U.S. Labor Department releases updated Employment Law Guide

/PRNewswire/ -- The U.S. Department of Labor today announced the availability of an updated version of its popular Employment Law Guide, an online publication that describes the major employment laws administered by the department. The Guide helps the public -- workers and employers -- understand many of the laws affecting the workplace. For instance, it helps small businesses develop wage, benefit, safety and health, and nondiscrimination policies. It also benefits employees and employee representatives who need information about worker rights and responsibilities under federal employment laws.

"Fair and safe practices in the workplace are a top priority for the Department of Labor, and we want to make it simple for both employers and workers to understand the federal policies that protect them," said Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis. "Our new Employment Law Guide provides updated and user-friendly information and guidance. We encourage everyone to use it."

Following a topical format and written in plain language, the Employment Law Guide is especially helpful for employers without a dedicated legal or human resources staff. The updated version addresses recent and important changes in employment laws, including the increase in the federal minimum wage and an expansion of the Family and Medical Leave Act that grants qualified relatives of veterans leave to care for ill or injured uniformed service members or to fulfill obligations that arise when a relative is called to active duty in the military. The Guide also now includes a chapter on child labor regulations in the agriculture industry and one on the Defense Base Act, which provides workers' compensation benefits to civilian employees working outside the United States on U.S. military bases or under certain contracts with the U.S.

The Employment Law Guide is a companion to the department's FirstStep overview advisor, an online system that allows employers to quickly and easily determine which federal employment laws apply to them by answering a few simple questions about relevant variables. Each chapter in the Employment Law Guide corresponds to the laws addressed in the FirstStep advisor, outlining coverage under the law; its basic requirements; employee rights; recordkeeping, reporting, notice and poster requirements; penalties and sanctions for non-compliance; relation to state, local and other federal laws; and contact information for further assistance.

Together, the updated Employment Law Guide and FirstStep overview advisor offer employers the information they need to ensure safe and fair workplace policies and practices. Both are available at http://www.dol.gov/elaws or http://www.dol.gov/compliance.

U.S. Department of Labor releases are accessible on the Internet at http://www.dol.gov/. The information in this news release will be made available in alternate format (large print, Braille, audio tape or disc) from the COAST office upon request. Please specify which news release when placing your request at 202-693-7828 or TTY 202-693-7755. The Labor Department is committed to providing America's employers and employees with easy access to understandable information on how to comply with its laws and regulations. For more information, please visit http://www.dol.gov/compliance.

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Unemployment Rises, Yet Profiles International Reports Hiring in Select Sectors

/PRNewswire/ -- Profiles International, the world leader in employment evaluation and human resource management assessment tools, has identified growing job sectors despite the latest unemployment figures.

"The silver lining behind the ongoing employment clouds is that select sectors of the economy remain vibrant, with numerous unfilled positions," said Jim Sirbasku, co-founder and CEO of Profiles International. "We have clients in healthcare, transportation / logistics and financial services that continue to add to their payrolls."

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) of the U.S. Department of Labor, nonfarm payroll employment fell in January 2009 by 598,000 and the unemployment rate rose from 7.2 to 7.6 percent. Job loss was distributed across most major industry sectors.

However, Profiles International continues to experience demand for personnel evaluation and assessment from clients that are looking to hire. For example, credit unions are expanding as traditional financial institutions continue to shrink their workforces. Demand for skilled healthcare professionals at all levels continues to remain strong, while segments of the transportation industry have rebounded due to the drop in fuel prices, and are now expanding their workforces.

While the overall U.S. economy still has not begun its recovery, Sirbasku said preemptive layoffs will actually hurt many companies in the long run.

"A strong staff and viable workforce is the greatest asset a company can have because it's the biggest investment a company will ever make," he said. "Releasing talented workers in anticipation of an uncertain economic future is often a costly mistake that can mortgage a company's future. It is far better that companies put off capital investments, which can always be made when the economic conditions strengthen."

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Emory Rated as 'Great College To Work For'

Emory University has been recognized in an online survey conducted by The Chronicle of Higher Education as one of the 2008 "Great Colleges to Work For."

Emory was rated among the top five in 13 of 27 categories in the survey of 15,000 respondents at 89 colleges and universities. Results are reported for small, medium and large universities, with Emory included among the large universities with 2,500 or more employees.

"This is a very satisfying affirmation of Emory, but our real goal is not recognition -- it's being a community that values the needs and contributions of every individual. In that sense everyone at Emory helps to make this a positive place to work," says Emory University President James Wagner.

Emory ranked among the top five universities in the nation for:

• Healthy faculty/administration relations
• Teaching environment
• Facilities and security
• Job satisfaction
• Work-life balance
• Confidence in senior leadership
• Internal communications
• Connection to institution and pride
• Physical workspace conditions
• Supervisor or department chair relationship
• Perception and confidence in fair treatment
• Respect and appreciation
• Engagement index

The assessment process, which also included an analysis of demographic data and workplace policies at each participating college or university, was administered by ModernThink LLC, a human-resources consulting firm that has conducted many "Best Places to Work" surveys.

With 21,129 employees (and approximately 3,200 faculty), Emory is the largest employer in DeKalb County and the largest private employer in metro Atlanta. The total includes Emory University, Emory Hospital, Crawford Long Hospital, The Emory Clinic and Wesley Woods, Inc.

Army Reserve Chief Seeks Private Industry Partners

The general in charge of the Army Reserve has a deal for U.S. employers: If you agree to hire qualified employees, he'll help you recruit them.

Lt. Gen. Jack Stultz said the "Partnership for a Shared Workforce" initiative emerged as a way to help the reserves and the private sector attract young talent. Stultz said the concept was born of similar challenges facing the entities -- namely, that only about three in 10 young men ages 17-24 are fit to join the ranks of military or industry.

The reasons people are precluded from service -- from failure to meet educational or physical requirements, to a criminal background -- often are grounds for non-employment in the private sector too, the general said.

"Employers of America are having the same problem (as the Army)," Stultz said. "They're looking at that same work force out there and saying, 'How many of those kids can pass a drug test who don't already have some kind of conviction in their records? And how many have the aptitude to do the task we're needing in a much more technological age?'"

Among other enterprises, Stultz said, the partnership has received particular interest from America's trucking industry, where the average long-haul truck driver is more than 50 years old. Couple this aging work force with a shortage of qualified drivers, the general said, and young, employable talent is hard to pass up.

"I've got soldiers in my ranks that are truck drivers," Stultz said he tells employers at trucking companies. "They've already passed a drug test; they've already passed a background check; they've already passed a physical; they've already scored high enough on an aptitude test; and I've trained them how to drive a truck. All you've got to do is hire him."

Stultz said similar pitches to place reservists in civilian positions are gaining traction with industry employers around the country. He plugs the reserve's cadre of X-ray technicians to health care providers looking for help; he sells signal soldiers -- trained and experienced in using fiber optics -- to communications companies; he suggests military police troops for jobs in civilian law enforcement.

"We're getting a lot of synergy there now, being able to tell a potential soldier, 'How would you like to come work for us in the Army Reserve and go to work for this company in your local community at the same time?" he said.

The initiative hearkens back to Stultz's experience as a young man transitioning out of the active-duty Army in 1979 into a "dual-hatted" role as a reservist and a civilian employee at Proctor and Gamble.

Placing high value on the training and principles instilled in young officers, Proctor and Gamble and other companies eager to employ managers heavily recruited junior military officers, Stultz recalled.

"There were a lot of headhunter companies that would go around the military installations saying, 'If you're thinking about leaving active duty, let us talk to you,'" he said.

At the first national Proctor and Gamble meeting he attended, Stultz said, it was virtually a military homecoming. "Everybody there was like, 'Who were you with? What unit were you in? Where were you stationed?" he recalled. "Nowadays you really don't see that."

The general said he would like the two forces -- military and civilian -- to work together again as they did when he started at Proctor and Gamble, where Stultz, an operations manager, has worked for nearly three decades.

"Just like in 1979 when Proctor and Gamble was looking for new potential managers and they saw the military as a great source, I'm telling the employers of America that hasn't changed," Stultz said. "We produce some of the finest quality individuals in America.

"If we can get that partnership together, it's the way we're going to sustain this all-volunteer reserve force for the future," he said. "It's going to be us and the employers together succeeding."

By John J. Kruzel
American Forces Press Service

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Military training device supplier to expand in Eastanollee

Combat Training Solutions, which manufactures simulated explosives for the military, announced today that it plans to add more than 30 jobs and invest $1 million to expand in Stephens County.

“Helping entrepreneurial companies expand is an important part of our mission,” said Ken Stewart, commissioner of the Georgia Department of Economic Development. “We are especially proud that Combat Training Solutions is not only growing our economy, but also supporting our troops.”

Combat Training Solutions, founded in 2005 in Stephens County, evolved from a recreational paintball company into a full-fledged defense contractor. With an extensive line of military and law enforcement training products, CTS’s proprietary systems allow the trainee to be in direct contact with the explosion effect without injury. This unique feature is the driving reason for its extensive usage by U.S. and allied militaries around the world.

CTS has purchased a 6,000-square-foot building on close to seven acres at the Meadowbrook Industrial Park in Stephens County. The company expects rapid growth as it continues to add to its product line and service offerings.

“This move meets an immediate need in our manufacturing and engineering operations while the additional acreage permits rapid expansion as new contracts materialize,” said Nathan Brock, president and CEO of Combat Training Solutions.

“We appreciate Combat Training Solution’s additional investment in our community and the additional jobs they will provide for our people,” said Bob Defenbaugh, chairman of the Stephens County Development Authority. “We’re proud of their accomplishments and will continue to support them and assist their growth. Combat Training Solutions is a great example of the entrepreneurial spirit of our people and the talent that we have right in our own back yard.”

Suzanne Browne was project manager for GDEcD.

Combat Training Solutions, Inc. (CTS) is the leading provider of innovative non-pyrotechnic Improvised Explosive Device (IED) simulation products and integrated solutions for education, training and operations. Based upon a legacy of non-pyrotechnic design achievements, CTS has successfully adapted its technologies to national security, defense and law enforcement organizations across the U.S. and abroad. CTS continues to deliver on its mission to design, manufacture and integrate the most advanced simulators and training devices available today to better prepare war fighters for battle and help win the war on terror.
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