Workplace Injuries and Illnesses Continue to Decline; OSHA Schedules Hearing on Electronic Reporting Proposal

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ (BLS) annual Workplace Injury and Illness Summary, private sector employers reported approximately 3 million nonfatal workplace injuries and illnesses in 2012, or about 3.4 instances per 100 full-time equivalent workers, down from 3.5 instances per 100 workers reported in 2011.  This data is in keeping with the steady decline of reported injury and illness rates over the past five years. Read the full post here. (November 14, 2013)

Senators Introduce Bill Targeting Independent Contractor Misclassification; DOL Forges Ahead with Classification Survey

During Tuesday’s Senate Subcommittee hearing – Payroll Fraud: Targeting Bad Actors Hurting Workers and Businesses – Senator Robert P. Casey, Jr. (D-PA) announced that he, along with Senators Tom Harkin (IA) and Sherrod Brown (D-OH), had that day introduced the Payroll Fraud Protection Act of 2013 (S. 1687), a bill that would “hold employers accountable” for independent contractor misclassification.  This hearing occurred just days after the Department of Labor (DOL) sent its proposed Worker Classification Survey to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval. The proposed survey will likely provide the groundwork for the future “right-to-know” rule that would amend an employer’s recordkeeping requirements under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) to provide employees with greater information about their employment status. Read the full post here. (November 13, 2013)