Tim's Talking About Ohio's Minimum Wage, Election Season and Canada's Job Push

Ohio Minimum Wage To Go Up

In case you have not heard, the Ohio minimum wage will increase by 30 cents from $7.40 per hour to $7.70 per hour on January 1, 2012. This impacts all Ohio employers with annual gross receipts of $283,000 or more. Those with less can pay the Federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour. Sometimes I think I should own stock in those companies that make all the bulletin board legal posters.

Staffing Employment Up

Staffing employment went up 3 percent in September from August according to the ASA. The index stands at 90 for the first time this year but is still 1.2 percent lower than the year ago reading.

World Series OF Wine Winner

Renee Seitz, Wellman Products is last month's lucky winner of a pair of tickets to the 2011 World Series Of Wine at the Terrace Club in Progressive Field. The 16th annual event provides a spectacular wine weekend with a variety of 400 wines from over 150 fine wineries. Proceeds from this charity event all go to support local public television programs.

Election Day Fast Approaching

With election day fast approaching on November 8th keep in mind that Ohio election law can impact the rights of your employees.

Specifically, you cannot threaten to discharge or discharge an employee for taking a reasonable amount of time to vote (reasonable of course is not defined).

It against the law to refuse to permit an employee to serve as an election official.

And of course you cannot beat an employee up for not voting the way you want....I simplified it.

The point is employees have election day rights and before you get in trouble for trampling all over them you might want to check out the basics.

One Way To Cut Our Unemployment Rate-Canada's Hiring

According to the federal immigration minister of CANADA of all places, it is looking into ways to tap the U.S. labor force for anticipated shortages in parts of our northern neighbor. While our rate remains stuck over 9% the rate in Alberta is 5.6% mainly from a renewal in oilsands development.

According to the minister, "a lot of skilled tradespeople in the U.S. could walk straight into productive jobs here". Canada imported some 185,000 of these workers from around the world last year.

Lookout Independent Contractor's

Last month the U.S. Department of Labor held a "ceremony" where that department signed an agreement with the IRS to coordinate efforts to nab those posing as independent contractors to avoid paying taxes. Amnesty is being offered to companies that may be violation of the provisions related to this misclassification" issue.

Changes In Background Checking Coming?

As expected Governor Jerry Brown of California signed Assembly Bill 22 in to law which greatly restricts an employer's ability to use credit reports in the hiring process. While it excludes most positions that have confidential access or financial/proprietary information duties it does start a trend that has led to the "Ban the Box" movement across the country.