Effective September 1, 2021, employers that hire minors or individuals with a mental or intellectual disability will need to have their parent’s or guardian’s consent to obtain personal identifying information according to the Identity Theft Enforcement and Protection Act, HB 3529. Personal identifying information includes in combination, a person's name, Social Security Number, date of birth, government-issued identification number, mother's maiden name, and biometric data (fingerprint, voice samples and retinal imaging). Employer’s need to be aware of this requirement as New Hire Forms and benefit information often requests personal identifying information upon hire. 

With limited or no holiday celebrations in 2020, employees are looking forward to company parties this holiday season. As parties and celebrations are planned, employers need to consider the following guidelines;

• Make attendance strictly voluntary
  • If attendance is required, hourly employees must be paid for their time spent at the party
  • Depending on the religious nature of the party or celebration, requiring attendance could be considered religious discrimination
• Do not serve alcohol or limit the number of drinks per person
  • Consider serving “mocktails” – recent trends have developed more sophisticated flavors, minus the alcohol
  • Hire a professional bartender that is trained to recognize if an employee or guest has had too much to drink
  • Ask managers to be on the lookout if an employee or guest appears intoxicated and arrange transportation for them. Let employees know that the company will pay for an Uber, Lyft or taxi if needed

• Consider having the holiday party at a place that involves an activity such as bowling, or Escape rooms. Employees can then focus on the activity, instead of drinking.
• Serve food throughout the party; stop serving alcohol at least one hour before the party ends.

Happy Holidays!
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On November 23rd, the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) announced that employers would not incur an Unemployment Tax Rate increase for 2022, stating that it will help “Texas employers to better focus on innovations that create more jobs”. An increase in the Unemployment Tax Rate could burden businesses that are still recouping from pandemic-related issues that have been outside their control.

More information can be found at Texas Workforce Commission Adopts No New Increases to Employer Tax Rates for 2022 | Texas Workforce Commission

With “Help Wanted” signs and postings at every business, companies are competing to hire the best candidates. Some areas to consider when trying to attract candidates include;

• Make it easy for applicants to apply for a position.  Review the application process and determine if it is too time consuming, rigorous or out of compliance.  A short, easy and compliant Employment Application is the best.
• Offer flexible hours, if possible.  Applicants are looking for positions that offer flexibility not only in hours but the ability to work at home. During COVID-19, many companies and employees have found that they can still be productive while working flexible hours or at home
• Review pay rates and benefits. With the job market changing so quickly, reviewing pay rates and benefits often is key to staying competitive. If increasing pay rates is not possible, offer benefits or perks that may be valuable or helpful to employees.

Don't forget that developing a great company culture is one of the best ways to attract candidates.  Ask for feedback from current employees about what they enjoy about the company and to identify areas that could be improved. Employee feedback can be a valuable tool in making the company a "great place to work".