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August 1, 2020 In Blog

It’s time to fix job killing regulations

In a move uncharacteristic for our current state leadership during the pandemic, the Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT) recently announced new efforts to support small businesses in Delaware. The Small Commercial Entrance process will reduce costs and wait time for eligible small businesses, and an expedited review and approval process is expected before the end of summer.

More businesses and business groups are speaking out about the lack of attention and help they have received from state leadership, after 4 months of the State of Emergency and little clarity or assistance. For small businesses and new businesses, the DOT rule changes are a bit of hope at this time.

If this can be done in the DOT, other agencies could potentially issue rule changes to help employers and workers since the administration refuses.

Businesses have been crying out for help after being forced to shut down, but workers are still suffering through the impact of COVID-19 in Delaware.

Delawareans who were laid off at the start of the shut downs and applied for unemployment in March have yet to receive benefits. Often it is difficult to get an answer when contacting the office for answers or help with payments. Without work and without unemployment being delivered in a timely manner, this has left Delawareans wondering how they will stay afloat for the remainder of this pandemic. This would position the Delaware Department of Labor (DOL), as the next logical entity to make rule changes in order to help struggling Delaware workers find jobs.

A big concern with current DOL anti-business regulations is the mandatory and restrictive apprenticeship ratios that prevents Delaware businesses and contractors from hiring new workers now.

Delaware’s ratio means that you can have 1 apprentice for every 3 journeyperson. Businesses and contractors are not permitted to hire a second apprentice until there 6 journeypersons, and so on as you hire more apprentices. These overly restrictive rules sideline Delaware workers from good paying jobs right now.

Bottom line: these mandatory ratios are job killers.

For instance, there are close to 30 trades that are restricted to only hire one apprentice for every 5 journeypersons. The DOL touts 1,500 current apprentices, but if this ratio was adjusted to 1:1 or 1:2, this would result in thousands of new hires immediately.

By DOL making this change in the manner that the DOT issued their rule changes to help small businesses, trade workers in Delaware would have more opportunities for employment, and the state could see an increase in total jobs available. There are likely other opportunities for the DOL and other agencies to readdress their rules and regulations to help Delaware’s workers.

State regulations reduce job opportunities and limit the workforce—especially for unskilled or low-skilled workers—and must be addressed in order to get people back to work.

A better Delaware would establish an inter-agency committee immediately to help put Delaware back to work right now.