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On April 10, 2008, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), the Department of Homeland Security's service and benefits bureau, announced a preliminary number of nearly 163,000 H-1B petitions received during the filing period ending on April 7, 2008. More than 31,200 of those petitions were for the "advanced degree" category. CCH Human Resources Management Daily Document Update ¶24,766.
Organized labor is devoting substantial resources to supporting candidates in the upcoming elections who will advance passage of the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA). If adopted, the legislation would mark the most significant changes in American labor law in decades, according to Pepper Hamilton, a multi-practice law firm. "EFCA poses a significant threat to union-free employers," said Jonathan Kane, chairman of Pepper Hamilton's Labor and Employment Group. "Companies should mobilize to fight efforts to make EFCA the law of the land. Otherwise, they may well find themselves being forced to bargain with a union even though no union-organizing election was ever held." Employers must understand what EFCA's passage would mean, and what they can do now to ensure that union organizers do not target their employees, according to Kane. CCH Human Resources Management Daily Document Update ¶24,775.
The wrong language denigrating older workers, even if only subtly can have an outsized negative impact on employee productivity and corporate profits, says Bob McCann, an associate professor of management communication at the USC Marshall School of Business. While demographic trends point to a more age-diverse workforce, said McCann, ageist language is still to be found in many workplaces, and can have severe repercussions for both older workers and their employers. "Our research has clearly shown links between ageist language and reported health outcomes as broad as reduced life satisfaction, lowered self-esteem, and even depression," said McCann. CCH Human Resources Management Daily Document Update ¶24,758.
Employees ultimately determine the success of a business transition, but, too often, companies fail to take into account the angst of surviving workforce. As they struggle to adjust to the current economic and business environments, many companies are undergoing transitions, whether through mergers, acquisitions, downsizing or layoffs. There are a number of consequences harmful to the organization that can result from a poorly implemented transition. Employees can become distracted from their work and spend valuable work time venting their feelings about the changes and become less committed and loyal to the organization, even, in some cases, sabotaging the company by not sharing information, being less collaborative and treating customers badly. They can also become risk aversive not wanting to be involved in something for which they may be held accountable. CCH Human Resources Management Daily Document Update ¶24,757.
The rate of obesity in the United States has doubled in the last 30 years, and those extra pounds weigh on companies' bottom lines, according to a new report from The Conference Board. Today, 34 percent of American adults fit the definition of "obese." Obese employees cost U.S. private employers an estimated $45 billion annually in medical expenditures and work loss. In a new report, Weights and Measures: What Employers Should Know about Obesity, The Conference Board examines the financial and ethical questions surrounding whether, and how, U.S. companies should address the obesity epidemic. CCH Human Resources Management Daily Document Update ¶24,756.
Consumer prices as measured by the Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers index (CPI-W) increased 0.9 percent in March, prior to seasonal adjustment, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported on April 16. The CPI-W, which is used as an escalator in union contracts and in federal entitlement payments, registered a March level of 209.147, which was 4.3 percent higher than in March 2007. Consumer prices as measured by the All Urban Consumers index (CPI-U) also rose in March, by 0.9 percent, prior to seasonal adjustment. The March level of 213.528 was 4.0 percent higher than in March 2007. On a seasonally adjusted basis, the CPI-W rose 0.4 percent in March, while the CPI-U increased by 0.3 percent. CCH Human Resources Management Daily Document Update ¶24,774.
Real average weekly earnings rose by 0.2 percent from February to March after seasonal adjustment, according to preliminary data released April 16 by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Increases of 0.3 percent in both average weekly hours and average hourly earnings were partially offset by a 0.4 percent increase in the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers. CCH Human Resources Management Daily Document Update ¶24,773.
A large majority of you, 70 percent, utilize workers who aren’t classified as employees. According to the February online poll results, 47 percent of respondents use “contractors” while 23 percent utilize contractors but worry they might be “employees.” Eleven percent of respondents said they do not use independent contractors, unless you count their temporary employees and 19 percent said they have only true “employees.” There were 253 participants in the February poll.
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