February Issue of Team Player                                                            2010

As I prepare this month's newsletter, I see, well snow, and a lot of it.  I don't mean the figurative kind; I mean the white, fluffy, and really cold stuff.  There is so much snow that schools are closed for who knows how long and the federal government has shut down.  Not to mention an enormous amount of discussion on chat rooms and the like on the next storm, and whether your street has been plowed.  
 
Business has come to a halt, or at least a slow pace, as decisions to have or not to have meetings are pondered, rescheduled, and then re-re-rescheduled.  You think we have it bad today?  The Washington Post says that the current storm is certainly one for the record books.  Of course, they did have the total snow accumulations of storms past.  The storm of January 28, 1772, which both Washington and Jefferson measured at 36 inches is the unofficial record (official records started after the Civil War).  The 1772 storm apparently caused such havoc that it prevented travel for two weeks, and halted the Postal Service for five weeks.  Yes, five weeks.  It certainly makes you re-think the phrase "check is in the mail".  Of course, they didn't have phones, electricity, snow plows, and snow blowers; not to mention on demand TV, Facebook, and Twitter.
 
Just remember, spring is next month!



Workplace Health Insurance vs. Medicare

 Sometimes a person who works after age 65 decides to stay with their company's health insurance plan for a year or two instead of applying for Medicare.

Financial advisors say this is not a good idea. Applying even one year after age 65 will increase the cost of Medicare for the rest of their lives, and they may be without Medicare coverage from the month they leave work until the beginning or middle of the following year.

 

The initial enrollment period for Medicare begins three months before the 65th birthday and ends three months after the 65th birthday for Part A (hospital insurance), Part B (medical insurance) and Part D (prescription-drug plan).

 

Those who receive Social Security are automatically enrolled in Part A and Part B unless they decline coverage.

Fortunately, for Lynette and the company, the two parties were able to work out something that didn't involve a court.  It involved a conversation among the parties to come to something that on the surface appears to be fair, and takes into account the needs of everyone.


How to Shovel Snow Safely and Efficiently

A heavy snow is beautiful to see as it coats the trees and the ground. Snow on the sidewalk and driveway makes you think twice about its beauty. Here's how to handle it.

 

Get ready: Don't eat a big meal, smoke or drink coffee or liquor before you go out. Drink water to prevent dehydration. Do some stretches to warm up your muscles.

 

Dress in layers: You'll be able to remove a layer if you start to sweat.

 

Have two snow shovels: Use a regular snow shovel for pushing snow and one with a smaller blade to pick up packed snow. One big shovel of wet snow can weigh as much as 25 pounds.

 

Don't wait until it's over: If a big snow is forecast, take your regular snow shovel and push it off your sidewalk whenever a couple of inches collect.

 

Get a grip: Hold your hands at least 12 inches apart on the shovel handle to increase leverage and reduce strain on your body.

 

Watch your back: The Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons says if you must lift snow, squat with your legs apart, knees bent and back straight. Do not bend at the waist.

 

Walk away: Scoop small amounts of snow and walk to where you want to put it. Hold the shovel of snow close to your body and don't twist when you dump it.

 

Pace yourself: Take frequent breaks and gently stretch your back and legs. It helps to have two people shoveling a big snow so each one can rest.

 

Should you be shoveling at all? Anyone who has had a heart attack or who has heart problems shouldn't shovel without a doctor's permission.

 

What about a snow blower? Used correctly, it puts much less strain on your back and your heart.  Of course, you could "Wovel" instead. The Wovel has a 3-foot high wheel. Push the device like a baby buggy, and it will clear the snow off your driveway or walk. It costs $120 at wovel.com.



EEOC Posts New Data on the Workforce

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has posted extensive new data on job patterns in the private sector, as part of the Obama Administration's Open Government Initiative.  

 

The EEOC posted 11 new aggregate data sets from the most recent edition of its report Job Patterns for Minorities and Women in Private Industry, commonly known as the EEO-1 survey, on www.Data.gov. The EEO-1 raw data extracts for 2008 may be downloaded.

 

The EEOC also posted the data on a new Open Government page, which it launched this month.  That page, on the EEOC's web site at, offers a one-stop location for EEOC statistics and other performance-related materials, and will soon also provide tools for the public to interact with the EEOC about information the agency provides and work it does.  The page will eventually carry the agency's comprehensive Open Government Plan.


The most recent data sets contain comprehensive labor force profiles of race, gender and ethnicity divided by various job categories. According to the 2008 EEO-1 survey and historical data:


  • Of the approximately 62 million private sector employees nationwide covered by the 2008 survey, about 30 million (48%) were women and 21 million (34%) were minorities;
  • The rate of minority employment tripled between 1966 and 2008 from 11% to 34%;
  • Among the four minority groups continuously measured, the employment rate for Black or African Americans increased steadily from 8% in 1966 to 14% in 2008; 
  • Hispanics or Latinos had the fastest growth rate in the private sector, increasing from 2.5% to over 13% between 1966 and 2008.
  • Women's overall participation rate in the private sector jumped from 31% to 48% between 1966 and 2008.  

In addition to information on race, gender, ethnicity and job categories, the EEO-1 survey also includes data on the size, location and industry of employer establishments.  Employers with 100 or more employees must file the annual survey, as well as employers with federal government contracts of $50,000 or more and 50 or more employees. 

 

The EEOC enforces federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination.  Further information about the EEOC is available on its website.



Building a Great Team: HR and The Entrepeneur

The Entrepreneurial Opportunity Center at the Merrick School of Business will present "Building a Great Team: HR and the Entrepreneur," a panel discussion with some of the area's most successful entrepreneurs, on Thursday, Feb. 18, at 5:30 p.m. in the University of Baltimore's M. Scot Kaufman Auditorium, located in the atrium of the William H. Thumel Sr. Business Center, 11 W. Mt. Royal Ave. (Registration and attendance details below.) 
  
The modern entrepreneur can't be a "solo act," and those first few hires can be crucial to later success. "Building a Great Team" will offer practical advice from leaders of outstanding organizations; attendees will benefit from a lively discussion on how to develop a team that can prompt exponential growth and exceed customers' expectations.

 

A panel discussion moderated by:

Eileen Levitt, President, The HR Team - A JPB Enterprises Company
 
Panelists:

Mark R. Rohde Sr., President & CEO, Davis Calibration
Thomas E. Stout, Chairman & CEO, SC&H Group, LLC

Dawn Motovidlak, President & CEO, Business Health Services

 

Tickets for this event are $20 for the general public, $10 for UB alumni, faculty and staff, and $5 for students. Registration and business attire are required. To register for this event, click here. Call 410.837.4973 for more information.



 

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