Business Ownership, Self-Employment and Entrepreneurship Among People with Disabilities
The US Department of Labor’s blog focusing on Business Ownership, Self-Employment and Entrepreneurship Among People with Disabilities.
August 6, 2024
The US Department of Labor’s blog focusing on Business Ownership, Self-Employment and Entrepreneurship Among People with Disabilities.
Running a small business is rewarding, but it’s not easy – and staying up to speed on labor laws can be challenging. In recognition of Small Businesses, the Labor Department has provided seven sites that can help you make sure your small business is complying with the law.
On April 23, 2024, the U.S. Department of Labor (Department) announced a final rule, Defining and Delimiting the Exemptions for Executive, Administrative, Professional, Outside Sales, and Computer Employees, which will take effect on July 1, 2024. The final rule updates and revises the regulations issued under section 13(a)(1) of the Fair Labor Standards Act implementing the exemption from minimum wage and overtime pay requirements for executive, administrative, and professional (EAP) employees. Revisions include increases to the standard salary level and the highly compensated employee total annual compensation threshold, and a mechanism that provides for the timely and efficient updating of these earnings thresholds to reflect current earnings data.
toolkit that includes how to mitigate Bias in Job Postings.
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division will hold a 2024 Virtual Agricultural Seminar to provide guidance on federal requirements governing agricultural employment for growers, farmers, shippers, contractors, farm labor contractors, buyers and agricultural workers nationwide. Presented in coordination with other agencies and stakeholders, the virtual seminar will focus on federal laws and regulations governing agricultural employment and include discussions on the H-2A temporary agricultural program, Fair Labor Standards Act, Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Worker Protection Act and Office of Foreign Labor Certification. March 28, 7:30 am – 3 pm (PST) For more information and a link to register.
During this 30 Minutes of Excellence Session, presenters will discuss the most current Form I-9 and address many areas including common mistakes made while completing the I-9, how the I-9 can be completed on a new hire before they start working for pay, along with best practices for reviewing and copying documents, making corrections, reverifying documents and what to do if you’re missing an I-9. In addition, we will also discuss E-Verify, the free web-based service and a partnership between the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Social Security Administration (SSA). This one-of-a-kind system allows enrolled employers to electronically verify the employment eligibility of their new hires. At the federal level, E-Verify is voluntary for most users although mandatory, with various legislative requirements, in over 20 states and for a host of federal contractors. During this session we’ll review recent changes and updates in E-Verify, the earliest you can create an E-Verify case, how to handle a mismatch case along with ‘good-to-know’ best practices. We’ll wrap up the session with an exciting preview of E-Verify’s future – NextGen.
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division – in coordination with the Women’s Bureau, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Occupational Safety and Health Agency and the Office of Foreign Labor Certification – will mark Hospitality Worker Appreciation Day by offering a webinar on federal regulations governing workers’ wages and benefits and employers’ responsibilities in hotels, motels, restaurants and staffing agencies. In addition they will provide information related to the H-2B visa program. Feb 22, 6 am – 1 pm.
During this event, there will be a discussion on all the most important compliance updates in 2024 and offer actionable steps you can take to make sure your business avoids compliance complications in the new year. This is provided by Combined, a for-profit consulting company. The webinar is free. January 17th, 10 – 11 am PST.
OSHA offers a single site where you can download fact sheets, posters, briefs, and quick cards on workplace hazards, prevention (including workplace violence), inspections, record keeping, lockout/tagout, and training.
OSHA provides a list of publications to download in Spanish.
This eTool* will help small, low-hazard service or retail businesses implement an emergency action plan, and comply with OSHA’s emergency standards.
OSHA’s new Spanish-language newsletter provides the latest updates on worker rights and safety.
OSHA has a set of posters (English and Spanish) called “Suicide Prevention: 5 Things You Should Know”. They can be downloaded at the OSHA Publications site.
Emergencies can create a variety of hazards for workers in the impacted area. Preparing before an emergency incident plays a vital role in ensuring that employers and workers have the necessary equipment, know where to go, and know how to keep themselves safe when an emergency occurs. The US OSHA has created a resource for all types of industries to help with planning for natural disasters and general preparedness.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) developed a handbook summarizes the benefits of an effective safety and health program, provides self-inspection checklists for employers to identify workplace hazards, and reviews key workplace safety and health resources for small businesses.
Provides free resources that educate employers seeking to recruit, hire, retain, and advance qualified employees with disabilities.
Assists contractors meet their obligations under Section 503. Includes information supporting contractors on issues related to effective outreach and recruitment of individuals with disabilities and veterans, reasonable accommodations in the workplace, promoting self‐identification as an individual with a disability or a veteran by job applicants and employees, and other relevant topics.
Provides information on employee and applicant rights as an individual with a disability.
The “Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation” pocket card assists applicants, employees, and other interested parties in understanding the process for requesting a reasonable accommodation.
A comprehensive list of resources from the US Department of Labor assisting employers in the hiring of individuals with disabilities and protected veterans.
The Rogue Business Connections community on LinkedIn allows business and nonprofit leaders in the Rogue Valley to connect and share questions, resources and solutions to the challenges that many businesses face in our region.