Scam Alert: New Study Says Job Scams on the Rise Due to COVID Pandemic

Employment trends expert comments on the Better Business Bureau study

Fraud AlertA new study from the Better Business Bureau has found that employment scams nearly doubled during 2020. Over 14 million victims fell prey to employment scams in 2020, causing losses of nearly $2 billion.

Employment trends expert Rob Wilson speaks on this troubling trend, as well as offers solutions for companies and employers.

“We’ve known these scams have been on the rise for months, and we have been helping our clients with how to best address the issue, but it is still very shocking to see just how quickly these scams mushroomed during the pandemic,” says Wilson, who is the President of Employco USA, an employment solutions firm based in Chicago.

Wilson says that the perpetrators are stealing employees’ identities in order to access government funds under their name.

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Transgender Rights in the Workplace: What Employers Need to Know

Employment trends expert discusses Hobby Lobby ruling and what employers can learn from their costly mistake

Transgender FlagAn Illinois appeals court recently upheld a ruling deeming that Hobby Lobby’s bathroom policies violated a transgender employee’s human rights. Hobby Lobby now must pay the employee $220,000 in damages, along with potential additional damages and fees.

“Denying this transgender woman the right to use the women’s bathroom has cost Hobby Lobby a great deal of money, but as a large corporation, they can easily absorb the damages,” says Rob Wilson, President of Employco USA and employment trends expert. “However, other mid-size and small businesses could be decimated by such a ruling.”

No wonder many employers are wondering what they can do to avoid similar fines. There are many new regulations that companies need to adhere to if they don’t want to wind up facing civil suits like Hobby Lobby.

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COVID-19 Survey

COVID-19 Survey

Employco USA is conducting a quick, 6-question survey related to COVID-19 for businesses. If you are in management or human resources, we’d love to get your input. The survey is completely voluntary and anonymous. We will be sharing the overall results with everyone in a future follow-up post.

Click the following link to take the survey:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/LC9TNDY

Thank you in advance if you are able to participate!

Survey Question

HR Chat w/Employco USA: HR Bootcamp on September 16th!

We receive a number of questions from our clients as we consult them on a variety of HR issues.

In this video, Rob and Jason discuss our upcoming HR bootcamp. This event is focused on the food industry, but open to all. We have partnered with Food Industry News and GARC Restaurant Cooperative to present 90 minutes of valuable information. HR topics we will be covering include: COVID-19, recruiting and onboarding, employee retention, compliance issues, and more.

This event will be taking place at Chicago Italian Prime in Schaumburg on September 16th at 3:00pm.

RSVP to Dawn Nelson at 630-286-7356 or dnelson@employco.com.

We hope to see you there!

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HR Chat w/Employco USA: Employer Guidance on Current COVID Topics

We receive a number of questions from our clients as we consult them on a variety of HR issues.

In this video, Rob and Jason give some employer guidance on current COVID topics. They cover mask requirements, mandating the vaccine vs not, what to do if an employee tests positive, CDC guidelines, best practice recommendations, liability, tips, and more.

Questions? We’re here to help, info@employco.com

Podcast: The Current State of the Food Industry

On this month’s HR podcast Rob, Scott, and Jason with special guest Cary Miller (Vice President of Food Industry News) discuss the current state of the food industry. They touch on COVID protocol questions (testing, masks, vaccines), CDC guidelines, employer liability, creative ways to hire and attract talent, unique employee benefits, saving money, cutting costs, and more!

Podcast: The Current State of the Food Industry

Contact us with any questions you may have, we’re here to help: hr@employco.com

Should Unvaccinated Staff Suffer Premium Surcharges on Company Health Plans?

Employment trends expert weighs in on whether unvaccinated employees should be penalized  

Health Insurance IncreaseWith hopes of a return to normalcy slowly deteriorating thanks to the Delta variant and concerning upticks in COVID cases across the country, employers are struggling to find ways to stay afloat. One way that employers are trying to cut costs?

By asking employees who have refused the COVID vaccination to pay a premium surcharge on their company’s health plan.

“Many companies have led with a carrot approach when it comes to encouraging employee vaccinations, but unfortunately, vaccine hesitancy is leading many employers to reach for the stick now,” says Rob Wilson, President of Employco USA and employment trends expert.

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Are You on the Hook for COVID Cases in Your Workplace?

Employment trends expert Rob Wilson comments on why employers are requiring masks once again

Masks in OfficeAs the Delta variant rages on, Facebook, Target, Home Depot, and McDonald’s all put masks back on the table for workers. Yet the decision to require masks once again has not been an easy one for employers.

“Right now, protests are happening across the country as employees push back against mask mandates as well as mandated COVID-19 vaccinations,” says Rob Wilson, President of Employco USA and human resources expert. “From California to North Carolina to New York, crowds of employees and concerned citizens have gathered to express their dismay at tightening COVID restrictions.”

But do employers have the right to require masks and vaccinations?

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Starting Today, ‘Ban the Box’ Amendment Goes into Effect in NYC

Employment expert speaks on the Fair Chance Act and what employers need to know

Ban the BoxToday New York City’s “Ban the Box” Amendment officially went into effect. The amendment offers new protections for job applicants with a criminal history.  And effective Dec. 31st, states across the country will be required to follow suit.

“Currently, 35 states, along with Washington D.C. and several cities, have ‘Ban the Box’ regulations in place. Corporations like Starbucks and Facebook also have similar hiring regulations in place,” says Rob Wilson, President of Employco USA and employment trends expert. “But come December, this is will be the first time that a federal amendment is put into place protecting the 70 million Americans who have a criminal offense in their past.”

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Podcast: Biden’s Executive Order and Topgolf’s Biometric Settlement

On this month’s podcast Rob, Scott, and Jason cover some recent topics, including – President Biden’s executive order on promoting competition as well as Topgolf’s biometric privacy lawsuit. They discuss curtailing non-compete agreements, client poaching, job offer templates, recommendations for employers, biometric timeclocks, employee consent and disclosure, storing information, destroying records, and more.

Podcast: Biden's Executive Order and Topgolf's Biometric Settlement

Contact us with any questions you may have, we’re here to help: hr@employco.com