Business Management Daily

Find 4 tax reasons to invest in munis

Small Business Tax Strategies — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 20:00:00 +0000

Beginning in 2013, there’s an extra tax incentive for investing in municipal bonds (munis). Strategy: Include more munis in your portfolio to sidestep the new 3.8% Medicare surtax.

Combat co-worker harassment with effective policy, prompt action

The HR Specialist: New York Employment Law — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 18:00:00 +0000

You can’t prevent all sexual harassment, but you can do plenty to avoid liability when it does happen, at least when the harasser is a co-worker. Start with a clear anti-harassment policy, and make sure everyone understands it.

Surviving ‘hell’ to become a Navy SEAL

Executive Leadership — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 17:00:00 +0000

Eric Greitens became a Navy SEAL by becoming a leader. He figured the best way to start Hell Week would be to pull together a team of seven and keep them together, using the chaos of night to their advantage ...

4 troubles endemic to the open office

Administrative Professional Today — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 15:00:00 +0000

Open offices are all the rage these days and while they have their advantages, they also cause employees plenty of stress and can make it hard to focus. Heidi Hanna, a fellow with the American Institute of Stress, offers solutions to four common open-office irritations.

Think odd employee might benefit from mental exam? Talk to a lawyer first

The HR Specialist: North Carolina Employment Law — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 14:00:00 +0000

Let’s face it: Some employees are a bit strange. Sometimes, their behavior may even be an indication of serious mental health problems. But before you rush to demand the employee get counseling or see a doctor, remember that the ADA prohibits such requests unless there is a clear business necessity for the exam.

Psychologists’ secrets to productivity

Administrative Professional Today — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 13:00:00 +0000

“If you plan to do an unrealistic number of tasks, you’ll end up dreading the day ahead,” psychologist Alice Boyes writes. How to beat procrastination and maximize productivity? Here's what the experts say.

Court: ADA class-actions generally won’t fly

The HR Specialist: Pennsylvania Employment Law — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 12:00:00 +0000

Because the ADA requires employees to show they are disabled based on individual restrictions, a class-action lawsuit against an employer isn’t appropriate in most cases.

More research needed: The tax credit is back

Small Business Tax Strategies — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 20:30:00 +0000

The American Taxpayer Relief Act (ATRA) revived the research credit, retroactive to 2012 and extended it through 2013.

Incorporation beats the misclassification conundrum

Payroll Legal Alert — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 19:30:00 +0000

The DOL will shortly survey workers on their understanding of their status and whether they know that independent contractors aren’t eligible for overtime, benefits, etc. A crackdown on employers that misclassify workers is probably not very far behind.

Can we legally give extra vacation time to certain workers; and must we pay for unused days?

BMD Editors — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 18:30:00 +0000

Q. Our company policy states that we give one week of paid vacation after one year of employment and two weeks of vacation after two years. But some employees when hired have been given two weeks of paid vacation right away. Is this legal and proper? Also, are we required to pay for unused vacation time upon termination or resignation?