It's that time of the
year again. The Illinois Chamber HelpLine is
surveying Illinois businesses and organizations to
determine the paid holidays they plan to offer
their employees in 2006. As in the past, the
survey can be taken online or you may download a
simple check-off form and fax it to us for
inclusion in the survey results. We need your help
to make the 2006 paid holiday survey a success.
Please
click
here to take the survey and encourage
other businesses in your community to participate
too. |
| |
The Illinois
Supreme Court has ruled to reverse and remand
a Cook County Circuit Court judge’s ruling that
certain Industrial Commission fees imposed on
Illinois employers in 2003 were unconstitutional.
The lawsuit filed by the Illinois Chamber of
Commerce sought to strike down the new fees
because they were excessive and used for general
state revenue purposes rather than for the
operational costs of the Industrial Commission.
The decision sends the case back to Circuit Court
for further fact finding.
"We are
extremely disappointed in the court's ruling
today," said Douglas L. Whitley, president and CEO
of the Illinois Chamber. "The Supreme Court's
opinion did not provide a clear decision
concerning the relationship between user fees and
the state budget. Nor did the court give
definition to the distinction between a fee and a
tax. Instead the court requires us to provide
additional proof the surcharge was intended to
generate revenues that were not related in any way
to operating the Commission. We intend to do so.”
For more on this decision, click
here. |
Employers will continue
to utilize cost-cutting measures in 2006 to reign
in soaring healthcare premiums, concludes a new
survey conducted by Mercer
HR Consulting and Marsh Benefits. Based on the
responses of 1,883 employers, companies will
budget for a 6.4% increase in healthcare costs
after making significant plan design changes.
Without plan modifications the budget increase
would be 10%. MORE
|
| |
At least until the end
of the baseball post-season . . . Outplacement
firm, Challenger,
Gray & Christmas, estimates that baseball
will cost employers as much as $225 million in
lost productivity as the national focus shifts
from the workplace to home plate. Challenger
derived the estimates based on workers losing an
average of a half-hour in each of the eight
play-off cities. While some workers are not
interested in the sport, others become embroiled
in the play-by-play. "Right now, the divisional
playoffs will have at least five games played
during business hours. This could lead to
unscheduled absences, early departures or, at the
very least, a significant workday distraction,"
said CEO John A. Challenger.
But this
temporary disruption won't hurt much. “A little
downtime – even three hours’ worth – is unlikely
even to register a blip on the economic radar for
these cities, all of which are in the top 25 in
terms of gross metropolitan product,” Challenger
added. “Together, these cities manage economic
output of more than $1.6 trillion in products and
services every year. It would take a major
business shutdown lasting several days or weeks to
put these economies at risk.” |
| |
More than half a million
new businesses begin operations each month in the
United States, according to the Kansas City
think-tank, Ewing
Marion Kauffman Foundation. Their Index of
Entrepreneurial Activity, the first index to
measure business start-up activity for the entire
nation’s adult population, also found that
immigrants and Latinos are most likely to become
small business owners. The Latino rate of
entrepreneurship increased from 0.38% in 1996 to
0.48% in 2004 vs. the white, non-Latino rate of
0.39%. Similarly, the average entrepreneurship
rate among immigrants was 0.46% as compared to
0.35% for the native born. MORE
|
| |
Small business owners
are optimistic about the future according to a
poll by the National
Federation of Independent Business (NFIB).
While polling took place before Hurricane Katrina
hit, NFIB believes that the forecast remains rosy.
“Katrina does put a wrinkle in the outlook,” NFIB
Chief Economist William Dunkelberg said, citing
uncertainties about the storm’s impact on energy
production and shipping activity. “But the survey
data indicate strong third and fourth quarters.”
The NFIB points to surges in capital
spending and job creation as evidence of a most
robust economy. According to the NFIB, “Capital
spending remains solid; outlays over the past six
months were unchanged as reported by 61 percent.
New equipment purchases were reported by 44
percent, 22 percent bought vehicles, 14 percent
improved or expanded facilities, a similar share
spent on fixtures and furniture and 5 percent
acquired new buildings or land.” Similarly, 17% of
those owners surveyed have job creation plans in
place. Twelve percent say that finding qualified
workers is a key business concern. For more survey
results, click
here. |
| |
Economists had forecast
manufacturing growth to plummet in light of higher
energy prices. Fortunately, their predictions were
wrong. Instead, the Institute for Supply
Management posted its manufacturing index at
59.4 for September, up from 53.6 in August.
MORE
|
| |
Expect overall travel
costs to increase 12% in 2006, says business
travel specialist, Runzheimer
International. Predictably, the cost of
travel, both on the ground and in the sky, will
rise with the price of fuel. For example, the Air
Transport Association reports that jet fuel prices
increased an average of 36 cents during the last
week in August, resulting in some carriers hiking
fares $10 to $30 per roundtrip ticket. MORE
|
| |
America’s largest
corporations have developed a greater sensitivity
to gay issues, says the Washington-based Human
Rights Campaign Foundation. The Foundation
recently released its fourth annual Corporate
Equity Index giving grades to America’s
largest companies regarding their treatment of
gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender employees.
This year, 101 out of 402 companies polled
received a perfect score, almost doubling the
results from the 2004 survey. MORE
|
| |
The Illinois Chamber
understands your staff is your most valuable
asset, and failing to keep your compensation and
benefits package competitive can prove to be a
costly mistake! Compensation Data has the answers
to your pay and benefit questions.
Compdata Surveys packs each survey with
more information than any other data provider. In
fact, the Compensation Data survey looks at the
entire compensation package including benefits,
pay practices, salaries and much more!
To
see a job title from the 2005 Illinois results, click
here. To order your copy of the newly released
Compensation Data 2005, click
here NOW! |
| |
Is your company one of
the Best Places to Work in Illinois?
Would you like to receive a confidential,
individualized report analyzing how your employees
feel about working for your company? Would you
like to know how to become one of the Best Places
to Work in Illinois?
If you answered “yes”
to any of these questions, we urge you to consider
registering your company for the Best Places to
Work in Illinois program. The Illinois Chamber of
Commerce is an official supporter. Click
here for a letter from Doug Whitley outlining
the many benefits to your organization with
instructions on how to register. |
| |
Just a click
away! For the latest HR news and analysis, CLICK
HERE or use the button at the top of the
Chamber home page. The site is updated daily to
keep you informed on current developments in HR
and how they might impact your bottom
line.
|
| |
| Current
Economic Indicators |
For the latest on the
economy, visit the Chamber's ECONOMIC
INDICATORS website.
- Illinois
Coalition for Jobs, Growth & Prosperity:
For the August 2005 Illinois Job Index, the
Coalition issued a positive rating. There has
been six months of positive job growth but the
growth rate has been declining over the past two
months.
- Illinois
Unemployment Rate: The Illinois UI rate
dropped to 5.8% and the economy added 4,000 more
workers in August 2005. Since the beginning of
2005, Illinois employers have added 57,300
jobs.
- Illinois
Metro Unemployment Rates: The August
unemployment rates fell from year ago levels in
each of the state’s 12 metropolitan areas.
- U
of I Flash Index: Index rebounded last month
to 106.9 from its 106.5 level in August. The
current reading coincides with the recent high
for the Index achieved in July.
- National
Unemployment Rate: Nonfarm payroll
employment was little changed (-35,000) in
September and the unemployment rate rose to
5.1%.
- Consumer
Price Index (CPI): +0.5% in August.
- Producer
Price Index (PPI): +0.6% in August.
- Employment
Cost Index (ECI): +0.7% in 2nd Quarter of
2005.
- Productivity
& Costs: +1.8% in 2nd Quarter of
2005.
- U.S.
Import-Export Price Indexes: +1.3% in
August.
- Gross
Domestic Product: GDP increased at an annual
rate of 3.3% in the second quarter of 2005. In
the first quarter, real GDP increased 3.8%.
- Conference
Board - Consumer Confidence: Index, which
had rebounded in August, plummeted in September.
The Index now stands at 86.6, down from 105.5 in
August.
- Conference
Board - Help Wanted Index: Index declined
four points in August and now stands at 35, down
from 39 in July. It was 37 one year
ago.
|
| |
| Check out some of our
programs and see how your membership pays with the
Illinois Chamber:
Learn more about these programs
and how they benefit your company when you Join
the Leaders! |
| |
| |
| Illinois
Chamber HELPLINE |
| Knowing what you can and
can't do will help you prevent costly mistakes.
Call Howard Parker, our Chamber HR expert. He will
help you deal with problems safely and avoid
disputes. You can reach the Helpline toll-free at
800-322-4722. |
| |
The Chamber urges
all Illinois employers to recognize their Guard
and Reserve employees by signing and displaying
the ESGR Statement of Support. To get yours,
simply complete
an online form and you will receive a
personalized certificate that demonstrates your
support. Also visit the SBA Veteran's Business
Development web site for assistance to small
business owners that have employees activated in
the Guard or Reserves. Click MORE
|
The Exec
Report - Susan
S. McComb, J.D., SPHR, Editor
Copyright © 2005
The Illinois Chamber
|
