• "Housing Permits Fell in Connecticut in November 2013…

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“…but still on best pace since 2008." ”Municipalities in the state approved just 216 permits for new housing units in November, the second fewest for any month this year, but Connecticut remains on pace for the best year it's had since 2008, according to data released Friday.” Source: Rep-Am.com

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• University to Offer Online Master’s Degree in HR

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“Utah State University's Jon M. Huntsman School of Business this month will launch a new online Master of Science in Human Resources degree program. ”The program will offer 12, seven-week courses and is designed to help students living in rural areas advance their careers in human resources.” Source: DeseretNews.com

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• 7 Steps for Managing Intermittent Leave

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“ Employees repeatedly taking intermittent leave can be disruptive, yet employers need follow the law’s requirements. "How can an employer stay compliant while reducing the chance of employees gaming the system?” Source: Business & Legal Resources

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• “How to Create A Domestic Violence Policy At Your Workplace”

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“Do you have a policy regarding domestic violence? Fisher & Phillips' Betsy Weintraub first urges every employer to begin by posting its awareness of domestic violence. Then craft a policy and add it to your handbook. ”Here's what to include": Source: Business & Legal Resources

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• “Health Care Cost Increases Projected to Slow in 2013”

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”Projected cost increases for all types of medical plans in the U.S. are anticipated to slow a bit through the first half of 2013, according to a survey….” Source: SHRM

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• Congress Extends Tax-Free Tuition Assistance

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“The tax relief package passed by Congress on Jan. 1, 2013, to keep the U.S. from tumbling over the so-called “fiscal cliff” included a huge holiday gift for human resource professionals…. ”The provision allows employees to exclude from taxable income up to $5,250 per year in employer-provided tuition assistance for undergraduate or graduate level courses and had become a very popular benefit.” Source: SHRM

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• U.S. Payroll Employment Rises (+155,000); Unemployment Rate Unchanged (7.8%) - December 2013

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Nonfarm payroll employment rose by 155,000 in December, and the unemployment rate was unchanged at 7.8 percent. Employment increased in health care, food services and drinking places, construction, and manufacturing. Source: USDOL-BLS

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• IRS Provides Updated Withholding Guidance for 2013

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The Internal Revenue Service today released updated income-tax withholding tables for 2013 reflecting this week’s changes by Congress. The updated tables, issued today after President Obama signed the changes into law, show the new rates in effect for 2013 and supersede the tables issued on December 31, 2012. The newly revised version of Notice 1036 contains the percentage method income-tax withholding tables and related information that employers need to implement these changes. In addition, employers should also begin withholding Social Security tax at the rate of 6.2 percent of wages paid following the expiration of the temporary two-percentage-point payroll tax cut in effect for 2011 and 2012. The payroll tax rates were not affected by this week’s legislation. Employers should start using the revised withholding tables and correct the amount of Social Security tax withheld as soon as possible in 2013, but not later than Feb. 15, 2013. For any Social Security tax under-withheld before that date, employers should make the appropriate adjustment in workers’ pay as soon as possible, but not later than March 31, 2013. Source: IRS Notice 136

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• “What He Learned From the Boss Who Left at 5:30”

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“I’ve definitely learned to be thoughtful around giving people honest feedback but not killing them with feedback. I don’t believe you can give someone 10 things to work on. I think you can give people three things to think about how they can make themselves better and make the company better, and then you check in regularly.” Source: NYTimes.com

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• Support Your Local Union: “Overruling 50-Year Precedent, NLRB Holds Dues Check-Off Continues after Agreement Expires”

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“Does an employer continue to have an obligation to deduct union dues from employee paychecks despite the expiration of a collective bargaining agreement containing a dues check-off provision on which the deductions were based? ”Prior to December 12, 2012, the answer in many cases was ‘no.’ However, in light of the National Labor Relations Board’s decision in WKYC-TV, Inc., 359 NLRB No. 30, overruling 50 years of precedent, the answer now is ‘yes.’” Source: JacksonLewis.com

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• U.S. Initial Unemployment Claims Up 10k

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In the week ending December 29, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 372,000, an increase of 10,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 362,000 and 2.9% below the same week a year ago. The 4-week moving average was 360,000, an increase of 250 from the previous week's revised average of 359,750. The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.5 percent for the week ending December 22, unchanged from the prior week's unrevised rate. The highest insured unemployment rates in the week ending December 15 were in Alaska (6.6), Puerto Rico (3.9), New Jersey (3.8), Pennsylvania (3.8), Montana (3.6), California (3.4), Nevada (3.4), Oregon (3.4), Connecticut (3.3), and Wisconsin (3.3). The largest increases in initial claims for the week ending December 22 were in Ohio (+8,795), Michigan (+6,641), Pennsylvania (+5,530), Kentucky (+4,745), and Massachusetts (+4,330), while the largest decreases were in California (-11,789), West Virginia (-473), Florida (-450), Arizona (-192) and South Dakota (-186). Note: “Insured unemployment rate” refers to individuals who are unemployed and receiving UC benefits. Source: USDOL-BLS

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• U.S. Construction Spending Not Improved – November 2012

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Construction spending during November 2012 was estimated at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $866.0 billion, 0.3 percent (±1.6%) below the revised October estimate of $868.2 billion. The November figure is 7.7 percent (±2.0%) above the November 2011 estimate of $804.0 billion. During the first 11 months of this year, construction spending amounted to $781.4 billion, 9.2 percent (±1.3%) above the $715.4 billion for the same period in 2011. Source: USDOC-Census

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• U.S. Purchasing Managers Report Higher Manufacturing Activity – December 2012

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“Manufacturing expanded in December as the PMI™ registered 50.7 percent, an increase of 1.2 percentage points when compared to November's reading of 49.5 percent. "A reading above 50 percent indicates that the manufacturing economy is generally expanding; below 50 percent indicates that it is generally contracting.” Source: Institute for Supply Management

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“Workplace Bullying: Effective Policies for the Workplace“

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“Bullying is not exclusive to the schoolyard. Bullying in the workplace is a real problem and, if allowed, can destroy a company’s culture and employee morale…. ”Recent statistics suggest that workplace bullying is widespread and even more prevalent when unreported conduct is considered…. ”Workplace bullying can be defined as mistreatment severe enough to compromise a targeted worker’s health, jeopardize his or her job and career, and strain relationships with friends and family, among other things…." Source: JacksonLewis.com

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• Workplace Violence Workshop Scheduled for 24 January 2013

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“ The issue of workplace violence manifests itself most often in the form of threats exchanged between fellow employees, aggressive acts and actual assaults, has unfortunately, become part of today’s world of work. Recognizing warning signs and the ability to ease tense situations can make a difference, as attendees of a Jan. 24 “Workplace Violence” workshop being sponsored by the Connecticut Department of Labor’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health (CONN-OSHA), will learn. The session, which will run from 10 a.m. until noon, will be held in Conference Rooms A, B, C. The free, two‐hour interactive workshop is open to Connecticut employers, will take place at the Department of Labor’s Wethersfield Central Office, located at 200 Folly Brook Boulevard, Wethersfield. “Contrary to common misconceptions, most instances of workplace violence do not result in fatalities,” explains John Able, CONN-OSHA Training Officer. “But, even incidents without assaults or physical injuries can devastate the sense of personal security that people once felt at their place of employment. Our Jan. 24 workshop is designed to make you more aware of the issues related to workplace violence and to provide you with the tools to help manage, defuse and prevent it.” To register for the workshop, or for additional information, please contact, John Able, CONN-OSHA Training Officer via email at able.john@dol.gov. Source: CTDOL

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• “The Connecticut Economy Is In Trouble. Deep Trouble”

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“Federal statistics released in August revealed that Connecticut went into recession much earlier than previously known and, critically, the contraction was dramatically worse. And then recovery in both output and jobs has been weak, and now appears to be weakening relative to the national pattern. Indeed, Connecticut is one of the very few states whose recovery measured in output (or household income) is still below its peak in 2007. ”Job recovery has been equally as anemic, barely recovering a quarter of the jobs lost while the quality of jobs deteriorates. ”The unavoidable outcome has been tax revenues falling below projections, driving the current state budget into a significant deficit and confronting the Governor and Legislature with billion dollar deficits in each of the next two years’ biennial budgets, to be adopted next Spring. With the state’s economy still struggling to recover, the cuts in public sector expenditure will weaken the economy further, and may even put the state back into recession….” Source: Connecticut Center for Economic Analysis

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