What We’re Reading – January 2019
We scour the web for interesting and actionable HR news and information, so you don’t have to. Here are eight curated stories perfect for snow day reading. (Or, if you are in a part of the country not currently in the midst of a polar vortex and under a blanket of snow, regular day reading.)
The Shutdown Continues
As the federal government shutdown drags on, the effects on employers are growing. E-Verify is still down and the EEOC is nearly completely unstaffed. Employers waiting for guidance from federal agencies on H-1B visas, the new overtime rule, the new joint-employer standard, and other decisions will need to wait even longer. Find out what you need to know.
- Read more on HR Dive.
- Read more on how the shutdown is affecting the EEOC and E-Verify on our blog.
Top 25 Regulations Small Businesses Need to Know
Don’t risk being non-compliant – make sure you understand what the FMLA, FLSA, FCRA, FUTA, and 21 other acronyms mean and what these federal regulations require from you.
- Read more on PrimePay’s blog.
- Go deeper into these regulations by downloading our HR Compliance Affects Employers of All Sizes chart. (ThinkHR customers only.)
Compliance Still Front and Center
2019 will likely look a lot like 2018 on the compliance front: More #MeToo, more state and local legislation (particularly regarding wage and hour issues and marijuana), and less out of Washington. See what’s on the horizon.
- Read more on HR Dive.
- Watch our December 2018 webinar, HR and Compliance Year in Review. (ThinkHR customers only.)
The High Cost of Reporting Harassment
A study analyzing over 46,000 sexual harassment claims found that the fear of retaliation that prevents many victims from reporting harassment is well-founded. More than two-thirds of accusers lost their jobs or faced other forms of retaliation, and in cases that found for the plaintiffs, redress was minimal.
- Read more on HR Executive.
- Watch our free webinar, Top 5 Steps to Mitigate Workplace Sex Discrimination and Harassment.
No Place to Pump
Despite protections granted by the Affordable Care Act along with 21 states and the District of Columbia, there are still an estimated 5 million women of childbearing age who lack the right to pump breastmilk at work. Is discrimination against nursing mothers the next frontier in pregnancy discrimination?
- Read more on the New York Times. (long read)
- Make sure your employee handbook has an up-to-date breastfeeding policy compliant with your state laws. (ThinkHR customers only.)
Safety for Temporary Workers
OSHA recently released a new guidance document outlining protections for temporary workers that both staffing companies and host employers need to be aware of. While not much has changed since the agency’s heightened focus on temporary workers began, it’s important to keep up with your due diligence.
- Read more on Business Insurance.
- See the range of workplace safety resources available to ThinkHR customers.
Bias in AI Recruiters
Artificial intelligence (AI) is making inroads into many areas of business, including recruiting. However, since these machines learn from humans, they have the potential to mirror human biases, such as race and gender biases. How can recruiters who use AI avoid this potential pitfall?
- Listen to the story on Marketplace by NPR.
- Use our recruiting toolkit loaded with everything you need to hire well. (ThinkHR customers only.)
Effective Onboarding is Important
A recent survey found that 93 percent of employers agree that a good onboarding experience influences a new hire’s decision to stay. But nearly one third of employees say their employer didn’t do a good job of onboarding them. What do you need to do to deliver effective onboarding?
- Read more on HR Executive.
- Learn how ThinkHR’s Employee Handbook Builder can help with a solid onboarding experience.
Be in the Know with ThinkHR
The experts at ThinkHR monitor legislation, news, and trends that affect you, and provide you with timely information you can use to mitigate people risks. To subscribe to this blog, please enter your email into the box at the right to get notified of when new content is posted. Plus, follow ThinkHR on Twitter and LinkedIn.
