On Feb. 17, 2012, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that “Self Check,” a free online service of E-Verify that allows individuals to check their own employment eligibility status, is now available nationwide. This announcement expands on the initial launch of Self Check in March 2011, and an expansion to 16 additional states in September of the same year.
On Feb. 7, the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) extended the deadline for interested parties to comment on the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) to revise the regulations implementing the non-discrimination and affirmative action regulations of section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended. The original comment deadline was Feb. 7. In a press release about the extension, OFCCP stated that “after receiving several requests for extensions, OFCCP is extending the comment period for this NPRM for 14 days until Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2012.”
On Dec. 9, 2011, the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) proposed significant changes to its regulations implementing Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, which would revise the nondiscrimination and affirmative action obligations of direct federal contractors and their subcontractors regarding individuals with disabilities.
On Jan. 4, Pres. Obama bypassed the Senate confirmation process and announced he would make three recess appointments to the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). The appointees are: Sharon Block (D), deputy assistant secretary for congressional affairs at U.S. Department of Labor; Terence Flynn (R), chief counsel to NLRB Member Brian Hayes; and Richard Griffin (D), general counsel for the International Union of Operating Engineers. The appointments were sworn into office on Jan. 9, joining the two sitting board members – Chairman Mark Pearce (D) and Hayes (R) – to give the Board a full complement for the first time since August 2010. The recess appointments will expire at the end of 2013.
On Dec. 9, 2011, the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) issued its proposed rule to revise regulations under Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act on implementing affirmative action and nondiscrimination obligations to contractors and subcontractors, and to evaluate the affirmative action provisions.
The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB or the Board) has ruled that the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) prohibits employers from requiring employees to sign an arbitration agreement that precludes them from filing joint, class, or collective employment claims in any forum, whether in arbitration or in court.
On Jan. 1, 2012, a revised version of the National Maintenance Agreements (NMA) went into effect. Established around 1971, the NMA is a national project labor agreement primarily used in industrial maintenance and renovation projects, such as in petro-chemical, utility, steel, and automotive plants.
Construction-industry collective bargaining negotiations completed in 2011 resulted in an average first-year increase in wages and fringe benefits of $0.73 or 1.7 percent, according to the Construction Labor Research Council’s (CLRC’s) annual report on settlements.
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD) recently released guidance on the topic of employee retaliation with regard to the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA).
On Nov. 21, 2011, President Obama signed into law the Veterans Opportunity to Work (VOW) to Hire Heroes Act of 2011. While the law offers many direct benefits to personally assist the nation’s veterans, such as education and training programs, for employers, the law provides tax incentives when qualifying unemployed veterans are hired and begin work between Nov. 22, 2011, and Dec. 31, 2012.