Massachusetts staffing firm operator sentenced to prison for tax crimes, insurance fraud

The operator of temporary employment agencies providing labor for Massachusetts companies in agricultural industries was sentenced Tuesday to two years in prison for tax crimes and insurance fraud, the US Attorney’s Office reported. Souleang Kane — who operated a series of temporary employment agencies...

Uber agrees to pay New York state drivers up to $3 million over alleged excess fees (Reuters)

A settlement agreement was reached by Uber to pay up to $3 million to settle a lawsuit brought on behalf of 2,241 drivers in the state of New York who accused the human cloud, ride-sharing firm of excessive fees, Reuters reported. Uber denied the allegations and settled without admitting wrongdoing....

Immigration agency says rumored change to H-1B visas not happening (TechCrunch)

TechCrunch reported US Citizenship and Immigration Services says no policy change is underway that would end extensions of H-1B visas for those applying for green cards. The rumored change would have impacted tech workers in the US. H-1B visas are used by companies, including staffing firms, to bring...

US employers’ hiring plans for temps in 2018 match last year’s intentions, survey finds

More than half of US employers plan to hire temporary workers in 2018 as companies work to maintain flexibility in their workforces and test drive candidates for permanent roles, according to CareerBuilder’s job forecast for 2018. The forecast’s survey found 51% of employers plan to hire temporary...

Association of Executive Search Consultants names 2018 leadership and new board members

The Association of Executive Search Consultants announced Monday that Paul Benson will serve as board chair this year while Morten Nielsen will serve as vice chair and Ineke Arts will serve as secretary and treasurer.

Benson is regional market leader, Europe Middle East & Africa, Global Industrial...

Robert Half Accountemps survey finds 38% say winter weather negatively impacts mood

Much of the US entered the new year facing below-freezing temperatures, feet of snow and even ice storms. And the harsh winter weather can lead to the “winter workplace blues” for affected workplaces, according to a survey of more than 2,700 US workers by Accountemps, a division of Robert Half International...

US job openings see little change in latest numbers

The number of US job openings was little changed on the last day of November from the previous month, according to the latest numbers released today by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. The number of hires was also little changed in November.

Bloomberg reported US job openings unexpectedly fell in...

Two moves by federal government could impact gig workers (Lexology)

Richard Meneghello of law firm Fisher Phillips discusses two pieces of interesting news for gig businesses in a Lexology blog post: a provision in the tax reform bill that could provide as much as a 20% reduction off the taxable earnings of gig workers, and the Department of Labor’s announcement last...

Temp staffing subcontractor accuses staffing provider, buyer of discrimination (Cook County Record)

The Cook County Record reported Labor One Inc. — a temp staffing subcontractor known for placing black workers from Chicago in service jobs — accused staffing firm Staff Management Solutions and staffing buyer Aramark of racism. They allege they improperly broke its contract with the subcontractor...

Executive search firm Heidrick & Struggles announces restructuring

Heidrick & Struggles (NASD: HSII) on Friday announced a restructuring to reduce overall costs and improve efficiency. It will include pre-tax charges of $15 million to $18 million in the fourth quarter. The company also plans a noncash impairment charge of $6 million to $12 million to write off the...