1. The Constant in
Labor, Employment, and OSHA:
CHANGE
Overview of Recent Changes
Affecting the Meat Industry
Presented by Matt Austin
Presented at Mid-States Meat Association 2013 Convention
17 South High Street, Suite 810, Columbus, Ohio 43215 | P: 614.285.5342 | Matt.Austin@Austin-Legal.com
2. LABOR
17 South High Street, Suite 810, Columbus, Ohio 43215 | P: 614.285.5342 | Matt.Austin@Austin-Legal.com
3. How the NLRB Impacts Every Company
• Micro Bargaining Units
• Persuader Rules
• Social Media
• Arbitration Agreements
• Confidential Workplace Investigations
• Open Door Policies
• At-Will Disclosures
• Moonlighting Policies
• Off-Duty Access to Company Property
17 South High Street, Suite 810, Columbus, Ohio 43215 | P: 614.285.5342 | Matt.Austin@Austin-Legal.com
4. How the NLRB Impacts Union Companies
• Bargain Over Discipline During First Contract
Negotiations
• Dues Deduction Survives Expiration of Agreement
• Beck Objectors Increased Dues
• Witness Statements
• Back Pay, Front Pay, Interest, Taxes
17 South High Street, Suite 810, Columbus, Ohio 43215 | P: 614.285.5342 | Matt.Austin@Austin-Legal.com
5. What to Expect From NLRB in the Future
• Shorter Election Cycles
• Hang the Poster
• Unions Granted Equal Access
• Email for Union Organizing
• Card Check
• Temporary Workers
17 South High Street, Suite 810, Columbus, Ohio 43215 | P: 614.285.5342 | Matt.Austin@Austin-Legal.com
6. EMPLOYMENT
17 South High Street, Suite 810, Columbus, Ohio 43215 | P: 614.285.5342 | Matt.Austin@Austin-Legal.com
7. One Trend: Wage and Hour
• 7,000 lawsuits filed in 2011
• $1,000,000,000 paid out to employees
• Expected to continue to grow
17 South High Street, Suite 810, Columbus, Ohio 43215 | P: 614.285.5342 | Matt.Austin@Austin-Legal.com
8. 4 Common Mistakes
• Not knowing who is exempt and who is not exempt
• Not recording / paying for actual time worked
• Not paying for breaks and meals
• Classifying employees as independent contractors
17 South High Street, Suite 810, Columbus, Ohio 43215 | P: 614.285.5342 | Matt.Austin@Austin-Legal.com
9. Common Example of
Explosive Damages
• Employee makes $15.00/hour
• Spends 5 minutes daily in unpaid pre-shift meeting = 1.25/day
• Multiply $1.25 by number of employees, let’s say 100 = $125/day
• Multiply $125 by Ohio look-back 3 years = $125 x 365 x 3 = $136,850
• Plus must pay plaintiff’s legal bills, sometimes more than plaintiffs
recovery
17 South High Street, Suite 810, Columbus, Ohio 43215 | P: 614.285.5342 | Matt.Austin@Austin-Legal.com
10. OSHA
17 South High Street, Suite 810, Columbus, Ohio 43215 | P: 614.285.5342 | Matt.Austin@Austin-Legal.com
11. OSHA Inspections
• OSHA is as aggressive as current NLRB
• 1260 establishments targeted for inspection in 2013
• Anyone can trigger an inspection
• Know your rights during an inspection
• “Other Than Serious” is a set up for “Repeat Violator”
• “Regulation by Shaming” –David Michaels
17 South High Street, Suite 810, Columbus, Ohio 43215 | P: 614.285.5342 | Matt.Austin@Austin-Legal.com
12. OSHA’s Scary Statistics
• Doubled minimum penalty to ~ $20,000
• No longer treats facilities as independent
• Looks back 5 years for OSHA enforcement instead of 3
• Total inspections under Obama +6.2%
• Citations classified as Serious +22%
• Citations classified as Repeat and Willful +225%
• Citations classified as Other than Serious -10%
17 South High Street, Suite 810, Columbus, Ohio 43215 | P: 614.285.5342 | Matt.Austin@Austin-Legal.com
13. OSHA’s Scary Statistics
• $100,000 penalties in 2006 = 99
• $100,000 penalties in 2011 = 215
• Number of enforcement press releases in 2008 = 161
• Number of enforcement press releases in 2011 = 588
• One-Third of Severe Violator Enforcement Program
companies are in OSHA Region 5
17 South High Street, Suite 810, Columbus, Ohio 43215 | P: 614.285.5342 | Matt.Austin@Austin-Legal.com
14. QUESTIONS?
17 South High Street, Suite 810, Columbus, Ohio 43215 | P: 614.285.5342 | Matt.Austin@Austin-Legal.com
15. The Constant in
Labor, Employment, and OSHA:
CHANGE
Overview of Recent Changes
Affecting the Meat Industry
Presented by
Matt Austin
17 South High Street, Suite 810, Columbus, Ohio 43215 | P: 614.285.5342 | Matt.Austin@Austin-Legal.com
Notes de l'éditeur
Assume non-exemptActual time = donning and doffing and travel time is trickyBreaks and meals less than 15 minutes compensated; fully relieved to be uncompensatedIC = 21 part IRS standards
Aggressive = 100+ inspectors, more citations, increased penalties, more criminal, *no budget for mock inspections – only enforcementThose targeted based on injury/illness last yearRegulation by Shaming = press releases (always quote by OSHA top guy to embarrass company), twitter, etc.