August 2023 Edition

RKL Virtual's Workforce Strategies team is here to help you navigate the complexities of today's HR environment with the updates, reminders and insights you need to maximize your most important asset — your people. We value your feedback, so let us know what you think of this newsletter!

Here are the trends and hot topics we're tracking this month.

Revised Form I-9 Went into Effect on August 1

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services published a revised Form I-9 to use when hiring new employees. The form contains several improvements, including a checkbox for employers enrolled in E-Verify to indicate they remotely examined identity and employment authorization documents. Find the new form here. Employers may continue to use the old form through October 31, 2023. After that date, they will be subject to penalties if they continue to use the old form.

The Age of Automation is Among Us

Automation and AI have been touching a lot of industries, and HR and payroll are no exception. Automation is increasingly being used to handle back-office administrative work, allowing employees to focus their time on more important matters. IBM has over 280 AI automations occurring in their HR department, saving their employees 12,000 hours over 18 months. Want to learn more about how automation can help your HR department? Register for our "The Next Automation Frontier: HR & Payroll" webinar on September 14 to learn more!

What’s on the minds of your HR peers? Check out this recent client FAQ. 

Q: Should we continue requiring candidates to have a college degree when we struggle to recruit talent?

A: It's a good time to re-examine your role requirements and job descriptions in this tight labor market. Consider the job's crucial tasks and whether a college degree is necessary. Would a specific certification or years of experience work instead of a degree? In his first move as governor, Josh Shapiro removed four-year degree requirements for most state government jobs. You may be leaving qualified candidates out of your search by requiring four-year degrees for roles that don't truly need them.

...OSHA proposed a new rule on PPE fit in construction?

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is only effective if it fits the worker wearing it. Studies have shown that many women in construction are given ill-fitting PPE, which can hamper their work and expose them to hazards. In response, the Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued a notice of proposed rulemaking to revise the current PPE standard in construction. OSHA is accepting public comments on this rule until September 18, 2023.

...the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) announced a new EEO-1 landing page?

This landing page will contain updates and information related to the 2022 EEO-1 Component 1 data collection opening in Fall 2023. Visit the page here.

...the U.S. Department of Labor has a Mental Health at Work webpage?

The Mental Health at Work webpage contains helpful resources and information surrounding mental health, including what employers are required to do by law, resources for workers, and tools and tips to help support your employees' mental health.

Pregnant Workers Fairness Act Goes Into Effect

The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA) was enacted on July 27. Under this law, companies with at least 15 employees must provide reasonable accommodations to a worker's limitations related to pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions. The new law builds upon existing protections against pregnancy discrimination under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act. The PWFA works with the new PUMP for Nursing Mothers Act (PUMP Act), which expanded the population of workers who have the right to break time and a private space to express breast milk at work.

• View the updated Nursing Employees Workplace Protections flyer
• View the Readout of the White House Celebration of the PWFA and the PUMP Act
• Learn What to Expect from Your Employer When You're Expecting