Top 5 Business Tips for Developing an Employee Handbook

With the economy still sputtering, your business needs to take advantage of the resources available to them. SCORE (http://www.score.org) offers useful, free resources, business counseling and business tools to small businesses.

One of SCORE’s great resources is its lists of “Top 5 Business Tips.” My pick for this week is SCORE’s 5 Tips for Developing an Employee Handbook- check it out at: http://www.score.org/5_tips_leg_6.html.

We recommend you perform a year-end strategic business review (and update your planning).  For our strategic business planning checklist part 1 & part 2:

http://www.jdsupra.com/post/documentViewer.aspx?fid=55397007-ca6e-4941-a509-88db4be93030

http://www.jdsupra.com/post/documentViewer.aspx?fid=d6ecf8e0-b07c-4a66-9e2a-3db1f2236c55

SCORE is a partner with the Small Business Administration (SBA) and is a national association dedicated to helping small business owners form and grow their businesses. SCORE offers terrific free resources, business counseling and business tools for small businesses.

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For information on how the business lawyers at Griffith & Jacobson, LLC can help your business grow, contact Arieh M. Flemenbaum at 312-236-8110 or by email at Contact Us (http://www.gjlaw.com/contact). Or visit us at our website: http://www.gjlaw.com

Griffith & Jacobson, LLC – We know business – Chicago’s Business Lawyers.

 

Top 5 Business Tips for Employers to Implement

With the economy still sputtering, your business needs to take advantage of the resources available to them. SCORE (http://www.score.org) offers useful, free resources, business counseling and business tools to small businesses.

One of SCORE’s great resources is its lists of “Top 5 Business Tips.” My pick for this week is SCORE’s 5 Tips for  Employers to Implement- check it out at: http://www.score.org/5_tips_leg_2.html.

We recommend you perform a year-end strategic business review (and update your planning).  For our strategic business planning checklist part 1 & part 2:

http://www.jdsupra.com/post/documentViewer.aspx?fid=55397007-ca6e-4941-a509-88db4be93030

http://www.jdsupra.com/post/documentViewer.aspx?fid=d6ecf8e0-b07c-4a66-9e2a-3db1f2236c55

SCORE is a partner with the Small Business Administration (SBA) and is a national association dedicated to helping small business owners form and grow their businesses. SCORE offers terrific free resources, business counseling and business tools for small businesses.

____________________________________________________________

For information on how the business lawyers at Griffith & Jacobson, LLC can help your business grow, contact Arieh M. Flemenbaum at 312-236-8110 or by email at Contact Us (http://www.gjlaw.com/contact). Or visit us at our website: http://www.gjlaw.com

Griffith & Jacobson, LLC – We know business – Chicago’s Business Lawyers.

 

Year-End Business Check-Up No. 6:

To help you complete a check-up and strategic year-end planning for your business, we will publish helpful tips and ideas through the end of the year. This tip is part of our ongoing series.

Business Check-up No. 6:

Review your independent contractor relationships. The Internal Revenue Service and many States (i.e., their Department of Revenue and/or Department of Labor) are auditing business/corporate tax filings and reports concerning their use of independent contractors. In cases where the IRS and/or the State tax agents reclassify "independent contractors" as employees, the business is not only required to withhold/pay the required tax payments (i.e., FICA, FUTA, etc.), they are usually also assessed significant penalties for failing to file and pay the required employment taxes.  So review your situation with a business lawyer and avoid a potentially costly reclassification of your independent contractors!

Check for updates every week day through December 31st.

Happy Holidays from Griffith & Jacobson, LLC!

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For information on how the business lawyers at Griffith & Jacobson, LLC can help your business grow, contact Arieh M. Flemenbaum at 312-236-8110 or by email at Contact Us (http://www.gjlaw.com/contact).

Griffith & Jacobson, LLC – We know business – Chicago’s Business Lawyers.

 

Year-End Business Check-Up Tip No. 5

To help you complete a check-up and strategic year-end planning for your business, we will publish helpful tips and ideas through the end of the year. This tip is part of our ongoing series.

Business Check-up No. 5:

Review employee duties & lines of authority. Train employees on marketing & cross-selling your products and services.

Check for updates every week day through December 31st.

Happy Holidays from Griffith & Jacobson, LLC!

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For information on how the business lawyers at Griffith & Jacobson, LLC can help your business grow, contact Arieh M. Flemenbaum at 312-236-8110 or by email at Contact Us (http://www.gjlaw.com/contact).

Griffith & Jacobson, LLC – We know business – Chicago’s Business Lawyers.

 

Year-End Business Check-Up Tip No. 4

To help you complete a check-up and strategic year-end planning for your business, we will publish helpful tips and ideas through the end of the year. This tip is part of our ongoing series.

Business Check-up No. 4:

Be sure your employee files are in compliance with state laws. Ensure your employee posters/notices are up to date.

Check for updates every week day through December 31st.

Happy Holidays from Griffith & Jacobson, LLC!

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For information on how the business lawyers at Griffith & Jacobson, LLC can help your business grow, contact Arieh M. Flemenbaum at 312-236-8110 or by email at Contact Us (http://www.gjlaw.com/contact).

Griffith & Jacobson, LLC – We know business – Chicago’s Business Lawyers.

 

Year-End Business Check-Up Tip No. 3

To help you complete a check-up and strategic year-end planning for your business, we will publish helpful tips and ideas through the end of the year. This tip is part of our ongoing series.

Business Check-up No. 3:

Review employment policies & procedures. Update them to cover mobile and social media usage & data protection.

Check for updates every week day through December 31st.

Happy Holidays from Griffith & Jacobson, LLC!

______________________________________________________________

For information on how the business lawyers at Griffith & Jacobson, LLC can help your business grow, contact Arieh M. Flemenbaum at 312-236-8110 or by email at Contact Us (http://www.gjlaw.com/contact).

Griffith & Jacobson, LLC – We know business – Chicago’s Business Lawyers.

 

There is Still Time for Your Business to Take Advantage of the HIRE Act!

There is still time for your business to take advantage of the tax credits available for hiring unemployed workers.  The tax credits are available in 2010 as part of the Hiring Incentives to Restore Employment (HIRE) Act.

There are 2  tax benefits are now available to employers hiring workers who were previously unemployed or only working part-time:

1. Employers who hire unemployed workers this year (by 12/31/10) may qualify for a 6.2-percent payroll tax incentive. This hiring incentive effectively exempts the employers from their share of Social Security taxes on wages paid to the hired employees for 2010. Employers would still need to withhold the employee’s 6.2-percent share of Social Security taxes, as well as employer and employee’s shares of Medicare taxes and withholding for income taxes.


2. In addition, for each worker retained for at least a year, businesses can claim an extra general business tax credit, up to $1,000 per employee, when the company files its 2011 income tax returns.

See the following IRS article for more guidance: http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=220326,00.html

IRS delays reporting requirements for Group Health Care Coverage for Businesses

Under the recently passed Affordable Care Act of 2010, businesses should have started reporting group health care coverage in 2011. The Act requires businesses to report the value of employer-sponsored health coverage, by indicating the cost of the health insurance coverage they provide employees on each employee's annual Form W-2.  However, IRS has decided to delay such reporting requirements.

The IRS determined that interim relief was needed to to provide employers the time they need to make changes to their payroll systems or procedures in preparation for compliance with this requirement. So, the IRS will defer the reporting requirement for 2011, making that reporting by employers optional in 2011. The interim relief from the IRS does not require companies to file the reports until 2012.

See IRS guidance: http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-drop/n-2010-69.pdf http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=220809,00.html

Top 5 Business Tips – How to Protect Yourself from Employee Lawsuits

With the economy still sputtering, your business needs to take advantage of the resources available to them. SCORE (http://www.score.org) offers useful, free resources, business counseling and business tools to small businesses.

One of SCORE’s great resources is its lists of “Top 5 Business Tips.” My pick for this week is SCORE’s 5 Tips on How to Protect Yourself from Employee Lawsuits - check it out at:  http://www.score.org/5_tips_leg_7.html.

SCORE is a partner with the Small Business Administration (SBA) and is a national association dedicated to helping small business owners form and grow their businesses. SCORE offers terrific free resources, business counseling and business tools for small businesses.

____________________________________________________________

For information on how the business lawyers at Griffith & Jacobson, LLC can help your business grow, contact Arieh M. Flemenbaum at 312-236-8110 or by email at Contact Us (http://www.gjlaw.com/contact).

Griffith & Jacobson, LLC – We know business – Chicago’s Business Lawyers.

Top 5 Business Tips – Developing an Employee Handbook

With the economy still sputtering, your business needs to take advantage of the resources available to them. SCORE (http://www.score.org) offers useful, free resources, business counseling and business tools to small businesses.

One of SCORE’s great resources is its lists of “Top 5 Business Tips.” My pick for this week is SCORE’s 5 Tips on Developing an Employee Handbook - check it out at: http://www.score.org/5_tips_leg_6.html.

I stress the second step - after you have outlined your employee handbook and/or policies, consult your business lawyer and have them review it to ensure that you do not modify the "at-will" nature of your employment (in Illinois).

SCORE is a partner with the Small Business Administration (SBA) and is a national association dedicated to helping small business owners form and grow their businesses. SCORE offers terrific free resources, business counseling and business tools for small businesses.

____________________________________________________________

For information on how the business lawyers at Griffith & Jacobson, LLC can help your business grow, contact Arieh M. Flemenbaum at 312-236-8110 or by email at Contact Us (http://www.gjlaw.com/contact).

Griffith & Jacobson, LLC – We know business – Chicago’s Business Lawyers.

Top 5 Business Tips for Employers to Implement

With the economy still sputtering, your business needs to take advantage of the resources available to them. SCORE (http://www.score.org) offers useful, free resources, business counseling and business tools to small businesses.

One of SCORE’s great resources is its lists of “Top 5 Business Tips.” My pick for this week is SCORE’s 5 Tips for Employers to Implement- check it out at: http://www.score.org/5_tips_leg_2.html.

SCORE is a partner with the Small Business Administration (SBA) and is a national association dedicated to helping small business owners form and grow their businesses. SCORE offers terrific free resources, business counseling and business tools for small businesses.

____________________________________________________________

For information on how the business lawyers at Griffith & Jacobson, LLC can help your business grow, contact Arieh M. Flemenbaum at 312-236-8110 or by email at Contact Us (http://www.gjlaw.com/contact).

Griffith & Jacobson, LLC – We know business – Chicago’s Business Lawyers.

A shift in enforcement policy in dealing with illegal workers

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has shifted its enforcement policy in dealing with illegal workers. In its recent enforcement guidance that was distributed to the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency, the DHS has made a notable shift in its recent worksite enforcement policies. The DHS has directed an immediate shift in ICE's resources to criminal prosecution of employers who hire illegal workers in an effort to root out illegal immigration. As part of this shift in policy, ICE is to specifically target employers who cultivate illegal workplaces by breaking the law and knowingly hire illegal workers. Unfortunately, the new guidance does not address how ICE is to determine how an employer "knowingly" hire illegal workers.

To review the DHS mandate go to: http://tinyurl.com/dgfp4u

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For information on how the shift in policy may effect your business, contact Arieh M. Flemenbaum at Griffith & Jacobson, LLC.

EEOC Issues New Employer Best Practices for Dealing with Caregivers

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EEOC issued new best practices for employers of workers with care giving responsibilities (and help businesses reduce the possibility of being found to discriminate against workers with care giving responsibilities).

With a dramatic increase in the number of workers who have the additional responsibility of being the primary caregiver for their children, aging parents and/or relatives with a disability, the EEOC felt it was necessary to provide some guidance to employers to encourage the adoption of more flexible workplace policies that help employees achieve a satisfactory work-life balance.

The EEOC's best practices supplement the guidance issued by the EEOC in 2007 and provides specific suggestions for best practices that employers may adopt to reduce the chance of a violation of the various federal Equal Employment Opportunity laws and regulations. You may read the best practice at the EEOC website at http://www.eeoc.gov/policy/docs/caregiver-best-practices.html.

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Contact your business attorney and accountant or contact Arieh M. Flemenbaum at Griffith & Jacobson, LLC (amf@gjlaw.com or 312-236-8110) for more information.