Temp- tation                                                                               April  2017 
In this issue
OSHA Cuts Proposed
A preliminary budget released by the Trump administration in March includes the elimination of $11 million in grants to OSHA's "Susan Harwood Training Grant Program," which provides grants to nonprofit groups who then develop training materials for industry on a wide variety of safety issues. 
 
The White House called the grants "unproven," and said that without them OSHA would be able to focus "on its central work of keeping workers safe on the job."  
Strange but True Tales of HR
A job seeker was asked during the screening process what he did for employment prior to his current job.  He replied, "I sold drugs." (Well...  At least he was begin honest.)  
FMLA Bill 
Introduced 
In March, a bipartisan group of Representatives introduced the Parental Bereavement Act of 2017, also known as the Sarah Grace-Farley-Kluger Act.   This Act would add the death of a child as a covered life event under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), and provide parents who are grieving the loss of a child with up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave to heal from the trauma of losing a child.
 
Currently, the FMLA provides 12 weeks of unpaid leave for certain family events, such as the birth of a child, but not for the traumatic event of losing a child. 
Temptation Trivia  
Since the advent of television, companies have been using cartoon mascots to pitch their products.  

Name the product or brand represented by each of the following cartoon mascots:
 
1. Speedy
2. Chester Cheetah
3. Lucky the Leprechaun 
4. Joe Camel
5. Toucan Sam
6. Tony the Tiger
7. Charlie Tuna
8. Snap, Crackle, & Pop
9. Poppin' Fresh
10. Geoffrey the Giraffe
 
If you can name all 10, call or email your local branch office  by noon this Friday.  One winner in each branch will be chosen at random from those that answered correctly, and that person will get treats delivered!  
 
Last issue answer: Richard Simmons is a fitness guru who is widely known for his "Sweatin' to the Oldies" series for exercise videos.  

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Flex-Staff
Fun Facts  
Mr. King Camp Gillette, inventor of the best-selling version of the safety razor,  was born in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin on January 5th, of 1855.     
 
While working as a salesman for the Crown Cork and Seal Company in the 1890's, Gillette saw bottle caps, with the cork seal he sold, thrown away after the bottle was opened. This made him recognize the value in basing a business on a product that was used a few times, then discarded. 

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      Celebrating Over 40 Years of Staffing Excellence!   

Time as Temp Counts Towards FMLA  
A U.S. District Court in Pennsylvania recently ruled that the time spent by a worker on a temporary assignment with a staffing firm 
client counted toward her eligibility for leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act after she was hired directly by the client.

The ruling mirrored decisions from courts in other circuits, and applied well-established FMLA regulations that state that joint employment will typically be found when a staffing firm supplies employees to a client employer, and joint employment relationships determine employee coverage and eligibility.  

If a staffing firm and client are joint employers, and the client hires a temporary worker at the conclusion of an assignment (i.e., a temporary-to-hire scenario), the time the worker spent on temporary assignment at that client must be counted by the client toward the worker's FMLA eligibility - specifically the 1,250 hours worked and 12 months of service tests.  
Flex-Staff Manager Receives SCP Designation  
Congratulations to Laura Schick, Branch Manager of Flex-Staff's Eau Claire office, for becoming SCP certified by the Society for
Human Resource Management (SHRM). 
 
The SCP, or "Senior Certified Professional" designation, is the highest certification offered by SHRM, and requires a thorough knowledge and understanding of HR strategic planning, talent acquisition, employee engagement & retention, learning and development, organization, workforce management, employee and labor relations, diversity, risk management, corporate social responsibility, and U.S. Employment Law & Regulations. 
 
To receive the SCP certification, applicants must pass a grueling 4-hour exam consisting of 160 questions; 95 knowledge items, and 65 situational judgement items.  Less than 60% of all applicants are successful in passing the SCP exam.    
 
Congratulations Laura! 
One Minute Ideas
18 Things Mentally Strong People Do
 
They move on.  They don't waste time feeling sorry for themselves.
They keep control.  They don't give away their power.
They embrace change.  They welcome challenges.
They stay happy. They don't complain.   They don't waste energy on things they can't control.
They are kind, fair, and unafraid to speak up.   They don't worry about pleasing other people.
They are willing to take risks.   They weigh the risks and benefits before taking action.
They invest their energy in the present.   They don't dwell on the past.
They accept full responsibility for their past behavior.  They don't make the same mistake over and over.
They celebrate other people's success.  They don't resent that success.
They are willing to fail. They don't give up after failing.   They see every failure as a chance to improve.
They enjoy their time alone.  They don't fear being alone.
They are prepared to work and succeed on their own merits.   They don't feel the world owes them anything.
They have staying power.   They don't expect immediate results.
They evaluate their core beliefs  - and modify as needed
They expend their mental energy wisely.   They don't spend time on unproductive thoughts.
They think productively.  They replace negative thoughts with productive thoughts.
They tolerate discomfort.  They accept their feelings without being controlled by them.
They reflect on their progress every day.   They take time to consider what they've achieved and where they're going.  
Recipe
Slow Cooker Ham and White Bean Soup
 
INGREDIENTS
3 cups of ham, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 yellow onion, diced
1½ cups carrots, diced
1 cup celery, diced
3 (15-ounce) cans white cannelini beans, drained and rinsed  
1 teaspoon dried thyme
½ teaspoon dried rosemary
2 bay leaves
4 cups vegetable stock
Kosher salt and ground black pepper to taste
   
INSTRUCTIONS
Add the chopped ham, garlic, onion, carrots, celery, cannelini beans, thyme, rosemary, bay leaves, vegetable stock, salt and pepper to the slow cooker.  Cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 3-4 hours. 
 
  

 

Inspirational Quote
 Tact is the art of making a point without making an enemy. - Isaac Newton
  
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