voters approved the Medical Marijuana and Veteran Healthcare Services Initiative (Missouri Amendment 2), amending the state’s constitution and legalizing marijuana for medicinal purposes. The initiative does not permit a person to bring a claim against any employer, former employer, or prospective employer (employer) for wrongful discharge, discrimination,... Read more ›
OSHA released a preliminary list of its top 10 cited workplace safety violations for fiscal year 2018 (Oct. 1, 2017 – Sept. 30, 2018) last week at the National Safety Council Congress and Expo in Houston. Patrick Kapust, deputy director of OHSA’s Directorate of Enforcement Programs, presented the list, encouraging employers to use it as... Read more ›
ThinkHR Chief Knowledge Officer Laura Kerekes writes a monthly “Innovative Workplace” column for Rough Notes, a publication that has been serving the insurance industry since 1878. Enjoy her November column on cybersecurity. Cybercriminals are becoming more focused on users of company networks as a weak link in the security infrastructure chain. Secure web gateways, anti-virus tools,... Read more ›
Today, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced annual inflation adjustments for more than 50 tax provisions, including an increase in voluntary employee contributions to employer-sponsored healthcare flexible spending arrangements (HFSAs) to $2,700 for plan years beginning in 2019, up from the 2018 limit of $2,650. The IRS also announced an increase in the 2019 monthly... Read more ›