OSHA Violations Now Fined per Employee
OSHA is aggressively stepping up its enforcement efforts with the intent to issue more citations resulting in more fines and more money paid to OSHA. A U.S. federal appeals court recently made it easy for OSHA enforcement to receive much more in fine money than previously received for the exact same violations. E.g., in 2007, if OSHA issued a $1,500 PPE category fine citation for 10 employees not wearing required personal protective equipment, in 2010 the exact same violation will likely be $15,000.00 (for a non-repeat offending company). OSHA is now allowed to multiply the fine by the total number of employees who are found to be in violation. Your Association membership can help ensure your company is OSHA compliant. Be sure to utilize the resources in the members only section of pgama.com and on www.printing.org.
2011 Deduction Limits for HSAs
The Treasury and IRS have released the 2011 inflation-adjusted amounts for health savings accounts (HSAs). After the application of cost-of-living adjustment rules, there is no change in the amounts from 2010. Therefore, for calendar year 2011, the annual limitation on deductions for an individual with self-only coverage under a high-deductible plan remains $3,050 ($6,150 for an individual with family coverage).
A "high-deductible health plan" is defined as a health plan with an annual deductible that is not less than $1,200 for self-only coverage or $2,400 for family coverage and annual out-of-pocket expenses (deductibles, co-payments, and other amounts, but not premiums) that do not exceed $5,950 for self-only coverage or $11,900 for family coverage. See Rev. Proc. 2010-22, I.R.B. 2010-23. For more info go to http://www.irs.gov/irb/2010-23_IRB/ar09.html.
Revised Form 941 for HIRE Act
The IRS issued a newly-revised payroll tax form, Form 941, Employer's QUARTERLY Federal Tax Return. Most eligible employers will use the form to claim the special payroll tax exemption that applies to many new workers hired during 2010. The revised form and its instructions are in response to the Hiring Incentives to Restore Employment (HIRE) Act, H.R. 2847, which was signed by the President on March 18, 2010. Employers who hire unemployed workers this year (after Feb. 3, 2010, and before Jan. 1, 2011) may qualify for a 6.2% payroll tax incentive, in effect exempting them from the employer's share of social security tax on wages paid to these workers after March 18. The reduction will have no effect on the employee's future social security benefits. The employee's 6.2% share of social security tax and the employer and employee's shares of Medicare tax still apply to all wages.
Form 941, revised for use beginning with the second calendar quarter of 2010, will be filed by most employers claiming the payroll tax exemption for wages paid to qualified employees. The HIRE Act does not allow employers to claim the exemption for wages paid in the first quarter but provides for a credit in the second quarter. The instructions for the new Form 941 explain how this credit for wages paid from March 19 through March 31 can be claimed on the second quarter return.
The HIRE Act requires that employers get a signed statement from each eligible new hire, certifying under penalties of perjury, that he or she was not employed for more than 40 hours during the 60 days before beginning employment with that employer. Employers can use new Form W-11, Hiring Incentives to Restore Employment (HIRE) Act Employee Affidavit, released last month (see CCH Payroll Management Guide Report Letter 2142, dated April 13, 2010), to meet this requirement. Though employers need this certification to claim the payroll tax, they do not file the statements with the IRS. Instead, they must retain them along with other payroll and income tax records. For more information and FAQs, see www.irs.gov/businesses/small/article/0,,id=220745,00.html
The Case for Outside Directors
There is general consensus that private company boards should have outside directors. Objectives of adding outside directors are twofold: a) to bring business expertise and insight and b) to hold top management accountable. Some would argue that a third benefit is to provide good corporate governance and a decision making structure for succession planning. Many forward looking graphic communications companies (and size is not the determinant criteria) have taken this path. As a result, United Insurance Company has developed a management liability package called UIC-EXEC-PROTECT. The product is designed to provide a level of comfort to potential outside directors, lending institutions and others. It also protects the company's officers and inside directors. UIC-EXEC-PROTECT consists of Employment Practices Liability Insurance and you can add Directors & Officers Liability and Fiduciary Liability coverages. The package is designed to be flexible and offers options to make premium costs reasonable for even small companies in our industry. For more information visit United's web site at www.uicbermuda.bm.
Honest Ads
A Gallup/USA Today poll ranked ad agency folks ahead of lobbyists and car salesmen, but below members of Congress, in terms of honesty and ethics. In this vein, research conducted by the University of Missouri found that honest advertising is more important than sustainability or social responsibility in maintaining a corporate reputation. You can help your clients by showing them that direct mail that works tells it like it is.
2010 MIS Survey Released
The 2010 Survey of Management Information Systems is the 5th edition of the publication, and this year reviews 53 different MIS applications from vendors. This publication is the first place a company should go when considering the introduction of a new MIS system. PGAMA members can receive a copy of this invaluable report for FREE! To download, go to www.printing.org/free.
Member News
Welcome back to member Minuteman Press Laurel who re-joined the Association earlier this month. The company offers services including Binding, Embossing, Foil Stamping, Lamination, Logo Design, Perforation and more. They are located at 335 Main Street, Laurel, Maryland, 20707.
Upcoming
Events
| July 21 |
Seminar: 21st Century Printing-Sales Skills & Attitudes-This dynamic day-long seminar, led by author and business coach Dave Fellman, covers both the attitudes and the skills required to be successful in the modern printing marketplace. Topics to be addressed include: how to think like a winning salesperson, prospecting, time management and organization, preparing and presenting proposals, negotiation skills, and more. PGAMA has negotiated a special rate of $145 for members. (Non-members pay $225.) Fee includes lunch and a copy of Dave's new book, "Sell More Printing." For more info and to register call 800-325-9634. |
| July 22 |
Webinar: Making Your Move to Digital A Success, 2:00-3:00pm. Digital printing continues to grow and as a traditional printer, your business plan now includes an investment in a production level digital press. This session will help you to become familiar with the unique business characteristics of the digital print industry and what it takes to acquire, operate, and maintain a profitable digital press operation. Led by Frank Kanonik, President of DigitalPrintInfo, LLC. Cost is $49 for PGAMA Members ($99 for non-members.) More info and register at http://www.printing.org/node/6147. |
| July 29 |
Webinar: Print Grows Trees, 11:00am-Noon. PGAMA President Kerry Stackpole leads this webinar, and will share information about the Print Grows Trees campaign, and the role of the printing industry in protecting and growing our country's forests. Free for Members! Email with registration link coming soon to your computer in box. |
| August 5 |
Webinar: Cybercrime: New Risks in Light of Changing Technology, 2:00-3:00pm. Digital printing with customer databases is fraught with new and complex risks. Enter Cybercrime, as the fastest growing crime in America, where attacks can potentially wipe-out entire small and medium-sized companies given their limited resources. Participants will benefit from sessions that include real-life case studies and examples that underline the importance of staying on top of the latest security and risk management tactics, including Cyber-liability insurance. Cost is $49 for members, $99 for non-members. Register at http://www.printing.org/node/6368. |
| September 9 |
Webinar: Creating Flawless Files that are Print-Ready, 2:00-3:00pm. A recent Printing Industries of America survey showed that 70% of printers need to repair more than half of all files submitted before they can be output successfully. Solid digital file creation is the key element to reproducing jobs in a time- and cost-efficient manner for print production. Go “under the hood” with Adobe CS5 and other desktop publishing applications and become a pro at preparing digital files for print production! Led by Joe Marin, Senior Analyst, Digital Technologies, Printing Industries of America. Cost is $49 for members/$99 for non-members. More info and register at http://www.printing.org/node/6166
***Printers: Purchase this webinar for your customers to strengthen your relationships, AND get problem-free files! |
| September 13-14 |
Workshop: Optimizing Color from Your Digital Press, Printing Industries of America headquarters in Sewickley, PA. Become or develop the "go to" person when it comes to troubleshooting color problems in your digital workflow. This brand new workshop was designed to supply you with a comprehensive look at what it takes to produce reliable, predictable, high-quality color on your digital press. It is a perfect blend of intense lab instruction and quality hands-on training, leaving you totally immersed in the subject of digital color and press optimization. Led by Julie Shaffer, Vice President of Digital Technologies, Printing Industries of America and David Zwang, Principal Consultant, Zwang & Company. Cost is $595 for members/$1095 for non-members. More info and register at http://www.printing.org/node/5960. |
| September 14-15 |
Government Affairs Event: Printing Industries of America Legislative Conference, Washington, D.C. This event serves to advocate public policy on behalf of individual companies, and helps build industry relationships with federal lawmakers and key administration officials. Meet Senators, Representatives, and Capitol Hill staff face-to-face! Attendance is FREE for members. Learn more and register at http://www.printing.org/printsvoice |
| September 16 |
Special Event: MAGE Crab Feast, at Blob's Park Pavillion in Jessup, MD. Plan to 'Get Your Crab On' at the biggest MAGE event of the year. New location, new menu and new activities will make this a fun-filled occasion for your clients, co-workers, family and friends. Full details coming soon! |
October 14-16
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SAVE THE DATE! Plan now to attend the PGAMA/PIVA 2010 Executive Management Summit & Sales Symposium. With an unprecedented 16 speakers invited, you will get the latest information and new inspiration to lead your business to a successful future. More info to follow in your PGAMA print and email. |
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