People Processes

Rhamy Alejeal Interviews Thomas Keenan, Author of UnF*ck Your Business. Tomas is the CEO at Top Class Installations where he is responsible for setting the vision, managing finances, and building the team. Everyday he is focused on improving efficiency and providing an exceptional customer experience for his clients. Tomas is also the author of Unf*ck Your Business: Stop Business Self-sabotage by Getting Clear on Your Core Values NOW. In 2017 The Top Class team installed 5,000+ tracking devices onto buses for the New York City Board of Education, a project that had a tremendous level of impact for the safety of the children now riding those buses daily; filling Tomas and his team with a deep sense of purpose.   Find Tomas Here: https://www.facebook.com/tom.keenan.988 (https://www.facebook.com/tom.keenan.988) https://www.instagram.com/tomas_keenan/ (https://www.instagram.com/tomas_keenan/) https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomas-keenan/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomas-keenan/) https://tomaskeenan.com

Eliminating surprise medical bills, improving transparency in prices, as well as revealing how prices are negotiated were the focus, but details about how information must be provided was left to the regulations, in an Executive Order signed by President Trump on June 24, 2019. Policy statement. The Executive Order states that the federal government aims to: eliminate unnecessary barriers to price and quality transparency; increase the availability of meaningful price and quality information for patients; enhance patients’ control over their own health care resources, including through tax-preferred medical accounts; and protect patients from surprise medical bills. Hospital regulation coming. Under the Executive Order, the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) must propose a regulation to require hospitals to publicly post standard charge information. The information must include charges based on negotiated rates and information on common or shoppable items and services. The text m

Is your business prepared for a minimum wage increase? A quick update from http://poplarfinancial.com (poplarfinancial.com)! Many states across the country have recently raised the minimum wage, and more changes are on the horizon.   Even an increase of $.75 an hour for 20 employees can mean an annual payroll increase of more than $20,000. Seemingly small increases can leave you wondering how to manage this new expense.   There are several steps you can take to adjust to recent state legislative changes or to prepare for upcoming payroll increases that are rolling out in the months ahead. (See the table below to determine if your business operates in one of the affected states.) What can you do to stay ahead?   1. Evaluate expenses and revisit your budget Once you determine if and how new minimum wage legislation will affect your business, it’s time to look at the big picture. New payroll costs may have implications for how you manage other expenses like utilities, i

Who are we interviewing: Alison Colley – Solicitor and Founder of Real Employment Law Advice and host of the podcast ‘The Employment Law and HR Podcast’ How did she get here? I qualified as a Solicitor (known as lawyer in the US) in the UK in 2006 and worked for traditional lawyers’ firms, where I specialised in employment law and providing legal advice to employers and employees. After becoming disillusioned with the traditional career path, stuffy slow pace of change and presenteeism required in the profession I found the ‘4 hour work week’ by Tim Ferris whilst wondering around bored on my lunchbreak and from this I was led into the world of entrepreneurship, passive income and taking control of my destiny. For several months after reading the 4 hour work week I came up with a vast number of hairbrained schemes completely unrelated to the legal profession, not having the confidence to consider that I could start my own legal firm. Eventually, realising I was not quite ready to give up on my profession an

Nathan Hirsch is a 29 year old long time entrepreneur and expert in remote hiring and eCommerce.   He started his first eCommerce business out of his college dorm room and has sold over $30 million online. He is now the co-founder and CEO of FreeeUp.com, a marketplace that connects businesses with pre-vetted virtual assistants, freelancers and agencies in eCommerce, digital marketing, and much more. He regularly appears on leading podcasts, such as Entrepreneur on Fire, and speaks at live events about online hiring tactics.

International leadership trainer, certified mediator and communications expert, Alicia Dunams, has coached tens of thousands of leaders, executives, and industry experts to share their message with the world through her signature process and acclaimed Bestseller in a Weekend® and other professional development trainings.  In her new book, I Get To: How Using The Right Words Can Radically Transform Your Life, Relationships & Business, Dunams empowers readers and leaders in all ages and stages of their career and life to harness the power of intentional communication for transformational results. As a corporate trainer and executive coach, Alicia bridges conflicts in the workplace and beyond through the power of mastering healthy conversations and storytelling. Alicia has been featured on Good Morning America, KTLA, and The Steve Harvey Show.

Proposed joint employer rule includes 4-factor test: hiring and firing, supervision and control, payment, and recordkeeping Noting it has not meaningfully revised its joint employer regulation since 1958, the Labor Department has announced via press release a https://www.dol.gov/whd/flsa/jointemployment2019/joint-employment_NPRM.pdf (proposed rule) to revise and clarify the responsibilities of employers and joint employers. The FLSA allows joint employer situations where an employer and a joint employer are jointly responsible for the employee’s wages. DOL proposes a four-factor test to consider whether the potential joint employer actually exercises the power to: Hire or fire the employee; Supervise and control the employee’s work schedules or conditions of employment; Determine the employee’s rate and method of payment; and Maintain the employee’s employment records. The proposal would ensure employers and joint employers clearly understand their responsibilities to pay at least the fede

Survey reveals employees’ major financial stressors, millennials’ interest in gig work MetLife’s 17th Annual US Employee Benefit Trends Study 2019 reveals that we are now seeing additional trends redefining why we work and what work means to people. According to the study, “[a]s employees leverage work to gain more fulfillment, pursue their goals, and align their values and experiences more authentically, they’re looking to employers to help them manage this new work-life world.” The study revealed that employees’ number one source of stress is personal finances. “Regardless of age or life-stage, a focus on finances tops the list as the biggest concern employees have day to day.” Some of employees’ stress about finances stems from short-term concerns, like staying on top of bills or paying for urgent health needs. Others stem from long-term goals — in fact, 3 of employees’ top 5 financial concerns directly relate to retirement, even among those who are relatively confident in their finances. What are

CMS Extends Small Group Transitional Relief Policies through 2020 On Mar 25, 2019, CMS issued a https://www.cms.gov/CCIIO/Resources/Regulations-and-Guidance/Downloads/Limited-Non-Enforcement-Policy-Extension-Through-CY2020.pdf (new one year extension) of its transitional policy for non-grandfathered small group plans that are not compliant with the ACA. Policyholders will be allowed to renew their transitional plan coverage (commonly referred to as ‘grandmothered plans’) through Oct 1, 2020 as long as the coverage does not extend beyond Dec 31, 2020. If CMS does not issue another extension next year, all non-compliant policies must become compliant by Jan 1, 2021. Any policy renewed during the 2020 calendar year after Jan 1 must have a short plan year in order to terminate by Dec 31. CMS believes that requiring transitional policies terminate immediately before Jan 1, 2021 will “facilitate changing from non-compliant coverage to Affordable Care Act-compliant coverage, which requires a calendar year policy y

Issue: You would like to implement an adoption assistance program for your company. In order for the financial assistance to be nontaxable, does the program need to be in writing? Answer: Yes. Adoption assistance programs are governed under Internal Revenue Code Sec. 137, which specifies that an adoption assistance program must be a separate written plan of the employer that meets certain requirements. Under an employer-provided program, Sec. 137 excludes from an employee’s gross income amounts furnished by the employer for adoption assistance purposes. Sec. 137 allows an employer to provide up to $14,080 in 2019 per child on an aggregate, not annual, basis for “qualified adoption expenses.” Adoptive parents’ adjusted gross income (AGI) determines the amount of the adoption expense limit that applies to them. In 2019, the credit begins to phase out at an AGI of $211,160 and is completely phased out at $251,160. While Sec. 137 requires a written plan, it does not specify that the plan follows a

Issue: Katy, a long-time sales clerk, applied for the position of assistant store manager. Even though Katy was the best qualified applicant, the store owner decided to promote another employee after learning that Katy doesn’t have a driver’s license because of her epilepsy. The store owner told Katy that she was not promoted because she was unable to drive the store receipts to the bank. Is this a valid reason for not promoting her? Answer: Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), employers are required to provide reasonable accommodations (adjustments or modifications) to enable applicants and employees with disabilities to enjoy equal employment opportunities unless doing so would be an undue hardship (a significant difficulty or expense). An employer must provide a reasonable accommodation that is needed because of the epilepsy itself, the effects of medication, or both. In this instance, depositing the store receipts in a safe and timely manner, not driving the store receipts to the bank, is an

Issue: Rick, a salesman, invited Bob, a business contact, to a baseball game. Rick purchased tickets for them to attend the game. While at the game, Rick bought hot dogs and drinks for both himself and Bob. Under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (TCJA), which amended the rules regarding deductions for entertainment expenses, can Rick deduct the game tickets, hot dogs, or drinks? Answer: Based on examples provided in IRS Notice 2018-76, the baseball game is entertainment as defined in IRS Reg. Sec. 1.274-2(b)(1)(i) and, thus, the cost of the game tickets is an entertainment expense and is not deductible by Rick. The cost of the hot dogs and drinks, which are purchased separately from the game tickets, is not an entertainment expense and is not subject to the Internal Revenue Code Sec. 274(a)(1) disallowance. Therefore, Rick may deduct 50 percent of the expenses associated with the hot dogs and drinks purchased at the game. Guidance after new law. The TCJA amended Internal Revenue Code Sec. 274 to generally

https://i0.wp.com/peopleprocesses.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/My-Post-12.jpg?ssl=1 () Paid family leave. A new law in New Jersey will expand the state’s paid family leave program in a number of ways, including doubling the number of weeks for family leave insurance and temporary disability insurance; raising the weekly benefit; increasing the amount of intermittent leave; allowing leave to care for additional family members; barring discrimination and retaliation against employees who take family leave; and permitting leave related to domestic and sexual violence. Employer CHIP notice. Employers sponsoring group health plans in states that provide premium assistance under Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) must furnish employees with an annual, written notice informing them of potential opportunities for premium assistance available in the states in which they reside. The sample notice requirement is available at https://www.dol.gov/sites/default/files/ebsa/laws-and-regulati

Question: Is the common flu considered a serious health condition under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)? Answer: Most cases of the common flu do not meet the definition of “serious health condition” and would not be eligible for Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) leave. Some cases of the flu, however, are severe or result in complications, and these have the potential to meet the FMLA definition of “serious health condition.” This is defined as an illness, injury, impairment, or physical or mental condition that involves inpatient care or continuing treatment by a healthcare provider. Continuing treatment means: The employee has been incapacitated for a period of more than three full days; and Consults with a doctor two or more times within 30 days, or Has one consult with a doctor and a regimen of continuing treatment. If an employee is out sick with the flu for more than three days, consider whether the need for FMLA leave may exist. This doesn’t mean that you need to go through the whol

Learn about decision-making and some ideas about how to do it with one of the most successful entrepreneurs in the hair industry, who is also an ex-Israeli special forces trainer, Ronit Enos. In particular, learn why decision making can be difficult and how to overcome these problems. Hear for yourselves how this brave woman became BIG.

Today we interview Erin Longmoon, CEO of Zephyr Recruiting.  We talk cover her journey in creating her company, and get some great insights on the processes around attracting the best talent!

The minimum wage will increase in 20 states on or before January 1 Twenty states will see increases in the minimum wage in the new year—one, New York, actually beginning on December 31. The minimum wage increases are scheduled as follows: Alaska. The minimum wage in Alaska will increase from $9.84 per hour to $9.89 per hour on January 1, 2019. Alaska’s minimum wage is adjusted annually based on inflation. The change for 2019 reflects a 0.5% increase in the cost of living. Arizona. The minimum wage in Arizona is scheduled to increase to $11 per hour on January 1, 2019. Arkansas. The minimum wage in Arkansas increases to $9.25 per hour on January 1 per voter approval of Ballot Issue No. 5 in the November 6, 2018, General Election. California. The minimum wage in California is scheduled to increase on January 1 as follows: $12 per hour for large employers with 26 or more employees; $11 per hour for smaller employers with 25 or fewer employees. Colorado. The Colorado minimum wage is scheduled to increase t

How to Have a Productive Exit Interview   It’s never an ideal situation when an employee leaves your organization.Whether it’s a voluntarily or involuntarily move, there’s paperwork to be completed, a new hire to be made, and an exit interview to conduct. If you skip the exit interview, you’re missing a golden opportunity to improve your organization. Even if the employee was fired, there’s insight to be gained. An exit interview is a unique and powerful time to gather perspective. When else will you get the unvarnished truth from your employees about what your organization is doing wrong without any fear of retaliation or making someone unhappy? If an employee is leaving voluntarily, your HR team should take that opportunity to look closely at what the departure means for your organization. Employees leave voluntarily for many reasons: pursuing dreams, better pay, other career interests, or because of problems with the organization itself. Whatever the case, take the time to do an in-depth exit i

Do You Have Mixed Emotions about Open Enrollment? It’s typical to have mixed feelings about the annual benefits open enrollment period. Dread for the additional administrative workload and potential benefits cost increases… Anticipation of newer, more attractive, and easier to administer plans… It makes for a fall season that causes many HR professionals and benefits brokers to drown their misery in pumpkin spice lattes. Better Benefits Attract and Retain Talent A high-quality employee benefits package is one of the best tools in your arsenal to attract the right talent, enhance employee engagement, and retain your most valuable employees. According to a May 2018 Harris Poll/Glassdoor https://www.glassdoor.com/press/job-seeker-preferences/ (survey), nearly half (48 percent) of U.S. workers cited attractive company benefits and perks as key factors in their likelihood to apply for a job, and other surveys have found that excellent benefits play a role in retaining employees. Employees today expect their emp

Automation can make HR processes run smoother, saving organizations time and money, and helping them avoid costly mistakes. However, it’s important to note that an automated HR system doesn’t replace the human element of HR. Rather, the goal is to unify all the employee life cycle events and components so your HR staff can focus on nurturing the people in your organization. You know, the human part of human resources. Automated systems have obvious tech aptitudes, like automatically flagging missing social security numbers on insurance forms, but they can also benefit attitudes. Employee motivation levels change every day. Furthermore, motivation is not achieved by giving out a bonus or throwing a party at the end of the year. It has to be nurtured every day through consistent, positive interactions with all team members. Automation helps keep processes consistent, allowing your HR team to focus on improving the employee experience around life cycle events and HR systems. In addition, employees are more