Pay More Overtime Exempt Employees vs Nonexempt Employees

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You must be crazy, pay more overtime? Yes! Most businesses have a position or positions that they incorrectly classify as “exempt” from receiving overtime.

Simply put, the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) defines non-exempt employees as those who are entitled to overtime and exempt employees as those who are not eligible.

If you don’t think this applies to you or your business, here are a few examples of employees that may change your mind. What would be the classification for:

The person you call office manager who has no direct reports and does mostly administrative work?

The field supervisor who oversees a crew but also works alongside her crew?

Computer techs at a company?

A business might consider these employees to be exempt, only to find that the FLSA calls them non-exempt and eligible for overtime pay.

Determining who is exempt from overtime is a very complex process and has to be done on a job-by-job basis. Each job should have a job description that clearly outlines job duties, responsibilities, skills and professional requirements.

The information from the job description is what is used to test against the FLSA to determine whether the job is exempt or non-exempt. Remember, it is not the person but the job that determines overtime eligibility.

Incorrectly classifying a job position as exempt usually happens when a company wants to give a valuable employee a promotion: The employee is given a raise is no longer considered an hourly employee but a salaried employee.

While exempt status is considered to be a “badge of honor” and is hard to take away once given, it can turn into an even bigger problem down the road if the employee’s position should have been classified as non-exempt. If a company is caught with exempt employees who should be overtime eligible, the company must pay fines and projected back pay with interest.

Although it may seem unlikely that a job’s exempt or non-exempt classification would surface, it can easily become known.

Say, for example, a person you fire hires an attorney who figures out that the fired employee should have been overtime eligible. Or this same fired employee files an EEO or unfair labor practices claim. The labor board then conducts an audit as a result and any improperly classified employees would receive back pay even if they didn’t ask for it. The back pay can go back up to three years, resulting in a substantial amount for an employer to pay.

How should you fix this right now? Conduct a proper analysis of job descriptions versus the FLSA. Some employees will be exempt because of salary. Others will be exempt because of managing at least two employees more than 80 percent of the time. Another group of employees will be classified as exempt because their roles require a specific degree.

Most employees are non-exempt. If you are the least bit unsure as to a job position’s classification, seek professional help. It is better to pay your employees overtime now than to pay fines and back pay in the future.

© 2010 Jerry Ballard Perfect People Solutions

When not golfing, cooking, or fixing his kids’ flat tires, Jerry Ballard is the president and lead consultant at Perfect People Solutions, a cutting-edge consulting firm that provides businesses with creative solutions to their people problems. Feel free to contact him if you have any questions regarding this or any other people issue. While people aren’t perfect, your people solutions should be.

http://www.perfectpeoplesolutions.com

Active Participation of Workers in Designing Safe Handling Programs on Hazardous Drugs

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The safe handling guidelines of hazardous drugs, issued by healthcare organizations have formulated certain programs which require active participation of both employers and employees in healthcare facilities. These programs are based on the assistance of workers and their responsibilities towards developing executable solutions to reduce the risks of drug exposure cases.

These comprehensive safety programs are developed with the adequate consultation of occupational healthcare units. These are designed to throw a light on several issues related to drug preparation, transfer, administration and disposal. These also discusses contamination of equipments used to carry out different drug handling processes, with harmful agents and how these devices are to be stored and handled out.

The programs focus on procedures to address emergency conditions such as accidental leakage of drugs or drug spills, direct exposures such as skin and eye contacts, inhalation of drug aerosols and vapors, etc. These incorporate the practice of engineering controls and personal protective equipments including respirators, appropriate to the work culture. These also put forward the implementation of biological safety cabinets and closed drug transfer systems to administer drug related procedures and, their maintenance and proper usage.

Prior to the development of these safety programs, healthcare settings are well studied to determine the frequency of use of hazardous agents in useful drug preparation and patient’s administration. A report on the lists of adequate arrangements available to protect workers involved in drug preparation or others in the vicinity and the possibilities of further contamination of drugs due to diffusion should also be presented.

These safety programs form an essential part of healthcare facilities and once prepared, these should be well implemented to reduce the probabilities of occupational exposures. Therefore, workers need to periodically revise these programs and get affixed to their proper practice. They should update their information regarding the discovery and invention of various safety systems and should take part to bring out remarkable changes in reducing fatal drug exposures.

For more information on Handling hazardous drugs and the effects of Exposure to hazardous drugs please visit the website.

Procurement Contracts How to Build Good Communications With Your Suppliers

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Good supplier relationships are at the heart of good contract management. Without this, it can be difficult to motivate suppliers to go the extra mile in resolving problems and delivering value. Many incidences of poor relationships can be traced back to a failure to communicate the right thing at the right time to the right person.

Effective communications require an effective communications strategy. Here are six steps to creating a strategy that builds good communications with your suppliers.

1. Firstly, your communications strategy must support your specific contract objectives. This is the way to make sure that you are communicating things of value, so start by listing these contract objectives.

2. Now decide what you hope to achieve as a result of your communications activities. Ask yourself how communications can help you to achieve the contract objectives you have just listed. Do make sure that these are things that can be measured.

3. Next be specific about your target audience for each communication. Are these individuals or groups? Be as specific as possible.

4. Now write your communication – focus on what you want to change, what you want your target audience to know, what do you want them to feel, what action do you want them to take as a result of the communication?

5. You also need to think about how you will communicate to them. Will you use email, or send letters to them, or use the intranet as the communications vehicle, or might you be able to get your points across more effectively to more people if you have a series of road shows?

6. Finally, you need to decide how you will evaluate the success of the communication.

Do you want to learn more about gaining procurement skills? If so, download my brand new free ebook “The 10 Best Ways to Upskill Yourself and Boost Your Job Prospects” here:

http://www.SourcingStrategyWizard.com/Proc_Skills.htm.

Stephen Carter is an experienced procurement practitioner and published author and runs online training and coaching courses.

Creating a Catalog That Sells

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Catalogs remain effective selling tools to promote awareness of your products, cross sell between products, and communicate about the features and benefits your products offer. They can be effective alone, or when used by a salesperson-and when done right, your customers will want to hold on to them. Keep the following basic considerations in mind when developing your catalog, to ensure that it becomes the effective sales tool you want it to be.

Who Is Your Catalog’s Audience?

As with all design, keep your audience in mind when creating a catalog. Whether the catalog will be used for business to business (B2B) or business to consumer (B2C) marketing will impact the design of your catalog greatly. Age, education level, and other factors will also influence the design.

Product, Product, Product

In a catalog, the product is the star. If using photos, make sure they’re of high quality. Consider shooting the product from multiple angles to best display its features. Put your most important products (those that generate the most profit) near the outside top corners-these are the places readers will look first. But don’t necessarily default to using photos-products can often be displayed well using illustrations or line drawings. Providing some image of the product is a good idea, however-images help provide the reader with a level of comfort that what they think they’re ordering is what they really are ordering.

Use Space Wisely

In the past, one product would often dominate a two-page spread, but this is rarely the case anymore. With shipping costs continuing to rise it’s a good idea make the most of the space you have within your catalog. To further economize and cross sell, consider grouping complementary items together, and make suggestions for products that the reader may also like. However, some items, especially higher-priced ones, are best displayed on their own page to signify their importance. Consider the purpose and the audience for the catalog when choosing how much white space to allow.

Keep Usability in Mind

Give some thought to how you will organize the catalog. Should it be organized by product type, division, or audience? A table of contents will help users find what they’re looking for; also consider adding tabs to separate sections. Color can also be used to help signify different segments. Page numbers will also help readers find items and refer back to them when they need to.

Be Concise with Copy

When writing the copy for the catalog, again consider your audience. Do you need to portray a lifestyle, or will listing the key features be sufficient? Regardless, keep the length short both to economize space and to save your reader time. A smart tactic is to talk about features and benefits. List the feature followed by a short sentence about what the feature means to the reader, how it will help them, and why that feature is important. Make sure all the relevant specifications such as size and weight are also included, when appropriate.

Need your catalog printed? Contact La Crosse Graphics for all of your commercial/specialty printing needs.

La Crosse Graphics is a professional commercial/specialty printer located in La Crosse, Wisconsin, serving all of Wisconsin, Minnesota, Ohio, Illinois, Michigan, Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota, and beyond with competitive pricing. La Crosse Graphics is committed to high-quality printing, on-time delivery, and environmental responsibility. With a large collection of sophisticated presses, including large-format presses, La Crosse Graphics can print any quantity large to small, including specialty jobs. In addition, our prepress department is second to none and will help ensure your print job meets your needs and quality expectations. For all of your printing needs, contact La Crosse Graphics: Printing the Future.

Charity Car Donation

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The first thing you would like to do is a pick a charity that you would like to receive your car donation. Call the charity yourself, make sure the charity benefits a mission you would like to donate to. Ask that charity what percentage of their proceeds go directly to fund their programs and what percent pays for administration costs.

You really do not want to donate to any organization that has administration costs of over 25%. Once you have decided that is your charity of choice, then you will want to ask if they will accept your car donation. You also want to ask what percent of the sale of your donated vehicle will actually benefit them.

Again never donate your car to one that does not give more that 75% of the sale of that car. There are lots of organizations that look like charities but are not. They are for profit companies, accepting your cars and giving five to ten percent of the proceeds to charity.

Make sure you call the charity you want to donate and make sure that car goes directly to the organization that you choose to donate to. They will probably give you a 1-800 number or a website. You want to get your title of ownership for your vehicle and then go to the website or call the number to submit your information.

They will ask you information like whose name goes on the tax receipt, what kind of car is it, year, make and model. They might ask you the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) for the vehicle, the condition of the vehicle and also contact information so they can go get the car. Once they have the information generally it is about two to four days to go out and pick up the vehicle.

They will want you to sign the title over to the charity. Never leave the title blank, sign to release your ownership title of your car, date your signature and make sure that the buyer section of the new owner section of the title says the name of the not for profit entity you chose. Stay close to them and keep in contact until you have your receipt in hand for your tax deduction. If you itemize on your taxes you can use that as a charitable donation.

Next, get more FREE information on charity car donations, at our information packed blog: http://www.waukoo.com/cardonation

Criminal Justice Occupations Help Thwart Enemy Threats Through a Criminal Justice Career

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Recently our country encountered an increased need for criminal justice and homeland security specialists. After September 11, 2001, higher protection at federal buildings, and state and local government agencies have produced an extensive increase in criminal justice and homeland protection employment prospects.

The primary job regarding homeland protection specialists is to suppress terrorist violence within the United States. Created soon after the September 11 attacks and set up in early 2003, the Department of Homeland Security is responsible for border and transportation protection, crisis readiness, data research, and national infrastructure stability.

A Dangerous World Leads to Career Options

Responding to the dependence on more competent workers, online and campus university degree courses have tackled this requirement and now provide justice-related diplomas and homeland safety degrees.

The market is perfect for individuals seeking to pursue a job change to the fascinating service of criminal justice. Criminal justice employment opportunities deliver a broad spectrum of job possibilities and the industry is increasing every day.

The career choices in these types of fields have risen, as have their earnings. You will discover many jobs to give consideration to in the quest for a criminal justice diploma.

Federal Government Administration Roles

Transportation Security Administration is one – a fast expanding field where the staff requirements are increasing perhaps faster than anticipated. These types of occupational opportunities do not call for a college diploma, but having one helps for job placement.

The only solution to improve your situation within this field however, would be to possess an associate’s degree or higher. As outlined by the Bureau of Labor statistics, the average starting pay is a bit under $40k.

The Bureau of Diplomatic Security employs agents for U.S. law enforcement. These kinds of careers do involve a college education. Starting incomes are in the $32k territory and may be as high as $46,000. The total amount may differ based on training, the kind of work given, plus a person’s level of working experience.

Requirements and Compensation

Law enforcement positions at the state and federal level ordinarily need a bachelor’s degree. The standard salary in this sector of criminal justice is a little in excess of $50,000. Local law enforcement agencies don’t typically need college diplomas; nevertheless the prospect of gaining higher level positions is significantly curtailed for individuals who have not earned one.

Criminal Justice and Technologies

The growth of technological innovation utilized in criminal investigations and homeland protection has even led to a forte for specially educated staff members. Educated personnel are needed for the combat against both computer and biological risks to our country.

With this discipline of high specialization, a secondary education diploma isn’t always acceptable. An applicant will need distinct schooling together with a school diploma to fulfill the requirements for these career fields. Ongoing education and learning is vital to attaining higher positions in criminal justice as well as other related professions.

The regrettable ongoing international risks in opposition to the U.S. will continue to maintain the growth rate of criminal justice professions and homeland protection steady. Having the proper training for your preferred employment, you will be equipped to assist your community and the nation in a vocation of criminal justice.

For information on job and vocational hunting strategies, please see job-hunting-careers.com – a accepted site supplying excellent insights on job & vocational options, such as Voice Over Employment or Medical Billing and Coding Career and many more suggestions!

Previewing Students to Get the Perfect Job Interview Success

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There are several ‘do’s’ and ‘don’t's’ when it comes to interview technique. Seemingly endless advice has been published on the subject over the years, and advisers will differ over how best to put these into practice. They differ surprisingly little on fundamentals, however, and I have endeavored to present some of the most ubiquitous and useful advice below…

Do:

o Prepare yourself thoroughly beforehand. If you’re going to be interviewed for a particular job or a particular course of study, make sure you’re familiar with what is required, and ready to answer such basic questions as ‘why do you want to do this?’ and ‘what can you bring to this?’

o Dress appropriately – wear something smart or smart-casual depending on the circumstances (better to err on the side of smart, if you’re unsure) – and present yourself on time. Be polite, responsive and engaging, but try not to seem as though you’re trying too hard or are overwhelmed by the ordeal.

o Engage with your interviewer. By showing your enthusiasm for your subject, as well as your ability to respond directly and intelligently to the questions put, you strengthen the impression you are giving considerably.

Don’t

o Don’t try to stand out to such an extent that you come across as someone who doesn’t fit in. Interviewers will be looking for the best candidate for a particular job, meaning that you have to tick the same boxes as your competitors – and a few more besides! Individuality and flair are to be welcomed, but be careful not to let presentation drown out substance; interviewers want to see what you can do, so don’t be afraid to show them.

o Don’t resort too much to pre-prepared responses. A good interviewer will seek to engage you on a personal and professional level. You’ll probably already have sent an application and a CV, so they will know what you have done. The purpose of the interview is to ascertain what more there is to you than your credentials have already told them. Be open to being challenged, and be honest in your answers.

Obviously, this is all a lot easier than it sounds, but the underlying theme is ton concentrate on presenting yourself to your own best advantage and not concerning yourself too much with things beyond your control – the other candidates in your field, the prejudices of an interview panel in favour of or against certain characteristics in an applicant – these are things you cannot influence. What you can control, to some extent, is how memorable and effective an impression you make. Don’t be afraid to take your time, think through your responses, and even ask a few questions of your own. The purpose of the interview is not only for a potential employer to learn more about an applicant, but also for that applicant to estimate how much they want the placement on offer. Moreover, by showing an interest in the nuances of the business or organisation, you strengthen the impression that you are enthusiastic about its work and its goals. Even if you don’t get the job this time around, the experience should prepare you better for the next interview you attend.

Of course, you may also be interviewed in an academic context – for a place on a course, for a scholarship – you may even be asked to sit a viva voice (an aural exam). Whatever the case, the same basic principles apply. The more you are seen to engage with your subject, demonstrate curiosity and originality, the more likely you are to achieve a favourable result. Don’t be disheartened when things don’t work out: request feedback when given the option and take on board the comments that are made. With practice, and a little luck, you will perform well and be accepted onto the course or programme you’re after. And then the hard work actually begins!

Learn the secret skills of study success and study smarter. You will get better grades for less effort!! These skills will not only improve your student life, but will prepare you for success in life and your career. Speed reading, improving your memory, presentation skills, communications skills, networking are just some of the skills to success as revealed in http://www.university-life-success.com

At university-life-success We share the top secrets to study success, constantly updated and written by leading University tutors, top students and life specialists and recruitment consultants.

Learn to study smart and succeed in study and in life at: http://www.university-life-success.com/

Instructions on How to Make Lanyards The Materials Hardware and Machinery

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Lanyard material is sold on rolls or spools and cut to a desired length. Among the types of lanyard material are plastic or metal beaded, cord, nylon, polyester and cotton lanyards. With the exception of beaded and cord lanyards, these are available to be custom printed with logos and designs for the consumer. For neck lanyards, a preferred material is selected and usually cut into 36″ lengths to produce a 17″ finished product. Beaded lanyards can be purchased pre-cut; they are most commonly used in dog tag lanyards. Synthetic material lanyard requires cutting with a heated implement to seal the end and prevent fraying.

After selecting material, it is necessary to choose hardware for your lanyards. There are many options to choose from depending on you needs.

Snaphooks are the most common and handy choice. They can easily attach a cardholder or a split ring for keys.

Bulldog clips are used most often for ID cards and badges.

Split Rings can be used for keychain lanyards or for attaching other small items.

Quick Release buckles allow removal of objects from the lanyard without taking off the lanyard itself.

Breakaway connectors separate to disconnect the lanyard if safety issues are a factor.

Size adjusters slide to allow the user to adjust the length of the lanyard.

Also available are things like cell phone and water bottle holders that can be attached to lanyards.

Depending on your needs for production, equipment to produce lanyard, varies form manual or automatic, and light all the way to heavy duty. All models need to be able to vary the length of a stitch to accommodate the varied widths of material. Some models use metal stamping dies to hold crimps in the lanyards, while others utilize industrial bar tack machines or computer-controlled machines to vary patterns.

To make a lanyard the ends need to be secured before adding hardware. For cord and other soft lanyard materials fastening a metal crimp where the two ends meet does this. For other materials the ends are sewn together. This zigzag stitch is known as “bar-tack”.

Lanyard making can be fun and easy. All you need are the proper supplies and a little know-how.

George Pettit is a journalist and marketing specialist from New Caledonia. He is often writing about promotions, marketing, promotional products such as rubber bracelets, lanyards, silicone wristbands, key chains and similar.

The Role of Strategic Intuition in Entrepreneurship

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There has long been the perception that entrepreneurial success starts with an invention. Entrepreneur wannabes spend hours dreaming of that fleeting moment when a commercially viable invention will pop into their mind. In truth very few successful businesses are founded or sustained by an invention. Microsoft, Google, Apple and IBM are all companies that were founded not from invention but from the innovative practice of strategic intuition. Bill Gates and Paul Allen did not invent anything to start Microsoft. The personal computer revolution was started by putting together existing technologies in a way that had never been done before. By ignoring conventional wisdom, Gates and Allen utilized strategic intuition to create what has become the greatest monopoly in the history of free enterprise.

Intuition exists in three forms. The most widely known type of intuition is referred to as ordinary intuition. Ordinary intuition is a feeling or an instinct that is not particularly rooted in anything tangible. We all have them, and in some cases they seem to be accurate, but businesses are not built on gut feelings. Expert intuition is a trained response to a specific stimulus, much like a shortstop reacting to catch a line drive in half a second. Years of practice precede demonstrations of spectacular reactive skills, especially in sports.

Strategic intuition is not a feeling or a reaction. It is a clear thought that comes together in what is best described as a flash of insight. By living a lifestyle characterized by acute awareness of ones surroundings and acquiring a broad knowledge of existing solutions, the probability for having these “eureka” moments is greatly improved. The tools of the trade for strategic intuition are recognizing trends, presence of mind, and freeing oneself from attachment to a predetermined conclusion. Steven Jobs, co-founder of Apple Computer in an interview about creativity, with Wired Magazine, said the following:

“Creativity is just connecting things. When you ask creative people how they did something, they feel a little guilty because they didn’t really do it, they just saw something. It seemed obvious to them after a while. That’s because they were able to connect experiences they’ve had to synthesize new things.”

Technical people are often referred to as left brained people and creative artists are referred to as right brained people. The left brain has been identified as the center of logic and analytical thought for some time. The right brain to the contrary is the center of intuitive or creative thought. Roger Sperry won a Nobel Prize in 1981 for his work on that subject. Eric Kandel won a Nobel Prize in 2000 for overturning Sperry’s model in favor of a full brain model. Unfortunately, the myth that people are exclusively right brained or left brained is still pervasive in corporate America.

A flash of insight, as experienced in the practice of strategic intuition combines both sides of the brain. A creative flash yields a rational insight. Many entrepreneurs seem to exhibit highly developed talents in both the rational mind and the creative arts. That magical yet natural combination of abilities has been and will continue to be the source for the advancement of mankind for as long as we continue to advance.

Parents and educators teach children from a very young age, “you can achieve anything you want if you believe in yourself, set clear goals, and work hard”. A pragmatic and strategically intuitive alternative has been offered as follows, “You can achieve many things if you prepare for opportunity, see it, and act on it”. Both teachings have merit, but the second is less limiting and is more conducive to launching entrepreneurs into a life of strategically intuitive ventures.

Hadannah is a business consulting firm that helps business owners and management make important decisions on strategy, operations, product or service offerings, mergers and acquisitions, technology, and organization. Hadannah subscribes to the basic principle that our consultants must measure their success in terms of our clients’ financial results. Companies in transition that aspire to create wealth and transform their business models like to work with us. We are an action oriented firm that identifies opportunities for enhanced performance of our clients, and provides practical advice that works in a down to earth, friendly and approachable manner.

Ideal Clients Benefit from Hadannah Solutions

Companies that recognize that there is a constant need for innovation, optimization, and constructive change whether large, mid-sized, start-up or even non-profit make ideal clients for Hadannah.Hadannah examines each client business from a CEO perspective. We ask the right questions and dig deep into the numbers to mine practical solutions to the problems that keep business owners and managers up at night. We strive to make a profound positive impact on each client business.

Please contact Hadannah to learn how we can improve your businesses bottom line and increase your value.

Evansville Contact: 812 431-3877 HadannahBusiness@aol.com

Understanding the Factors Affecting Scrap Aluminum Prices

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The quality and the grade of the scrap aluminum material dictate its price on the market. For specific countries like the United States, scrap aluminum prices are regulated by the Commodity Exchange of COMEX for short. Between the years 2003-2006, the prices have hit the highest ceiling. However, due to the global economic problems the world has started to experience in 2007-2008, the prices have likewise slump. Sadly, some of these materials have even bottomed out and reached 50% of its original price. With the concerns related to the existing condition of the planet, the experts in this industry have predicted better prices in the coming few years. This is brought about by the demands which will continue to soar in both local and international industries.

In the last 2-3 decades, the industry in the reselling aluminum has boomed particularly in the United States. Scrap prices may vary depending on the purity of the material and its recyclability. How to efficiently obtain these materials may also play a huge factor. The demand in these materials may not slow down anytime soon as certain processing in recycling techniques have continued to gain ground. Both the public and private industrialized sectors have owned up to the necessity and demands of this material. With that, scrap prices also depend on the demand from the key industrial players.

Aluminum may be considered common but some types are quite difficult to obtain. Another important factor in determining the scrap aluminum prices is scarcity. The rarest kind is simply the one with the highest value. Scrap aluminum are considered assets. The fluctuation is nevertheless dictated by the relationship between the supply and of course the demand. Inflation itself is a huge part. The pressures it gives can simply redirect the prices especially in huge grounds like the United States.

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