Haley Marketing Group, a website development, content, and recruitment marketing firm serving the temporary staffing and executive recruiting industries, has acquired Missouri-based Recruiters Websites, a custom website design and marketing company specializing in digital solutions for the recruiting industry. Haley Marketing serves more than 1,400 staffing and recruiting firms worldwide—from one-person start-ups to billion-dollar international firms—to improve recruiting, drive sales, and build stronger brands. Recruiters Websites’ client list is more than 500 strong and includes recruiting and executive search firms of all sizes across the U.S. and around the world.

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The labor market remains hot as layoffs continued to decline in the latest week, despite fears of a slowdown in the U.S. economy. New jobless claims dropped by 5,000 to 213,000 in the week ended Sept. 10, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. Jobless claims have declined for five consecutive weeks and are at the lowest level in 15 weeks. Economists surveyed by the Wall Street Journal had estimated new claims would total 225,000.

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Business activity held steady in New York State following a sharp decline last month, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York’s September survey. The headline general business conditions index climbed thirty points to -1.5. New orders edged higher, and shipments increased sharply.

The index for number of employees was little changed at 9.7, pointing to a modest increase in employment levels, and the average workweek index climbed to around zero, indicating no change in hours worked. The index for future business conditions rose six points to 8.2, suggesting little optimism about the six-month outlook. The index for future new orders remained depressed, though employment is expected to pick up.

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U.S. factory production edged up in August as resilient business investment offset more limited output of consumer durable goods. The 0.1% rise in manufacturing output last month followed an automobile-fueled 0.6% July advance, according to the U.S. Federal Reserve. Including mining and utilities, total industrial production declined 0.2% in August. The median forecast in a Bloomberg poll of economists called for a 0.1% drop in factory output and no change in total industrial production.

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The National Safety Council has released a new white paper entitled Preventing Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders: A Systematic Review of Current Interventions and Future Research Directions. Interventions including the use of assistive devices, exoskeletons, or employer-backed physical activity programs have the potential to be effective at reducing MSD discomfort, pain, and injury. Programs that couple physical modifications with cognitive processes and organizational change management forms of prevention have been shown to have higher levels of effectiveness than those focusing on physical modifications alone.

In 2020, NSC reported the private sector experienced more than 247,000 MSD injuries resulting in days away from work. Further, MSDs in the private sector cost businesses nearly $17 billion a year, according to the Liberty Mutual Workplace Safety Index. The MSD Solutions Lab, an initiative established in 2021 by NSC with Amazon, aims to solve this safety challenge and reduce these risks and subsequent injuries by 25% by 2025 through the MSD Pledge.

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Amazon.com intends to boost pay and benefits for its delivery partners, as the company prepares for the holiday season amid a persistently tight labor market. Amazon will invest $450 million to fund wage increases and other benefits for delivery drivers employed by members of its Delivery Service Partners network. The company launched the program in 2018, encouraging entrepreneurs to build their own fleets of drivers with initial investments of as little as $10,000. Other benefits as part of the new initiative include up to $5,250 annually for drivers to pay for educational programs, and financial support for a 401(k) investment plan for drivers.

The announcement comes as Amazon has been restructuring the logistics network after it expanded too quickly during the pandemic. The company in recent years has implemented similar benefits for its warehouse workers as it grew the logistics network while trying to fend off union organizers who have started to make inroads in its workforce.

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Don’t miss “Burning Bright, Burning Out: Follow-up Networking Call.” It takes place today from 3 to 4 p.m. Eastern time. Explore the phenomenon of burnout, determine ways to manage your risk for burnout; and learn to identify methods to avoid it.

Presented by the ASA inclusion, diversity, and equity advocacy (IDEA) group, this call qualifies for continuing education credit toward ASA certification renewal. To learn more and to register, visit americanstaffing.net.

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The staffing and recruiting industry can play a unique role in promoting and advancing gender equity in business, particularly in positions of leadership. The 2022 Gender Equity Benchmark Survey by the Women’s Business Collaborative, presented with support from ASA, Staffing Industry Analysts, TechServe Alliance, and the National Association of Personnel Services, will provide a new benchmark to evaluate progress made since it was first conducted two years ago.

Help advance women business leaders and achieve gender, diversity, and pay parity in the workplace by participating in the survey. Responses are due Friday, Sept. 23.

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ASA Central—the dynamic online community just for staffing professionals—is home to more than 27,000 staffing professional profiles and countless ongoing industry conversations.

This week, take a look at your colleagues’ discussions and some of the blogs they’ve posted on ASA Central:

• Calculating compensation rates for internal employees
• Collecting safety training information from clients
• Keeping track of paid leave laws in several states

Get involved with the community—update your profile today so you can network with colleagues, join a section community, recommend and comment on your colleagues’ posts, and share your own blog or discussion post. Log in to ASA Central now.

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Laws at both the state and federal level generally allow electronic signatures to have the same validity as their traditional handwritten counterparts. In an employment context, these laws can cover a wide range of documents. A threshold question that can arise for employers is whether it was in fact the employee who personally made the electronic signature. Multiple courts have found that an electronic signature was invalid where an employer was unable to sufficiently establish that the signature was made by the employee.

Employers can take proactive steps at the time an electronic signature is made to protect against the chance that it might later be invalidated. Employers must ensure—and be able to prove, if necessary—that all parties consented and intended to conduct transactions electronically. Employers also should consider implementing policies and procedures that minimize the chance that someone other than an employee is signing on his or her behalf, and procedures whereby employees acknowledge they have signed electronically.

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The New York State Health Department revised its Covid-19 guidance webpage this week to state that it is following the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s guidance for isolation and exposure. Quarantine for mere exposure is no longer required for those not exhibiting symptoms or testing positive for Covid-19. The state’s revision of its recommended approach follows a number of recent pronouncements easing preventative measures for Covid-19 exposure, including the lifting of masking requirements on New York City and regional public transportation.

The vaccine mandate remains in effect for New York City private sector employers, although the city reiterated in June that it is focused on “prioritizing education instead of enforcement” of the mandate. Both CDC and New York state guidance publications are for general application and are not specific to employers or the workplace. New York employers should consider revising their workplace Covid-19 policies to reflect the changes.

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The New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission recently issued interim guidance on the workplace drug testing provisions of the state’s recreational cannabis law meant to act as a placeholder until regulations on the standards for Workplace Impairment Recognition Expert certification are published. Employers are still prohibited from taking adverse action solely because an employee has cannabis metabolites in his or her system. Employers may allow a third-party contractor or an employee who is “sufficiently trained” to “determine impairment” to document the signs and behaviors of suspected workplace impairment.

Employers subject to federal contracts that require specific reasonable suspicion or drug testing protocols may continue to follow those protocols without violating the New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory, Enforcement Assistance, and Marketplace Modernization Act. New Jersey employers should consider preparing a Reasonable Suspicion Observation Report and accompanying Standard Operating Procedure consistent with the guidance. Employers also should consider updating employee policies to ensure consistency with the guidance, and training managers and human resource employees on the guidance.

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The Ban on Non-Compete Agreements Amendment Act of 2020 passed by the DC Council over the summer will take effect on Oct. 1. The new law imposes two new income thresholds for “noncompete provisions” with “highly compensated employees”—those who earn at least $150,000—and “medical specialists”—licensed physicians earning at least $250,000. The new law defines an employer as an individual, partnership, general contractor, subcontractor, association, corporation, or business trust operating in the District, or any person or group of persons acting directly or indirectly in the interest of an employer operating in the District in relation to an employee.

The law provides for new administrative authority and enforcement mechanisms. The per-violation penalty is no less than $350 and no more than $1,000, but there is minimum net-penalty of $1,000. The law is applicable to noncompete agreements executed on or after Oct. 1. DC employers that are interested in using noncompete agreements should consider identifying which employees are within the scope of the law based upon where they work. Employers also should consider modifying policies to comply with the new law, entering into agreements containing noncompetes before the law takes effect, and assessing whether alternative forms of restrictions not covered by the law would offer adequate protection.

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The Business Roundtable CEO Economic Outlook Index declined 12 points from last quarter to 84 in the third quarter, its long-run average and well above the expansion or contraction threshold of 50. This quarter’s decline reflects a continued reduction in chief executive officer expectations and plans for the next six months.

In their fourth estimate of 2022 U.S. real gross domestic product growth, CEOs projected 2.3% growth for the year. Plans for hiring decreased 11 points to a value of 78. Plans for capital investment decreased 11 points to a value of 75. Expectations for sales decreased 12 points to a value of 99.

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There has been accelerated adoption of talent acquisition technology and a greater role for artificial intelligence as more organizations embrace this technology to ensure ethical, efficient, and quality hiring, according to a survey of 300 senior level talent acquisition and human resource professionals by Modern Hire. Seventy-three percent of companies increased their investment in TA tech in 2022. Although efficiency continues to remain critical to TA, 70% said quality of hire will be the number one driver in TA investments in 2023, with an increased focus on retention. Some 68% said speed and efficiency are still important, followed closely by candidate experience (62%).

Although diversity, equity and inclusion—as well as bias—declined below other areas, 30% said providing a fair and equitable experience to every candidate is still critical. There seems to be conflicting views on candidates’ perception of AI in the interview and hiring process, but 44% are not bothered by it and would prefer AI to a recruiter who has no time to respond, or a hiring manager who acts on bias. At least 33% are embracing AI, and only 24% would prefer not to use it.

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Ninety percent of U.S. hiring decision-makers say their company plans to hire employees in key departments through the end of the year, according to a survey of 1,003 hiring decision-makers by Express Employment Professionals. Information technology and technology support (29%), customer service (26%), general labor (25%), and sales (25%) are among the top jobs. Hiring managers most commonly plan to hire full-time employees (84%), either hourly (59%) or salaried (48%). Interest in hiring full-time employees has been steadily increasing since the first half of 2020.

Mid-level (55%) and entry-level (52%) jobs are the biggest categories of open jobs. Around three in 10 companies plan to hire senior-level employees (31%), about a quarter individual contributors (26%), and a fifth C-suite executives (20%). More than half of hiring managers (51%) say their company plans to hire recent college graduates to fill the entry or mid-level jobs. A quarter of hiring managers (24%) say their company plans to hire seasonal, temporary, or contract workers, up from 20% in 2021.

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