Workplace Issues

WASHINGTON – Last week, the House Committee on Small Business held a full committee hearing on how the opioid crisis is affecting small business, specifically the decline in the labor force participation rate. The discussion included Katie Van Dyke, Director of Cleveland State University’s Ohio Small Business Development Center, as outlined by Cleveland.com below: “The opioid crisis poses major challenges to small businesses in Ohio as employers in rural and urban areas alike have trouble findin... Read more

WASHINGTON – This week, House Committee on Small Business Chairman Steve Chabot (R-OH) released the following statement after the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) published its proposed rule on the joint-employer standard: “The NLRB’s decision to restore the joint-employer standard is welcome news for small businesses everywhere. Job creators and innovators deserve certainty that they can continue to operate their businesses locally and independently. The Obama-era scheme jeopardizes small ... Read more

WASHINGTON – Today, the House Committee on Small Business held a hearing to explore the effects of the opioid crisis on small businesses. Specifically, Members examined the decline in the labor force participation rate due to the epidemic and the challenges that small businesses experience in finding qualified workers as a result. “The American economy is soaring. Significant growth is occurring as we speak and Americans, especially entrepreneurs, are once again optimistic about the future of th... Read more

WASHINGTON – This week, Wells Fargo/Gallup released a survey touting the record-high optimism U.S. small business owners’ are experiencing, the highest in 15 years. According to the report: Cash flow and positive financial situation are strong drivers of optimism. 78 percent of small business owners rate their current financial situation as very or somewhat good, compared with 73 percent in the second quarter of 2018. 69 percent of small business owners rate their cash flow in the past 12 months... Read more

WASHINGTON—Today, Members of the House Committee on Small Business heard from a panel of local officials on the way their communities have developed thriving small business ecosystems. “Every small business ecosystem relies on a delicate balance of support and resources to survive,” said Chairman Steve Chabot (R-OH). “The creation of a healthy ecosystem requires significant investment by all participants: small business owners, support organizations, and policymakers. Policymakers and support or... Read more

WASHINGTON—Today, House Committee on Small Business Chairman Steve Chabot (R-OH) released the following statement on the Department of Labor’s (DOL) new rule on Association Health Plans: “Today’s actions by the Department of Labor are a life raft to the 30 million American small businesses and startups struggling with the burdensome regulations Obamacare imposed on them. I applaud Secretary Acosta and the Trump Administration for expanding access to Association Health Plans (AHPs), thus allowing... Read more

WASHINGON—Today, Members of the House Small Business Committee Subcommittee on Economic Growth, Tax, and Capital Access heard from a panel of small business owners and experts on the solutions that exist to combat the small business workforce shortage. “The American economy is creating jobs at historic rates. Over 1 million jobs have been created so far this year, the unemployment rate is at an 18 year low of 3.8 percent, and there are now more vacant jobs than unemployed job seekers in the Unit... Read more

WASHINGTON—Today, Members of the House Small Business Committee examined the Executive Branch’s approach to utilizing Category Management (CM) principles and the impact it may have on small businesses and the industrial base. CM are a set of procurement approaches attempting to eliminate redundancies, increase efficiency, and deliver value all while saving the taxpayers money. “While Category Management can be useful in tracking the federal government’s purchasing habits in order to identify eff... Read more

WASHINGTON—Today, Members of the House Committee on Small Business heard testimony from a panel of small business owners and experts on developmental disabilities on how those with differing abilities have an essential role in the small business economy. “One segment of American society that is often overlooked when discussing economic opportunities through new job growth is the special needs community,” said Chairman Steve Chabot (R-OH). “Given the innovation, flexibility, and diversity of smal... Read more

WASHINGTON—This week, Chairman Steve Chabot (R-OH) and Ranking Member Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY) sent letters to several heads of agencies on why their agencies have not been adhering to federal law requiring them to comply with Section 212 of the Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act (SBREFA). Section 212 of SBREFA requires agencies to publish a small entity compliance guide for every rule that has a significant impact on a substantial number of small businesses under the Regulatory... Read more