Sikich’s 3-part Supervisory Webinar Series begins with HR Compliance for Supervisors, which provides an overview of key compliance topics with a special emphasis on your responsibilities as a supervisor.

Employment laws covered will include:

- Fair Labor Standards Act/Wage and Hour Issues

- Title VII

- Americans with Disabilities Act Amendment Act

- Age Discrimination in Employment Act

- Family Medical Leave Act

- Immigration Regulation and Control Act

May 22, 2013, 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM CST

U.S. Customs & Border Protection (CBP) began a new program on April 30, 2013 that will end issuance of paper Form I-94 Arrival/Departure Records for many visitors. Foreign visitors arriving in the United States via air or sea who need to prove their lawful immigration status will be required to access their arrival information online and print their own Form I-94 Arrival/Departure Records (Form I-94). A hard copy of Form I-94 is required to begin employment, apply for a Social Security Number, and obtain a driver’s license or identification document.

Employers need to examine their workforces now to determine whether they will be considered large employers under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Employers with 50 full-time/full-time equivalent employees will be required to offer affordable health coverage in 2014 or pay penalties.

National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) President and CEO Jay Timmons issued a statement after the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit ruled in favor of the NAM’s appeal of the National Labor Relations Board’s (NLRB) “posting requirement” rule issued by the agency last year.

In a similar case last year, the U.S. District Court in South Carolina struck down the poster rule and validated the NAM’s arguments. The NAM’s appeal requested the court to invalidate the entire rule and asserts the NLRB overstepped its statutory authority and ignored congressional intent by issuing the rule.  

On April 9th, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that it reached the statutory H-1B cap of 65,000 for fiscal year (FY) 2014 within the first week of the filing period. USCIS also announced that it received more than 20,000 H-1B petitions filed on behalf of persons exempt from the cap under the advanced degree exemption. The last time this occurred was in 2008. In 2012, the cap was not reached for over 2.5 months. As you know, 65,000 H-1B numbers are available for persons with a bachelor’s degree or its equivalent; an additional 20,000 H-1B visa numbers are available for persons holding master’s degrees or above granted by a U.S. college or university.

The National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) welcomed bipartisan legislation released April 17, 2013 by Sens. Marco Rubio (R-FL), Jeff Flake (R-AZ), John McCain (R-AZ), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Charles Schumer (D-NY), Robert Menendez (D-NJ), Michael Bennet (D-CO) and Dick Durbin (D-IL). This comprehensive framework addresses all aspects of immigration critical to manufacturers. While manufacturers are still reviewing the language, the proposal is a thoughtful and positive step that addresses the real reforms necessary for the United States to succeed. For manufacturers, this means fixing our broken system in a way that strengthens our economy and grows our workforce without displacing American workers.

1. The US must have an environment that fosters and supports jobs and economic growth;

2. Policies should be enacted that attract and retain R&D activities and protect manufacturers’ intellectual property;

The Illinois Department of Veterans’ Affairs has a major new employment initiative, Mission: Military 2 Manufacturing (MM2M), which brings together government agencies, trade associations, schools, business sector experts and employers to educate returning service members and veterans on meaningful job and training opportunities in the growing modern manufacturing industry.

MM2M will hold its second event in Pekin, Illinois, on Wednesday, May 1.