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What I’ve Been Reading This Week

 

Minimum wage (and a $15/hour wage rate) has been a hot topic over the years...not even counting the increased buzz around the matter since Democrats regained majority control of Congress (and the Presidency) in recent months.  With the stimulus bill that was signed into law this week, it is worth noting what did not make it into the final bill.  (Spoiler alert, it was the 15/hour wage rate proposal.)

As always, below are a couple articles that caught my eye this week.


Following Setback on $15/Hour Federal Minimum Wage Rate, Senators Regroup

Readers might have heard that last week, the Senate passed a $1.9 trillion stimulus package.  Despite attempts by Democratic Senators (and Independent Senator Bernie Sanders) to get a provision included in the legislation that would have raised the federal hourly minimum wage rate to $15, that provision was ultimately excluded.  However, as Newsweek writes, Senator Sanders in particular has doubled own and indicated that he will continue to seek ways to get a $15/hour wage rate bill through Congress.  With Democrats having majority control of both the House and Senate, so long as they can get the Senators to vote along party lines (which has proven difficult, *cough* Senator Kyrsten Sinema *cough*), they should be able to get this legislation passed.  Stay tuned.


FMLA Certification Procedures in the Age of the Coronavirus

Sheryl Estrada at HRDive wrote an article earlier this month in which she addressed several questions about FMLA certification procedures faced by many employers and HR professionals in regard to the coronavirus.  For those looking or a nuanced discussion of the topic, look no further than this article for a bit of guidance.


BP Latest Company Planning Hybrid Work Schedule Following Coronavirus Pandemic

As certain parts of the country (and world) slowly ease back into a more normal work schedule as vaccinations increase, many employers have started to plan (or even implement) new work procedures going forward.  As the BBC reports, BP has announced that it will seek to have its office staff work from home 40% of the time (or about two days a week.)  This “hybrid” schedule of working some days in the office while spending other days working remotely has started to become commonplace for many employers.  From reports I have read and things I have seen firsthand, many employees report they are more productive working remotely (whether it be because of no commute, less disruptions being away from the workplace, or other circumstances).  It should come as no surprise that some employers are eschewing the “traditional” requirement that employees report to the workplace when productivity (and oftentimes profit) are on the rise with employees working remotely.

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