FEBRUARY 2018

Eileen's Lessons

Have you ever taken children out shopping? There are so many things they "need".  I can recall taking one or both of my children out once with the usual requests.  I then followed up by saying "You know, you have money, you should buy it yourself." I was then told, "Oh it's not worth my money, but if you want to buy it for me, I'm good with that."

Hmm. Many times, business owners say they want employees to think like owners and spend money like it is their money. But the reality is, the money isn't their money.  However, with the right people on board, many times solid compensation and reward strategies can have the same impact.

So if you're looking to hire the right people right out of the gate,  contact us  and we can help.

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 a strong possibility that implementation will be delayed. However, we are encouraging clients to develop policies today, as a delay is not guaranteed.

Under the Act, an employee earns at least one hour of paid sick and safe leave for every 30 hours he or she works. Maryland joins eight other states - Connecticut, California, Massachusetts, Oregon, Vermont, Arizona, Washington and Rhode Island - plus smaller jurisdictions that include the District of Columbia and Montgomery County, MD that have enacted paid sick leave laws. 

Who's affected? The Act applies to all Maryland employers.  
 
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 new job or relocation, the amount was not taxable to the employee. The new law suspends that tax-free treatment through 2025, which means it will be considered income to the employee and taxed as such. The exception to this rule is for active-duty military members. Employers with this common practice should review their arrangements (sometimes contained in policies and often contained in employment contracts) to consider the impact the new tax may have on recipients.

The HR Team to Present at Halt Buzas & Powell, 2018 Spring Nonprofit Symposium

The HR Team's own Eileen Levitt will shed light on "How to Lose Your Best Employees in 10 Steps or Less".

Why do people really leave? Money, benefits, perks? Exit interviews lie. Employees don't leave jobs, they leave managers and here are some of the things you're doing to help move your best people along to the next organization.

March 20, 2018
Hilton Baltimore BWI
1739 West Nursery Road
Linthicum, MD 21090


March 22, 2018
The Westin Alexandria
400 Courthouse Square
Alexandria, VA 22314

Under Construction

No, not our office, our website! Don't worry, the current one is still active and we're keeping it updated, but behind the scenes, we're making some upgrades based on your feedback, and we will be excited to share it with you next month.
 
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