Northwestern Lumber Association and Mid-America Lumbermens Association are now BLD Connection. Material Matters is our monthly newsletter. Its focus is on valuable industry news and important member updates. Watch for Material Matters in your inbox the first Monday of each month. |
DOL Releases Final Rule on Independent Contractors |
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has released a final rule that will revise the federal framework for determining whether a worker is an employee or an independent contractor. The new standard is important because the FLSA’s minimum wage and overtime pay protections do not apply to independent contractors, and many observers expect the new rule to result in significantly more workers being classified as employees rather than independent contractors. The new rule becomes effective on March 11, 2024. |
Brushing Up on the OSHA Top 10 |
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Top 10 list accounts for the most frequently cited standards following inspections of businesses and worksites by federal OSHA. This helpful list can be used as a guide to learning what common risks to watch out for, and accessing vital information to help avoid devastating — and costly — work injuries or fatalities. |
A Discussion on Mental Health in the Workplace NLBMDA |
OSHA has released a webinar recording on mental health entitled “A Discussion on Mental Health in the Workplace.” The webinar is part of OSHA’s “Safe + Sound Campaign” and offers new solutions and resources to manage mental health in the workplace. Mental health challenges can include clinical mental illness and substance use disorders as well as other emotions like stress, grief, feeling sad and anxious, where these feelings are temporary and not part of a diagnosable condition. While there are many things in life that induce stress, work can be one of those factors. However, workplaces can also be a key place for resources, solutions, and activities designed to improve our mental health and well-being. Click here to view the webinar. |
Having the opportunity to work in Fortune 500 companies, family-owned businesses, and extensive industry operations have afforded me a unique view into various company cultures and their overall effect on profitability. The experiences have been different, with just as many lessons learned about success as failure. |
Earlier in my career, I worked in a company that prided itself on touting its company values of trust, transparency, empowerment, and employees were valued for their contributions. At the time, the company was a shining beacon of the industry, but it was going to learn an expensive lesson about poor leadership. |
Have you ever received a text message like this?
Hi Jeff! I’m Calvin with XYZ. We offer tailored consulting-focused medical insurance plans with competitive rates and nationwide coverage during open enrollment. Would you like a quick quote?
Or how about this?
Hello Jeff. This is Elijah from ABC Bookkeeping. We’re an online bookkeeping service starting as low as $109 per month. Can I call you to explain details? |
I bet you receive text messages like these on a regular basis. Do they work? Would you respond if you received one of these text messages? I suspect not. And the reason you wouldn’t respond is because they’re “spammy.” They come from unknown senders when you’re not expecting them and they provide little to no value to the recipient. |
Setting Up a Guest Wi-Fi Network in your Business or Office
Veracity Technologies
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Does your office regularly get visitors? Chances are that many of these visitors ask to connect to your Wi-Fi for different reasons. In any case, an improper Wi-Fi setup can lead to a frustrating experience for them, and worse, it can put your sensitive data at risk of falling into the hands of malicious entities. The question is, how can you ensure your Wi-Fi is set up correctly?
Why you should keep guests off the primary Wi-Fi network
While granting guests access to your primary company’s Wi-Fi may appear convenient, it’s a practice you should avoid. |
Pay Discussions From Federated Insurance Question Our HR employees have access to other employees’ confidential information, such as pay. One HR employee is talking to non-HR employees in our company about other employees’ pay. Are we allowed to prevent her from sharing other employees’ pay? I thought we weren’t allowed to prevent employees from discussing pay. |
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