In The News...

DOL, NLRB team up on wage & hour enforcement

In an effort to crack down on employer pay violations, the U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division and the National Labor Relations Board have formally agreed to collaborate on an array of wage-related investigation and enforcement activities.

A joint statement said the DOL-NLRB partnership will "allow for better enforcement against unlawful pay practices, misclassification of workers as independent contractors and retaliation against workers who exercise their legal rights."

Make sure your injury/illness stats are posted

A reminder: Many employers with at least 10 employees--except those in certain low-risk industries--are required to post a summary of their 2021 work-related injuries and illnesses (OSHA Form 300A) from Feb. 1 to April 30.

Post the injury/illness summary form where you typically have other notices, and make it available to staff who don't report to a fixed work location. Certain companies must also electronically submit Form 300A to OSHA by March 2. For details, go to www.osha.gov/recordkeeping.

Be alert for a tax-season identity theft scam

The IRS is warning of a scheme that resurfaces around tax time each year. It works this way: HR or payroll gets an email that appears to be from a top company official (maybe the CEO) that requests a list of employees and their personal information, including Social Security numbers. It's really a "phishing" scam aiming to steal employee data. Alert your other HR and payroll staff, and follow up such emails with a phone call to confirm.

Coming: New safety rules to prevent heat illnesses

Look for first-time regulations from OSHA later this year that aim to protect workers from heat...