Eileen’s Lesson: The Difference Between Baking & Cooking
I like to cook and bake. I didn’t used to be all that good at it, but over the years, I’ve gotten better. Baking and cooking are very different though. Baking tends to be more precise than cooking. With baking, many times the ingredients may or may not make sense, but they are required to create a “chemical […]
Five Ways HR Can Help Your Business Prosper
The human resources department was once considered a support function within a business, often tasked with handling mundane responsibilities such as payroll or resolving compliance issues. It was often overshadowed by the more glamorous departments like marketing and sales, whose efforts directly correlated to revenues, market share, and other critical bottom line metrics. However, today’s […]
Skills vs. Personality: Which Matters More?
If you want your organization to achieve great things, you have to hire the right people. Should you look for candidates with all the necessary degrees and certifications, or are qualities such as likability and initiative more important? The choice isn’t always easy and there’s no “right” or “wrong” answer. When you’re faced with a […]
Setting Your Employees Up for Success is Easier than You Think
When an organization’s leaders are invested in the success of its workforce, employees are happier, more engaged, and more productive. One of the biggest things that contribute to employee success or failure is management’s ability to create an environment that helps them to excel. Implementing the following strategies will help to create a workplace where […]
New Form W-4, Employee’s Withholding Allowance Certificate
Form W-4 is completed by employees and given to their employer so their employer can withhold the correct federal income tax from the employee’s pay. As an employer, you’ll want to let your employees know about the updated tax table for 2018, so they can plan accordingly. They should also consider completing a new Form W-4 […]
URGENT: IRS Reduces HSA Limit for Family Coverage for 2018
On March 5, 2018, the IRS released Revenue Procedure 2018-18 (as part of Bulletin 2018-10). Due to changes made in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, certain adjustments needed to be made to inflation amounts. This includes a reduction in the maximum family HSA contribution for those with family coverage under an HDHP from $6,900 […]
Your Employees Care More About These Things than Money
Money really can’t buy happiness, especially when it comes to your employees. A number of studies have revealed that, while money is certainly important to employees and job seekers, it’s not necessarily the most significant ingredient in the recipe to keeping them happy. As peoples’ basic physiological needs are satisfied—food, shelter, clothing—social and ego needs […]
Managers as Motivators: Five Guiding Principles
Motivation is the most powerful tool your employees bring to work. Great managers are adept at stimulating that motivation in their team members to achieve superior workplace results. If you’re in management position, you’ll be happy to know that you can learn to inspire motivation in your employees. No matter what kind of work environment […]
Lesser Known Facets of the New Tax Law May Affect Your Employee Benefits
The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, signed into law by President Trump on December 22, 2017, and its effect on individual and corporate taxes has received tremendous attention. However, several lesser-known provisions will impact employee benefits: Moving expense reimbursements are now taxable. Previously, when an employer paid for a worker’s moving expenses due to a […]
What You Need to Know About the Maryland Healthy Working Families Act
On January 12, 2018, The Maryland General Assembly enacted into law the “Maryland Healthy Working Families Act”, a measure that requires businesses with 15 or more employees to provide paid sick and safe leave. Employers with less than 15 must provide unpaid leave. Mandatory safe and sick leave is currently due to go into effect February 11th. There is […]