Shortly after taking office in January, Seattle’s new Mayor made implementing a citywide minimum wage rate a priority. His proposal has rapidly gained support and the measure is now in the final stages of becoming law. As proposed, the minimum wage rate for employees of small employers will start at $10.00 per hour beginning in Read more
Many small businesses rely on independent contractors for their staffing needs, but doing so raises special concerns. Independent contractors, by definition, are self-employed and because they are not employees, independent contractors are not covered by employment, labor, and related tax laws. There are many benefits to hiring independent contractors such as savings in labor costs, Read more
Cautious food handling habits protects workers and consumers from the risks associated with various food sources. Training food industry workers how to handle food safely, recognize and respond to adverse reactions, and preventive measures is the first defense against food-related illness. A poster is worth a thousand words. Reinforce training by posting once of Compliance Read more
Hawaii is the latest state to enact legislation increasing the state minimum wage rate. Eventually Hawaii’s minimum wage rate will reach $10.10 per hour. Right now, Hawaii’s minimum wage rate is $7.25 per hour. Hawaii’s new minimum wage rates will be phased in as follows: $7.75 an hour on Jan. 1, 2015 $8.50 per hour Read more
Yesterday, Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley signed legislation that will ultimately increase the state minimum wage rate to $10.10 per hour. The Maryland law phases in the increase, raising the minimum wage from its current rate of $7.25 per hour to: $8 an hour on Jan. 1, 2015, $8.25 an hour on July 1, 2015, $8.75 Read more
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has updated its career sourcing website to help returning veterans find jobs. The DOL’s Career One Stop website includes a renovated webpage that both assists veterans in finding local jobs that match their military experience while also allowing employers to post job openings for veterans. Veterans The Career One Read more
Employers are the first to recognize the impact social media has in the workplace. Social media websites are increasingly being used by businesses and their employees for both professional and personal purposes. For that reason, employers have a genuine interest in managing how employees’ social media postings affects the business. Employers must also be aware Read more
In February, President Obama signed an Executive Order that will raise the hourly minimum wage rate for employees of federal contractors to $10.10 per hour beginning January 1, 2015. After that, the minimum wage will increase each year by a percentage measured by the Consumer Price Index. This month, the President ventured a step further Read more
Under a new Oklahoma law (OK SB 1023), cities and towns in that state are banned from raising the local minimum wage. The new law also bars localities from requiring employers provide employees a certain number of sick leave or vacation days, either paid or unpaid. The new law is said to protect the state Read more
Vermont Occupational Safety and Health Administration (VOSHA) has released an updated “Job Safety and Health Protection on the Job” posting. The posting is formatted to look similar to the familiar, full-color federal OSHA Job Safety and Health Protection on the Job posting. The new format is easy for employees and compliance personnel to identify. Also, Read more
