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New occupational health and safety awareness training to be required in Ontario

By Patrick Gannon Occupational health and safety legislation in all provinces across Canada places the ultimate responsibility for occupational health and safety on employers. Among other things, Canadian employers have to provide certain information, instruction, and training to workers. Last month, Ontario took occupational health and safety training to a new level, announcing that Ontario […]

Proposed Law Would Institute Paid Family/Medical Leave

Congress has proposed a bill that would provide up to 12 weeks of paid leave each year to qualifying workers for the birth or adoption of a new child, the serious illness of an immediate family member, a worker’s own medical condition, and/or for specific military caregiving and leave purposes. The Family and Medical Insurance […]

Medical Clinic Cited for FMLA Violations, Ordered to Pay Back Wages

The U.S. Department of Labor has cited Houston Ear, Nose & Throat Clinic, LLP, for multiple violations of the Family and Medical Leave Act, and has ordered the clinic to pay $17,390 in back wages and other expenses. A DOL investigation found that when an eligible HENTC employee returned from FMLA leave, the company placed […]

Work with Your Community to Train the Next Generation

Strong partnerships between employers, educational institutions, and local communities are essential for effective workforce training programs, according to a blog from the U.S. Commerce Department. Secretary Penny Pritzker had recently announced a strategic vision for the Department of Commerce, which includes a focus on ensuring that workers are prepared with the skills that employers need. […]

Infographic on Health Care Costs 2014

This infographic via Mercer shows that although US health benefit cost growth slowed again in 2013, employers expect the rate of growth in per-employee cost of coverage to increase in 2014. “The good news is that employers have already taken decisive action to slow cost growth so they will be in a better position to […]

Mercer Infographic Shows Global Pay Increases for 2014

The latest Global Compensation Planning Report from Mercer highlights increases across most regions of the 100 countries studied. View the image below for a summary of the findings. “Employers will remain cautious with pay raises in 2014, but employees, nevertheless, will benefit from a gradually improving relationship between economic growth and inflation,” says Niklaus Kobel, […]

Health Benefit Costs: Calm Before the Storm?

According to the annual National Survey of Employer-Sponsored Health Plans by Mercer employers expect the rate of growth in the per-employee cost of coverage to rebound in 2014. View the infographic below for a summary of the findings.

’Tis the Season … to Do Right by Employees and Customers

Among other things, having a manager who cares about them as people is part of being happy at work. So when I heard about Liberty Bottleworks, I figured it must have a pretty satisfied workforce. Here’s the story, from a recent edition of The Oswald Letter. It seems that over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, the […]

’Tis the Season … to Do Right by Employees and Customers

“Have you ever thought about what employees really want from a company and a manager?” asks business and leadership blogger Dan Oswald. What is it that really makes employees feel satisfied in their workplace? Among other things, having a manager who cares about them as people is part of being happy at work. So when […]