Under the Dome: A Government Affairs Update

Increased noticed for plant closure. Earlier this month, the U.S. House of representatives passed legislation that added 30 days to the notice employers must provide employees and localities before plant closures or layoffs. The change to the original law — the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN), adopted in 1988 — was made part of the Trade and Globalization Act.

The House-passed bill tacks 30 days onto the WARN Act's 60-day written notice from companies to employees and appropriate government agencies before plant closings or layoffs. Under the revised law, fifty or more full or part-time employees must be affected to trigger the notice requirement.

Expanded workplace leave for military families. President Bush is expected to soon sign legislation that expands workplace leave benefits to employees with family serving in the military. Expected to be made effective immediately, the new law expands current provisions of the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) to allow employees to receive two types of leave:

• Active duty leave: 12 weeks of leave to a spouse, son, daughter or parent on active duty which can be taken for any call-up-related issues and begin as soon as the call-up notice is received.
• Caregiver leave: 26 weeks of FMLA each year for a spouse, son, daughter, parent or nearest blood relative to care for a recovering service member.

Both new leave types allow employees to use leave incrementally or in the smallest amount that can be tracked by payroll systems.

Still pending for 2008. Issues that Congress could address include a new anti-discrimination workplace law for sexual orientation and changes to the definition of 'supervisor' in union organization.

Source: SHRM