• CTHRR’s New Quick Survey Available:  We’ve posted a new survey for Connecticut employers’ participation.  It focuses on your view of your future recruiting needs including those jobs you may currently be having trouble filling.  All results are confidential…all participants receive the compiled results.  The survey takes less than a minute to complete.

* Please visit:  www.cthrr.com/quicksurvey.htm

 

• Workplace Injuries & Illnesses in 2010:  Nearly 3.1 million nonfatal workplace injuries and illnesses were reported among private industry employers in 2010, resulting in an incidence rate of 3.5 cases per 100 equivalent full-time workers--down from 3.6 cases in 2009.

* Source:  USDOL-BLS.  For detailed information, see the October 24^th issue of CTHRR’s Connecticut HR eNewsletter.

 

• CTDOL’s Take on the Labor Situation:  “While the drop in Connecticut’s unemployment rate and increase in September job counts are good news, recent trends indicate that job growth has slowed in 2011, particularly in the third quarter,” noted Andy Condon, Director of the Office of Research.  “This slowdown in the recovery is a national phenomenon with Connecticut showing a slightly better performance in September than the U.S. economy as a whole.  While we hope to build on September’s job gains, we don’t yet see that pattern emerging in the Connecticut labor market.”

* Source:  CTDOL.  For detailed information, see the October 24^th issue of CTHRR’s Connecticut HR eNewsletter.

 

• Pensions:  The Internal Revenue Service has announced the pension plan contribution and deferral limits that will be in effect for 2012

* Source:  IRS.  For detailed information, see the October 24^th issue of CTHRR’s Connecticut HR eNewsletter.

 

• Connecticut Labor Situation:  September:  Connecticut’s September gain of 3,400 jobs continues a pattern of small monthly gains and losses without a clear trend emerging.  The state’s nonfarm job counts grew to 1,620,900, an increase of 10,400 or 0.6% seasonally adjusted jobs over last year.  The state’s unemployment rate fell below nine percent to 8.9% for the first time since November of 2009. 

* Source:  CTDOL.  For detailed information, see the October 24^th issue of CTHRR’s Connecticut HR eNewsletter.

 

• U.S. Wage Differences by Gender:  In September, women who usually worked full time had median weekly earnings of $673, or 81.4 percent of the $827 median for men. The female-to-male earnings ratio varied by race and ethnicity. White women earned 82.5 percent as much as their male counterparts, compared with black (90.2 percent), Asian (70.1 percent), and Hispanic women (92.9 percent).

* Source:  USDOL.  For detailed information, see the October 24^th issue of CTHRR’s Connecticut HR eNewsletter.

 

• Social Security:  Taxable Income Rises to $110,100:  :  The maximum amount of earnings subject to the Social Security tax (taxable maximum) will increase to $110,100 from $106,800.  Of the estimated 161 million workers who will pay Social Security taxes in 2012, about 10 million will pay higher taxes as a result of the increase in the taxable maximum.

* Source:  IRS.  For detailed information, see the next issue of CTHRR’s Connecticut HR eNewsletter.

 

• U.S. Wages:  $753/Week in Q3:  Median weekly earnings of the nation's 101.4 million full-time wage and salary workers were $753 in the third quarter of 2011 (not seasonally adjusted). This was 1.8 percent higher than a year earlier, compared with a gain of 3.8 percent in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) over the same period.

* Source:  USDOL.  For detailed information, see the next issue of CTHRR’s Connecticut HR eNewsletter.

 

• CTDOL on New Paid Sick-Leave Act:  Connecticut’s recently-enacted Paid Sick Leave Law will be discussed in-depth by legal experts from the Connecticut Department of Labor at the agency’s Central Office in Wethersfield.  The session includes a continental breakfast at 8 a.m. and will run from 8:30 to 11 a.m. on November 16.   There is a $25 fee for the seminar.  Questions can be addressed to Susan DeVito at (860) 263-6757, or via email at mailto:susan.devito@ct.gov.

* Source:  CTDOL.  For detailed information, see the next issue of CTHRR’s Connecticut HR eNewsletter.

 

• Social Security News:  The Social Security Administration has announced that monthly Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits will increase 3.6 percent in 2012. The 3.6 percent cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) will begin with the January 2012 benefit payments. Increased payments for people on SSI will begin on December 30, 2011. For some beneficiaries, the increase in their Social Security benefit amount may be partially or completely offset by increases in Medicare premiums in 2012. For 2012 the wage base subject to SS tax rises to $110,100.

* Source:  Social Security Administration.  For detailed information, see the next issue of CTHRR’s Connecticut HR eNewsletter.

 

• Connecticut Guide to Emergency Preparedness:   This publication provides important information about different types of emergencies, as well as the key steps people can take now to be prepared if a disaster hits. The guide, originally developed in 2005, was revised with updated information, including a section on pandemic influenza preparedness.

* Source:  Guide.  For further information on this topic, see the section on Emergencies in What to Do about Personnel Problems in Connecticut.

 

• Toyota Dealer Allowed Only Younger Staff to Sell Youth-Oriented Scion Car:  A Toyota dealership is being sued by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission because it allegedly would not let older people sell Scions….

* Source: Link.    For further information on this topic, see the section on Civil Rights & Discrimination in What to Do about Personnel Problems in Connecticut.

 

• Connecticut Workplace Fire Safety:  October is National Fire Safety Month and the Connecticut Department of Public Health (DPH) is encouraging Connecticut’s employers and workers to keep their workplaces safe from accidental fires.  DPH recommends that all of Connecticut’s employers and workers review the “Workplace Fire Safety Top 10” checklist, which can be found on the DPH website at…”

* Source:  Checklist.  For detailed information, see the October 17^th issue of CTHRR’s Connecticut HR eNewsletter.

 

• OSHA Cites Employer:  $950,000 in Penalties:  The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration has cited PJ Trailers Manufacturing Co. Inc. and Delco Trailers Co. Inc., a similar company owned by PJ Trailers, for seven willful, 26 serious, nine repeat and four other-than-serious violations. OSHA inspectors found workers exposed to unguarded machinery, fall hazards and accumulations of potentially hazardous dust, among other violations. Proposed penalties total $949,800.

* Source:  OSHA.  For further information on this topic, see the section on OSHA in What to Do about Personnel Problems in Connecticut.

 

• Connecticut WC Commission’s Annual Report:  The Workers' Compensation Commission has posted its Annual Report, which contains basic statistical information regarding the Commission's activities.

* Source:  Annual Report.  For further information on this topic, see the section on Workers’ Compensation in What to Do about Personnel Problems in Connecticut.

 

• U.S. Job Openings Did Not Increase in August:  There were 3.1 million job openings on the last business day of August, essentially unchanged from July, but up 26 percent from the end of the recession.

* Source:  USDOL.  For detailed information, see the October 17th issue of CTHRR’s Connecticut HR eNewsletter.

 

• U.S. Hours of Work:  The average workweek for all employees on private nonfarm payrolls edged up by 0.1 hour in September to 34.3 hours following a decrease of 0.1 hour in August. The manufacturing workweek edged down by 0.1 hour in September to 40.2 hours. Factory overtime increased by 0.1 hour to 3.2 hours.

* Source:  USDOL.  For detailed information, see the October 10^th issue of CTHRR’s Connecticut HR eNewsletter.

 

• Connecticut:  WARN Act Layoffs:  A WARN Act notice received by the State of Connecticut Labor Department shows that Honeywell Analytics of Middletown will be laying off 79 employees between February and September 2012 in preparation for ceasing operations.

 

• U.S. Wages in September:  Average hourly earnings for all employees on private nonfarm payrolls increased by 4 cents, or 0.2 percent, to $23.12. This increase followed a decline of 4 cents in August. Over the past 12 months, average hourly earnings have increased by 1.9 percent.

* Source:  USDOL.  For detailed information, see the October 10^th issue of CTHRR’s Connecticut HR eNewsletter.

 

• Unemployment by Major Worker Group:  Among the major worker groups, the unemployment rates for adult men (8.8 percent), adult women (8.1 percent), teenagers (24.6 percent), whites (8.0 percent), blacks (16.0 percent), and Hispanics (11.3 percent) showed little or no change in September. The jobless rate for Asians was 7.8 percent, not seasonally adjusted.

* Source:  USDOL.  For detailed information, see the October 10^th issue of CTHRR’s Connecticut HR eNewsletter.

 

• Bridgeport:  Paid Sick Leave Law Seminar:  Friday October 28, 2011, Bridgeport CTWorks, 350 Fairfield Ave, Bridgeport CT.  “Learn about how the new Paid Sick Leave law affects your business. Topics discussed will include which employers are exempt and which are subject to the law, how employees will accrue and use paid sick leave and requirements for administering the law.”

* Source:  CTDOL.  Information.  For further information on this topic, see the section on Sick Pay in What to Do about Personnel Problems in Connecticut.

 

• U.S. Unemployment:  The number of unemployed persons, at 14.0 million, was essentially unchanged in September, and the unemployment rate was 9.1 percent. Since April, the rate has held in a narrow range from 9.0 to 9.2 percent.

* Source:  USDOL.  For detailed information, see the October 10^th issue of CTHRR’s Connecticut HR eNewsletter.

 

• Connecticut:  WARN Act Layoffs:  Two recent WARN Act notices received by the State of Connecticut Labor Department show that Livingston Services Corporation of Plainville and Bridgewater Associates, LP of Westport will be laying off employees in November and December in preparation for ceasing operations.

* Source:  CTDOL.  For detailed information, see the October 10^th issue of CTHRR’s Connecticut HR eNewsletter.

 

• U.S. Employment Situation:  Nonfarm payroll employment edged up by 103,000 in September, and the unemployment rate held at 9.1 percent. In September, job gains occurred in professional and business services, health care, and construction. Government employment continued to trend down.

* Source:  USDOL.  For detailed information, see the next October 10^th of CTHRR’s Connecticut HR eNewsletter.

 

• Weight Watchers Sued by EEOC for Refusing to Hire Pregnant Applicant:  “…Weight Watchers violated federal law when it refused to hire an applicant as a group leader because she was pregnant, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission charged….”

* EEOC.     For detailed information, see the October 3^rd issue of CTHRR’s Connecticut HR eNewsletter.

 

• Employer Charged with Obesity Discrimination:  “The Virginia based military vehicle manufacturer, BAE Systems, is alleged to have been fired an employee named Ronald Kratz who suffered from a disability known as morbid obesity. The EEOC alleges that Kratz was qualified to perform the essential function of the position as a material handler but BAE Systems refused to provide reasonable accommodations.”

* Link.    For further information on this topic, see the section on Civil Rights & Discrimination in What to Do about Personnel Problems in Connecticut.

 

• Commuting in Connecticut to Cost More:  The Hartford Courant says Connecticut is jacking up the price to ride commuter buses or trains…passengers will absorb the hit over several years instead of all at once.

* For detailed information, see the October 3^rd issue of CTHRR’s Connecticut HR eNewsletter.

 

• NLRB Notice Postponed:  The National Labor Relations Board has postponed the implementation date for its new notice-posting rule by more than two months in to allow for enhanced education and outreach to employers, particularly those who operate small and medium sized businesses.  The new effective date of the rule is Jan. 31, 2012.

* Source:  NLRB.  For detailed information, see the next issue of CTHRR’s Connecticut HR eNewsletter.

 

• Middlesex County Career Fair:  Friday, October, 28, 2011, 10:00 am to 2:30 pm, Crowne Plaza Hotel, Cromwell, CT.

* Source:  CTDOL.  For detailed information, see the October 3^rd issue of CTHRR’s Connecticut HR eNewsletter.

 

• Claiming the Small Business Health Care Tax Credit:  The credit is specifically targeted to help small businesses and tax-exempt organizations that primarily employ 25 or fewer workers with average income of $50,000 or less.

* Source:  IRS.gov.     For detailed information, see the October 3^rd issue of CTHRR’s Connecticut HR eNewsletter.

 

• Connecticut Mass Layoffs in August:  In August, Connecticut employers took only 3 mass layoff actions, as measured by new filings for unemployment insurance benefits during the month.  Each action involved at least 50 persons from a single employer; the number of workers involved totaled 280. As compared to the same month a year ago, the number of mass layoff events decreased by 5 and associated initial claims fell by 600.

* Source:  USDOL.  For detailed information, see the September 26^th issue of CTHRR’s Connecticut HR eNewsletter.

 

• U.S. Mass Layoffs in August:  Nationally, employers took 961 mass layoff actions in August involving 99,213 workers.  As compared to the same month a year ago, the number of mass layoff events decreased by 15 but associated initial claims rose by 6,778. August is traditionally a low month for mass layoff events.

* Source:  USDOL.  For detailed information, see the September 26^th issue of CTHRR’s Connecticut HR eNewsletter.

 

• Average CT Resident on UC Received $301/Week:  For the 12 months ending August 31, 2011, regular unemployment compensation benefits averaged $301 per week and claimants received an average 19.6 weeks of compensation, not including federal extensions. A year earlier, weekly benefit payments averaged $297 for an average of 18.6 weeks.

* Source:  CTDOL.  For detailed information, see the September 26^th issue of CTHRR’s Connecticut HR eNewsletter.

 

• More on Flu:  Are We Ready?   “The toll that influenza will take each season may be unpredictable, but one constant is the need for everyone 6 months and older to get vaccinated annually in order to decrease the impact of this contagious disease.”

* Source:  Centers for Disease Control.  For detailed information, see the September 26^th issue of CTHRR’s Connecticut HR eNewsletter.

 

• Maximum UC Rate Rises October 2:  The maximum unemployment compensation benefit increases from $555 to $573 per week effective 10/2/2011.  This rate applies claims established on or after October 2^nd.

* Source:  CTDOL.  For detailed information, see the September 26^th issue of CTHRR’s Connecticut HR eNewsletter.

 

• Longer Commutes, Less Carpooling:  The average travel time for workers 16 and older inched up from 25.1 minutes in 2009 to 25.3 minutes in 2010. The percentage that drove to work alone increased from 76.1% in 2009 to 76.6% in 2010. Conversely, the percentage that carpooled declined from 10.0% to 9.7% and the percentage taking public transportation slipped from 5.0% to 4.9%.  Also, 4.3% worked at home and 2.8% walked to work.  About 1.7% commuted to work in other ways, including commuting by bicycle (731,286), motorcycle (266,777) and taxicab (151,247).

* Source:  Census Bureau.  For detailed information, see the September 26^th issue of CTHRR’s Connecticut HR eNewsletter.

 

• Connecticut’s Average Earnings:  Average hourly earnings at $27.99 were down $0.13 from a year ago at this time when the number was $28.12. This resulted in an average weekly wage for private sector employees of $954.46, up $9.63 over the year, representing an increase of 1.0 percent.

* Source:  CTDOL.  For further information on this topic, see the section on Wage & Salary Administration in What to Do about Personnel Problems in Connecticut.

 

• CTHRR’s Latest Updates Now Online:  The October 2011 updates to What to Do about Personnel Problems in Connecticut are now online.  Print subscribers will receive their updates via US Mail shortly.  For immediate online access, upgrade your print subscription for only an additional $49/year.

* For details, email us at:  HR@CTHRR.com

 

• Connecticut’s Average Work Week:  The workweek for employees in the private sector, not seasonally adjusted, averaged 34.1 hours in August, up 0.5 hours from August 2010.

* Source:  CTDOL.  For further information on this topic, see the section on Hours of Work in What to Do about Personnel Problems in Connecticut.

 

• Medicare Reminder:  Medicare's annual open enrollment is from Oct. 15 - Dec. 7, 2011.

* Details:  CMS/gov.  For further information on this topic, see the section on Social Security & Medicare in What to Do about Personnel Problems in Connecticut.

 

• Connecticut’s Education & Health Sector Leads in Job Growth:  July’s job numbers showed more losses than gains among the industry sectors. Despite August losses, most of the major industry sectors are still showing job gains over the year. The sector leading employment growth is educational and health services. This sector added jobs even during the recession and continues to add jobs. Over the year, educational and health services has added 9,300 jobs, to now total 317,000.

* Source:  CTDOL.  For detailed information, see the September 19^th issue of CTHRR’s Connecticut HR eNewsletter.

 

• Job Advertising Is Not Expanding:  Nationally, online advertised vacancies were down 163,900 in August to 3,990,600. The August drop follows a decline of 217,000 in July and a decrease of 100,000 in June.

* Source:  The Conference Board.  For detailed information, see the next issue of CTHRR’s Connecticut HR eNewsletter.

 

• CTDOL’s Take on State’s Labor Situation:  “’Had local government employment not dropped as drastically as it did in August, and instead followed a historically typical pattern of movement, Connecticut would have lost closer to 1,400 overall jobs,’ said Labor Statistics Supervisor Salvatore DiPillo. ‘Some industry sectors that showed job gains in the first quarter of the year have subsequently lost jobs. Unfortunately, as is the case nationally, job creation in Connecticut appears to have lost momentum.’”

* Source:  CTDOL.  For detailed information, see the September 19^th issue of CTHRR’s Connecticut HR eNewsletter.

 

• NLRB Rights Poster Available:  The workplace poster that describes employee rights under the National Labor Relations Act is now available for free download from the NLRB website at www.nlrb.gov/poster.

* Source:  NLRB.  For further information on this topic, see the section on National Labor Relations Act in What to Do about Personnel Problems in Connecticut.

 

• Connecticut’s Labor Situation:  Following revised July numbers, which showed Connecticut gained 2,900 jobs, the state lost 8,600 jobs in August [7,200 were in local government]. Of the ten major industry sectors, only two showed gains while the other eight reported losses. This brings the state’s nonfarm employment to 1,617,700, which on a seasonally adjusted basis represents an increase of 4,400 jobs over the year when nonfarm employment totaled 1,613,300.

* Source:  CTDOL.  For detailed information, see the September 19^th issue of CTHRR’s Connecticut HR eNewsletter.

 

• Average Cost of Pension Benefits:  Nationally, average costs in private industry for retirement and savings benefits—which include defined benefit and defined contribution plans—were $1.03 per hour worked, or 3.7 percent of total compensation.

* Source:  USDOL.  For detailed information, see the September 19^th issue of CTHRR’s Connecticut HR eNewsletter.

 

• OSHA Recordkeeping Workshop – 9/22/11 from 8:30 a.m. to noon: “…to introduce the requirements and procedures related to OSHA Injury & Illness Recordkeeping. The class will help develop skills to accurately report occupational injuries and illnesses. Resources and reference materials will be provided. If you are responsible for completing the documents required by this rule (OSHA 300, OSHA 300A and OSHA 301), or if you supervise the person that completes the forms, or if you are a safety committee member, this class is a must!” 

* Source:  Contact:  John Able, able.john@dol.gov, 860-263-6902, or Catherine Zinsser, zinsser.catherine@dol.gov, 860-263-6942.

 

• CTHRR’s Compensation Surveys Are Now Posted: Our 2011 “CTHRR Exempt Compensation Report” and our 2011 “Nonexempt Compensation Report” are now available to subscribers to What to Do about Personnel Problems in Connecticut and Employee Compensation in Connecticut. 

* Source:  Login at CTHRR.com and go to “Survey Reports” 

 

• CT Unemployment Separation Packet:  What it should include:  Terminated workers should be informed on how and when to file a claim and the options for filing claims through the TeleBenefits line or online using the WebBenefits system.  To facilitate the initial claims filing process, a separation packet (UC-62T/UC-61) which incorporates the UC-61 Separation Notice with the filing information, should be provided to the employee.  It is an employer’s responsibility to provide an entire packet to the separating employee at the time of his or her separation, regardless of the reason for separation.   You may download this form from:

* Source:  CTDOL Website.  For further information on this topic, see the section on Unemployment Compensation in What to Do about Personnel Problems in Connecticut.

 

• NLRB Poster:  Wording Available at CTHRR.com:  As reported in our eNewsletter of 06 September, the National Labor Relations Board has issued a final rule requiring employers to notify employees of their rights under the National Labor Relations Act as of November 14, 2011.  The Board is supposed to provide copies of the poster on request, but for those who wish to get ready without having to depend on the NLRB, we’ve posted the language required to be in the notice on our website: Login and go to “Hot Topics”:

* Source:  CTHRR.com.  For further information on this topic, see the section on National Labor Relations Act in What to Do about Personnel Problems in Connecticut.

 

• Education Most Critical to Lifetime Earnings:  According to a new study, education levels had more effect on earnings over a 40-year span in the workforce than any other demographic factor, such as gender, race and Hispanic origin. For example, a worker with a professional degree is expected to make more than a worker with a eighth grade education or lower.  Some groups, such as non-Hispanic white males, Asian males and Asian females, benefit more from higher levels of education than other groups over a 40-year career for those with a professional degree. White males with a professional degree make more than double (about $2.4 million more) than that of Hispanic females with the same level of education.

* Source:  U.S. Census Bureau.  For detailed information, see the September 12th issue of CTHRR’s Connecticut HR eNewsletter.

 

• Some CT Workers May Be Eligible for Disaster Unemployment Assistance:  DUA is available to residents of all eight Connecticut counties, including self-employed individuals, who are unemployed as a direct result of damages caused by the Irene. Individuals eligible for DUA benefits are those who work or live in one of the federally declared counties and lost their jobs directly due to the disaster. 

* Source:  CTDOL.  For detailed information, see the September 12th issue of CTHRR’s Connecticut HR eNewsletter.

 

• U.S. Illegal Drug Use Increased:  The use of illicit drugs among Americans increased between 2008 and 2010 according to a national survey conducted by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). The National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) shows that 22.6 million Americans 12 or older (8.9-percent of the population) were current illicit drug users. The rate of use in 2010 was similar to the rate in 2009 (8.7-percent), but remained above the 2008 rate (8- percent).

* Source:  SAMHSA.  For detailed information, see the September 12th issue of CTHRR’s Connecticut HR eNewsletter.

 

• CT FUTA Tax to Rise:  Connecticut and other states with federal loans outstanding for two consecutive years must make additional payments into the Federal Unemployment Tax Act (FUTA) system to pay down the loan principal. Therefore, the FUTA tax rate for calendar year 2011, payable in January 2012, will increase.

* Source:  CTDOL.  For detailed information, see the September 12th issue of CTHRR’s Connecticut HR eNewsletter.

 

• U.S. Hours of Work in August:  The average workweek for all employees on private nonfarm payrolls edged down by 0.1 hour over the month to 34.2 hours. The manufacturing workweek was 40.3 hours for the third consecutive month; factory overtime increased by 0.1 hour over the month to 3.2 hours.

* Source:  USDOL.  For detailed information, see the September 6^th issue of CTHRR’s Connecticut HR eNewsletter.

 

• Employee Compensation Problems: Are you paying your employees too little, too much?  Employee Compensation in Connecticut is the online service that gives Connecticut employers all the tools to set up and maintain a sound, defensible program of wage & salary administration.

Source:  CTHRR.com

 

• U.S. Hourly Wages in August:  In August, average hourly earnings for all employees on private nonfarm payrolls decreased by 3 cents, or 0.1 percent, to $23.09. This decline followed an 11-cent gain in July.

* Source:  USDOL.  For detailed information, see the September 6^th  issue of CTHRR’s Connecticut HR eNewsletter.

 

• 2012 CT Pay Budget Forecast:  CTHRR has just completed its annual survey of Connecticut employers’ pay budgets for the coming year…calendar year 2012 in this case.  Long story short?  Not much change from 2011.

* Source:  CTHRR.  For full information including breakdowns by employee group, see the September 6th issue of CTHRR’s Connecticut HR eNewsletter.

 

• U.S. Initial Unemployment Claims Up 2k:  In the week ending September 3, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial UC claims was 414,000, an increase of 2,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 412,000 but down 9% from the same week a year ago.

* Source:  USDOL.  For detailed information, see the September 6^th issue of CTHRR’s Connecticut HR eNewsletter.

 

• Connecticut: 10 Mass Layoffs in July:  Connecticut: In July, Connecticut employers took 8 mass layoff actions, as measured by new filings for unemployment insurance benefits during the month.  Each action involved at least 50 persons from a single employer; the number of workers involved totaled 713. As compared to the same month a year ago, the number of mass layoff events decreased by 5 and associated initial claims fell by 264.

* Source:  USDOL.  For detailed information, see the September 6^th issue of CTHRR’s Connecticut HR eNewsletter.

 

• U.S. Long-Term Unemployment…and Underemployment:  The number of long-term unemployed (those jobless for 27 weeks and over) was about unchanged at 6.0 million in August and accounted for 42.9 percent of the unemployed.  The number of persons employed part time for economic reasons (sometimes referred to as involuntary part-time workers) rose from 8.4 million to 8.8 million in August. These individuals were working part time because their hours had been cut back or because they were unable to find a full-time job.

* Source:  USDOL.  For detailed information, see the September 6th issue of CTHRR’s Connecticut HR eNewsletter.

 

• CTDOL Recovers $6M in Unpaid Wages:  Investigators with the CTDOL’s Division of Wage & Workplace Standards Division recovered more than $6 million in unpaid wages for Connecticut workers during the fiscal year ending June 30.

* Source:  CTDOL.  For detailed information, see the September 6th issue of CTHRR’s Connecticut HR eNewsletter.

 

• U.S. Unemployment by Major Worker Group:  Among the major worker groups, the unemployment rates for adult men (8.9 percent), adult women (8.0 percent), teenagers (25.4 percent), whites (8.0 percent), blacks (16.7 percent), and Hispanics (11.3 percent) showed little or no change in August. The jobless rate for Asians was 7.1 percent, not seasonally adjusted. 

* Source:  USDOL.  For detailed information, see the September 6th issue of CTHRR’s Connecticut HR eNewsletter.

 

• CTHRR is Back Online:  Post hurricane Irene we’ve done our best to keep in touch with our subscribers via cell and smart phone…now we’re back on the Internet and reporting the latest news.  Our latest weekly eNewsletter is now available in the “Subscriber’s Only” area of this website. 

* Source:  CTHRR.com.

 

• U.S. Employment Situation in August:  Employment in most major industries changed little over the month. Health care continued to add jobs. Government employment continued to trend down.  The number of unemployed persons, at 14.0 million, was essentially unchanged in August, and the unemployment rate held at 9.1 percent. The rate has shown little change since April.

* Source:  USDOL.  For detailed information, see the September 6th issue of CTHRR’s Connecticut HR eNewsletter.

 

• National Labor Relations Board Orders Employers to Advertise Union Membership:  The NLRB has issued a final rule that will require employers to notify employees of their rights to join labor unions under the National Labor Relations Act, effective November 14, 2011. 

* Source:  NLRB.  For detailed information, see the August 29th issue of CTHRR’s Connecticut HR eNewsletter.

 

• U.S. Initial UC Claims Down 12k:  In the week ending August 27, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 409,000, a decrease of 12,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 421,000 and down 12.6% from the same week a year ago.

* Source:  USDOL.  For detailed information, see the next issue of CTHRR’s Connecticut HR eNewsletter.

 

• Reminder:  400 to Die on Highways Over Labor Day Weekend.  Please drive carefully:  The National Safety Council estimates that the highway toll for the coming Labor Day weekend will be between 337 and 473 deaths.

* Source:  National Safety Council.

 

• Connecticut’s Workweek:  The workweek for employees in the private sector, not seasonally adjusted, averaged 33.9 hours in July, up 0.6 hours from the July 2010 figure of 33.3 hours.

* Source:  CTDOL.  For detailed information, see the August 22^nd issue of CTHRR’s Connecticut HR eNewsletter.

 

• U.S. Payrolls Increased $24 Bill in July:  Private wage and salary disbursements increased $24.3 billion in July, compared with an increase of $8.9 billion in June. Goods-producing industries' payrolls increased $3.7 billion, in contrast to a decrease of $0.3 billion; manufacturing payrolls increased $3.6 billion, in contrast to a decrease of $0.9 billion. Services-producing industries' payrolls increased $20.5 billion, compared with an increase of $9.2 billion. Government wage and salary disbursements decreased $0.1 billion in July; government wage and salary disbursements were unchanged in June.

* Source:  USDOC.  For detailed information, see the next issue of CTHRR’s Connecticut HR eNewsletter.

 

• Connecticut and Hurricane Irene:  “It's no longer a question of whether Hurricane Irene will hit Connecticut.”  For information on the hurricane, tracking, etc. see:

* Source:  CTNow/weather/hurricane.  For information on how employers handle weather closings, see the section on WEATHER in What to Do about Personnel Problems in Connecticut.

 

• U.S. Initial Unemployment Compensation Claims Up 5k:  In the week ending August 20, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial Unemployment Compensation claims was 417,000, an increase of 5,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 412,000 but down 11% from the same week a year ago.

* Source:  USDOL.  For detailed information, see the August 29^th issue of CTHRR’s Connecticut HR eNewsletter.

 

• Connecticut’s Labor Market Areas:  In the past year there have been job gains in some of Connecticut’s labor market areas.  Hartford added 3,200 jobs; Waterbury added 1,100; and Norwich-New London added 900 jobs. There were job losses in New Haven, down 500, while employment in Bridgeport/Stamford and Danbury was mostly unchanged.

* Source:  CTDOL.  For detailed information, see the August 22^nd issue of CTHRR’s Connecticut HR eNewsletter.

 

• Want to Live Longer?  Practice These 4 Behaviors:  “During the study period, people who engaged in all four healthy behaviors were 63 percent less likely to die early, compared to people who did not practice any of the behaviors. Not smoking provided the most protection from dying from all of the causes examined.”

* Source:  Centers for Disease Control.  For detailed information, see the August 22^nd issue of CTHRR’s Connecticut HR eNewsletter.

 

• CTDOL’s Take on State Employment Situation:  “Even with the positive revision to June’s jobs estimate, the direction of job growth in Connecticut is uncertain.  On average we’ve added only half the number of jobs each month in 2011 than we’ve added in 2010,” said Labor Statistics Supervisor Salvatore DiPillo. “The unemployment rate remains persistently at 9.1 percent and has been at or near that level since the beginning of 2010. Still, there are fewer people filing for unemployment and private sector workers are working longer hours this year than they did last year.”

* Source:  CTDOL.  For detailed information, see the August 22^nd issue of CTHRR’s Connecticut HR eNewsletter.

 

• 400 to Die on Highways Over Labor Day Weekend:  The National Safety Council estimates that the highway toll for the coming Labor Day weekend will be between 337 and 473 deaths.

* Source:  National Safety Council.  For detailed information, see the August 29^th issue of CTHRR’s Connecticut HR eNewsletter.

 

• Average Pay in Connecticut:  At $28.14/hour, not seasonally adjusted, Connecticut’s average hourly rate was up $0.36 from a year ago at this time when the number was $27.78. This resulted in an average weekly wage for private sector employees of $953.95, up $28.88 over the year, representing an increase of 3.1 percent.

* Source:  CTDOL.  For detailed information, see the August 22^nd issue of CTHRR’s Connecticut HR eNewsletter.

 

• NLRB Issues Report on Social Media:  The National Labor Relations Board’s Acting General Counsel released a report detailing the outcome of investigations into 14 cases involving the use of social media and employers’ social and general media policies.

* Source:  NLRB.  For detailed information, see the August 22^nd issue of CTHRR’s Connecticut HR eNewsletter.

 

• Two New Connecticut Laws Affect Health Care:  CTHRR has posted a report on these laws which impact safety and security in our hospitals, nursing homes, and related facilities.  The first law mandates identification badges; the second mandates safety committees and deals with workplace violence.  CTHRR has already discussed these laws in this weekly eNewsletter as well as in our monthly Connecticut HR Reports Newsletters for June and July; however, this detailed analysis expands significantly on that information.

* Source: Visit the “Hot Topics” section at CTHRR.com

 

• U.S. Worker Pay…Losing Ground to Inflation:  Weekly salaries are up 2.6% in past 12 months…however, when adjusted for inflation salaries actually lost ground…-1.0%.

* Source:  USDOL.  For detailed information, see the August 22^nd issue of CTHRR’s Connecticut HR eNewsletter.

 

• CTDOL Issued 103 Stop-Work Orders in Last Six Months:  Stop-work orders are levied against companies that misclassify workers as independent contractors with the intent to avoid their obligations under federal and state employment laws such as workers’ compensation, unemployment taxes, and payroll reporting. Stop Work orders result in the halting of all activity at a cited company’s worksite, as well as a $300 civil penalty for each day….

* Source:  CTDOL.  For detailed information, see the August 22^nd issue of CTHRR’s Connecticut HR eNewsletter.

 

• U.S. Initial Unemployment Claims Up 9k:  In the week ending August 13, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 408,000, an increase of 9,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 399,000, but down 16% from the same week a year ago.

* Source:  USDOL.  For detailed information, see the August 22^nd issue of CTHRR’s Connecticut HR eNewsletter.

 

• Meriden Retailer Closing:  CTDOL says Lowe's Home Centers, Inc. in Meriden, CT is laying off 91 workers effective 10/7/2011. The facility is closing.

* Source:  CTDOL.  For detailed information, see the August 22^nd issue of CTHRR’s Connecticut HR eNewsletter.

 

• Hot Weather:  USDOL Has an App for that:  “…a free application for mobile devices that will enable workers and supervisors to monitor the heat index at their work sites in order to prevent heat-related illnesses….  The app is designed for devices using an Android platform, and versions for BlackBerry and iPhone users will be released shortly.”

* Source:  OSHA. 

 

• Connecticut Endured 27 Extended Mass Layoffs in 2nd Quarter:  …resulting in the separation of 4,761 workers from their jobs for at least 31 days.

* Source:  USDOL.  For detailed information, see the August 15^th issue of CTHRR’s Connecticut HR eNewsletter.

 

• Keeping Your Office Healthy:  “New research has found that hand sanitizers are not as effective as soap and water in health care settings at preventing viral outbreaks. In fact, they may even be responsible for outbreaks of seriously contagious viruses….”

* Source:  MedicalNewsToday.com

 

• CT Gas Price Drops for Second Week:  “The average price for a gallon of Connecticut gasoline fell for the second straight week, declining 6.6 cents to $3.93 as of Sunday. The price is 6.0 cents lower than a month ago and a $1.06 higher than a year ago….”

* Source:  NorwichBulletin.com. 

 

• U.S. Job Openings Increased in June:  There were 3.109 million job openings on the last business day of June.  This is an increase of only 33,000 from the prior month but is 18% higher than in the same month a year ago. 

* Source:  USDOL.  For detailed information, see the August 15^th issue of CTHRR’s Connecticut HR eNewsletter.

 

• Workshop on Violence in the Workplace:  Attendees of the Sept. 13 “Workplace Violence” employer seminar, sponsored by the Connecticut Department of Labor’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health (CONN-OSHA) workshop, will receive valuable advice and tips on how to avoid potentially violent situations.

* Source:  CONN-OSHA.  For detailed information, see the August 15^th issue of CTHRR’s Connecticut HR eNewsletter.

 

• U.S. Employment by Industry:  Health care employment grew by 31,000 in July; retail trade added 26,000 jobs; manufacturing employment increased by 24,000; and professional and technical services added18,000 to payrolls.

* Source:  USDOL.  For detailed information, see the August 8^th issue of CTHRR’s Connecticut HR eNewsletter.

 

• West Nile Virus-Positive Mosquitos in 15 Connecticut Towns:  In total in 2011, WNV-positive mosquitoes have been trapped in 15 municipalities: Bridgeport, Danbury, Darien, Easton, Fairfield, Greenwich, Hamden, Litchfield, New Britain, New Canaan, Orange, Stamford, Stratford, Westport, and Woodbridge.

* Source:  CTDPH.  For detailed information, see the next issue of CTHRR’s Connecticut HR eNewsletter.

 

• U.S. Average Earnings:  In July, average hourly earnings for all employees on private nonfarm payrolls increased by 10 cents, or 0.4 percent, to $23.13. Over the past 12 months, average hourly earnings have increased by 2.3 percent. Average weekly earnings increased 2.6% to $793.36.

* Source:  USDOL.  For detailed information, see the August 8^th issue of CTHRR’s Connecticut HR eNewsletter.

 

• Connecticut Metro Area Job Change:  Seven of the nine metropolitan areas measured by the USDOL and CTDOL gained jobs between July 2010 and July 2011; only New Haven [-800 jobs] and Norwich-New London [-1,800] failed to add jobs.  Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk added 2,600 jobs, Danbury 800, Enfield 500, Greater Hartford 5,300, Torrington 600, Waterbury 500, and Willimantic-Danielson 700.

* Source:  USDOL/CTDOL.  For detailed information, see the next issue of CTHRR’s Connecticut HR eNewsletter.

 

• U.S. Average Hours of Work:  The average workweek for all employees on private nonfarm payrolls was unchanged over the month at 34.3 hours. The manufacturing workweek and factory overtime for all employees also were unchanged at 40.3 hours and 3.1 hours, respectively. 

* Source:  USDOL.  For detailed information, see the August 8th issue of CTHRR’s Connecticut HR eNewsletter.

 

• New Haven:  Back Pay for Goodfellas:  “The department [USDOL] has recovered $23,636 in minimum and overtime back wages for four employees of Goodfellas Cafe LLC, known locally in New Haven, Conn., as Cafe Goodfellas.

* Source:  USDOL-WHD.  For detailed information, see the August 8th issue of CTHRR’s Connecticut HR eNewsletter.

 

• U.S. Unemployment by Major Work Groups:  Among the major worker groups, the unemployment rates for adult men(9.0 percent), adult women (7.9 percent), teenagers (25.0 percent), whites (8.1 percent), blacks (15.9 percent), and Hispanics (11.3 percent) showed little or no change in July. The jobless rate for Asians was 7.7 percent, not seasonally adjusted.

* Source:  USDOL.  For detailed information, see the August 8th issue of CTHRR’s Connecticut HR eNewsletter.

 

• Putnam:  Employer Faces $122k in OSHA Fines:  “The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration has cited Pallflex Co. for 29 alleged violations of workplace safety and health standards at its Putnam manufacturing plant.

* Source:  USDOL-OSHA.  For detailed information, see today’s issue of CTHRR’s Connecticut HR eNewsletter.

 

• U.S. Employment Situation Mostly Unchanged in July:  Total nonfarm payroll employment rose by 117,000 in July, and the unemployment rate was little changed at 9.1 percent. Job gains occurred in health care, retail trade, manufacturing, and mining. Government employment continued to trend down.

* Source:  USDOL.  For detailed information, see today’s issue of CTHRR’s Connecticut HR eNewsletter.

 

• Blumenthal and DeLauro Want to Prohibit Refusing to Hire the Unemployed:  Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Representative Rosa DeLauro (D-CT, 3rd District) have introduced a federal Fair Employment Opportunity Act of 2011, legislation that would make it illegal for employers to discriminate against unemployed job seekers. 

* Source:  GovTrak.US.  For detailed information, see the next issue of CTHRR’s Connecticut HR eNewsletter.

 

• U.S. Initial Unemployment Claims Down 1k:  In the week ending July 30, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 400,000, a decrease of 1,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 401,000 and down 15.6% from the same week a year ago.

* Source:  USDOL.  For detailed information, see the next issue of CTHRR’s Connecticut HR eNewsletter.

 

• Manchester Layoffs:  The Connecticut Department of Labor says that J.C. Penney Corporation in Manchester, CT will layoff 442 employees on 9/30/11; this is a partial closing of that operation.

* Source:  CTDOL.  For detailed information, see the next issue of CTHRR’s Connecticut HR eNewsletter.

 

• VETS-100/VETS-100A Submission Delayed:  The Veterans’ Employment & Training Service has announced that due to technical difficulties with its electronic submission system, filing of the VETS-100/VETS-100A is to be done from October 1, 2011 through November 30, 2011 unless a further update is given.

* Source:  USDOL.  For detailed information, see the next issue of CTHRR’s Connecticut HR eNewsletter.

 

• Connecticut Posted Fewer Online Job Ads in July:  Total online job ads in Connecticut were 59,400 last month, down from 62,600 in the prior month and down slightly from 59,700 a year ago, according to The Conference Board Help-Wanted OnLine Data Series™. 

* Source:  The Conference Board.  For detailed information, see the next issue of CTHRR’s Connecticut HR eNewsletter.

 

• U.S. Payrolls Decreased in June:  Private wage and salary disbursements decreased $2.2 billion in June, in contrast to an increase of $15.0 billion in May.

* Source:  U.S. Department of Commerce.  For detailed information, see the next issue of CTHRR’s Connecticut HR eNewsletter.

 

• Connecticut’s Average Pay:  Average hourly earnings at $27.80, not seasonally adjusted, were down $0.03 from a year ago at this time when the number was $27.83. This resulted in an average weekly wage for private sector employees of $939.64, up $12.90 over the year, representing an increase of 1.4 percent.

* Source:  CTDOL.  For detailed information, see the July 25^th issue of CTHRR’s Connecticut HR eNewsletter.

 

• Fewer Job Ads Placed in July:  “Online advertised vacancies were down 217,000 in July to 4,154,500, according to The Conference Board Help Wanted OnLine® (HWOL) Data Series released today. The July drop follows a decline of 100,000 in June after a basically flat period in April and May.”

* Source:  The Conference Board.  For detailed information, see the next issue of CTHRR’s Connecticut HR eNewsletter.

 

• Connecticut’s Hours of Work:  The workweek for employees in the private sector, not seasonally adjusted, averaged 33.8 hours in June, up 0.5 hours from the June 2010 figure of 33.3 hours.

* Source:  CTDOL.  For detailed information, see the July 25^th issue of CTHRR’s Connecticut HR eNewsletter.

 

• Employment Costs Up 2.2%:  Compensation costs for civilian workers [includes workers in the private nonfarm economy except those in private households, and workers in the public sector, except the federal government] increased 2.2 percent for the 12-month period ending June 2011. A year earlier—in June 2010—the increase was 1.9 percent.

* Source:  USDOL.  For detailed information, see the August 1^st issue of CTHRR’s Connecticut HR eNewsletter.

 

• Connecticut Unemployment in June:  The estimate of people unemployed, seasonally adjusted, was down 1,000 from May at 171,600, and the unemployment rate remained at 9.1 percent. This is slightly lower than the national rate of 9.2 percent. Compared to the state’s unemployment rate of 9.1 percent in June 2010, this month’s rate was unchanged. Average weekly initial unemployment claims in June 2011 for first-time filers decreased over the month by 275 to 5,103 and were down 4.7 percent, or 254 claims from this time last year.

* Source:  CTDOL.  For detailed information, see the July 25^th issue of CTHRR’s Connecticut HR eNewsletter.

 

• U.S. Initial UC Claims Drop 24k:  In the week ending July 23, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial Unemployment Comp claims was 398,000, a decrease of 24,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 422,000 and down 12.9% from the same week a year ago.

* Source:  USDOL.  For detailed information, see the next issue of CTHRR’s Connecticut HR eNewsletter.

 

• Connecticut’s Jobs, by Labor Market:  In the past year there have been job gains in several of Connecticut’s labor market areas. Hartford added 4,900 jobs; Bridgeport-Stamford added 3,300 jobs; Waterbury added 600; and Danbury added 400. There were job losses in Norwich-New London, down 800, while employment in New Haven was mostly unchanged.

* Source:  CTDOL.  For detailed information, see the July 25^th issue of CTHRR’s Connecticut HR eNewsletter.

 

• Connecticut’s Unemployment vs. Other States:  State unemployment rates were little changed from May to June. Twenty-eight states and the District of Columbia registered unemployment rate increases, 8 states recorded rate decreases, and 14 states, including Connecticut, had no rate change.  As compared to a year ago, 39 states posted unemployment rate decreases, 8 states and the District of Columbia reported increases, and 3 states, including Connecticut, had no change.

* Source:  USDOC.  For detailed information, see the July 25^th issue of CTHRR’s Connecticut HR eNewsletter.

 

• Connecticut’s Jobs, by Industry:  June’s job numbers showed losses in several industry sectors. The largest was in government, down 2,700 jobs; professional and business services, down by 1,900; and in construction, which lost 1,400 jobs. The other services sector shed 600 jobs, while information and financial activities each lost 300. There were gains in trade, transportation and utilities, education and health services, and leisure and hospitality. Employment in manufacturing was unchanged over the month. Despite June’s losses, all but three of the major industry sectors have added jobs over the year.

* Source:  CTDOL.  For detailed information, see the next issue of CTHRR’s Connecticut HR eNewsletter.

 

• U.S. Average Pay by Educational Attainment:  Full-time workers age 25 and over without a high school diploma had median weekly earnings of $458, compared with $643 for high school graduates (no college) and $1,141 for those holding at least a bachelor's degree. Among college graduates with advanced degrees (professional or master's degree and above), the highest earning 10 percent of male workers made $3,144 or more per week, compared with $2,368 or more for their female counterparts.

* Source:  USDOL.  For detailed information, see the July 25^th issue of CTHRR’s Connecticut HR eNewsletter.

 

• Connecticut DOL on Jobs Report:  “Connecticut’s job losses for the second consecutive month are disheartening, with those losses wiping out employment gains made earlier in the year,” remarked Labor Statistics Supervisor Salvatore DiPillo. “Most of these losses were in the government sector, though the state has a net gain of private sector jobs this year. However, private sector jobs are being created at a much slower pace than last year. We have added 1,800 since the beginning of 2011, as compared with a gain of 14,100 jobs for the same period last year.”

* Source:  CTDOL.  For detailed information, see the next issue of CTHRR’s Connecticut HR eNewsletter.

 

• Job Openings Decreased in May:  There were 3.039 million job openings on the last business day of May.  This is a decrease of 182,000 from the prior month but is 7% higher than in the same month a year ago.  The number of hires during the month increased by 212,000 from last month but is down 4.5% from a year ago.

* Source:  USDOL.  For detailed information, see the next issue of CTHRR’s Connecticut HR eNewsletter.

 

• Connecticut Lost Jobs in June:  Connecticut lost jobs for the second consecutive month, dropping 4,100 jobs in June after a loss of 5,500 the month before. This brings the state’s nonfarm employment to 1,616,000, an increase of 7,800 jobs over the year when nonfarm employment totaled 1,608,200. The state’s unemployment rate remained steady at 9.1 percent, slightly lower than the national rate of 9.2 percent.

* Source:  CTDOL.  For detailed information, see the July 25^th issue of CTHRR’s Connecticut HR eNewsletter.

 

• U.S. Average Pay By Major Race/Ethnicity Groups:  Median earnings of Hispanics who worked full time in the second quarter of 2011 ($565) were lower than those of blacks ($623), whites ($770), and Asians ($872).

* Source:  USDOL.  For detailed information, see the next issue of CTHRR’s Connecticut HR eNewsletter.

 

• Pay Budgets for 2012:  We are now collecting employer responses for our annual Connecticut Pay Budget Forecast.  Please participate.  Even if you haven’t yet established a 2012 budget, your input is helpful.  Survey’s all done on-line and is totally confidential.

* Source:  2012 Pay Budget Forecast Survey.

 

• Women’s Pay: 83% of Men’s:  Median weekly earnings were $753 in the second quarter of 2011. Women who usually worked full time had median weekly earnings of $689, or 83.5 percent of the $825 median for men.

* Source:  USDOL.  For detailed information, see the July 25th issue of CTHRR’s Connecticut HR eNewsletter.

 

• Free Newsletter:  You can request a free sample copy of our monthly Employee Compensation in Connecticut newsletter…just send us an email:

* Email:  Request free newsletter.

 

• Average Pay in Q2:  Median weekly earnings of the nation's 100.6 million full-time wage and salary workers were $753 in the second quarter of 2011 (not seasonally adjusted).  This was 1.8 percent higher than a year earlier, compared with a gain of 3.4 percent in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) over the same period.

* Source:  USDOL.  For detailed information, see the July 25th issue of CTHRR’s Connecticut HR eNewsletter.

 

• Connecticut CHRO:  A new Connecticut Public Act changes the time period that a complainant must wait to request a release of jurisdiction from CHRO from 210 to 180 days, allowing complainants who wish to proceed in court to begin the process sooner.  Effective October 1, 2011.

* Source:  Connecticut General Assembly.  For detailed information, including hotlinks to the text of the Public Act, see the “Connecticut Laws, Regulations, and Resources” section at CTHRR.com

 

• On-the-Job Injuries:  In 2009, the total number of reported nonfatal occupational injury and illness cases that required days away from work to recuperate was 1,238,490 cases for private industry, state government, and local government; the total incidence rate was 117 cases per 10,000 full-time workers. Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers had the highest number of days-away-from-work injuries and illnesses cases: 64,910 (primarily in private industry); their incidence rate was 407 cases per 10,000 full-time workers.

* Source:  OSHA.  For detailed information, see the July 18th issue of CTHRR’s Connecticut HR eNewsletter.

 

• Credit Reports:  A new Connecticut Public Act, effective October 1, 2011, prohibits employers from requiring an employee or prospective employee to consent to a credit report as a condition of employment. The prohibition does not apply under certain conditions, for example, to employers that are financial institutions.

* Source:  Connecticut General Assembly.  For detailed information, including hotlinks to the text of the Public Act, see the “Connecticut Laws, Regulations, and Resources” section at CTHRR.com

 

• U.S. Average Earnings:  Average hourly earnings for all employees on private nonfarm payrolls decreased by 1 cent to $22.99. Over the past 12 months, average hourly earnings have increased by 1.9 percent.  Average hourly earnings of private-sector production and nonsupervisory employees declined by 1 cent to $19.41.

* Source:  USDOL.  For detailed information, see the July 11^th issue of CTHRR’s Connecticut HR eNewsletter.

 

• New Connecticut Public Act Affects Health Care Industry:  PA 11-175 requires health care employers to implement plans and training programs related to workplace violence and to report incidents of workplace violence to the local law enforcement agencies and the Department of Public Health.  Sections of the act are effective on various dates.

* Source:  Connecticut General Assembly.  For detailed information, including hotlinks to the text of the Public Act, see the “Connecticut Laws, Regulations, and Resources” section at CTHRR.com

 

• Average Hours of Work:  The average workweek for all U.S. employees on private nonfarm payrolls decreased by 0.1 hour to 34.3 hours in June. The manufacturing workweek for all employees decreased by 0.3 hour to 40.3 hours over the month; factory overtime edged down by 0.1 hour to 3.1 hours. The average workweek for production and nonsupervisory employees on private nonfarm payrolls remained at 33.6 hours in June.

* Source:  USDOL.  For detailed information, see the July 11^th issue of CTHRR’s Connecticut HR eNewsletter.

 

• New Connecticut Public Act Eases Access to UC:  Public Act 11-87 increases the availability of unemployment extended benefits (for weeks 79-99 of unemployment) by lengthening, from two to three years, the “look-back period” that is used to determine when extended benefits are available.

* Source:  Connecticut General Assembly.  For detailed information, see the July 11^th issue of CTHRR’s Connecticut HR eNewsletter.

 

• Don’t Be Shocked:  The importance of electrical safety and how to identify and avoid possible mishaps will be the topic covered at a July 19 Breakfast Roundtable Discussion event sponsored by the Connecticut Department of Labor’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health. The roundtable will be held from 8:15 to 9:45 a.m. at the Labor Department’s Central Office, 200 Folly Brook Boulevard, Wethersfield. Jim Savoy, safety director at Northeast Tradesmen will lead the session. An E-1 master electrician since 1981, Savoy is a graduate of Central Connecticut State University in Secondary Vocational Technical Education as well as an OSHA certified 10-and-30 hour course trainer. He has taught for nine years in the Connecticut high school vocational system. Time permitting, each person taking part can submit a question for discussion. Admission to the roundtable is free, but preregistration is required.

* To register, or for additional information, please contact John Able via email at able.john@dol.gov.information

 

• Pay Budgets for 2012: We are now collecting employer responses for our annual Connecticut Pay Budget Forecast.  Please participate.  Even if you haven’t yet established a 2012 budget, your input is helpful.  Survey’s all done on-line and is totally confidential.

* Survey:  2012 Pay Budget Forecast Survey.

 

• Medicare Has Changed Part C and Part D Enrollment Periods:  Every year, individuals have a chance to change their Medicare Advantage or Medicare prescription drug coverage for the following year. There are two separate enrollment periods each year and the fall enrollment period has been changed to October 15 through December 7.  Everything you need to know about Medicare enrollment periods is in this document:

* Source:  Medicare Enrollment Periods.

 

• Connecticut Counties:  4^th Quarter Wages:  The U.S. average weekly wage increased over the year by 3.0 percent to $971 in the fourth quarter of 2010.  In Connecticut, Fairfield County’s average weekly wage was $1,668, up 3.9% from the 4^th quarter of 2009.  Hartford’s average was $1,177, up 1.7%; New Haven, $1,039, up 2.8%; and, New London $956, up 1.5%.

* Source:  USDOL.  For detailed information, see the July 5^th issue of CTHRR’s Connecticut HR eNewsletter.

 

• U.S. Unemployment by Major Worker Group:  Among the major worker groups, the unemployment rates for adult men (9.1 percent), adult women (8.0 percent), teenagers (24.5 percent), whites (8.1 percent), blacks (16.2 percent), and Hispanics (11.6 percent) showed little or no change in June. The jobless rate for Asians was 6.8 percent, not seasonally adjusted.

* Source:  USDOL.  For detailed information, see the July 11^th issue of CTHRR’s Connecticut HR eNewsletter.

 

• Connecticut Counties:  4th Quarter Employment:  From December 2009 to December 2010, employment increased in 220 of the 326 largest U.S. counties.  The only counties in Connecticut included in this report are Fairfield, Hartford, New Haven, and New London.  Of these employment in Fairfield [with 407,400 workers] increased 1.9%, Hartford [491,300 workers] increased 0.9%; employment in New Haven [352,800] and New London [125,000] both fell by 0.4%.

* Source:  Connecticut General Assembly.  For detailed information, see the July 5^th issue of CTHRR’s Connecticut HR eNewsletter•

 

• U S Employment Situation:  No Progress:  The U.S. civilian labor force fell by 445,000 jobs in June, and the unemployment rate increased one-tenth to 9.2 percent.

* Source:  USDOL.  For detailed information, see the July 11^th issue of CTHRR’s Connecticut HR eNewsletter.

 

• CTDOL Issues 2011 Prevailing Wage Rates:  Connecticut’s prevailing wage law sets a wage standard on state and municipal construction projects with which construction contractors must comply.  This standard has been updated for 2011.

* Source:  CTDOL.   For detailed information, see the July 5^th issue of CTHRR’s Connecticut HR eNewsletter.

 

• U.S. Initial UC Claims Drop 14k:  In the week ending July 2, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 418,000, a decrease of 14,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 432,000 and down 9.1% from the same period a year ago.

* Source:  USDOL.  For detailed information, see the next issue of CTHRR’s Connecticut HR eNewsletter.

 

• Governor Signs Gender-Identity Discrimination Bill:  The act prohibits an employer or employer's agent, except in the case of a bona fide occupational qualification, from refusing to hire someone; barring or discharging someone from employment; or discriminating against someone in pay or in employment conditions based on the individual's gender identity or expression.

* Source:  Governor’s Office.  For detailed information, see the 2011 Connecticut Legislative Summary in the CT Laws, Regulations and Resources subscriber’s section at CTHRR.com.

 

• Woman Wants to Be President of the Teamsters Union:  “…Teamsters president James Hoffa, one of the most influential players in American labor, is facing a re-election fight from a former truck driver vying to become the first female leader in the union's 108-year history.  “Sandy Pope, a longtime steel hauler….”

* Source:  DetroitNews.com.  For detailed information, see the July 5^th issue of CTHRR’s Connecticut HR eNewsletter.

 

• Governor Signs Paid Sick-Leave Bill:  Connecticut’s new paid sick-leave law requires most employers that employ 50 or more people in the state to provide certain employees with paid sick leave accruing at a rate of one hour per 40 hours worked. 

* Source:  Governor’s Office.   For detailed information, see the July edition of our monthly Connecticut HR Reports Newsletter in the “Newsletters” subscriber’s section of CTHRR.com.  There’s an even more detailed report at our website under “Hot Topics.”

 

• Retirement:  GAO:  Ensuring Income throughout Retirement Requires Difficult Choices:  “As life expectancy increases, the risk that retirees will outlive their assets is a growing challenge. The shift from defined benefit pension plans to defined contribution plans also increases the responsibility for workers and retirees to make difficult decisions and manage their pension and other financial assets so that they have income throughout retirement.

* Source:  Government Accountability Office.  For detailed information, see the July 5^th issue of CTHRR’s Connecticut HR eNewsletter.

 

• Connecticut Posted Fewer Online Job Ads in June:  Total online job ads in Connecticut were 62,600 last month, down from 64,600 in the prior month but up from 58,200 a year ago, according to The Conference Board Help-Wanted OnLine Data Series™. 

* Source:  The Conference Board.  For detailed information, see the July 5^th issue of CTHRR’s Connecticut HR eNewsletter.

 

• New OSHA Website Helps Employers with Recordkeeping:  OSHA:  The Occupational Safety and Health Administration recently unveiled a new interactive web tool to help users determine whether injuries and illnesses are work-related and recordable under the OSHA Recordkeeping rules.

* Source:  OSHA.  For detailed information, see the July 5^th issue of CTHRR’s Connecticut HR eNewsletter.

 

• Unemployment in Connecticut’s Major Metro Areas:  Nationally, unemployment rates were lower in May than a year earlier in 274 [74%] of the 372 metropolitan areas, higher in 85 areas, and unchanged in 13 areas.

In Connecticut, unemployment rates were lower in May than a year earlier in two [22%] of the nine metro areas, higher in three areas, and unchanged in four.

* Source:  USDOL.  For detailed information, see the July 5^th issue of CTHRR’s Connecticut HR eNewsletter.

 

• U.S. Initial UC Claims Down 1k:  In the week ending June 25, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 428,000, a decrease of 1,000 from the previous week's unrevised figure of 429,000 and down 9.3% from the same week a year ago.

* Source:  USDOL.  For detailed information, see the July 5^th issue of CTHRR’s Connecticut HR eNewsletter.

 

• Connecticut 13th in Personal Income Growth:  From the 4th quarter of 2010 to the 1st quarter of 2011, Connecticut’s personal income grew 2.0% placing it 13th among the states.  Our next-door neighbor, New York, ranked 31st, Rhode Island 42nd, and Massachusetts 45th.  In 10th place, New Hampshire was best in New England.

* Source:  USDOC.  For detailed information, see the June 27^th issue of CTHRR’s Connecticut HR eNewsletter.

 

• Post Office Suspends Retirement Contributions:  “The financially troubled Postal Service is suspending its employer contribution to the Federal Employee Retirement System, in an effort to conserve cash.”

* Source:  The Wall Street Journal.  For detailed information, see the June 27^th issue of CTHRR’s Connecticut HR eNewsletter.

 

• Job Ads Increased in May:  Total online job ads in Connecticut were 64,600 in May, up from 61,200 in the prior month and from 58.900 a year ago, according to The Conference Board Help-Wanted OnLine Data Series™.  Nationally, online advertised vacancies were up 148,800 in May to 4,471,200.

* Source:  The Conference Board.  For detailed information, see the June 27^th issue of CTHRR’s Connecticut HR eNewsletter.

 

• Airport Screeners are Now Unionized:  “After a decade-long battle, transportation security officers working at airports around the nation finally have their union—AFGE [American Federation of Government Employees].

* Source:  AFL-CIO.  For detailed information, see the June 27^th issue of CTHRR’s Connecticut HR eNewsletter.

 

• Connecticut’s Unemployment in May:  The estimate of people unemployed, seasonally adjusted, was up 100 from April at 172,500, and the unemployment rate remained at 9.1 percent. This is the same as the national rate of 9.1 percent. Compared to the state’s unemployment rate of 9.1 percent in May 2010, this month’s rate represents no change from a year ago.

* Source:  CTDOL.  For detailed information, see the next issue of CTHRR’s Connecticut HR eNewsletter.

 

• Connecticut HR Reports Newsletter:  The latest issue of our monthly newsletter is posted at: www.cthrr.com; login; go to “Newsletters.”  Lead article is on Connecticut’s new paid sick-leave law [which, as we go to press, the Governor has still not yet signed].

* Source:  CTHRR.com.  For detailed information, see the June 27^th issue of CTHRR’s Connecticut HR eNewsletter.

 

• Connecticut Average Earnings in May:  Average hourly earnings at $28.25, not seasonally adjusted, were down $0.18 from a year ago at this time when the number was $28.43. This resulted in an average weekly wage for private sector employees of $960.50, up $8.09 over the year, representing an increase of 0.8 percent.

* Source:  CTDOL.  For detailed information, see the June 20^th issue of CTHRR’s Connecticut HR eNewsletter.

 

• Workers Planning to Leave:  The Wall Street Journal says, “About one in three employees is seriously considering leaving their job, according to a survey to be released Monday by human-resources consultant Mercer LLC. That's up from 23% in 2005, the last time Mercer conducted the survey.”

* Source:  Online.WSJ.com.  For further information on this topic, see the section on Turnover in What to Do about Personnel Problems in Connecticut.

 

• Average Hours of Work in Connecticut:  The workweek for employees in the private sector, not seasonally adjusted, averaged 34.0 hours in May, up 0.5 hours from the May 2010 figure of 33.5 hours.

* Source:  CTDOL.  For detailed information, see the June 20^th issue of CTHRR’s Connecticut HR eNewsletter.

 

• U.S. Initial Unemployment Compensation Claims:  In the week ending June 18, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial U.S. Unemployment Compensation claims was 429,000, an increase of 9,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 420,000 but down 7.3% from the same week a year ago.

* Source:  USDOL.  For detailed information, see the June 20^th issue of CTHRR’s Connecticut HR eNewsletter.

 

• Connecticut Human Resource Reports eNewsletter: For the most up-to-date Connecticut HR news and information, subscribe to our weekly Connecticut HR Reports eNewsletter. Annual subscriptions (48 issues) are just $99. For a FREE sample issue, E-mail us.

 

• Connecticut’s May Employment by Labor Market Area:  In the past year there have been job gains in several of Connecticut’s labor market areas.  Bridgeport-Stamford added 3,900 jobs;  Hartford added 3,800; and  Waterbury added 1,200. There were job losses in Norwich-New London, down 1,200, while employment in New Haven was unchanged.

* Source:  CTDOL.  For detailed information, see the June 20^th issue of CTHRR’s Connecticut HR eNewsletter.

 

• U.S. Mass Layoffs in May:  Nationally, employers took 1,367 mass layoff actions in May involving 119.911 workers, not seasonally adjusted. The number of mass layoff events rose by 13 from the same month a year ago, and the number of associated initial claims decreased by 3,422.

* Source:  USDOL.  For detailed information, see the next issue of CTHRR’s Connecticut HR eNewsletter.

 

• Connecticut’s May Employment by Industry:  May’s job numbers showed losses in several industry sectors. The largest were in the trade, transportation and utilities and education and health services sectors, each down 1,900 jobs; professional and business services, down 1,500 jobs; and leisure and hospitality, down by 1,000. There were gains in construction, information, other services and government. Employment in financial activities was unchanged over the month. Despite May’s losses, all but two of the major industry sectors added jobs over the year.

* Source:  CTDOL.  For detailed information, see the June 20^th issue of CTHRR’s Connecticut HR eNewsletter.

 

• U.S. Average Earnings:  Average weekly earnings grew 2.4%, seasonally adjusted, from May 2010 to May 2011.  During the same period, average hourly earnings grew by 1.8%.

* Source:  USDOL.  For detailed information, see the June 20^th issue of CTHRR’s Connecticut HR eNewsletter.

 

• CTDOL’s Take on Labor Situation Report:  “May’s numbers proved disappointing – we lost some of the jobs we gained in April and the unemployment rate remained stuck at 9.1 percent, mostly unchanged for over a year,” noted Labor Statistics Supervisor Salvatore DiPillo. “Like the nation, Connecticut is struggling to regain jobs we lost during the recession and we’re seeing a slowdown in job growth. So far this year, we’re averaging fewer monthly job gains than we did in 2010 when the recovery first began.”

* Source:  CTDOL.  For detailed information, see the June 20^th issue of CTHRR’s Connecticut HR eNewsletter.

 

• Workers Plan to Leave:  “Nearly one in three (32%) US workers is seriously considering leaving his or her organization at the present time, up sharply from 23% in 2005. Meanwhile, another 21% are not looking to leave but view their employers unfavorably and have rock-bottom scores on key measures of engagement, a term that describes a combination of an employee’s loyalty, commitment and motivation….”

* Source:  Mercer.com.  For further information on this topic, see the section on Turnover in What to Do about Personnel Problems in Connecticut.

 

• Connecticut lost 2,900 jobs in May…after adjusted numbers showed a gain of 8,400 jobs the month before. This brings the state’s nonfarm employment to 1,622,700, which on a seasonally adjusted basis, represents an increase of 9,400 jobs over the year when nonfarm employment totaled 1,613,300.  The state’s unemployment rate remained steady at 9.1 percent, which parallels that of the national rate.

* Source:  CTDOL.  For detailed information, see the June 20^th issue of CTHRR’s Connecticut HR eNewsletter..

 

• Unemployment by State:  State unemployment rates were little changed from April to May. Twenty-four states recorded unemployment rate decreases, 13 states and the District of Columbia registered rate increases, and 13 states [including Connecticut] had no rate change. The national unemployment rate was essentially unchanged at 9.1 percent, but was 0.5 percentage point lower than a year earlier.

* Source:  USDOL.  For detailed information, see the June 20^th issue of CTHRR’s Connecticut HR eNewsletter.

 

• Paid Sick Leave Bill:  Public Act 11-52, which will require service-industry employers with fifty or more employees to provide paid sick leave to certain employees starting after 1/1/2012, was transmitted to Connecticut’s Secretary of the State on June 16^th and should be on the Governor’s desk for signing immediately.

Source:  Connecticut General Assembly.  For detailed information, see the next issue of CTHRR’s Connecticut HR eNewsletter

 

• Flags to Half-Staff:  Governor Dannel P. Malloy has ordered Connecticut and U.S. flags to fly at half staff in honor of Army Private First Class Eric Daniel Soufrine, a Woodbridge native who was killed in action in Afghanistan on Tuesday.

* Source:  Governor’s Office.  For detailed information, see the next issue of CTHRR’s Connecticut HR eNewsletter.

 

• Initial U.S. Unemployment Compensation Claims Down 16k:  In the week ending June 11, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial Unemployment Compensation claims was 414,000, a decrease of 16,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 430,000 and down 12.7% from the same week a year ago.

* Source:  USDOL.  For detailed information, see the next issue of CTHRR’s Connecticut HR eNewsletter.

• Middlesex Job and Career Fair:  …is June 21 at Cromwell’s Crowne Plaza Hotel.  Companies signed up to participate include Clear Channel Radio Connecticut, Comcast, Health at Home, MTU Aero Engines North America, PTE Energy, TD Bank and Verizon Wireless. Companies interested in registering for the Middlesex County Career Fair should contact Johanna Bond at the Middlesex Chamber of Commerce at (860) 347-6942. Jobseekers can visit the Labor Department’s job fair web site at http://www.ctjobfairs.com for directions to the Crowne Plaza as well as a complete listing of employers.

* Source:  www.ctjobfairs.com.  For detailed information, see the next issue of CTHRR’s Connecticut HR eNewsletter.

 

• U.S. Job Openings in April:  Job Openings Increased in April: There were 3.237 million job openings on the last business day of April.  This is an increase of 98,000 from the prior month but is 1.8% lower than in the same month a year ago. 

* Source:  USDOL.  For detailed information, see the June 13^th issue of CTHRR’s Connecticut HR eNewsletter.

 

• Sexual Harassment Training Reminder:  Employers of 50 or more must provide new supervisors with two hours of training on sexual harassment regulations and the remedies that are available to victims of sexual harassment. If you've hired any supervisors or promoted anyone from the ranks to a supervisory position, they are supposed to receive this training within six months of their appointment.

* Source:  CTHRR’s HR Calendar of Events.  For further information on this topic, see the section on Harassment in What to Do about Personnel Problems in Connecticut.

 

• Interesting Website:  Like to keep track of the economy?  You might enjoy this website…or perhaps someone among your co-workers may find it of interest:

* Source:  Statistics for Management.

 

• UC Reminder:  Employers must report all new hires to the Connecticut Department of Labor within 20 days of the date of hire. This information is used to prevent the overpayment of UI benefits and to aid in the collection of delinquent child support payments.

* Source:  CTDOL.  For further information on this topic, see the section on Unemployment Compensation in What to Do about Personnel Problems in Connecticut.

 

• Looking at Health Care Reform…One Year Later:  “Although many employers are looking to employees to help manage rising costs, very few plan to eliminate or reduce their health plan benefits as the result of health care reform. Just 2.6% plan to cut health benefits for new hires, 1.6% plan to drop dependent coverage, 0.9% will close health benefits to new hires and 0.8% will discontinue health benefits for active workers or retirees. Less than one percent of employers (0.7%) plan to stop providing employees with health care coverage in 2014, when ‘play or pay’ provisions become effective.”

* Source:  International Foundation for Employee Benefit Plans.  For further information on this topic, see the section on Health Care Insurance in What to Do about Personnel Problems in Connecticut.

 

• Hartford Layoff:  The Metropolitan District, a waste-processing operation, will layoff 71 workers between August 1 and December 31; the facility is closing according the Connecticut DOL.

* Source:  CTDOL.  For detailed information, see the June 13^th issue of CTHRR’s Connecticut HR eNewsletter.

 

• U.S. Compensation Costs:  $30.07 Per Hour:  Total employer compensation costs for civilian workers, which include private industry and state and local government workers, averaged $30.07 per hour worked in March 2011.

Private industry total costs were $28.10 while total compensation costs for state and local government workers averaged $40.54 per hour.

* Source:  USDOL.  For detailed information, see the June 13^th issue of CTHRR’s Connecticut HR eNewsletter.

 

• Captive Audience Bill Dies:  Upon advice of Connecticut’s Attorney General, our state senate has allowed the “captive audience” bill to expire.

* Source:  Waterbury Republican American.

 

• Unemployment Comp Assessments Coming August 1:  The first annual Special Assessment will be mailed to Connecticut employers on August 1, 2011 with the payment due by August 31, 2011.

* Source:  CTDOL.  For detailed information, see the June 6^th issue of CTHRR’s Connecticut HR eNewsletter.

 

• Initial U.S. Unemployment Compensation Claims Up 1k:  In the week ending June 4, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 427,000, an increase of 1,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 426,000 but down 8.0% from the same week a year ago.

* Source:  USDOL.  For detailed information, see the next issue of CTHRR’s Connecticut HR eNewsletter.

 

• Breakfast Seminar:  CT Unemployment—Unlocking the Mysteries:  During this presentation you will learn:  The process behind Connecticut unemployment experience charges; how experience ratings are used in computing unemployment rates; how to be relieved of charges from unemployment claims; and, an understanding of the shared work initiative.  June 14^th in Danbury.

* Further information:  SHRM Western Connecticut Chapter. 

 

• U.S. Average Earnings:  In May, average hourly earnings for all employees on private nonfarm payrolls increased by 6 cents, or 0.3 percent, to $22.98. Over the past 12 months, average hourly earnings increased by 1.8 percent. In May, average hourly earnings of private-sector production and nonsupervisory employees rose by 6 cents, or 0.3 percent, to $19.43.

* Source:  USDOL.  For detailed information, see the next issue of CTHRR’s Connecticut HR eNewsletter.

 

• Connecticut Insurance Premiums Doubled in Decade:  “Workers in Fairfield County, specifically the Stamford-Norwalk-Bridgeport area, pay an average family premium of $13,612 - a lower rate than for those living around Hartford, where it's $14,251, or New Haven, which tops the state at $14,884. The average in the rest of the state is $13,649.”

* Source:  TheDay.com.  For detailed information, see the June 6^th issue of CTHRR’s Connecticut HR eNewsletter.

 

• U.S. Unemployment among Major Worker Groups in May:  The unemployment rates for adult men (8.9 percent), adult women (8.0 percent), teenagers (24.2 percent), whites (8.0 percent), blacks (16.2 percent), and Hispanics (11.9 percent) showed little or no change in May. The jobless rate for Asians was 7.0 percent.

* Source:  USDOL.  For detailed information, see the June 6^th issue of CTHRR’s Connecticut HR eNewsletter.

 

• Transgender Rights Bill also Looks Like a Done Deal:  Connecticut has moved closer to adding transgendered people to the list of classes of citizens protected from discrimination. The bill prohibits an employer or employer's agent, except in the case of a bona fide occupational qualification or need, from refusing to hire or employ someone; barring or discharging someone from employment; or discriminating against someone in pay or in employment terms, conditions, or privileges based on the individual's gender identity or expression.

* Source:  Connecticut General Assembly.  For detailed information, see the June 6^th issue of CTHRR’s Connecticut HR eNewsletter.

 

• U.S. Unemployment in May:  The number of unemployed persons, at 13.9 million, rose by 167,000 in May but was 6.5% below the same month a year ago. The unemployment rate edged up from 9.0 to 9.1 percent over the month but was 0.5 percentage point lower than in May 2010.

* Source:  USDOL.  For detailed information, see the June 6th issue of CTHRR’s Connecticut HR eNewsletter.

 

• Legislature Passed Paid Sick-Leave Bill:  Governor says, “…I’m proud to sign this bill when it comes to my desk.”

As this is posted, the Governor has not yet signed the bill…but it’s a done deal.  The bill requires most service-industry employers that employ 50 or more people in the state to provide certain employees with paid sick leave accruing at a rate of one hour per 40 hours worked. The bill provides paid sick leave to certain hourly paid or non-exempt service workers employed in an occupation within one of 68 federal Standard Occupational Classification System titles named in the bill.

 * Source:  CTHRR will have complete information on this bill in the June 6th issue of CTHRR’s Connecticut HR eNewsletter.  Subscribers to What to Do about Personnel Problems in Connecticut can also login and go to the "Hot Topics" section at CTHRR.com for a detailed report on the bill.

 

• U.S. Unemployment in May:  The number of unemployed persons, at 13.9 million, rose by 167,000 in May but was 6.5% below the same month a year ago. The unemployment rate edged up from 9.0 to 9.1 percent over the month but was 0.5 percentage point lower than in May 2010.

* Source:  USDOL.  For detailed information, see the June 6th issue of CTHRR’s Connecticut HR eNewsletter.

 

• Weekend Driving?  U.S. Gasoline, Diesel Fuel Prices:  As of 30 May 2011, the average price of a gallon of regular gas was $3.794 [USD] up $1.066 from the same date a year ago. Diesel fuel was $3.948 up $0.968 from May 2010.  The data for the New England area, however, were $3.914 [up $1.113] for gas and $4.121 [up $1.057] for diesel.

* Source:  U.S. Energy & Information Administration.  For detailed information, see the next issue of CTHRR’s Connecticut HR eNewsletter.

 

• U.S. Initial UC Claims Down 6k:  In the week ending May 28, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 422,000, a decrease of 6,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 428,000 and down 9.1% from the same week a year ago. The 4-week moving average was 425,500, a decrease of 14,000 from the previous week's revised average of 439,500.

* Source:  USDOL.  For detailed information, see the next issue of CTHRR’s Connecticut HR eNewsletter.

 

• Connecticut Employers with Out-of-Door Workers:  “In recognition of Lyme Disease Awareness month, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reminds Americans to learn about this common tickborne disease and take steps to protect themselves if they live in or visit areas with Lyme disease activity.”

* Source:  Centers for Disease Control.  For detailed information, see the May 30^th issue of CTHRR’s Connecticut HR eNewsletter.

 

• U.S. Payrolls Continued to Grow in April:  U.S. private wage and salary disbursements increased $27.3 billion in April, compared with an increase of $20.6 billion in March. 

* Source:  USDOC.  For detailed information, see the May 30^th issue of CTHRR’s Connecticut HR eNewsletter.

 

• Connecticut’s Unemployment in April:  Unemployment rates and the number of unemployed people, not seasonally adjusted, were down over the year in three of the labor market areas, and up or unchanged in six. Danbury had the lowest unemployment rate at 7.3%, followed by Bridgeport-Stamford at 8.3%, Norwich-New London and Torrington at 8.8%, Hartford at 8.9%, Enfield at 9.0%, New Haven at 9.3%, and Willimantic-Danielson at 10.2%. Waterbury had the highest rate of unemployment at 11.9%.

* Source:  CTDOL.  For detailed information, see the May 23^rd issue of CTHRR’s Connecticut HR eNewsletter.

 

• Connecticut Youth Career Fair:  “Youth Job Fair, Housatonic Community College, 900 Lafayette Blvd., Bridgeport, CT, Tuesday, June 14, 2011, 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.”

* Source:  CTDOL.  For detailed information, see the May 30^th issue of CTHRR’s Connecticut HR eNewsletter.

 

• Connecticut’s Average Hours:  The workweek for employees in the private sector, not seasonally adjusted, averaged 33.8 hours in April, up 0.5 hours from the April 2010 figure of 33.3 hours.

* Source:  CTDOL.  For detailed information, see the next issue of CTHRR’s Connecticut HR eNewsletter.

 

• Ergonomics:  OSHA’s Back on Its MSDs Kick Again:  Last week the Occupational Safety and Health Administration reopened the public record for proposed changes to the Occupational Injury and Illness Recording and Reporting Requirements regulation. OSHA is considering restoring a column to the OSHA 300 Log that an employer would have to check if an injury it already has recorded under existing rules is a musculoskeletal disorder.

* Source:  USDOL-OSHA.  For detailed information, see the May 23^rd issue of CTHRR’s Connecticut HR eNewsletter.

 

• Connecticut’s Average Earnings in April:  Average hourly earnings at $28.24, not seasonally adjusted, were up $0.19 from a year ago at this time when the number was $28.43. This resulted in an average weekly wage for private sector employees of $954.51, up $7.79 over the year, an increase of 0.8 percent.

* Source:  CTDOL.  For detailed information, see the May 23^rd issue of CTHRR’s Connecticut HR eNewsletter.

 

• U.S. Initial UC Claims Up 10k:  In the week ending May 21, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted U.S. initial unemployment compensation claims was 424,000, an increase of 10,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 414,000 but 9.2% below the same week a year ago.

* Source:  USDOL.  For detailed information, see the next issue of CTHRR’s Connecticut HR eNewsletter.

 

• Paid Sick Leave Bill Passes State Senate:  Connecticut took one step closer to becoming the first state to mandate paid sick leave as the Senate passed the bill Wednesday.  Mandating paid sick leave for employees within the service industry, the controversial bill next goes before the House.

* Source:  The Day. 

 

• Employment in Connecticut’s Labor Market Areas:  Since January of 2010 when the state overall began adding jobs, there were gains in Hartford (+12,800), Bridgeport-Stamford (+8,800), Danbury (+1,300), New Haven (+2,200) and Waterbury (+1,700). Job losses were reported in Norwich-New London (-1,800).

* Source:  CTDOL.  For detailed information, see the May 23^rd issue of CTHRR’s Connecticut HR eNewsletter.

 

• Health Care Costs to Rise 8.5% in 2012:  :  “Employers will likely face health-care cost increases of 8.5% in 2012, but they’ll mitigate that burden by pushing more costs onto employees and making other changes to benefits, a report finds….”

* Source:  Online.WSJ.com.  For detailed information, see the May 23^rd issue of CTHRR’s Connecticut HR eNewsletter.

 

• CTDOL’s Take on State Labor Situation:  “While it has definitely been an uphill battle regarding job gains, the small victories are slowly beginning to help us regain the nearly 120,000 jobs lost during the recession,” noted Labor Statistics Supervisor Salvatore DiPillo. “Although Connecticut has only seen gains in six of the last 12 months, we have still managed to add more than 31,000 jobs since the job market turned around in January 2010. Unfortunately our unemployment rate remains persistently high at 9.1 percent, which is above the national average. Still, trends in the past year - fewer new claims for unemployment, increased workweek hours, and a decline in the number of unemployed people – are encouraging signs for the future.”

* Source:  CTDOL.  For detailed information, see the May 23^rd issue of CTHRR’s Connecticut HR eNewsletter.

 

• College Recruiting Offers Up…a Bit:  :  “More than 56 percent of computer science majors who have applied for a job have received an offer making it the major with the highest offer rate from the Class of 2011, according to results of a new survey conducted by the National Association of Colleges and Employers….”

* Source:  NACEWeb.org.  For detailed information, see the May 23^rd issue of CTHRR’s Connecticut HR eNewsletter.

 

• Connecticut Gained Some Jobs Last Month:  After a loss of more than 6,500 jobs in March, Connecticut’s workforce experienced a turn-around in April with 7,900 additional jobs estimated for the month. This brings the state’s nonfarm employment to 1,625,100. On a seasonally adjusted basis, this represents an increase of 19,300 jobs over the year. The state’s unemployment rate remained steady at 9.1 percent, which is slightly above the national rate of 9.0 percent.

* Source:  CTDOL.  For detailed information, see the May 23^rd issue of CTHRR’s Connecticut HR eNewsletter.

 

• Please Drive Carefully this Coming Weekend:  The 2011 Memorial Day holiday period begins at 6:00 p.m., Friday, May 27, and ends at 11:59 p.m., Monday, May 30. Our estimate of traffic fatalities for this 3.25-day holiday period is 406 deaths with a 90% confidence interval (C.I.) of 351 to 468 deaths. Nonfatal medically consulted injuries, i.e. injuries serious enough that a medical professional was consulted, are estimated at 39,400 with a range of 34,000 to 45,400.

* Source:  National Safety Council.  For detailed information, see the May 23^rd issue of CTHRR’s Connecticut HR eNewsletter.

 

• More on Holiday Pay:  CTHRR asked 139 Connecticut employers, “Are you having a holiday on the Tuesday after July 4 in 2011?”  10% said they are doing so…to make a 4-day weekend.

* Source:  CTHRR’s Quick Surveys.  For further information on this topic, see the section on Holidays in What to Do about Personnel Problems in Connecticut.

 

• Does Your 401[k] Match Up?  Our latest Quick Survey will provide the answers.  Please fill out our newest on-line questionnaire.  Takes about 90 seconds to complete and it’s all done on-line.   We appreciate your participation.

* Source:  CTHRR’s Quick Surveys.

 

• U.S. Initial Unemployment Claims Down 29k:  In the week ending May 14, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 409,000, a decrease of 29,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 438,000 and down 14% from the same week a year ago.

* Source:  USDOL.  For detailed information, see the next issue of CTHRR’s Connecticut HR eNewsletter.

 

• Connecticut Human Resource Reports eNewsletter:  For the most up-to-date Connecticut HR news and information, subscribe to our weekly Connecticut HR Reports eNewsletter. Annual subscriptions (48 issues) are just $99. For a FREE sample issue, E-mail us.

* E-mail:  Click here. 

 

• Mass Layoffs in Connecticut:  In the 1st quarter of 2011, state employers took 10 mass layoff actions in the private nonfarm sector that resulted in the separation of 3,375 workers from their jobs for at least 31 days.

* Source:  USDOL.  For detailed information, see the May 16^th issue of CTHRR’s Connecticut HR eNewsletter.

 

• Female Grads Earn Less then Men:  The National Association of Colleges and Employers says female grads in 2010 received average starting salaries 17% below those of male grads.

* Source:  NACEweb.org.  For detailed information, see the May 16^th issue of CTHRR’s Connecticut HR eNewsletter.

 

• Holiday Pay:  CTHRR asked 139 Connecticut employers, “As part of your paid holidays do you grant employees a special day-off that they select, such as for a birthday or anniversary?  12% of respondent said yes.

* Source:  CTHRR’s Quick Surveys.  For further information on this topic, see the section on Holidays in What to Do about Personnel Problems in Connecticut.

 

• Orange:  OSHA Proposes $47k in Fines for Metal Fabricator:  “The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration has cited Valley Tool Inc. for 13 alleged violations of workplace safety standards. The Orange, Conn., metal fabrication shop faces a total $46,970 in proposed fines following an OSHA inspection prompted by an employee complaint….

* Source:  OSHA.   For detailed information, see the May 16^th issue of CTHRR’s Connecticut HR eNewsletter.

 

• Connecticut Q1 AAP Data Available:  Connecticut Labor Force Data for Affirmative Action Plans provides quarterly labor force information for Connecticut and its nine labor market areas (LMAs).

* Source:  CTDOL.  For detailed information, see the May 16^th issue of CTHRR’s Connecticut HR eNewsletter.