NAWIC GUAM CHAPTER DISCUSSES FEDERAL OT CHANGES

This past July, the federal government sent the shot over the bow to all employers in America that there will be changes to federal overtime rules. In advance of the December 1, 2016 implementation date, the National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC) Guam Chapter used their August Monthly meeting to discuss this important change with their membership.  Member and Chief Operating Officer of Pacific Human Resources Services Inc. Grace Donaldson broke down the final rule changes to the Fair Labor Standards Act.  Donaldson shared that the final rule focuses primarily on the updating the salary and compensation levels needed for Executive, Administrative and Professional workers to be exempt.

Among the changes, the rule sets the standard salary level at the 40th percentile of earnings of full-time salaried workers, sets the total annual compensation requirement for highly compensated employees (HCE) subject to a minimal duties test and establishes a mechanism for automatically updating the salary and compensation levels every three years to maintain the new percentile levels. Donaldson used examples and sought member input and questions relative to the duties test to better understand the impacts to the Guam workforce.

Donaldson noted that Guam's visitor industry would be hit the hardest with this rule change.  The hotel industry relies heavily on modestly paid middle managers, who are exempt from overtime, to pick up the slack—and extra hours—when called upon. Some of the flexibility may be a thing of the past as property owners adjust to the new rule.

The changes could rattle industries that have long used a federal exemption for so-called “creative professionals” to avoid paying some workers overtime, like architects. The US Department of Labor currently gives businesses some latitude in deciding who meets the criteria. But under the new rules, no one making less than $47,476 a year could be considered a creative professional exempt from overtime.

Even the American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA) has formally asked DOL for removal from the regulatory list that blocks travel agents from an exemption from federal overtime rules.

Will there be an end?

One thing is for sure, change is coming and the Guam NAWIC Chapter will be keeping a close eye on its developments as we head into the latter half of the year.


GET, LLC is proud to be a member of NAWIC and the Guam Chapter-one of 150 chapters with a network of 4,500 members nationwide.  We hold NAWIC's core values close to our business- Believe.  Persevere.  Dare. Check out our website at www.get-guam.com or drop us a line to help us do our part to grow this important industry.

COMING TO A STREETLIGHT NEAR YOU...DRONES!

With each day comes pretty neat ideas from some of the brightest minds in the world-and some of the richest.  Late last month,  Amazon was granted a US patent for a drone docking stations on  standalone structures to include streetlights.  While the patent mentions these drone home bases on top of buildings and pylons, the linking to a street light is the most interesting.

Amazon has been working on this effort of awhile. News stories across the news networks, print and the internet highlighted the drone plans of the 29th Ranked Company on the Fortune 500. Believe it or not, most of the effort seemed like a great sci-fi novel.  It is reported that Amazon hopes that the docking stations will act both as package handling facilities and as a final destination where drones are able to recharge and refuel. The drone docking stations would incorporate solar panels, security cameras, and even Wi-Fi.

The development of the streetlight safe havens in theory means that drones would be able to continuously hop from drop off point to drop off point, opening up, potentially, whole villages to the Amazon drone service.

It is also hoped that the docking stations will be able to offer navigational assistance, helping to guide the craft to the location of their drop-off.

The imagery is something straight from the 1960's cartoon "The Jetsons". Millennials may need to consult the World Wide Web for that reference.

We should not get too excited here in the Western Pacific. 

It is important to note that the filing of the patent does not necessarily mean that the docking stations will get built, but it does allow us to see how Amazon is preparing for their future drone revolution, whenever it arrives

This street light drone docking is as much the future as is Intelligent street lighting,. Also referred to as adaptive street lighting, the lighting on our roadways and walkways will dim when no activity is detected, but brightens when movement is detected. Devised in Europe, this type of lighting is different from traditional, stationary illumination, or dimmable street lighting that dims at pre-determined times. 

If these two product ideas take off, literally and figuratively, we will be looking for George Jetson and his boy Elroy for a tutorial.


To learn more about the lighting products that GET, LLC provides, including the LED lines of our partners, Independence LED Lighting and Deco Lighting Inc., please check out our website at www.get-guam.com or call us to discuss solutions for your important lighting needs-All Made in America!!!