TASB HR Services’ federal work-site poster has been updated to include the required notice of the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA) and the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendment Act (ADAAA). Districts can choose to use the new poster or use the 2009 version and post the supplemental notice from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission alongside. The updated federal poster can be ordered through the TASB Store 
.
Killeen-Temple-Fort Hood is the best city in the nation for job growth, according to the annual Forbes “Best Cities for Jobs” list released in May. The list measured employment growth from January 2010 to January 2011. Forbes ranked all 398 metropolitan areas on the basis of employment data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and divided the highest ranking cities into three lists according to population size.
Texas outperformed other states in all three size categories. Austin ranked number one in the large city category while Houston, San Antonio, and Dallas were also listed in the top 10 large cities for job growth. El Paso came in at number one for mid-sized cities, joined by Corpus Christi and McAllen-Edinburgh-Mission in the top 10. College Station, Midland, and Odessa accompanied Killen-Temple-Fort Hood on the top small city list.
Forbes’ most recent release reveals a more optimistic picture than last year’s list. Among last year’s top cities, only 13 had experienced job growth, while the others were those that suffered the smallest losses. Most of this year’s top performers experienced at least modest job growth.
—“The Best Cities for Jobs,” by Joel Kotkin and Michael Shires, Forbes, May 2011.
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) released a smartphone application for the iPhone and iPod Touch in May. The free application is a timesheet that allows employees to record their work hours, breaks, and overtime hours. The timesheet helps workers calculate the pay they are due and makes them less reliant on their employer’s records. The agency notes that the information employees can collect with the app could prove “invaluable” should an employer with incomplete timekeeping records be subject to a Wage and Hour Division investigation. The application is available in English and Spanish.
The DOL also offers printable calendars for workers without smartphones. These calendars , available in English and Spanish, contain information about filing a wage violation complaint as well as general information about workers’ rights.
In May, the Houston ISD board approved a new teacher appraisal system that ties teacher ratings to student performance and provides teachers with more frequent feedback on their work. The measure passed on a 7-2 vote.
The new appraisal system is the latest step in the district’s Effective Teachers Initiative aimed at transforming the way the district recruits, develops, and retains its teachers. The district’s plan was featured in the May 2011 HR Exchange . The district developed the plan in just six months and plans a districtwide roll-out starting in the fall of 2011-12.
The board’s vote drew praise from U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan. “I want to applaud the Houston Independent School District for tonight’s vote to create a new evaluation system,” Duncan told the Houston Chronicle. “The new system uses multiple measures and incorporates student academic growth in a thoughtful and balanced way. Houston is providing a model for the state and other districts to follow.”
Care to know what unhealthy behaviors cost on average? About $670 annually per employee, according to the March 2011 Thomson Reuters Workforce Wellness Index . The index gauges six behavioral risk factors to track the collective health of the U.S. workforce (body mass index (BMI), blood pressure, total cholesterol, and blood glucose; plus two risk factors, alcohol and tobacco use). BMI, which is used to measure obesity, proved to be the most significant; $400 of the $670 annual cost is attributable to obesity. Another disconcerting fact comes from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which attributes more than 75 percent of employers’ health care costs and productivity losses to employee lifestyle choices.
The numbers may not look good, but employers can play an important role in reversing the trend by offering employee wellness programs. A $1 investment in wellness saves $3 in health care costs, according to research by the Wellness Council of America. And most employees (73 percent) are willing to enroll in employer wellness plans if offered a monetary incentive, according to a 2011 survey by Workplace Options , a provider of work/life benefits and employee support services.
Employers seem to be getting the message. The National Business Group on Health reports that employee wellness incentives increased 65 percent in 2010 to $430 per employee on average—up from $260 in 2009. However, getting employees into wellness programs is just the first step. The real challenge is to help employees adopt healthier behaviors over the long term—after they’ve reached the goal required to receive the incentive.
—“Declining Health of U.S. Workers Is Driving Up Employer Costs,” by Stephen Miller, Society for Human Resource Management Web site, April 20, 2011.
In May, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) launched I-9 Central , a new online resource center on Form I-9, Employee Eligibility Verification. This easy-to-use Web site provides employers and employees with simple, one-click access to resources, tips, and guidance to aid in understanding the Form I-9 process and properly completing the form.
I-9 Central includes sections about employer and employee rights and responsibilities, step-by-step completion instructions, and information on acceptable documents for establishing identity and employment authorization. Also included is a section on common mistakes to avoid and answers to employers’ recent questions about the Form I-9 process.
