HIRE Act Fact: No Employer Social Security Tax
The Hiring Incentives to Restore Employment (HIRE) Act signed into law on March 18 creates a limited social security "holiday" for the employer share of social security tax on wages paid to a new hire that was previously unemployed. The employer share of social security tax is 6.2% of covered wages up to $106,800 on wages paid by a "qualified employer" to a "qualified individual" from March 19 through December 31, 2010. The employee share must still be withheld, no Medicare exemption. A "qualified individual" is any individual who:
- Begins employement with a qualified employer after February 3, 2010 and before January 1, 2011
- Is certified in a signed affadavit that the individual has not been employed for more than 40 hours during the 60-day period ending the day they begin work for the qualified employer
- Is not employed by the qualified employer to replace another employee unless the employee left employment voluntarily or was terminated for just cause
- Is not related to the qualified employer or to anyone owning 50% or more of the stock or other capital of the employer
Hands-free Device Alert
On October 1, 2010 a new law will go into effect in Maryland making it unlawful for drivers to use their hands to use a cell phone other than to initiate or terminate a call, or to turn the phone on or off while the vehicle is in motion. The law disallows any use of cell phones by school bus drivers or drivers with a learner's permit or provisional license while operating a moter vehicle. The easiest, but not required, way for drivers to talk on a cell phone while the vehicle is in motion is to employ the use of hands-free technology. This new law adds to a law enacted last year which banned writing, reading, or sending text messages while driving.
Changes Looming for the 1099
Beginning in 2012, virtually every payment to a supplier must be reported on a Form 1099 even if the supplier is a corporation. The change is a provision of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA). For printing companies, the change means they will be required to add up all the payments made to paper merchants, ink manufacturers, binderies, etc., and send them 1099s in January 2013. Another provision of the PPACA is the requirement to report the value (premium paid) for employees' health benefits in 2011 on their W-2s beginning in January, 2012.
College Graduates Need Not Apply?
The U.S. Department of Labor finds that 62 percent of all U.S. jobs now require two-year or four-year degrees and higher, or special postsecondary occupation certificates or apprenticeships. By 2020 we can expect that these talent requirements will increase to include 75 percent of U.S. jobs. But some businesses, including Zappos.com, are trying a new approach to filling the "talent gap," by forgetting years of experience minimums, and dropping formal education requirements. This talent 'pipeline' process allows organizations to concentrate their external hiring on entry level positions, and through on the job experience and training, continue to develop future management and leadership talent. These successful organizations do not set artificially high barriers to entry. So before you write up your next position description, ask yourself, does that job REALLY require a college degree? Or will 7-10 years of progressively more responsibility in the specific market and industry work just as well?
Excerpted from "Does that job really require a college degree" by Steve Boese, first published on SmartBrief.com
See what Caliper staffing has to say about Hiring Talent at the Executive Management Summit & Sales Symposium coming in October. The first brochures were mailed last month--look for the full conference agenda in upcoming mailings!
Rudeness is Counterproductive
With money tight these days, companies are more concerned than ever about getting as much productivity as possible from employees. So consider this tactic: eliminate rudeness in the workplace. Rude behavior causes mistakes, hurts cognitive skills and team building, and makes employees less productive, according to an article in the British Medical Journal; and the impact is negative whether it's a manager being rude to a subordinate, colleagues being rude to one another or someone simply watching co-workers being rude to one another. Another study, organized by a professor at the University of Florida, showed that people exposed to discourteous behavior can hurt employees' ability to think creatively, solve problems and work together as a team.
The best way for a company to prevent these difficulties, says Kennedy, is to make sure courteous behavior is modeled from the top down. Leaders should also be aware of how employees throughout the company behave. Of course, creating a corporate culture where employees are overly polite and never offer criticism won't increase productivity either, but a happy medium can be reached by making sure employees and managers are only stern when necessary.
Excerpted from "How Rude" by Jared Shelly, first published on Human Resource Executive Online
Membership Anniversaries
Congratulations to the following companies marking major anniversaries as Association members:
35 Years
H&N Printing & Graphics, Inc.
30 Years
Winterhawk Graphics, Inc.
25 Years
Gamse Lithographing Company, Inc.
15 Years
Crystal Cote, Inc.
Member News
Kudos to Printing Specialist on being named a Best of Category winner in the GPA Printed Sample contest.
In Memoriam: Earl David Earling, Junior
It is with deep sadness that we announce the death of Earl David Earling, Jr. on August 4, 2010. Earl had been fighting a battle with cancer for almost three years and was able to pass peacefully at his home as was his wish. He will be missed by his many friends at K&W finishing, inc, where he was a Sales Manager; and by others throughout the industry for which he was a passionate spokesperson.
Viewing will be held today, Thursday 08/05, and Friday 08/06 from 3:00â5:00PM and 7:00â9:00PM at Lassahn Funeral Home, 7401 Belair Road in Baltimore. Services are Saturday 08/07 at 10:00 AM at Zion Church, 7146 Golden Ring Road. Interment immediately afterwards at Parkwood Cemetery, 3310 Taylor Avenue in Baltimore.
Upcoming
Events
| August 16 |
Early Bird Registration Deadline for MAGE Crab Feast-Sign up and pay by this date and member tickets are $55/person or $535 for a table. Early Bird Registrants also receive a FREE "Get Your Crab On" T-shirt! Call PGAMA to save your seat, 410-319-0900.
Sponsorship opportunities for the Crab Feast still available! Contact Debbie Woolbright at the PGAMA office for details, 410-319-0900.
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| August 24 |
Special Event: Xerox Workflow Solutions Workshop, 9:30am-3:00pm at the D.C. Xerox office, 1301 K Street NW, Washington DC, 20005 office. In this Interactive Knowledge Sharing Workshop, you'll learn how to: automate your pre-press activities; streamline your workflow; use a web storefront to increase revenue and customer retention; implement a marketing program to build your business and more. See a number of different solutions all geared at increasing productivity in one location, including the latest Xerox product line of production black and white and color digital presses. Learn more and register here.
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| September 1 |
Early Bird Registration Deadline for Executive Management Summit & Sales Symposium
Register by September 1 for the PGAMA/PIVA 2010 Executive Management Summit, and save $100! Introductory brochure for this event was mailed to members this week. Full brochure with full conference agenda coming soon. Get more info about the Summit and register at www.pgama.com/2010summit.com
Sponsorship opportunities for the Summit still available! Contact Carol Atwood at the PGAMA office for details, 410-319-0900. |
| 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, 4:30-8:30pm at Blob's Park Pavilion 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. Tickets are $60.00 per person for members/$575.00 per table of 10. Non-member cost is $75/per person. Kids 12 and under are $20.
EARLY BIRD SPECIAL-Make your reservations and pay by August 16 and member ticket prices drop to $55/person or $535 for a table of 10. PLUS Early Bird Registrants receive a FREE "Get Your Crab On" Tshirt! Deadline for regular reservations: 9/9/10. Call PGAMA to save your seat, 410-319-0900.
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October 14-16
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Special Event: PGAMA/PIVA 2010 Executive Management Summit & Sales Symposium, at the Gaylord National Hotel just over the Woodrow Wilson Bridge near Washington, D.C. Get the latest information and new inspiration to lead your business to a successful future. Customize your conference experience and pick from an unprecedented 16 different presentations to attend, including an entire series of workshops geared just for printing sales professionals. More info and register at www.pgama.com/2010summit. |
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