Falls News
 

As many of you know, my family was fortunate enough to adopt a 4 year old dog from Animal Control earlier this year. Having a dog has been a blessing and challenge, something that we weren't entirely prepared for at first.

 

A month after our lovely shih tzu became part of our family, I saw her running through the house with a box in her mouth, and she was eating something from the box that looked like candy. As you may recall from our Oct/Nov 2009 newsletter, we had a bit of a mice problem a while back. As a result, we purchased a number of items, including rat poison. The rat poison had done its trick and had been disposed of, or so we thought.

 

Are you catching on to my story?

 

Upon this discovery, I called my vet. The vet referred me to animal poison control and to follow up with her once they provided me instructions. Poison control instructed me that rat poison doesn't kill immediately, and that I had 3 days to provide some kind of antidote. However, since it was caught early, I had some other options. Poison control then instructed me on how to vacate the poison, and call back once complete. I followed their advice and it seemed to work. I was then told that the dog should be fine as the poison seems to be out of her system, and to follow up with the vet in a few days.

 

Fortunately, I called the veterinarian right away and took the dog in promptly for an appointment. The vet stated that it seemed as though all the poison had vacated the dog's system. However, she took a blood sample to be sure.   The sample would take a bit to analyze. Therefore, I had a choice. I could start the dog on an additional antidote (vitamin K) immediately or wait until the blood work came in to be sure that she needed the vitamin K. When I asked the vet what the side effects of the vitamin were, she told me none in the short time period it was administered. I didn't seem to understand the choice, the vet said "cost". It costs more to give her the preventive vitamin dose.

 

As it turned out, some of the poison had entered the bloodstream of the dog and acting promptly was not only necessary, but lifesaving. I also learned that rat poison does take 3 days to kill a dog. However, the longer rat poison is in the system, the more severe the treatment needs to be and thus an even more costly endeavor.

 

HR is a lot like that, isn't it?

 

An ounce of prevention - In hindsight, prior to the dog's arrival, we could have searched the house for any perils or paid a professional to search for us, much like you do before a child is born. In HR, the preparation work can be an HR audit or a job interview.

 

More preventive medicine- Once the mishap was discovered, it was dealt with quickly. In HR, this would be corrective measures such as updating your 5 (or even 10) year old employee handbook or engaging your performance management process.

 

It will cost you - The preventive vitamin K cost less than $50. I could have waited a few days and saved some money. However, a few days delay would have run into the thousands and potentially killed the dog.   In HR, when we delay our people issues, we run the risk of costly litigation, damage to our reputation, loss of customers, loss of valuable employees and in some cases bankruptcy.

 

Contact The HR Team to discuss how you can prevent costly risks at your company. 



New Retirement Plan Limits


The Internal Revenue Service announced cost of living adjustments affecting dollar limitations for pension plans and other retirement-related items for Tax Year 2012.  In general, many of the pension plan limitations will change for 2012 because the increase in the cost-of-living index met the statutory thresholds that trigger their adjustment.  However, other limitations will remain unchanged. 

 

Highlights include:

  • The elective deferral (contribution) limit for employees who participate in 401(k), 403(b), most 457 plans, and the federal government's Thrift Savings Plan is increased from $16,500 to $17,000.
  • The limitation under Section 408(p)(2)(E) regarding SIMPLE retirement accounts remains unchanged at $11,500.
  • The limitation under Section 402(g)(1) on the exclusion for elective deferrals described in Section 402(g)(3) is increased from $16,500 to $17,000.
  • The annual compensation limit under Sections 401(a)(17), 404(l), 408(k)(3)(C), and 408(k)(6)(D)(ii) is increased from $245,000 to $250,000.
  • The dollar limitation under Section 416(i)(1)(A)(i) concerning the definition of key employee in a top-heavy plan is increased from $160,000 to $165,000.
  • The limitation used in the definition of highly compensated employee under Section 414(q)(1)(B) is increased from $110,000 to $115,000.
  • The dollar limitation under Section 414(v)(2)(B)(i) for catch-up contributions to an applicable employer plan other than a plan described in Section 401(k)(11) or Section 408(p) for individuals aged 50 or over remains unchanged at $5,500.  The dollar limitation under Section 414(v)(2)(B)(ii) for catch-up contributions to an applicable employer plan described in Section 401(k)(11) or Section 408(p) for individuals aged 50 or over remains unchanged at $2,500.

More details can be found on the IRS website.



NLRB Postpones Deadline for New Posting to January 31, 2012. 

The National Labor Relations Board ("NLRB") has postponed the implementation date for its new notice-posting rule by more than two months in order to allow for enhanced education and outreach to employers, particularly those who operate small and medium sized businesses. 


The new effective date of the rule is Jan. 31, 2012.  

The decision to extend the rollout period followed queries from businesses and trade organizations indicating uncertainty about which businesses fall under the Board's jurisdiction, and was made in the interest of ensuring broad voluntary compliance. No other changes in the rule, or in the form or content of the notice, will be made.

 

Most private sector employers will be required to post the 11-by-17-inch notice, which is available at no cost from the NLRB through its website, either by downloading and printing or ordering a print by mail.

 

For further information about jurisdiction and posting requirements, visit NLRB's Frequently Asked Questions site which will be updated frequently as new questions arise or contact us at The HR Team. 



Stores Move to QR Codes, but People Don't Know Why, or What They Are.


Those square, futuristic-looking matrixes are popping up everywhere. They look like abstract art, but they have a much more serious role to play.

 

You may also see them in newspaper and magazine ads, on product displays, price tags and For Sale signs in front of homes.

They are quick response codes, QRs for short. They can be scanned with your smartphone or tablet computer. When you scan it, you get certain information. For example, scan a QR on your plane ticket, and you'll find out if the plane is on time.

The QRs are one of the new tools retailers and companies are using to connect customers. The industry's leading code maker says they now making 2 million a month, which is about double their production last year.

Advertisers love them because they're cheap, easy to deploy and can be placed anywhere from a print ad to a price tag or to a billboard.

Macy's has QRs displayed throughout its store, along with signs giving step-by-step instructions on how they're used. More retail companies are moving to QRs every day.

At Home Depot, customers get immediate access to videos telling them how to use the product they are purchasing. Miller Beer put a QR on Lite Beer cans for a special promotion.

According to USA Today, by the end of 2012, half of all Americans will own a smartphone. But a study by Forrester Research shows that, right now, only 5 percent of all smartphone users have ever scanned a QR.

You can even create your own QR on the Web. Many websites offer the service. Search for 'create QR' on any search engine. 


Why Do We Say Stuff Like That?

According to phrases.org.uk, most common expressions arose from common circumstances that are sometimes no longer common.

"Here comes the bigwig." The Bourbon kings of France and in particular Louis XIII (1601 - 1643) were prematurely bald. It was Louis who started wearing wigs and as the king does, so his courtiers. As the custom went on, wigs became larger and larger until they sometimes required a scaffold to erect on the head of the victim. Some wigs housed birds. Eventually, the fashion became so extreme that it became unfashionable. But in England, British barristers still wear wigs, making the phrase both ancient and contemporary.

"Go to pot." One of the earliest references was from 1682 when a writer said a man who was hanged went to pot. The idea being that it was a one-way trip for a chicken or another animal bound for the cooking pot.

"Mind your Ps and Qs." At taverns, people drank from pint or quart containers. The bar maid's job was to remember who was drinking what. She minded her Ps and Qs.

"Gossip." Early politicians had no radios or TVs to tell them what people thought. They sent their assistants to taverns where they were told to "go sip some ale" and listen to conversations. Eventually, the words "go and sip" morphed into gossip.

"Not playing with a full deck." In those days, there was a tax on decks of playing cards that included the ace of spades. To avoid the tax, people would buy only 51 cards. They were thought to be dumb because they weren't "playing with a full deck."

OFCCP Settles Discrimination Case with Repeat Offender Tyson Foods Inc.

Tyson Fresh Meats Inc., a subsidiary of Tyson Foods Inc., has entered into two consent decrees to settle allegations of sex discrimination. As result, 1,650 qualified female job applicants who were rejected for employment at facilities in Joslin, Illinois; West Point, Nebraska; and Waterloo and Denison, Iowa will share $2.25 million in back wages, interest and benefits. Tyson, one of the world's largest processors of beef and pork.

During scheduled compliance reviews of the four facilities, OFCCP determined that Tyson Fresh Meats had violated Executive Order 11246, which prohibits federal contractors from discriminating on the basis of sex. Under the terms of the decrees, the $2.25 million settlement will be divided among the rejected female job applicants. Tyson also has agreed to offer jobs to at least 220 of the affected women as positions become available in Joslin, Waterloo and Denison. The West Point plant closed in 2006. Finally, Tyson will undertake extensive self-monitoring and corrective measures to ensure that its employment practices fully comply with the law.

 

These consent decrees resolve the latest lawsuits in a string of cases brought by OFCCP against subsidiaries of Tyson Foods Inc. In 2008, a Labor Department administrative law judge found that TNT Crust in Green Bay, Wisconsin, systematically had discriminated against Latino applicants in its entry-level position hiring. Last year, OFCCP settled a case against Tyson Refrigerated Processed Meats after finding evidence that the company had discriminated against 157 African-American and 375 Caucasian job applicants at the company's bacon processing plant in Vernon, Texas.

 

Tyson Foods Inc. is a major supplier for the U.S. Departments of Defense and Agriculture, and is one of the largest employers in Joslin, Waterloo and Denison. These consent decrees resolve the latest lawsuits in a string of cases brought by OFCCP against subsidiaries of Tyson Foods Inc., for violation of the fair and reasonable standard that they not discriminate in employment on the basis of sex, race, color, religion, national origin, disability or status as a protected veteran.


 For more information, read the Labor Department's news release about this case.






 

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