April 2013 Newsletter

Welcome to the Four Point HR Newsletter

How Should I Handle An Employee Complaint?

As Managers, we hear of employee issues every day.  Understanding what is causing those issues to surface is always important.  Once we understand the issue, we can resolve it and refocus the team on the work at hand.  For example, if a particular part of an office is “too warm” or “too cold” most of the time, there is a simple solution, and you can easily get employees more comfortable, and then refocused on their tasks.

However, when an employee asks to talk with a manager “one on one”, or “in private”, or “offsite”, we have a very different set of circumstances.  There is probably a specific issue we need to listen to, and we must react appropriately.

Employees will weigh the decision to come forward and tell a manager about a serious problem, many, many times before they actually do it.  And, many of these same employees will have discussed their issue with other employees before they take this step.  The end result is that not just one employee is looking for a response, but many employees will be watching to see how you handle the issue once it is raised.  The bottom line is this:  how we react, and the subsequent steps we take, may well be the most important thing we do for that employee and the reputation of the department or company.

Employees need to know that they are being taken seriously—–particularly when they believe there is a serious problem.

Managers have a duty to listen to the issue, understand the facts, and find a solution that works for everyone.  If we do not, then there are many government agencies that are always willing to listen; particularly around the topics of wages, hours and working conditions, and specific issues like harassment and discrimination.

The first time an employee brings a problem to you, there are certain steps that you should take to ensure that the employee knows you truly want to listen and resolve their issue.

Real leaders should:

  • Actively listen to the employee and understand their problem.  This means that you provide a private office, make eye contact with the employee, and take notes about what they are saying.  (Managers should never answer an email, take a phone call, or respond to another individual, when they have an employee with a problem sitting in front of them.)
  • Encourage the employee to tell you the facts.  If you have not gathered data before the meeting, then start by asking:  who was involved, what happened, when did it happen, where did the issue occur, and how and why the issue developed.
  • Remember to stay focused on the employee and the Issue:  Encourage the employee to share all of the events leading up to the meeting.  (Do not attempt to rush the employee through the issue, or tell him or her, that you have another meeting.)
  • Ask the employee what they hope the resolution will be:  Many times employees simply want the aggravating behavior on the part of a co-worker to stop.  Or, if employees feel the issue has reached the level of harassment, or discrimination, they will be very specific about what they can do, and what they would like to see as a solution.

The most important thing a Manager can do is to gather the facts and reassure the employee that the issue will be reviewed and resolved appropriately.

Before the employee leaves your office, be sure to tell him or her what your next steps will be.  A simple statement where you communicate that you “will be following up with others and as soon as you can, you will be back in touch with the employee to share a resolution with them”, will reassure the employee that you took their issue seriously, and you will find a solution.

Ways To Save – Even With The Recent Tax Increases

Does it seem like your paycheck has gotten smaller?  It has – by about 2%.  So you may be wondering, how do I save with the decrease in net pay?  It may be tougher this year, but it is possible.  Here are some options:

  • Adjust your paycheck withholding.  Many people receive refunds each year when they file their tax returns, and while getting a refund might seem like a “bonus”, you’re actually giving the government an interest-free loan.  The goal should always be to come out even when filing your return, so why not consider adjusting your withholdings?  This will free up a more cash throughout the year.  There are several websites that can assist you with finding the proper withholding allowances.  You simply need to search online for withholding calculators or consult a tax professional.
  • Cut Coupons.  This may seem like a daunting task, but is actually easier than you think.  You no longer have to wait for the Sunday paper to arrive with coupons.  Many websites exist that allow you to search and print coupons online and most retailers will honor competitor coupons.  In addition, most major grocery chains will double coupon values.  Taking the time to print and use coupons can save you an average of 12% on grocery bills.
  • Take advantage of employer matching retirement funds.  Even if you can only contribute 2%-3% of your check, not taking advantage of the employer match means leaving money on the table.  Plus, contributing to your company’s retirement account means you’re lowering you taxable income!!
  • Check your auto and homeowners policies.  It’s good practice to review your policies annually.  Raising your deductible will lower your premium.  Also, take advantage of bundled packages. Most insurance companies give discounts for bundling your home, auto and life insurance.
  • Monitor your bank and credit cards.  Set up online alerts for you bank accounts which notifying you when your balance is getting low.  This can save you those pesky overdraft fees.  Also, consider contacting your credit card company and negotiate your annual fees.  Most credit card companies will work with you to keep your business.

Foot Safety

The National Safety Council data shows there are 180,000 foot-related workplace injuries. That’s 400 cases a day at an estimated $6,000 per incident. A Bureau of Labor Statistics study of foot injuries found 75 percent of the accidents occurred when workers were not in compliance.

Understand the rules.

To begin, understand the “big three” federal safety regulations for foot protection:

1. OSHA 1910.132 (d) – hazard assessment within your plant environment;

2. OSHA 1910.136 – occupational foot protection, general requirements; and

3. OSHA 1910.132 (f) a, iv, v – employee training and fitting for protective footwear compliance.

Understand the scope.

There are two major categories of work-related foot injuries. The first includes foot injuries from punctures, crushing, sprains and lacerations. The second includes those resulting from slips, trips and falls. Taken together, the two categories represent nearly 25 percent of all disabling injuries.

Conduct a facility analysis.

A complete facility analysis should be conducted before launching a comprehensive protective footwear program. A trained professional should conduct the analysis. We recommend you use a third party vendor to conduct the analysis. You can contact a footwear manufacturer representative or dedicated safety distributor, or both to conduct the analysis.  The trained professional should be invited to walk through the business and observe foot protection use. The trained professional should also be given information on the employer’s injury history to start their analysis. The third-party approach also removes bias and encourages dialogue from employees.

Engineer hazards away.

OSHA standards state occupational hazards should be eliminated at the source. Through observation of work place processes, the auditor will be able to recognize potential foot injury or slip hazards and plan for their elimination. If a hazard can be engineered out of the process, protection in that case becomes unnecessary.

Ask workers who know.

Walk through your business and talk to the workers who face the hazards every day. Discuss the types of hazards they face.

Pick the protection.

The safety distributor or manufacturer who performed the safety audit should detail the findings in a written report and offer a plan for improving the situation. The plan must recommend the proper levels of protection for each job.

Training is mandatory: Good training is better.

Certain elements of PPE training are mandatory, including how and when to wear, the limitations of, and how to put on and remove the equipment. You must also teach the proper care, maintenance, useful life and disposal of the PPE. After training, OSHA mandates that employees demonstrate that they “get it” and that employers file written records of persons trained, the type of training provided and dates when training occurred.

Claim Your Old Tax Refunds Regardless Of The Amount

The IRS has estimated that they have $917 million in refund tax returns for 2009 that have not been claimed.  Most of the refunds are over $500.  There is estimated to be 984,400 taxpayers that have filed an income tax return.

Some people may not file because they do not think they have enough income, even though they had taxes withheld from their wages.  The IRS gives you a three-year window to claim refunds with no penalty.  If you do not claim a refund within three years, the money becomes property of the US Treasury.  Some people stand to lose more than just the refund of taxes.  Low income to moderate income workers risk the loss of the Earned Income Tax Credit which is worth as much as $5,657.

To collect the funds you must file by April 15, 2013 and also have filed a 2010 and 2011 tax return.  If your do have a refund it will be applied to any IRS debts, offset child supports, and student loans.  You can receive additional tax help and forms by calling the IRS at 1-800-829-1040.

Health Insurance Exchanges – What Is The Latest

Until now, many States have focused on how to structure their exchanges.  The Affordable Car Act (ACA) calls for the creation of the exchanges for both individuals and small businesses (up to 100 employees) and States can either operate separate exchanges for the two markets or merge them.  States must decide whether to take full charge through the state-base exchange model, enter a partnership with the federal government, or opt for federally-facilitated exchange run by Health and Humana Services (HHS).  States in the partnership model may switch to a state-base exchange in the future.

As of December 2012, 17 States had applied to run their own exchanges.  They must contract with health plans (carriers), handle consumer outreach and assistance, and determine eligibility for public programs and premium subsidies.  With so few States opting to pursue state-base exchanges, the federal government now faces formidable work running or helping run exchanges in large majority of States.

As of December 2012, seven States had applied or declared their intent to apply for the state-federal partnership model.  The main functions States may choose to perform under the partnership model relate to managing and monitoring qualified health plans and conducting consumer outreach and assistance; the feral government will handle tasks associated with assessing eligibility for Medicaid and premium subsidies.  The deadline for States to apply for the partnership model has already pasted (February 15, 2013).

As of December 2012, more than 20 States had declared their intent to participate in the federally-facilitated exchange.  A handful of States are still undecided and if they do not apply for partnership model, they will default to the feral exchange.

All exchanges have the same requirements and functionality regardless of their structure, but state-based exchanges are more likely to reflect local environments.  States that create exchanges need to work through such issues as setting standards for the qualified health plans in the exchanges.  They may adopt very different models ranging from a “clearinghouse” that simply certifies minim standards for participates and welcomes all interested participants to an “active purchaser” that negotiates with plans on enrollees behalf.  Some States, such as California, view the exchange as an opportunity to drive low-cost, high-quality care and are setting rules to influence market behavior (other States many not share this view point).  By contrast, the federally-facilitated exchange will adopt a clearinghouse approach.