PAMA You Auto Know: November 2023

Government Affairs November 2023 Update

H.R. 906, the “REPAIR” Act, passed the House Innovation, Data, and Commerce Subcommittee by voice vote last week without adding certain undercutting amendments opposed by PAMA, the American Alliance for Vehicle Owners’ Rights, and the CAR Coalition.
Members operating in Maine: Vote “YES” on Maine Right to Repair Ballot Question 4 on November 7th.
New information request for PAMA’s Hyundai/Kia oil drain plug defect petition research: Are customers arriving for service with loose plugs?
2022-2023 Nissan Rogue plastic pan oil drain plug-out cases are adding up.

Call for PAMA Awards Nominations

The Preventative Automotive Maintenance Association (PAMA) is seeking to honor five exceptional individuals who have made significant contributions to both the community and the industry. Please take a moment to consider making a nomination for one of awards, which will be presented in 2024.

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Submit Your Nomination

Industry News

US probes Hyundai, Kia recall into 6.4 million vehicles over

fire risks

U.S. auto safety regulators on Monday said they had opened a probe into 16 separate recalls issued by Hyundai (005380.KS) and Kia (000270.KS) covering 6.4 million vehicles relating to brake fluid leaks that could result in fires.

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University of the Aftermarket Foundation Offers New Automotive Scholarship

The scholarship will annually award $2,500 to one student who is pursuing a career in the automotive aftermarket industry. Students in two-year technical college programs and vocational schools and four-year college programs are eligible to apply.

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Gear Up For Success

Looking to the Future – Tax Planning for

the Sunset

The 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) nearly doubled the lifetime estate and gift tax exemption from $5.6 million to $11.18 million for individuals, indexed for inflation after 2018. Learn how to adapt to the changing Tax Landscape....

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The Benefits of Equipment Maintenance and Housekeeping

Without functional equipment or a clean, organized workplace, the risk for injuries and losses can increase. At the end of the day, maintaining your tools and equipment, along with tackling regular housekeeping, can help in the following areas by...

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Travel Away

From Home

One of our employees will be traveling to an out-of-town conference on an upcoming weekend. Our question is specifically about the three-hour bus rides to and from the conference: Do we need to pay him for his travel time on the bus?

He will not be performing any work on the bus.

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Stay Ahead of the HR Curve

We have an employee who has their personal mail sent to the office. We don't encourage it, but they still do it. Another employee accidently opened one of their letters and now it has caused a huge issue with a claim of invasion of privacy. What should we do?

Answer: Employees need to know that any piece of mail (business or personal) that is delivered to the company will be processed according to company procedures which may mean that it is opened and read by someone other than the intended recipient.

You should have a policy prohibiting employees from using the workplace for their personal mail and clearly stating they have no right to privacy and that their mail will be opened. There should also be a disclaimer in case mail is lost in the office.

If an employee needs to have something delivered that is time-sensitive or needs to be signed for (such as loan paperwork), then require they notify the mailroom and management first to make sure they directed correctly.

Finally, ask employees to respect the privacy of others if they inadvertently see personal correspondence.

There are so many holidays this time of year – Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, and New Year’s Day just to name a few – that it can serve as a great opportunity to recognize the diversity of your employees while also taking time to show them that you appreciate them.

It is important to be mindful that not everyone celebrates or looks forward to the holidays. However, everyone likes being appreciated so making the effort to recognize employees at this (or any) time of year can mean a lot to those people who have worked hard for you all year...

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Upcoming Events in 2024

May

13-15

The premier event for industry education, solutions, and networking, iFLEX is back in Nashville from May 13 - 15, 2024. More details will be released over the coming months.