Post: Jan. 24, 2019
On January 15th, Gov. Andrew Cuomo revealed the details of proposed Cannabis Regulation and Taxation Act, which would restrict access to anyone under 21, automatically seal marijuana offenses on a person’s criminal record. The proposed legislation would impose three taxes on the adult-use of marijuana, which together would generate roughly $300 million in new revenues for the state by the program’s third year. According to Cuomo counties and large cities would be allowed to “opt out” of the retail industry by passing local laws that prohibit marijuana shops from opening within their jurisdictions.
Revenues from the state taxes would go toward administering a regulated cannabis program; data gathering, monitoring and reporting; a traffic safety committee; small business development and loans; substance abuse, harm reduction and mental health treatment and prevention; public health education and intervention; research on cannabis uses and applications; and program evaluation and improvements.
The bill would create a new Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) that centralizes all the licensing, enforcement and economic development functions into one entity. The OCM would administer all licensing, production, and distribution of cannabis products in the adult-use, industrial and medical cannabis markets.
Read the full article from Timesunion.com, by Bethany Bump (click here for full article)
Post: Jan. 23, 2019
From the NY Torch By Bill Hammond (click here for full article)
Health care was the dog that did not bark at Governor Andrew Cuomo’s combined State of State and budget address on Tuesday.
Given the widespread support for a statewide single-payer plan in the Legislature, and the health coverage expansions recently announced by other Democratic governors and Mayor Bill de Blasio, Cuomo might have been expected to respond with a splashy proposal of his own.
Instead, he called for appointing a commission to study “options for achieving universal access” and report back by December – a clear sign that he has no stomach for tackling the issue in this session.
The commission’s mandate, as described near the bottom of his press release, does not mention the concept of single-payer, which has passed the Assembly in each of the past four years, and enjoys broad support in the Senate’s newly installed Democratic majority:
This review process will consider all options for expanding access to care, including strengthening New York’s commercial insurance market, expanding programs to include populations that are currently ineligible or cannot afford coverage, as well as innovative reimbursement models to improve efficiency and generate savings to support expanded coverage.
Cuomo has said he supports single-payer at the federal level, but thinks a state-only plan – conservatively estimated to require a $139 billion tax hike – is not practical.
Also notably missing from his spending plan was any reform of the notoriously dysfunctional $1.1 billion Indigent Care Pool, which theoretically compensates hospitals for charity care but distributes the money with little rhyme or reason.
The health-related proposals the governor did include in his budget were relatively small-bore, such as requiring certain insurers to cover in vitro fertilization, bolstering an existing mandate for coverage of birth control and reinforcing and expanding the state laws that legalize abortion.
Meanwhile, his administration’s efforts to control Medicaid costs – a success story in his early years as governor – show signs of falling apart.
(click here for full article)
Post: Jan. 8, 2019
The Council of Industry has launched a Collaborative Recruiting Initiative, designed to allow HV Manufacturing companies to work together to promote the manufacturing sector, attract candidates and ultimately pace them into manufacturing jobs.
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By Guest Blogger Michaela Ryan, Council of Industry Intern
In the manufacturing industry, one of the challenges that we all face is attracting quality candidates. Have you ever thought about trying to reach veterans through your candidate search? Did you know that jobs can be made searchable by MOS code? MOS codes are a specific code used in the military that identifies a particular job. Each MOS code has its own job description. Active members and veterans typically know their MOS code like the back of their hand. Therefore, when a veteran is searching for a civilian job, they know that they have the qualified skills and experience if it aligns with their MOS code. This information is being implemented in various recruitment strategies when trying to attract veterans for job openings.
The Manufacturing Industry aligns nicely with many of these MOS code job descriptions. Much of the work they do is hands-on work with machines, which fits perfectly into the Manufacturing Industry. Finding information on this is simple. When you search “MOS code job search” in Google, MOS translators for civilian jobs are the first links to pop up. For example, MOS code 44E is the code for a Machinist in the Army. A veteran could type “44E” into the MOS translator and it would present a list of job openings that align with their background as a machinist in the Army. It allows veterans to use their gained experiences and skills from the military and put those skills and experiences to use in civilian jobs.
Recruiters, such as yourselves, can implement MOS code compatibility into your recruitment process by providing applicable MOS codes into your job postings. Multiple MOS codes can align with a single job. You can find a list of MOS codes categorized by military branch, for example, an Army MOS code list and a Marine MOS code list can be found here. There are numerous resources online when trying to figure out which MOS codes could apply to your job openings. This can help veterans find jobs faster that align with their prior experience and it can help you find qualified candidates by reaching a new market. This could open new doors for access to skilled candidates!
The Council of Industry started matching the jobs in our Recruiting Initiative to corresponding MOS codes. We started this to open new doors for our members to try and help solve this problem of finding qualified candidates. All of the applicable jobs will have a list of corresponding MOS code(s) implemented into the job description/posting. This will allow veterans to know that they qualify for that particular job and it will also make the job searchable by MOS code. Anyone can go to our website (Link Here) and search an MOS code and all applicable jobs will appear for candidates to easily apply. Our hope is to reach a broader candidate base for our members, as well as, assist veterans in their job search.
The Council of Industry started this process and implemented a few MOS codes into some applicable jobs already, but we need your help! As you know the jobs and qualifications better than anyone, we encourage you, as our members to follow suit and start thinking about this idea when creating a new job post. You can do this by going to the links above and searching for titles and job descriptions that are most relevant to your openings. Once you do this, you can add those applicable MOS codes into the job description. If you are apart of our Recruiting Initiative and joined iCIMS, once the MOS codes are implemented into the job posting, veterans can go to our website and search for their MOS code. If your job lists their MOS code, it will immediately show up. This will help you reach a new market of qualified candidates, in hope to help with your recruiting process.
Making MOS codes searchable with job openings is a new opportunity for you, as members, to attract veterans. By simply implementing this into your recruiting process, you can increase your likelihood of finding the quality candidate you’ve been looking for. Many other companies within various industries have already started to implement this into their recruitment process and there are a variety of tools readily available to assist in the implementation of this process. If you would like to attract veterans or find a new market of candidates during your recruitment process, this could be what you are looking for. If you have any questions or need help starting this process, feel free to reach out to us! We will be more than happy to help.
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E-Verify—the federal electronic employment eligibility verification service—has expired due to a lapse in funding and will not be available during the partial shutdown of the U.S. government that began Dec. 22, 2018.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which oversees the program, announced that the website www.e-verify.gov will not be actively managed and will not be updated until after funding is restored. The agency reported that “information on this website may not be up to date. Transactions submitted via this website might not be processed and we will not be able to respond to inquiries until after appropriations are enacted.”
Follow this link to find out what is unavailable and what policies have been implemented to minimize impact to employers:
https://www.e-verify.gov/e-verify-and-e-verify-services-are-unavailable
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From Ethan Allen Workforce Solutions, a Council of Industry Associate Member
An increase in the minimum wage, intended to eventually bring New York’s state minimum wage to $15 an hour, went into effect on December 31.
As a result of a measure signed into law in April 2016, the state will continue to see minimum wage increases implemented on a regional basis. The state’s current basic minimum wage is $10.40 an hour.
Under this law, New York City employers with 11 or more employees will see the minimum wage go to $15 an hour on December 31. New York City employers with fewer than 11 employees will see the minimum wage increase to $13.50 on December 31 and rise $1.50 next year, reaching $15 at the end of 2019.
Long Island and Westchester counties will see the minimum wage rise to $12 on December 31 and then go up $1 per year, reaching $15 at the end of 2021.
The rest of the state will see the minimum wage hit $11.10 on December 31 and go up 70 cents per year until it reaches $12.50 at the end of 2020. After that, the minimum wage will continue to increase to $15 an hour on an indexed schedule.
The law contains a “safety valve” that will allow state officials beginning in 2019 to consider the effects of wage increases on regional economies before permitting scheduled increases to go into effect.
The minimum salary required for administrative and executive employees to be exempt from overtime pay in New York State is set to increase as well. Beginning December 31, 2018, the salary thresholds are as follows:
NYC employers with 11 or more employees, $1,125 per week.
NYS employers with 10 or fewer employees, $1,012.50 per week.
For Nassau, Westchester, and Suffolk County employers, $900 per week.
For other employers, $832 per week.
We are currently reviewing all employee pay rates and will be in touch shortly to discuss any necessary pay adjustments. If you have any questions, please contact us at 845-471-1200
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By Sean G. Hanagan, Jackson Lewis P.C., a Council of Industry Associate Member
Social Security Administration (SSA) has begun notifying employers that the information reported on an individual employee’s W-2 form does not match the SSA’s records with “Request for Employer Information” letters, known as “No-Match” letters.
SSA started sending these controversial informational requests in 1993, but the practice has waxed and waned in part due to litigation. In 2011, SSA resumed the practice of notifying employers of social security number mismatches. But in 2012, the Obama Administration decided to simply stop the practice.
Now, the letters are back! In July 2018, probably in response to President Donald Trump’s Buy American, Hire American Executive Order, SSA re-started the practice by sending “informational notifications” to employers and third party providers telling them of mismatches on their 2017 Forms W-2 and explaining where to find helpful resources. The plan was to send 225,000 of these notices every two weeks. Starting in Spring 2019, notices will be sent regarding 2018 Forms W-2s, but these letters, unlike the “informational” letters, will tell employers that corrections are necessary.
A mismatch does not necessarily mean that there is any wrongdoing. It can be caused by an administrative error: numbers can be reversed, names might be misspelled or changed, for instance, due to marriage. But once a letter is received, in determining how to respond, employers find themselves caught between agencies. SSA wants to maintain accurate records of earnings. ICE wants to ensure compliance with employment verification laws. And the Immigrant and Employee Rights Section of the Department of Justice (IER) wants to ensure that employers are not discriminating on the basis of citizenship, nationality or by pursuing unfair documentary practices in violation of the INA.
What is an employer to do?
- Don’t take any adverse action against an employee based on a No-Match letter alone.
- Compare the SSA information with the individual’s employment records.
- If the employer’s records match, ask the employee to check the name and number on his or her Social Security card.
- If there is a mistake on the card or the card needs to be changed or corrected, ask the employee to reach out to SSA to resolve the issue.
If the issue is not easily resolved, the employer should contact legal counsel. There are no “safe harbors.” Each case is different and must be analyzed individually to avoid missteps and penalties from either SSA, ICE, or IER.
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By: Jacqueline A. Smith, from Bond, Schoeneck & King PLLC, a Council of Industry Associate Member
Following the trend of other counties and municipalities throughout New York State who have adopted “fair chance” or “ban the box” legislation, the Westchester County Board of Legislators passed a local law on December 3 which would prohibit employers from inquiring about an applicant’s criminal conviction or arrest record in employment applications. The law, which will go into effect 90 days after it is signed by the County Executive, also bans employment advertisements, solicitations, or publications containing any “limitation, or specification in employment based on a person’s arrest record or criminal conviction.”
Earlier this year, County Executive George Latimer signed an Executive Order that banned criminal conviction questions on any applications for employment with the County government. The County Executive’s office released a statement confirming that he intends to sign this legislation that will extend the prohibition to other employers within the County as well.
Unlike New York City’s “ban the box” law that prohibits any inquiries relating to an applicant’s criminal history until after a conditional offer of employment has been extended, the Westchester County law explicitly allows an employer to make such inquiries after the employee submits his/her employment application. However, the Westchester County law reiterates the employer’s obligation to perform an analysis of the applicant’s criminal record and other factors under New York State Correction Law Article 23-A before taking any adverse employment action based on the applicant’s criminal history.
Notably, this law does not apply to applications for employment as a police officer, peace officer, or at a law enforcement agency, as statutorily defined and referenced in the law. The law also does not apply to “any actions taken by an employer pursuant to any state, federal or County law that requires criminal background checks for employment purposes or bars employment based on criminal history.”
Employers located within Westchester County should take this opportunity to review their employment applications to ensure that they do not contain any questions related to an applicant’s criminal conviction or arrest record.
Post: Dec. 18, 2018
The Council of Industry and Marist College’s Bureau of Economic Research and School of Management along with Ethan Allen Workforce Solutions have compiled and analyzed the results from the 2018 Annual Wage and Benefits survey of Hudson Valley manufacturing companies. Twenty-five companies participated in the survey this year with a combined total of 2,869 reported employees.
Wage Trends
2018 wage increases among participating companies averaged 3.1% for the management group, 2.9% for the professional group, 3.2% for the administrative/clerical group, 2.7% for the technical group, 3.2% for the manufacturing/production group, and 3.4% for the sales group. These were in line with the pay increases observed nationally, which came in at 3.1%.
Planned increases for 2019 are 2.9% for the management group, 2.7% for the professional group, 2.8% for the administrative/clerical group, 2.7% for the technical group, 2.7% for the manufacturing/production group, and 2.8% for the sales group. Nationally, pay increases for 2019 are projected to be 3.2%.
Hiring Plans
72% of respondents indicated that they are looking to do new hiring in 2019, and the vast majority (96%) indicated that they are not looking to reduce their workforce in 2019. Most new hires made in 2018 were in the manufacturing and technical groups. Approximately 35% of respondents indicated that they had positions that went unfilled in 2018. Among the positions that were reportedly difficult to fill are: Machinist Positions, Assembler, Entry Level Production, Converting Operator, Machine Operator, CNC/Manual Machinist, Industrial Maintenance Mechanic, and Sales/Product Development.
“Hiring – especially for skilled workers is an ongoing challenge for our members and these survey results confirm that fact,” said Johnnieanne Hansen, Director of Workforce Development for the Council of Industry. “We are hopeful that several initiatives we have undertaken in the past year, including our Collaborative Recruiting Program (www.HVMfgJobs.com) and our Apprentice Program will have a positive impact in 2019. We’re working to help our members find and train the workers they need.”
Hudson Valley Manufacturers are working with the Council of Industry on several initiatives to address the challenge of finding quality candidates to fill open positions. 52% of respondents reported that they utilize the Council of Industry’s Collaborative Recruiting Effort. 48% of respondents do not. This initiative was put in place to help our members who are struggling to fill the previously mentioned positions.
Health Coverage
All participating companies reported providing health care coverage for their employees, and that employee health care premiums are paid on a pre-tax basis. 21 respondents provide Dental Coverage, 20 provide a Vision/Optical Plan, and 21 provide an HSA or HRA.
Council of Industry President Harold King says, “The survey results confirm that manufacturing jobs in the region continue to provide good wages and benefits. We also see some upward pressure on wages most likely resulting from a tight labor market.”
The Council of Industry has been the manufacturer’s association of the Hudson Valley since 1910. Our membership includes manufacturers and businesses related to the manufacturing industry throughout Southeastern New York. We are a privately funded not-for-profit organization, whose mission is to promote the success of our member firms and their employees, and through them contribute to the success of the Hudson Valley Community. We provide access to training, networking opportunities, advocacy and discounts of products and services for our members.
This is the tenth wage and salary survey since a resumption of the collaboration between the Council of Industry of Southeastern New York and Marist College’s Bureau of Economic Research (BER) and the School of Management, and the fifth year that it is being co-sponsored by Ethan Allen Workforce Solutions.
Post: Dec. 4, 2018
Our blogs often discuss the ongoing manufacturing skills gaps and the need for quality and capable workers throughout the manufacturing industry. Manufactures face these struggles daily and although “90 percent of manufacturers are expressing optimism about the future nearly as many, about 75 percent, are expressing deep concerns about their ability to attract and retain a quality workforce moving forward.”
Luckily this is an issue that NAM and the overall industry is working together to overcome. One of the ways their doing this is through the organization of Manufacturing Day across the county. Kicking off at the beginning of October each year, Manufacturing Day is a great way to inspire young Americans to imagine themselves working in the manufacturing industry. MFG Day is when thousands of manufacturers and schools come together and open their doors to students, teachers, and family members.
This is the kind of opportunity that many manufacturers have been looking for to change the old perceptions about manufacturing and show the public what modern manufacturing really looks like. People who are attending these MFG Day events are learning that manufacturing careers are often high-skill and typically pay better than jobs in other industries. Teaching students that there are other options outside of college that can lead to a fulfilling career is important, and these events are helping spread that message.
The Council of Industry helped to coordinate several Manufacturing Day events throughout the Hudson Valley in early October with the help of our members. On October 5th the Council of Industry, in partnership with Pine Bush High School, hosted the Manufacturing Career Exploration Night. The event was filled with engaging demonstrations, displays and conversations. Over 200 people attended Manufacturing Career Exploration Night at Pine Bush High School including students, facility, parents and community members.
Many of our members got involved in the event including Schatz Bearing Corporation, MPI, Cambridge Security Seals, EFCO and FALA Technologies to name a few. Each company engaging the young students of Pine Bush High School and teaching them what a career in manufacturing could look like right here in the Hudson Valley. Our members at Sono-Tek, Ametek Rotron and Meyer Tool also hosted events of their own, inviting Hudson Valley students to tour their facilities and get an up close and personal view of manufacturing.
The Council of Industry plans to continue their involvement in MFG Day each year and continuously increase member involvement. If you’re interested in getting involved in next years events you can contact us at jhansen@www.councilofindustry.org. Together we can show the community how the Hudson Valley does manufacturing!
For more information about Manufacturing Day read the full article here.
Post: Oct. 23, 2018
Workforce has been one of the top issues for our members recently. The Council of Industry has put together an HR Network meeting to help with recruitment and we are conducting our annual Wage & Benefit Survey to help members see where their numbers fall in comparison to others in the Hudson Valley.
We have set up a presentation to help you update and upgrade your recruiting process with Recruitment Reboot a presentation by Rebecca Mazin from Recruit Right. Rebecca is also the instructor of some of our most popular Certificate in Manufacturing Leadership classes: Fundamentals of Leadership, Business Communication, and Positive Motivation & Discipline. She will identify tools and tips to change your approach to recruitment with the potential to attract the talent you are looking for. The meeting is free for all Council of Industry Members and will be held on November 2, at our offices at The Desmond Campus of Mount St. Mary College in Newburgh. Please register online so we know who will be attending: https://www.councilofindustry.org/event-seminar/hr-network-recruitment-reboot/
The CI Wage & Benefit Survey is well underway but there is still time for you to participate. With the help of Marist College’s Dr. Ken Sloan, Ethan Allen Personnel Group, The Council of Industry has developed a Wage and Benefits survey which provides meaningful results while at the same time is easy to complete. Email Johnnieanne Hansen at jhansen@www.councilofindustry.org for a survey link or questions.
Participation in the survey is critical to its usefulness. The more companies that participate the more valuable and reliable the data will be. As the market for manufacturing workers at all levels becomes tighter the data generated from this survey becomes increasingly important.
- Position Descriptions can be downloaded and contain the benchmark descriptions to use in matching your positions to the proper survey entry.
- Wage data should be reported as of September 30, 2018 (or as close to that date as is possible) to insure comparability of reported statistics. Wage data can be entered as hourly, weekly, monthly or annually.
- The survey is set up so that you can save and complete later so that you do not need to finish the entire survey at one time.
- Completed surveys should be submitted by November 9th.
- Results should be available early December.
*NEW THIS YEAR*
Help Us – Help You… Join our ad-hoc Survey Committee to help restructure and plan the 2019 wage and benefit survey and explore other survey topics to help meet YOUR needs. Click here to learn more and sign up for our committee meeting.
Full Results will be shared only with Council member companies that submit surveys.
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The final model of the sexual harassment policy and training guideline for employers to be in compliance with the new legislation was released on October 1st and became effective on October 9th . The final training guidelines no longer require employers to have all employees trained by January 1, 2019, they now have until October 9, 2019, a full year to complete the training. In addition, they no longer require that all new employees complete the sexual harassment training within 30 calendar days of starting their new job but instead encourage new employees to be trained “as soon as possible” after commencing employment.
Other changes include the time frame for an investigation into sexual harassment complaints no longer must be completed in 30 days but “as soon as possible” and “commenced immediately”. The statement that the employer must have a “zero -tolerance policy” for any form of sexual harassment was eliminated as it was inconsistent with federal guidelines on sexual harassment policies.
Employers are still required to have a compliant sexual harassment policy in place as of October 9, 2018, and while they are not required to use the model policy, but it must meet or exceed the state’s minimum standards and it must include the following:
- Prohibit sexual harassment in a manner consistent with the guidance issued by the Division of Human Rights;
- Provide examples of prohibited conduct;
- Include information regarding the federal and state statutory provisions concerning sexual harassment, remedies available to victims of sexual harassment, and a statement that there may be applicable local laws;
- Include a complaint form;
- Include a procedure for the timely and confidential investigation of complaints that ensures due process for all parties;
- Inform employees of external administrative and judicial remedies for addressing sexual harassment complaints;
- Clearly state that sexual harassment is a form of employee misconduct, and that sanctions will be enforced against individuals who engage in sexual harassment and against supervisory and management personnel who knowingly allow sexual harassment; and
- Clearly state that retaliation is unlawful.
Below are helpful links
Toolkit for employers: https://www.ny.gov/sites/ny.gov/files/atoms/files/SexualHarassmentPreventionToolkitforEmployers.pdf
The New York State Final Model Sexual Harassment Policy:
https://www.ny.gov/programs/combating-sexual-harassment-workplace
Guidelines: https://www.ny.gov/sites/ny.gov/files/atoms/files/SexualHarassmentPreventionModelPolicy.pdf
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October is cybersecurity month so it’s the perfect time to discuss some simple precautions all companies should take to reduce the likelihood of a data breach. Manufacturing companies that deal with the United States DOD have certain cybersecurity requirements to protect their data but all companies, no matter the size or industry, should follow several cybersecurity best practices.
Multi-factor authentication is an easy to use tool that companies can implement to keep passwords safe from hackers. Multi-factor authentication requires multiple forms of identification before granting users access. This can include codes sent to your cell phone, fingerprints, or even facial scans. Hackers that steal your password are unable to access your accounts without this second form of identification, making it much more difficult.
Making each new password unique can difficult and challenging to remember. Password managers are another tool that can be used to generate passwords and save them in encrypted lists that cannot be accessed. Finding a trusted password manager can eliminate the need for memorizing or reusing passwords.
Software updates can be annoying but its important that we stay up to date on them to reduce our vulnerability to hackers. Hackers have the ability to detect these vulnerabilities and release malware on our devices and applications. The time spent updating is much less inconvenient than a data breach.
Adobe Flash Player is one of the most popular methods of streaming media online, but its poor security has experts suspicious. The software has been hacked thousands of times and many electronic companies recommend turning it off. Requiring that company devices disable Adobe Flash Player is a simple way to protect company data.
The use of Hyper Text Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS) ensures that you use an encrypted connection on all possible websites, and notifies you when one isn’t available. “Just a few years ago, most websites used unencrypted connections, which meant anything you typed into a form on that site would be sent in plain text and could be intercepted with little effort.” HTTPS is easy to install and facilitates safer connections.
These are five simple steps to improving your cybersecurity. For more information read the full article here.
Post: Oct. 9, 2018
As the younger generations continue to enter the workforce at a rapid pace, employers are forced to adjust how they operate. There were several employment trends throughout 2018 that affected the manufacturing industry specifically.
The most prominent trend is the increased emphasis on training and development. As the economy continues to improve, and the manufacturing industry grows, companies are investing more in the training of their employees. This workforce development will be essential in the retention and improvement of young employees. The manufacturing skills gap has been an ongoing issue and that will only be resolved through training and development, and manufacturing companies began to make that adjustment in 2018.
The aging workforce has also continued to cause problems. It’s estimated that “about three in every four Americans plan to work past retirement age, with almost two-thirds projected to work part-time.” This means that fewer jobs and opportunities are available for younger employees. “The population of seniors in the U.S. is expected to more than double from 41 to 86 million between now and 2050.” This lack of opportunity for younger employees is also leading to high turnover rates.
Advancements in technology and artificial intelligence are also making an obvious impact on the workplace. This trend began in 2017 and continues to accelerate with time. Warehouses are using automated order pickers, and algorithms are being used to make the supply chain process more efficient. This technology has made significant improvements in manufacturing, including the level of accuracy and overall productivity. Experts are predicting that these advancements will be even more impactful in the years to come.
Other trends include an increased focus on employee mental health, changes in the reference checking process and an increase in employee interactions. Each of these trends have had significant implications, both positive and negative. It will be interesting to see which of these trends will continue into 2019 and what new trends will arise.
For the full article and list of 2018 employment trends click here.
