Why Don’t We Labor on Labor Day? Our news usually deals with business topics, but with Labor Day coming up this weekend, we thought it would be interesting to look at the history and origination of our beloved “end of summer” holiday: Labor Day. This day might better be called “Workers’ Day,” because that is who it celebrates—the American worker and the trade and labor groups that support them. Encouraged by the labor movement, Labor…
We hear a lot about the dangers of drunk driving, but did you know it is only the Number 3 cause of accidents? The Number 1 cause, by far, is distracted driving. Per a study by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI), 80 percent of automobile accidents and 65 percent of near-accidents involve some form of driver distraction within three seconds of the incident. Although talking or…
In January, the U.S. Department of Labor (DoL) rolled out new guidelines that make it easier for companies to use unpaid interns, but some labor experts are warning the guidance is not a panacea. The update, published in a DoL guidance document on its website, sets a more flexible standard for employers than previous guidance. Now, interns must be the “primary beneficiaries” of the program—in other words, the programs must benefit the intern more than the…
Our news usually deals with business topics, but today, we thought it would be interesting to look at the history and origination of our beloved “end of summer” holiday: Labor Day. This day might better be called “Workers’ Day,” because that is who it celebrates—the American worker and the trade and labor groups that support them. Encouraged by the labor movement, Labor Day’s first governmental recognition came through municipal ordinances passed in 1885 and 1886,…
Earlier this month, the governor of Missouri announced he was lowering the state’s minimum wage from $10 back to $7.70. The reason? He had heard from numerous small-business owners who said they couldn’t afford to pay the wage and stay in business. Although California and other states have committed to raise minimum wage to $15 an hour, small and midsized business (SMB) owners with limited resources appear to be struggling to meet higher wage requirements….
Last month, the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals, which hears cases in several Midwest states, issued a judicial ruling that sexual orientation claims are actionable under Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. The ruling came in response to a suit in Indiana, Hively v. Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana. It adds support to a July 2016 administrative opinion, issued by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) in relation to a separate suit….
We hear a lot about the dangers of drunk driving, but did you know it is only the Number 3 cause of accidents? The Number 1 cause, by far, is distracted driving. Per a study by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI), 80 percent of automobile accidents and 65 percent of near-accidents involve some form of driver distraction within three seconds of the incident. Although talking or…
In June, the National Safety Council will be promoting National Safety Month, a nationwide advocacy effort to increase safety at work, on the road and in homes. The campaign focuses specifically on raising awareness to reduce the incidence of the leading causes of injury and death. In conjunction with this effort, Marathon is working to expand education about two important issues for businesses: worker driving safety, which we will feature this week, and leading causes…
Despite decreasing over the past decade, disabling, non-fatal injuries in the U.S. workplace still cost employers approximately $60 billion in direct compensation costs, which equates to $1 billion each week, per the 2017 Liberty Mutual Workplace Safety Index. Direct costs are those that directly impact the bottom line, including workers’ compensation payments, medical expenses and costs for legal services. The index, which ranks the top 10 causes of disabling work-related injuries and their direct costs…
The U.S. House of Representatives recently took action to make it easier for small businesses to offer employee health coverage through association health plans (AHPs). These plans, which offer businesses and other association members access to more affordable insurance plans than they can procure individually, have long been appealing but not widely available. If this bill passes the Senate and the President signs it into law, all that may change for the better. On March…
Buffalo's Cafe Ends Human Resources Headaches;