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For questions regarding Government
Regulations, please contact Carrie Haughawout at 614-228-4201 or
chaughawout@ohiochamber.com
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Government Regulations:
At the federal level, health care
reform is still in the crosshairs as the U.S. House and the U.S.
Senate work to reconcile the differences between five different
bills passed by five different committees. Issues such as a
public option, employer taxes and penalties and mandating all
individuals to have health care are among numerous topics
currently being debated. Since an agreement has not been
reached, the Ohio Chamber continues to work with other state
chambers and Ohio’s congressional delegation in an effort to
improve the bills currently under consideration.
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For questions regarding Workplace
Costs and Benefits, please contact Chris Brock at 614-228-4201
or
afiore@ohiochamber.com
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Workplace Costs and Benefits:
Members of
the Ohio House are currently considering legislation that would
impose more regulations and mandates on employers increasing
costs while taking away flexibility.
HB 40
sponsored by
Rep. Tom Letson (D- Warren)
is another one-size-fits-all piece of legislation forcing
employers to work around court-ordered parenting agreements.
Such legislation would make it even tougher for employers to
ensure adequate staffing especially on nights or weekends. The
Ohio Chamber submitted written testimony in opposition to
HB 40
and will continue to advocate against this costly mandate as it
moves through the legislative process.
Speaking of
one-size-fits-all solutions, the Ohio House is also considering
HB 167
sponsored by
Rep. Dennis Murray (D- Sandusky),
legislation that would require employers to grant unpaid leave
for activities related to domestic violence or stalking. The
bill allows employees who are victims of domestic violence and
stalking to leave the workplace for activities such as
non-emergency medical treatment, meeting with attorneys and
counselors and meeting with law enforcement. Employers and
business leaders certainly empathize with victims of domestic
violence and stalking and often provide funding for programs
that assist these victims. However, this legislation represents
another costly mandate for Ohio businesses. The Ohio Chamber has
urged legislators to defeat
HB 167
in the House.
HB 170,
sponsored by
Rep. Dennis Murray (D- Sandusky),
is yet another mandate being considered in the Ohio House. The
legislation would prohibit employers from taking any adverse
employment action against an employee who testifies in an
unemployment compensation hearing. The Ohio Chamber provided
testimony in opposition to
HB 170
with arguments demonstrating why the bill is unnecessary. First,
Ohio already prohibits such actions against employees testifying
in unemployment hearings. In addition, the passage of
HB 170
would create a more adversarial unemployment compensation system
resulting in more challenges ultimately slowing down the
process. The Ohio Chamber will continue to work with members of
the Ohio House in order to prevent
HB 170
from passing.
While negotiations for an EFCA
compromise continue behind closed doors, comments from
Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D- AR)
last week further complicate efforts by those supporting its
passage. Lincoln told attendees of an Arkansas State Chamber
event she is still opposed to
Card Check
as it stands now and legislators should not be responsible for
hashing out a compromise. Instead, in her opinion, business and
labor should work together and come up with a solution.
Since Card Check is rarely in the
headlines these days, I encourage those of you on Facebook to
join my Chamber Action Alliance page for regular
updates on Card Check as well as other issues such as health
care, the state budget, Cap and Trade and much more.
Additionally, I urge you to search Virtual March Against
Card Check on Facebook. This page created by the U.S.
Chamber is a great place to get Card Check updates throughout
the day. |
