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W W W. M A I N E B I Z . B I Z 11 A U G U S T 8 , 2 0 1 6 A new U.S. Department of Labor rule that took eff ect on Aug. 1 imposes dramatically higher pen- alties upon employers cited by the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration for workplace safety violations. Any citations issued by OSHA on or after that date will be subject to the new penalties if the related violations occurred after Nov. 2, 2015. e maximum penalty for "serious," "other-than- serious" and "posting requirement" violations jumps 78% from the current $7,000 fi ne to $12,471. For "failure to abate" violations, fi nes jump from the current maxi- mum of $7,000 per day beyond the abatement date to $12,471 per day. And if violations are deemed "willful" or "repeated," employers are looking at a $54,709 increase in the maximum fi ne, from $70,000 to $124,709. e changes stem from the Infl ation Adjustment Act of 2015, which requires the DOL and other federal agencies to hike penalties for violations in a number of federal programs, some of which haven't seen increases since 1990. After this year's catch-up adjustment, the law provides for annual adjustments for infl ation based on the Consumer Price Index. e U.S. DOL also is raising penalties for willful violations of minimum wage and overtime rules under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act from $1,100 to $1,894. Employers would do well to update their work- place posters detailing federal and state labor laws, since fi nes are also increasing for violations of many of those posting requirements — the Family Medical Leave Act penalty, for example, jumps from $110 to $163. "Civil penalties should be a credible deterrent that infl uences behavior far and wide," said U.S. Secretary of Labor omas E. Perez in a statement announcing the new penalties. "Adjusting our penalties to keep pace with the cost of living can lead to signifi cant benefi ts for workers and can level the playing fi eld for responsible employers who should not have to com- pete with those who don't follow the law." Best practice: Avoid the fi nes Jeanne Paquette, commissioner of Maine's Department of Labor, says the state off ers two pro- grams designed to help employers stay in compliance with OSHA's regulations and avoid hefty fi nes: SHARP, the Safety and Health Achievement Recognition Program, which enables employ- ers completing the program's requirements to have their facility removed from OSHA's programmed inspection list. In simple terms, employers agree to correct all hazards identifi ed by a trained consultant and commit to lowering their workplace injury rates to below the state average. In doing so, SHARP companies may also qualify for reduced insurance premiums. SHAPE, the Safety and Health Award for Public Employers, which off ers similar services and benefi ts for public sector workplaces. Pam Megathlin, director of Maine DOL's Bureau of Labor Standards, said an additional resource is the department's SafetyWorks! program, which pro- vides free, confi dential workplace safety and health consultations that include recommendations to help employers stay out of trouble with OSHA. "We will work with employers to help them get completely in compliance," she said. " is is the most opportune way for a small business in Maine to ensure they are in 100% compliance with OSHA's regulations." Besides creating a safer workplace, she said, there's a signifi cant benefi t for companies participating in the program: If OSHA shows for a programmed inspection, they will leave if the company provides documentation of a wall-to-wall inspection by a SafetyWorks! consultant. Megathlin said SafetyWorks! also off ers more than 100 safety and health classes each year on a range of safety and health topics. Companies can call toll- free 877-723-3345 to learn more about the program or request particular services. P O L I T I C S & C O. B Y J A M E S M C C A R T H Y OSHA fines to skyrocket under new U.S. Department of Labor rule We will work with employers to help We will work with employers to help We will work with employers to help We will work with employers to help We will work with employers to help We will work with employers to help We will work with employers to help We will work with employers to help We will work with employers to help We will work with employers to help We will work with employers to help We will work with employers to help We will work with employers to help We will work with employers to help them get completely in compliance. them get completely in compliance. them get completely in compliance. them get completely in compliance. them get completely in compliance. them get completely in compliance. them get completely in compliance. them get completely in compliance. them get completely in compliance. them get completely in compliance. them get completely in compliance. them get completely in compliance. them get completely in compliance. — Pam Megathlin, director of Maine Bureau of Labor Standards If you TRAVEL OUT OF STATE for a meeting, event, or sporting competition, contact the Convention + Visitors Bureau. LET US KNOW WHERE YOU ARE GOING, and we can help… BRING YOURS HOME! MEETINGS MEAN BUSINESS FOR MAINE + + MeetInMaine.com 94 Commercial Street, Portland, ME 04101 | 207.772.4994 | meetings@visitportland.com Catherine Wygant Fossett 798-2667 Catherine@fambusiness.org | www.fambusiness.org Wednesday, August 24th AWARENESS, COMMUNICATION & CONFLICT RESOLUTION IN SUCCESSION PLANNING: The Game of Ten Played presented by Steve Barton, president of Barton Associates and Elizabeth Reuthe, president of Elizabeth Reuthe Associates both graduates of Gestalt International Study Center Thursday, September 29th SUCCESSION STRATEGIES PANEL DISCUSSION: Estate Plans including Family Transition / Co-op / ESOP Ownership with panelists: Steve Tenney, Family Wealth Management Partners, UBS with Jim Costello, Jr., Sun Media Group; Rob Brown, Cooperative Development Institute with Susanne Ward, Rock City Roasters and Jeannine Pendergast, Spinnaker Trust with Danielle Moody of Moody's Collision Centers. Seth Webber, BerryDunn will facilitate this discussion on how to successfully transition a family business within your family, to a Co-op or to an ESOP versus an outside sale. Join us for the remaining 2 of a 3-part series on Succession Planning. Both programs at Husson University, Southern Campus in Westbrook, 8-10:30AM Register for one or both sessions online http://fambusiness.org/event-2261962 Success and Succession are from the same Word. Sponsored by

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