OSHA suspends enforcement of COVID-19 vaccine mandate for businesses
OSHA suspends enforcement of COVID-19 vaccine mandate for businesses Mychael Schnell, The HillNov. 18, 2021 HARRISBURG — The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is suspending enforcement of the Biden administration’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate for large private businesses after a federal appeals court upheld a stay on it last week. OSHA said in a statement published on its website Friday night that while it is confident in its power to protect workers amid the pandemic, it is suspending
PACP Awards Chamber Yvonne Martin With Pennsylvania Certified Chamber Executive (PaCCE) Designation
PACP Awards Chamber Professional With Pennsylvania Certified Chamber Executive (PaCCE) Designation The Pennsylvania Association of Chamber Professionals (PACP) awarded the designation of Pennsylvania Certified Chamber Executive (PaCCE) to a deserving chamber professional during their 2021 PACP Chamber Professionals & Leadership Conference held in Johnstown, PA. Our newest PaCCE is Yvonne Martin, Huntingdon County Chamber of Commerce President/CEO. The PaCCE program was established in 2008 to
MacKenzie Huntsman Selected as One of Pennsylvania Business Central’s Foremost Under 40
MacKenzie Huntsman Selected as One of Pennsylvania Business Central’s Foremost Under 40 Once again, Pennsylvania Business Central is highlighting the young professionals who are the rising generation of business leaders, innovators and entrepreneurs. MacKenzie Huntsman has been nominated and selected as one of Pennsylvania Business Central’s Foremost Under 40 for 2021! She will be honored in the November edition, which will feature a brief biography and picture of all of the honorees. Pennsylvania Business
Business Community Steps Up to Address Supply Chain Crisis
Business Community Steps Up to Address Supply Chain Crisis American businesses and consumers face severe effects from the nation’s supply chain shortage. Chamber President and CEO Suzanne Clark joined CEOs of several major companies, the Vice President and other senior administration officials, and other stakeholders at the White House yesterday to address supply chain bottlenecks. Why it matters: Ports with hundreds of ships waiting to dock, warehouse space shortages, and the lack of rail and highway
2021 Award Recipients Recognized at the Annual Awards Gala
2021 Award Recipients Recognized at the Annual Awards GalaPhoto (left to right) Susan Bilich, Jada Grissinger, Madison Troha, (second row) Mike Simone, Travis Kylor and Brad Bumgardner. Last evening at the Annual Awards Gala we celebrated our 20th Anniversary of presenting awards. Here’s a little history……many years we had an Annual Dinner instead of an Awards Gala. When we started presenting awards at that dinner it became way too long so we created the Annual Awards Gala and the Annual Membership
Congratulations to the Community Improvement Award Recipients
Congratulations to the Community Improvement Award Recipients In partnership with the Huntingdon County Planning Commission, Community Improvement Awards were presented last evening in the categories of Preservation, New Construction, Community Spirit and Special Merit. These awards would not be possible without the sponsorship provided by Kish Bank. Awards were presented for projects completed in 2020. This 2020 Community Spirit Award recipient is the Huntingdon County History and Heritage
Forecasting COVID-19 Impacts on Health Insurance Premiums
Forecasting COVID-19 Impacts on Health Insurance Premiums As the 2022 open enrollment season is quickly approaching, many business owners are beginning to turn their attention to forecasting insurance premium adjustments for budgeting purposes. Of course, the question mark this year is how much. Although the severity and extent of the COVID-19 pandemic has been unprecedented in modern times, there are safeguards built into the structure of the insurance industry that are designed to maintain stability
U.S. Department of Labor issues updated guidance on protecting unvaccinated and other at-risk workers from the coronavirus
U.S. Department of Labor issues updated guidance on protecting unvaccinated and other at-risk workers from the coronavirus WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration today issued updated guidance to help employers protect workers from the coronavirus. The updated guidance reflects developments in science and data, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's updated COVID-19 guidance issued July 27. The updated guidance expands information
UTILIZING A STUDENT LOAN REPAYMENT PROGRAM FOR DEBT-CHALLENGED EMPLOYEES
UTILIZING A STUDENT LOAN REPAYMENT PROGRAM FOR DEBT-CHALLENGED EMPLOYEESIncreasingly, individuals comprising today’s workforce are straddled with significant levels of student loan debt. At the same time, these workers are often conflicted as to whether they should focus on paying off their debt or set aside funds to pay for retirement. As an employer, adding a student loan repayment program to your employee benefit portfolio not only helps them address this dilemma, but also represents a tremendous
L&I HELPING EMPLOYERS COMPLY WITH NEW LAW TO EXPAND SAFETY COMMITTEES
L&I HELPING EMPLOYERS COMPLY WITH NEW LAW TO EXPAND SAFETY COMMITTEESAct 57 of 2021 will help encourage prescription drug addiction education and awareness within the workforce by utilizing certified safety committees. To help Pennsylvania employers comply with the law, the Department of Labor & Industry recently released new information to help employers maximize the benefit of this expanded program. Since 1994, employers have had the option to establish certified safety committees and qualify for a
DEPARTMENT OF LABOR AND INDUSTRY ISSUES UC FRAUD GUIDANCE
DEPARTMENT OF LABOR AND INDUSTRY ISSUES UC FRAUD GUIDANCE July 26, 2021 Responding to skyrocketing claims of Unemployment Insurance Fraud, the PA Department of Labor and Industry this week provided employers with helpful tips for reporting fraudulent claims. When responding to a Notice of Claim Filed that you believe to be fraudulent, keep the following tips in mind:* L&I does not need any of the person’s actual employment information for identity theft situations. The fields on the response form do not
State Leaders Called Upon to Address Unemployment Compensation Issues
State Leaders Called Upon to Address Unemployment Compensation Issues The Huntingdon County Chamber of Commerce joined several other Chambers of Commerce across the state and the Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry to send a letter calling on Attorney General Shapiro, Auditor General DeFoor, Treasurer Garrity, Labor and Industry Secretary Berrier, and Secretary of Revenue Hassel to create a multi-agency task force to address Unemployment Compensation issues in the commonwealth. We’ve asked
PA Chamber Applauds Vote to Scrap Crippling Overtime Rule, Save Businesses
PA Chamber Applauds Vote to Scrap Crippling Overtime Rule, Save Businesses HARRISBURG – Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry President and CEO Gene Barr issued the following statement on the Pennsylvania General Assembly’s vote to block an onerous final overtime rule that would have hurt Pennsylvania businesses: “The damage the Department of Labor and Industry’s Overtime Rule could have caused to Pennsylvania businesses cannot be overstated,” Barr noted, “Increasing the overtime salary threshold
Maintaining Status as an Employer of Choice
Maintaining Status as an Employer of Choice Employees and those looking for work in today’s environment have more options at their disposal than perhaps ever before. There exists a wide range of occupations, employer locations, industry types and work arrangements available to each worker. This allows an individual the ability to be more selective in choosing where they will work, why they want to work there and how long they plan to stay there. And although each individual’s criteria is often unique
Social Media and Electronic Communications Policy
SOCIAL MEDIA AND ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS POLICY POLICY STATEMENTAdopted June 6, 2016 The Huntingdon County Chamber of Commerce fully acknowledges and recognizes the emergence and influence of Social Media and Electronic Communications in the modern world, as well as the rights of individuals to actively participate in the undertaking of such activities. The goal of electronic communication from our organization is to cultivate an environment wherein the usage of electronic media contributes to the
