View all Available Training Modules and their course descriptions.

With so many potential legal pitfalls facing employers, compliance training for employees and supervisors has never been more essential. Yet in the current economic climate, you may be struggling to maximize talent and resources while cutting costs and gaining efficiency.  ESG clients can now access 40+ online training modules (each course is approx. 30 minutes) to protect your organization and make life easier.  These web-based training courses are:

• Cost-effective. Training via the Internet eliminates travel time and expense, a critical consideration in this challenging economic environment.
• Interactive. Quizzes, video clips, and real-world scenarios keep your employees and supervisors engaged throughout each course.
• Flexible. Training sessions are compatible with multiple learning styles for enhanced results across the entire spectrum of your workforce.
• Authoritative. Each training course in the catalog has been developed by experienced employment law attorneys and HR practitioners. They know what your team members need to know.
• On-demand. Because training courses are available 24/7, you can conduct training on a schedule that meets your organization's staffing needs.
• Engaging. Each course is professionally developed and adheres to the highest production standards.
• Comprehensive. Training administration and tracking tools enable you to easily assign specific courses, deliver automatic reminders, and monitor employee progress and comprehension.

For more information or to get your Company setup with these training tools today, please email Sharron or call 888-810-8187.

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According to a recent Mercer survey, you should expect much smaller health insurance costs in 2012 than you’ve seen in many years. For example:

• Employers who have gone through the rigors of cost cutting can expect an average health insurance rate increase of 5.4%
• Employers who haven’t done much cost-cutting can expect a health insurance increase of 7.1%

Although no increase is a welcome thought, these are the lowest rate increases since 1997!  Contact us for more information.

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• Healthcare Benefits – Discuss how their current insurance coverage will change and how they can enroll in COBRA. You will also need to explain how their eligibility for Medicare will affect their benefits, if applicable. (More information at www.medicare.gov/)
• Financial Planning – Help your employees understand they will need their 401(k) and pension plans to carry them into a potentially long retirement. They should understand how inflation, health needs, and other unforeseen circumstances may affect their needs. Consider providing:
  • Access to investment advisors
  • Courses and/or tools for retirement planning
• Returning to Work on a Part-Time Basis – Many people choose or need to continue working even though they have retired from their regular job. Educate your employees on how their Social Security benefits may be reduced when working part-time before reaching full retirement age.

Preparing for retirement can be overwhelming for both employees and employers.  Please contact us for more information.

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The days of relying on letters of interpretation to understand OSHA regulations may be numbered. The plain regulations act, HR 3786, proposes regulations be written in plain language.  What is the purpose of this bill?  There are actually several:

1. Do away with poorly written regulations that sit endlessly on policymakers’ desks awaiting an explanation; 
2. Create regulations that are easier to review – and, thus, speed up the regulatory process;
3. Spend less time and money on litigating the meaning of a regulation; and
4. Allow citizens the right to understand government regulations.

This is on the heels of the plain writing act of 2010 which mandated government documents (excluding regulations) be written in plain language. Opponents of the bill suggest this new Act will make it much more difficult to write regulations; however, the advantages of a plainly written regulation will certainly benefit employees, employers, and regulators alike.

For more information, please contact ESG's Risk Management Team at 888-810-8187 or contact us here.  You can also go to CenterforPlainLanguage.org to view the Act.

See the stark contrast of re-written government documents compared to the originals at
www.plainlanguage.gov/examples/before_after/index.cfm

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Source: http://www.osha.gov/dsg/hazcom/index.html

OSHA is adopting the Globally Harmonized System for Classification and Labeling of Chemicals.  "Exposure to hazardous chemicals is one of the most serious threats facing American workers today," said U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis. "Revising OSHA's Hazard Communication standard will improve the quality and consistency of hazard information, making it safer for workers to do their jobs and easier for employers to stay competitive." 

Major changes to the Hazard Communication Standard include:

• Hazard classification: Provides specific criteria for classification of health and physical hazards, as well as classification of mixtures.
• Labels: Chemical manufacturers and importers will be required to provide a label that includes a harmonized signal word, pictogram, and hazard statement for each hazard class and category. Precautionary statements must also be provided.
• Safety Data Sheets: Will now have a specified 16-section format.
• Information and training: Employers are required to train workers by December 1, 2013 on the new labels elements and safety data sheets format to facilitate recognition and understanding.

For more information and/or questions regarding OSHA regulations, please contact ESG's Risk Management Department at 888-810-8187 or contact us here.

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