Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas recently directed U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to take actions to promote a fair labor market by supporting more effective enforcement of wage protections, workplace safety, labor rights, and other employment laws and standards, according to a news release.

While the COVID-19 pandemic inspired “social distancing” as a now-universal safety measure, technology has helped companies fill the resulting communications gap – virtually – through “Zoom” and other web-based conferencing tools. These programs allow individuals and groups to confer online, with or without video. We asked HR specialists and a professional recruiter for the linen, uniform and facility services industry to reflect on these changes, as well as the broader issues impacting recruitment/retention trends since the pandemic struck one year ago this month.

TRSA aired its latest Weekly Industry Update webinar on May 7, with an emphasis on regulatory guidance aimed at helping F&B and hospitality operators recover. Other prominent news reports included highlights of a new Business Pulse Survey of industry suppliers and insights from an industry consultant on marketing in today’s “new normal” economy – with added attention to customer retention, diversified product offerings and much more.

A new NLRB appointee could give the agency another chance to revisit the Joint-Employer rule that TRSA and other business interests have strongly opposed as a unfairly pro-union measure.

Citing security concerns, the administration of President Donald Trump has dramatically reduced refugee resettlement efforts in states such as Michigan, according to news reports. These actions have led to funding cuts for nonprofit groups that help immigrants acclimate to life in the U.S. At the same time, the lower numbers of refugees have hurt recruiting efforts by businesses like Reino Linen in Brownstown Township, a Detroit suburb, that have hired immigrant labor to help operate their healthcare laundry there.

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) recently filed a lawsuit against a Tennessee nursing home that denied unpaid time off under the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) to an on-premise laundry employee who complained of anxiety, according to news reports.

Effective May 16, employers will be required to comply with a rule issued by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) that modifies the list of identity and employment authorization documents necessary to complete the Form I-9 employment eligibility verification process.