Rob, Scott, and Jason discuss conflict in the workplace; from clashing personalities and stress to what causes it, when to get involved, tips on how to mediate and resolve issues, interesting statistics, and more.
They also touch on the new Form W-4 and I-9 releases, including changes and expectations for employers moving forward.
Contact us with any questions you may have, we’re here to help: hr@employco.com
Employee expert discusses new study which says the human resources department is a hotbed for office dating
With Valentine’s Day approaching, love is in the air, even in the workplace…especially for those in the HR industry. The new “Workplace Romance in America” survey has found that 42% of people who work in human resources say that they have dated a coworker, compared to just 25% of the rest of surveyed employees.
“These shocking results show that HR employees are more likely to have an office romance than employees in other positions throughout the company,” says Rob Wilson, President of Employco USA, an employment solutions firm with locations across the country.
The new survey also found that one-third of employees say that they discuss their dating lives in the office.
“Whether they are dating a coworker or someone outside the office, the survey results show that many of us like to talk about love lives at work,” says Wilson. “While you don’t want to police your employees’ speech, it’s easy to see how this can become problematic if the discussion becomes lewd or overly-familiar.”
Employment expert weighs in on changes to employment authorization forms
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) just published a new Form I-9 for employers to begin using immediately. The Form I-9, which is used to verify new hires’ identity and employment authorization to work in the United States, now includes several changes.
“Employers can continue using the prior version until April 30, 2020. Starting in May, employers will be required to use the new form (expiration date of 10/31/2022) exclusively,” says Rob Wilson, President of Employco USA, a national employment solutions firm.
The new I-9 forms include changes to who can act as an authorized representative on behalf of an employer, explains the human resources expert, along with clarifications to acceptable documents as well as an updated DHS Privacy Notice.
The human resources expert says that employees who have properly filled out I-9 forms in the past do not need to submit new forms to their employer.
For more on this topic, please contact Rob Wilson at rwilson@thewilsoncompanies.com.
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) published a new Form I-9 for employers to begin using immediately. The new version includes minor changes to the form and instructions.
The Form I-9 is used to verify new hires’ identity and employment authorization to work in the United States.
Employers can continue using the prior version (expiration date of 08/31/2019 shown in the upper-right corner) until April 30, 2020. Starting in May, employers will be required to use the new form (expiration date of 10/31/2022) exclusively.
Over the next several days, we will provide our clients with an updated new hire packet including the new Form I-9.
Please contact us if you have any questions.
Employment expert weighs in
The 62nd Grammy Awards made headlines for performances from Lizzo and Billie Eilish, but what really caught the public’s attention was the scandal brewing just below the evening’s surface. Just 10 days before the ceremony, the Academy’s first female CEO and President, Deborah Dugan, was put on administrative leave. She has filed charges of sex-based discrimination in the workplace, sexual harassment at the hands of Joel Katz (the Recording Academy’s general counsel), as well as voting corruption and more.
Employment expert, Rob Wilson, says that the unfolding drama (including Taylor Swift’s sudden decision not to perform at the ceremony as originally planned, which many say was a decision made in solidarity of Dugan), presents a teachable moment for companies facing situations in which CEOs or top-level executives go on the offensive against the firm.
Employment expert Rob Wilson provides commentary on this new ruling and its expected impact on American business owners
In January, the Department of Labor clarified long-standing workplace disputes regarding joint-employer liability. In new provisions to the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), the DOL has finalized regulations regarding an employee’s ability to consider franchisors to be joint employers and therefore liable for alleged workplace wrongdoings at franchise locations.
“The Department of Labor’s ruling was published in the Federal Register on Jan. 16, and it will go into practice 60 days after this publication date,” says Rob Wilson, human resources expert and President of Employco USA, a national employment solutions firm. “In part, their new provisions have clarified under what circumstances a franchisor can be considered a joint employer of a franchisee employee.”
Franchisors should be satisfied with these new clarifications to the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), says Wilson.
Human resources expert offers commentary on this bill and what will happen if it passes
Today the U.S. House of Representatives will vote on “Protecting Older Workers Against Discrimination Act” (POWADA), a bill which many say will pass with bipartisan support.
“This bill was created to help offer protections to older workers who currently have few legal safeguards when it comes to ageism in the workplace,” says Rob Wilson, human resources expert and President of Employco USA, a national employment solutions firm.
Wilson says that this bill could be the answer to what many critics view as long-standing issues caused by a 2009 Supreme Court ruling.
“Since the Supreme Court ruled on the matter of Gross v. FBL Financial Services in 2009, a much higher burden of proof was placed on older workers,” explains Wilson. “Now workers had to show that ageism was a determinative reason for their termination, rather than one part of the employer’s reasoning. In other words, they had to show that they were directly terminated because of their age, not just that their age was one of several factors for their job loss.”
Rob, Scott, and Jason discuss marijuana in the workplace for 2020; from medical and recreational use to recent statistics, an Illinois legal update, drug testing policies, employee handbooks, what employers should do, and more.
Contact us with any questions you may have, we’re here to help: hr@employco.com
Rob Wilson, President of Employco USA, was recently quoted in an article for BenefitsPRO:
The new year has brought with it a myriad of new labor laws and compliance requirements that employers can’t afford to miss.
One hot topic: sexual harassment policies are getting greater scrutiny next year, which requires that all companies pay closer attention “to this very important issue,” Employco USA president Rob Wilson writes on the firm’s blog.
“We are finally starting to see people take sexual harassment in the workplace more seriously, and the new regulations coming into effect in 2020 reflect that,” Wilson says.
For more on this topic, please contact Rob Wilson at rwilson@thewilsoncompanies.com.
Human resources expert discusses new study and the recent legislation giving 2.1 million Americans paid leave
A brand-new, international study from a team of Danish researchers sought to discover what impact paternity leave policies had on companies. The economists found that paid leave had no demonstrable negative impact on a company’s bottom line.
The economists’ findings should be heartening to American employers who could be facing changes to paternity leave policies in the near future.
“In America, 1 in 4 women go back to work within 10 days of giving birth,” says Rob Wilson, human resources expert and President of Employco USA, a national employment solutions firm. “Currently, under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), eligible employees are able to take up to 12 weeks off work after having a child or adopting a child, but this time off is often unpaid.”
However, recent legislation which just passed in the Senate could mean that over 2 million Americans may now have access to paid paternity leave.
“The spending bill made paid paternity leave a reality for civilian workers who are employed by the government,” says Wilson. “The bill, which had enormous support in the Senate, gives 12 weeks of paid paternity leave to any civilian government employee who births, adopts, or fosters a child. Employees must have been at their position for at least one year in order to receive this benefit.”
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