On September 13, 2012, the U.S. House of Representatives passed bill S. 3245. If signed by President Obama, this bill would reauthorize the E-Verify program, the EB-5 Regional Center program, the Special Immigrant Non-Minister Religious Worker program, and the Conrad State 30 J-1 Visa Waiver program from September 30, 2012 to September 30, 2015.
New FCRA Forms for 2013
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has issued changes to the notices required by the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). The changes simply direct consumers to the CFPB instead of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) for more information and there aren’t any other changes to the content or spirit of the notices. Please note that you can begin using the new form at any time, and your current form is also acceptable until January 1, 2013. The forms MUST be updated by January 1, 2013.
3 Reasons You’re Losing Employees Because of Pay
In this article, we explore three current and critical compensation problems that cause employers to lose talented employees. These issues include low salary increases, lack of differentiation in pay by performance, and difficulties finding the actual “going rate” for jobs.
Book Review: The Three Signs of a Miserable Job
In “The Three Signs of a Miserable Job,” author Patrick Lencioni writes a fable about a retired CEO who strives to understand what causes misery at work.
HR Analysts Experience Job Growth Statewide
In an era where an uncertain economy demands that business expenses undergo intensive financial scrutiny and metrics such as “return on investment” or ROI calculations are a driving force behind business decisions large and small, benchmarking trends in human resources is part of the expected norm.
4 Hiring Practices Successful Employers Use
Ever wonder how employers select a perfect match for a job? In our research, their secret lies in using certain hiring methods to select the right employees, specifically these four practices.
A Brand Evolution
At ERC, we’ve recently gone through a rebranding process and we’re excited to share with you the new look of ERC.
3 Tips for Recognizing Employees
Consistently, employees say that recognition and appreciation in the workplace matters – that when they feel valued, appreciated, recognized, and rewarded for their contributions, hard work, and results, they are more likely to stay and less likely to leave their organization.
Training is Key for Hourly Maintenance Workers
According to the 2012 ERC Wage Survey, with the exception of entry level workers, wages for Machine Maintenance Mechanics in Northeast Ohio fall largely in line with the national dollar figures reported by the 2012-2013 Occupational Outlook Handbook. The national median wage for this job category averaged $21.23 per hour.
Employers Attempt to Identify Retention Challenges
When asked “What is the biggest challenge your company faces today?” the most common response by participants in the 2012 ERC/Smart Business Workplace Practices Survey was, “hiring & retaining employees.” To address the first half of this challenge, employers report using recruiting and hiring practices at rates that are fairly consistent with past years. Most organizations check an applicant’s references (90%) and more than half (57%) use some type of psychological testing as part of their selection process. Unsurprisingly, there was a noticeable uptick in the use of technology as a recruiting tool overall, with more employers routinely using tools such as internet job boards (85%) and social networking (52%) to match the right candidate with their organization’s needs.
How to Inspire & Engage Employees in 6 Easy Ways
Do you want your employees to work harder? Have a better attitude? Be more productive? Find efficiencies or areas to improve? Show more enthusiasm? Be committed?
Controlling Costs Through Effective Absence Management
In an era where concerns about controlling costs is more crucial than ever, managing employee absenteeism is one area where HR departments are empowered to make a real impact on the organization’s bottom line. A cost analysis from a Mercer report entitled The Total Financial Impact of Employee Absences found that the total cost (direct and indirect) of all absence categories (scheduled and unscheduled) averaged 36% of total payroll. The most costly days, the analysis continued, were unscheduled absences- largely attributable to the indirect costs associated with higher rates of lost productivity for these types of absences.
