A host of regulations affecting a wide range of businesses and industries is being released by the administration. These changes can be summed up into four major areas dealing with increasing labor protections against common issues in the workplace. These are:
Safety checks. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is gearing for tougher enforcement in all of its branches. The agency will launch a big new push on ergonomics, perhaps making another run at producing a specific rule on repetitive-motion injuries.
Wages. The Labor Department’s Wage and Hour Division is putting 250 more investigators on the job to probe pay disputes and try to resolve problems. This will hopefully ensure a more thorough process and quicker results for the complaints received on pay disputes and unfair practices.
Discrimination. A broader definition of disability will expand protection under the Americans with Disabilities Act to more individuals. Business groups are up in arms about the proposed rule by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, saying the agency exceeded its authority by including in the proposed rule a list of impairments that will consistently meet the definition of disability. Another EEOC rule will impose restrictions on health-risk assessments (HRAs), a key component of employers’ wellness programs. The rule implements a 2008 law banning the use of genetic information in decisions on employment. Its broad definition of “genetic information” includes family medical history, and employers may not provide any rewards or penalties tied to an HRA that asks for family medical history.
Union rights. A pro-labor stance by the National Labor Relations Board is certain as soon as Congress confirms President Obama’s appointees, giving Democrats a majority. Look for reversals of key decisions made by Bush appointees on the use of e-mail by workers for union organizing and the representation of nonunion workers at disciplinary meetings. The new board also is likely to narrow the definition of a supervisor, which will make more workers eligible to join a union.
Watch out for more changes in the workplace in the coming months.
*with material from The Washington Post
These changes are long overdue. Not to mention that the current economic crisis has made many companies go soft on compliance. This should bring a lot of construction companies back in line.
I think these are some great changes that have been necessary for awhile now. Construction, manufacturing and labor jobs are some of the most dangerous professions available and I think that anything that can be done to protect these employees should be applauded.