November 2020
TOP 5 EMPLOYMENT LAW CHANGES EXPECTED UNDER JOE BIDEN
With Joe Biden on pace to become the 46th president of the United States, employers can expect several changes to the workplace legal landscape over the next four years. Here are the TOP 5 expected changes following Biden’s inauguration on January 20, 2021:
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Affordable Care Act (ACA) – President-elect Biden has pledged to strengthen the ACA including an expansion of coverage to more uninsured and underinsured. The Supreme Court’s decision in California v. Texas, which has the potential to significantly affect the future of the ACA, is expected in early 2021.
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Employee Leaves of Absence – The U.S. workforce is anticipating the introduction of a new federal paid leave law. Although the nation got a glimpse of temporary federal paid leave under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA), a new program could provide employees with up to 12 weeks of paid time off.
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Labor Relations – Biden has been vocal with his eagerness to bolster union representation including additional protections for organizing activity and new appointments to the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB).
REMOTE EMPLOYEE WELL-BEING
An employee’s well-being is defined by various factors, both inside and outside of work—including physical, mental, social and financial well-being. Overall well-being is something that employees desire but can be challenging to achieve. Not only can employees who achieve well-being thrive in their personal and professional lives—they offer immense benefits to organizations.
The good news for employers is that the efforts they take to ensure employee well-being can not only help their employees and their bottom line, but are also very attainable. A Harvard Business Review survey found that 95% of employees feel that their organization has at least some control over employee well-being, with 38% reporting that they feel their organization has a high degree of control.
FULL ARTICLE INCLUDES: HR Toolkit on “Remote Employee Well-being”
IMPORTANCE OF EMPLOYEE RECOGNITION
Employees want not only good pay and benefits, but also opportunities to contribute to their employer, customers and other stakeholders through their work, and feel valued and appreciated for their efforts in the workplace. Unfortunately, 65% of employees reported that it had been over one year since they received any form of recognition for their work, according to a Gallup poll.
To help express appreciation, many employers implement ongoing employee recognition programs. A more promising statistic from the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) survey revealed that 80% of organizations have an employee recognition program in place. The goal of employee recognition is to reinforce certain behaviors, practices or activities that result in better performance and positive business results. It comes down to acknowledging and appreciating exemplary performance.
FULL ARTICLE INCLUDES: HR Toolkit and Infographic on “Employee Recognition”
LEGAL AND COMPLIANCE UPDATES FOR 2021
We have created the following overview PDF’s to help you navigate the upcoming legal and compliance updates for 2021.
Minimum Wage Changes – Almost half of the states have announced new minimum wage rates for 2021.
- Link to overview: 2021 State Minimum Wage Rates
Benefit Plan Limits – Several plan limits (e.g., HSA contributions) are increasing in 2021 while others (e.g., 401(k) and FSA) will remain the same.
- Link to overview: Employee Benefit Plan Limits for 2021
FULL ARTICLE INCLUDES: HR Compliance Bulletin on “Five States Legalize Marijuana”
PODCAST: THE TOP 5 EMPLOYMENT LAW CHANGES EXPECTED UNDER JOE BIDEN
On this month’s podcast Rob, Scott, and Jason discuss “The Top 5 Employment Law Changes Expected Under Joe Biden,” including: the Affordable Care Act (ACA), employee leaves of absence, labor relations, independent contractors, minimum wage, and more.
Questions, comments, feedback?
If you are an existing client and have questions or concerns, please contact:
Jason Eisenhut 630-286-7341 jeisenhut@employco.com