ICE agents have arrested an average of over 4,000 illegal immigrants per month compared to the slightly more than 1,700 per month during the Obama administration. The practice of conducting workplace raids, largely unused during the last administration, has returned with vigor as seen in the Southern Provision case and several others.
Often, when profanity is used in the workplace, managers, and supervisors are reluctant to address it for fear that they will be seen as prudish or part of the speech police. However, employers need to carefully consider their response to profane or obscene language when used by employees.
If President Donald Trump and Congress deliver on the promise of faster growth for the economy, it may well be reflected in a tightening labor market. That means that finding and hiring those star employees every company seeks will become even more difficult.
In a recent report on Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) legal actions, it was noted that the agency had filed suit alleging American with Disabilities Act discrimination by an employer for the failure to hire an individual who informed his new employer that he was using Suboxone, an opioid.
One of the more significant election promises made by then-candidate Trump was his promise to reduce the regulatory burden on American businesses. With his “two regulations withdrawn for every one proposed” approach, he has been largely successful in making his promise a reality.
Workers’ compensation claims, and how to keep them under control, have always been a focus for most employers. They occur in virtually all industries and can be costly and time consuming.
How often have we heard some company owner or representative declare “Our employees are our most valuable asset”? Certainly more than occasionally. Some companies have even adopted this claim as their byword. In this era of more-than- full employment and a growing shortage of qualified job applicants in virtually every industry, those words have now become a reality for most employers.
As the overall economy continues to expand and improve, in virtually every industry employers are finding it increasingly difficult to hire employees. The number of baby boomers reaching retirement age, estimated to be almost 10,000 each day, makes the labor shortage even more acute. In addition to the loss of their services, baby boomers who leave take with them institutional knowledge, operational know-how and informed best practices that may be difficult or even impossible to replace. Such losses are likely to continue for at least several more years if not longer.
The tsunami of sexual harassment allegations that has engulfed so many rich, famous and powerful men that are reported on an almost daily basis raises a fair question – How will this affect the workplace where the not so rich and famous spend their workdays helping their company succeed?
