May 21, 2014

OSHA and ASA Form Alliance to Enhance Safety of Temporary Workers

Published May 21, 2014 ■ Announcement

Today at the ASA Staffing Law Conference, the heads of the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the American Staffing Association signed an alliance agreement to help provide ASA members and others with information, guidance, and access to training resources that will help them protect the health and safety of temporary workers, and understand the rights of workers and the responsibilities of employers.

“Through this alliance with ASA, we will increase outreach to staffing firms and host employers and provide information and education that is vital to protecting temporary workers,” said David Michaels, Ph.D., MPH, Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health.

“Worker wellness and safety have long been a top priority of the American Staffing Association and its member companies,” said Richard Wahlquist, ASA president and chief executive officer. “We are proud to participate in this voluntary cooperative relationship with OSHA to raise awareness of OSHA’s initiatives, increase training and education, and enhance outreach and communication, especially among staffing clients.”

Ortoli | Rosenstadt: What Exactly Is a Seller Responsible for When Selling Its Staffing Firm?

Buyers of a business generally expect sellers to be responsible for certain liabilities relating to when the seller owned its business—a concept mergers and acquisitions professionals refer to as indemnification. Indemnification is one of the most heavily negotiated, and potentially most significant, provisions of a purchase agreement, and understanding the terminology common to such agreements is essential when negotiating a deal. Attorney Paul Pincus of Ortoli Rosenstadt LLP explains what sellers are liable for, how a seller’s liability may be limited, and how buyers may seek to fund potential indemnity claims.

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Staffing 360 Solutions Completes Acquisition of PeopleSERVE

Published May 21, 2014 ■ Headline News

Marketwired (05/20/14)

New York, NY-based Staffing 360 Solutions Inc. has completed the acquisition of Chestnut Hill, MA-based information technology staffing firm PeopleSERVE. The acquisition officially closed on May 17.

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Yellen Adds Disadvantaged to Full-Employment Definition

Published May 21, 2014 ■ Headline News

Bloomberg (05/20/14) Craig Torres

In her first 100 days as U.S. Federal Reserve chairman, Janet Yellen has emphasized the central bank’s full-employment goal, and she’s stressed the need for progress on the broadest measures of joblessness, including the number of people out of work long-term and those who can find only part-time positions. Some experts say the declining employment rate is at least partially tied to workers entering retirement, but it also reflects a weaker economy. Yellen has expressed support for a tighter labor market.

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Fed Officials: Rate-Hike Tack Will Be Flexible

Published May 21, 2014 ■ Headline News

Wall Street Journal (05/21/14) Michael Derby

Two U.S. Federal Reserve officials have made the case that novel tools could be employed to push short-term interest rates higher, but they say that the tools’ use does not necessarily mean that there will be a permanent policymaking overhaul. New York Federal Reserve Bank chief William Dudley and San Francisco Federal Reserve Bank chief John Williams said the new tools could include reverse repos and interest paid on excess reserves, which could lift short-term interest rates from near zero.

The discussions have not outlined a specific time table for the rate increases, though Dudley cautioned the first rate increase is likely still well into the future and it is unclear when it will occur. Williams said he thinks it will likely come some time in the second half of 2015. Both have said that these alternative exit strategies do not mean the Fed will retire its benchmark interest rate, but that the Fed may use a combination of tools when it starts raising rates and use other tools later.

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Submit an Entry for the ASA Communications Awards by July 1M

Published May 21, 2014 ■ ASA for You

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The 2014 ASA Staffing Law Conference Is Underway

Published May 21, 2014 ■ ASA for You

The ASA Staffing Law Conference, which takes place today and tomorrow in Washington, DC, has sold out—but you can keep up with news from the conference right here in Staffing Today and on Twitter—follow ASA (@StaffingTweets) and check the hashtag #StaffingLaw for live updates and news.

Today’s sessions include a look at OSHA’s temporary worker safety initiative by David Michaels, Ph.D., MPH, assistant secretary of labor for occupational safety and health; an examination of employment verification issues for staffing firms by attorney Helen Konrad, Esq.; a preview of the 2014 midterm elections by Charlie Cook, editor and publisher of the Cook Political Report; and an overview of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s enforcement agenda by attorney Gerald Maatman, Esq.