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For many people losing weight tops the lists of resolutions, but it isn’t the only solution to improving your well-being. Start the New Year right by shaving a few pounds off your work load rather than just your waist.  With tax season right around the corner, now is the perfect time to get all your […]

The holiday season can be filled with joy, but for many retailers and their employees, that feeling quickly subsides. With the new holiday tradition to keep doors open later than ever – and in some cases, for 24 hours – employees simply lose their drive and holiday cheer. The winter holidays bring big revenues for retailers, which is why it is important to have an alert and energized staff. Employees are the lifeblood of a company, so you want to ensure their needs are met first and foremost.

It’s the most wonderful time of the year … and one of the busiest times for employee schedules. The Christmas season quickly can turn blue for both employees and companies when holiday vacations and paid time off (PTO) aren’t handled well. The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) does not require employers to provide paid federal holidays for employees — in fact, it doesn’t even bar companies from asking (or forcing) employees to work Easter, Thanksgiving or Christmas Day.

Experts say that this trend is endangered by an excise tax, otherwise known informally as the “Cadillac tax,” mandated under the federal government’s Affordable Care Act.

The surveys are in, and the numbers have been tallied: This Thanksgiving, it’s predicted that more stores will be open; they will open earlier; and they’ll host more shoppers than ever before. Retailers are eager to squeeze every hour out of an especially short holiday shopping season – this year, it’s six days shorter than normal. Retailers are also eager to one-up each other; 2012’s midnight store openings are being beaten this year by opening times of 8 p.m., 6 p.m., and even 6 a.m. Thanksgiving Day.

What would a five percent decrease in funds mean for your nonprofit? For many it means the difference between opening and closing your doors. Many nonprofit organizations have several locations nationwide, and within each of these locations work any number of employees. Employees within nonprofits not only distribute money that is brought into the organization, but also oversee a variety of other funds.

Long-term health care facilities aim for the Five-Star Quality Rating created by the federal government’s Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Five stars indicate a facility has “much above average quality”; one star, far below. Is your organization capable of achieving the Five-Star goal, but falling slightly short? Or perhaps you and your staff have earned the rating, but find it difficult to maintain that level?

Although there have been numerous delays with the Affordable Care Act, it is important that business owners continue to plan for its changes – especially within the hospitality industry. This industry can be impacted significantly by the ACA, as much of the workforce is considered part- time, seasonal or temporary.

Are you a restaurant owner taking advantage of the holidays with a creative, marketing strategy? Halloween is the kick-off for such a time, bringing out the most creative promotions within the industry. For example, Sonic Drive-In locations promise “A Scary Good Deal”: 50-cent corn dogs for the entire day of Oct. 31. Currently, their boards […]

In the scope of basic math, the difference between 30 and 40 isn’t much. The continuing battle over the Affordable Care Act (ACA), however, is anything but basic. Currently at stake in the U.S. House of Representatives is the definition of a full-time employee. Whereas most federal labor laws equate a 40-hour workweek to full-time employment, the ACA definition lowers that to 30.

For employers who received a Tentative Nonconfirmation for employees between Sept. 17 and Sept. 30, and were unable to resolve it due to the shutdown, the employees will have 12 federal business days added to the date printed on the “Referral Letter” or “Referral Date Confirmation” to resolve such cases. Employees have until that date to contact the Social Security Administration or the Department of Homeland Security to resolve their cases.

In the past, internships have been equated to apprenticeships: the student learns from the master in a real-world industry environment. In this traditional view, the interns are beholden to the company for the work experience, knowledge and contacts they’ve received.