Celebrating 47 Years of Staffing Excellence |
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Unemployment Rate Continues to Drop |
Wisconsin's unemployment rate fell to 5.4% in September, down from 6.3% in August. This is after reaching a high of 13.6% in April.
Wisconsin's unemployment rate for September is well below the national unemployment rate of 7.9%.
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Legislators Propose Bill That Would Target Staffing
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Shortly before adjourning for the 2020 election, Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA), Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH), and Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) unveiled a massive labor rights reform package dubbed “The Worker Flexibility and Small Business Protection Act.” |
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The bill covers a wide array of labor issues, and no federal legislation has focused on the temporary staffing industry in such detail since the 1980s. Labor powerhouses like the Service Employees International Union and the AFL-CIO have already come out in support of it.
Among other things, the Worker Flexibility and Small Business Protection Act calls for
- Temporary employees to be employees of the clients under various federal laws, such as the Federal Unemployment Tax Act, Family and Medical Leave Act, Fair Labor Standards Act, National Labor Relations Act, Occupational Safety and Health Act, Service Contract Act, and others (this would appear to remove any joint employer analysis)
- Wage parity, with limited exceptions—and where there are exceptions there are wage mandates
- The creation of a national registry, with a $1,000 registration fee plus a $250 fee per office
- A ban on conversion fees
- A ban on permatemps—an employee who performs labor for an employer for 1,040 total hours during any 12-month period shall become a direct employee of that employer
- Right-to-know notices
- No assignments during strikes or labor disputes
- Document retention, including race and gender information; wage rates must be provided to client
- No transportation fees
- Two hours pay plus transportation costs if there ends up being no assignment
- A ban on charging employees for drug tests or background checks
- Penalties for violations
The bill is unlikely to advance in the current Republican-controlled Senate, but that would certainly change if Democrats were to win control of the Senate—bill sponsor Sen. Murray would most likely become chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee. ASA will actively engage on the bill and any future iterations as necessary.
American Staffing Association - Toby Malara
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Reducing Turnover
DOs and DON'Ts
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DO train your employees properly and thoroughly – Poorly trained people will get frustrated easily. Some will ask for help, but some will just start looking elsewhere.
DO provide a clean, safe, pleasant working environment – People spend a third of their lives at work. Make it a place that they look forward to coming to each day, and you’ll have a much easier time holding on to them.
DO treat your employees well – Recognize and compliment their strengths, and coach them on their weaknesses. Offer little perks to show your appreciation for their effort.
DO offer some degree of flexibility when and where possible – This could be special or reduced hours, the ability to work remotely to some degree, or even just a few hours off here and there to allow the employee to attend their child’s sporting event, musical recital, or school play.
DON’T think that good pay alone will keep unhappy workers around – Competitive wages are a factor in attracting and retaining good employees, but wages actually rank well down on the list of important aspects of a desirable job behind things like appreciation, trust, advancement opportunity, and flexibility.
DON’T allow a culture of negativity at your company – Regardless of how long someone has been with your company, an employee with a bad attitude about the company, the job, or management, or who repeatedly ignores policy and procedure, is like an infection that can weaken the entire department or the entire company.
DON’T terminate too quickly (OR too slowly) – Employees are a scarce commodity right now. Just because someone is not catching on as quickly, or has a few stumbles out of the gate, is no reason to throw in the towel without trying to make things work. Of course, it’s still important to recognize a lost cause. Not everyone has the aptitude, or the attitude, for every job.
DON’T treat new employees better than your tenured employees – This goes for the areas of office space, pay, benefits, training, incentives, or other perks. If you’ve had to raise pay rates to attract new employees, make sure your long-term employees rise with the same tide.
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Judge Blocks Release of Employer COVID-19 Data |
A Waukesha County judge has issued an order temporarily blocking the release of the names of Wisconsin businesses which have had at least two employees test positive for COVID-19. The order is in response to a lawsuit filed by the Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce (WMC), along with the Chambers of Commerce in Muskego and New Berlin.
WMC also feels strongly that releasing this information could be harmful to businesses, saying in the suit that the release of those businesses' names "will falsely create the impression that the businesses at issue are somehow dangerous" even though some may not have had positive cases for months.
Gov. Tony Evers said that his administration has received multiple open records requests to release that information, and that attorneys for the state have said it would be a legitimate release of data
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Governor Evers Issues Executive Order Restricting indoor Gatherings
On October 6th Governor Tony Evers signed Emergency Order #3 limiting public gatherings to no more than 25% of a room or building’s total occupancy. Exemptions are in effect for the following:
• Child care settings, before and after school programs, virtual learning support programs, and other child welfare locations listed in the order
• 4K-12 schools
• Colleges and universities
• Health care and public health operations
• Human services operations, such as long-term care and assisted living facilities
• Public infrastructure operations, such as food processing and production facilities, airports, construction projects, and public transportation
• State and local government operations and facilities
• Religious events, political events, demonstrations, and other events with protected First Amendment speech
• State facilities under the control of the Wisconsin Supreme Court or the Wisconsin Legislature
• Federal facilities under the control of the federal government
The directive took effect at 8 a.m. on Oct. 8, 2020, and will remain in effect until Nov. 6, 2020. It applies to any gatherings at locations that are open to the public such as stores, restaurants, and other businesses that allow public entry, as well as spaces with ticketed events.
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Eleven Ways to Winterize Your Home on a Budget
Keep the cold out, the heat in, and your energy bill down with these cost-effective tips for winterizing your home winterizing your home.
Clean Your Gutters – Making sure that water can flow freely through your gutters now will help prevent icicles and ice dams from forming later.
Flush the Water Heater – Particles and sediment can collect over time in the bottom of your water heater, hindering the unit's efficiency.
Clockwise Ceiling Fans – Have your ceiling fans move in a clockwise direction so they push hot air along the ceiling towards the floor.
Window Insulation Film – It may not be the most fashionable tip, but window insulation film can keep up to 70% of heat from leaking out of the windows.
Draft Guards – In a drafty room, heat escapes under the door. When winterizing your house, place draft guards by the doors to prevent heat loss.
Replace Filters – Regularly changing the filters in your central air and heating system can significantly improve its efficiency and longevity.
Weather strip Tape – Drafts and air leaks increase your heating costs, so make sure your windows and doors are sealed tight with weather stripping.
Fiberglass Insulation – For maximum heat retention, pack fiberglass insulation around basement doors, windows in unused rooms, and window AC units. Make sure your attic floor is insulated, too. Just remember to be careful and wear gloves!
Programmable Thermostat – The US Department of Energy says you can save as much as 1% on your energy bill for every degree you lower your home's temperature during the winter. Install a programmable thermostat now and save money by keeping the temp down when you're not at home.
Just Caulk It – Any remaining gaps in siding, windows, or doors can be filled with caulk. For extra drafty windows and doors, caulk the inside too, pulling off moldings to fill all gaps in the insulation.
Chimney Balloon – Your chimney is a huge source of heat loss come wintertime. If not in active use, plug it up with a chimney balloon when winterizing your home to keep drafts out and heat in.
Kristina Grosspietsch – bobvilla.com
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Kourtney Keberlein
Green Bay
From Associate Staffing Specialist
To Staffing Specialist
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Kari Kretschmann
Sheboygan
From Associate Staffing Specialist
To Staffing Specialist
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Tracey Miller
Area Manager
Appleton - Fond du Lac
24 years
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Andrea Turnquist
Senior Staffing Specialist
Stevens Point
13 years
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Caramel Apple Crisp Cheesecake Bars
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INGREDIENTS
Crust:
1/4 C brown sugar
1 C graham cracker crumbs
3/4 C rolled oats
1/2 C melted butter, plus more for greasing the plate
Cheesecake Layer:
2 8oz packages cream cheese –softened
2 T corn starch
1/4 C brown sugar
1/4 C white sugar
1/2 t ginger
2 t vanilla extract
1/2 t cinnamon
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INGREDIENTS
Apple Crisp Topping:
1/4 C all-purpose flour
1/4 C rolled oats
1/4 C brown sugar
1/2 t cinnamon
2 T coconut oil
2 medium to large apple – peeled and thinly sliced
Caramel Topping (store bought caramel ice cream topping in a squeeze bottle works well)
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INSTRUUCTIONS
Preheat your oven to 350. Prepare one 9x13-inch glass pan by greasing thoroughly with butter or baking spray. In a mixing bowl combine graham cracker crumbs, rolled oats, melted butter and brown sugar together. Press into the bottom of the baking pan, and bake for 5 minutes. Remove from oven to let cool.
Meanwhile, in the bowl of an electric mixer blend together cream cheese, brown sugar, white sugar, cinnamon, ginger, cornstarch and vanilla. Once well combined, pour on top of your crust. To start your apple layer, arrange the thinly sliced apple on top of the cream cheese mixture in a single layer. Top with the Apple Crisp Topping. Bake at 350 for 40-50 minutes. Cool for 15 minutes, then refrigerate overnight. Cut into squares, and serve with caramel drizzled over the top.
sugarapron.com
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QUOTE
Autumn is a second spring, when every leaf is a flower. – Albert Camus
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