The Importance of Empowerment in a Workplace

According to Business.com….Employee empowerment is described as giving employees a certain degree of responsibility for decision making and allowing them to have a voice. Empowerment is key to having full motivation in a workplace. It can be described in a number of different ways. It allows us to give employees more responsibility and power which can create value for your business and the employee.

Empowerment is considered a “new” management style for companies to help foster new career goals. It helps framework an employee’s expectations and sets goals to accomplish their main purpose of their work. It will enable an employee to take control of their job and use skills they never knew they could use. Empowerment is one of our core values at Amerit. We believe it is the key to any work environment. It will allow you to eliminate any drawback and give the ability for an employee to grow and learn.

Below are 4 different ways to emphasis employee empowerment.

1. Confidence:Let employees know you believe in their work and can handle challenging tasks. It is crucial for an employee to know you have respect for them and care about their opinions.
2. Listen:It is important to listen to your employees and try to understand their struggles and concerns. This will allow them to trust you and feel like they have a voice.
3. Growth Paths:A career development path creates assurance for an employee. The career plan will focus on the employee’s needs for growth and what it takes to make it to the next steps in a job position.
4. Responsibility:Let an employee take on new projects. By giving an employee power, it will enable them to achieve new responsibilities and goals.

For more tips on creating a successful workplace environment, click here.

How to Embrace Disability in the Workplace

October is National Disability and Employment Awareness Month. This month is a great month to advocate across the United States the importance of educating others on hiring people with Disabilities. According to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1 in 5 adults have at least one kind of disability. There are several people who are successful business men or women with ADHD, ADD, dyslexia, autism, etc. that you may not be aware of. Many workplaces have a culture that is not friendly to the idea of mental health.

What can you do as a business to embrace it? A lot! Below are ways to be more informed about disability in a workplace.

The American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) and Disability IN offer company’s organization scores using the Disability Equality Index (DEI). The DEI is a tool that shares businesseswith a score from 0 to 100 on their disability inclusion practices. They benchmark six categories: Culture/Leadership, Employment practices, Recruitment, Retention, Accommodations and Community Engagement. This tool is very transparent to all business leaders and will allow you to better understand where you are at as a company.

Having a better understanding about disability will empower your workfare to create a friendly environment. The Learning Disabilities Association of America is a great resource/guide to help support and learn more about people with disabilities. Investing in trainings and classes will help gain more insight for your employers to know how to be open and communicate properly in a work environment.

Employees with disabilities can bring unique skills, understanding and experiences that can enhance your products or services. Working alongside a person with disability can create ideas that you may never have considered before because you may never have seen it as a challenge. It can teach co-workers to teach other co-workers in a different and creative way to solve solutions to a problem.

Companies such as CVS and Microsoft have found people with disabilities are more loyal, detail orientated and reliable. Microsoft has hired 50 people with autism in the past three years. They have seen that people with autism pay more attention to detail and can spot patterns quickly and efficiently.  CVS has said the same thing and that they are more accurate with data and can do it for longer periods of time because they don’t get bored easily.

By ensuring your workforce embraces disability in a workplace will allow you to have a culture that is transparent, diverse, and all-around inclusion environment.

Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace

For many organizations, Diversity and Inclusion is viewed as “checking the box” to meet compliance requirements. However, the true spirit of Diversity and Inclusion in a workplace environment is to be open to an array of viewpoints and backgrounds influenced by different cultures.

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) was created by The Civil Rights Act in 1964 to enforce laws prohibiting workplace discrimination. Over the last 50 years, the idea of diversity has changed and will continue to evolve.

With recent Supreme Court cases based on “diversity of thought” (Damore v Google) and affirmative action (Students for Fair Admissions v Harvard and Students for Fair Admissions v UNC-Chapel Hill), the courts will now be determining what guidance organization will need to adjust and re-establish not just related to reporting, but purpose as well. These cases have provoked discussions about the idea of Diversity and Inclusion and how we really should be embracing the concept.

The EEOC created this guidance years ago when diversity in the workplace was based more on underlying issues such as labeling groups. This is because we are following rules made 50+ years ago. However, by creating an inclusion in a work environment, it will allow you to acknowledge other views and show your openness to change. Inclusion is a great way to bounce ideas off one another, change the workplace environment and allow others to lead conversations that may not feel like they can. Sometimes business leaders can get stuck with the same routines but by embracing inclusion this can allow for new ideas to unfold. Enhancing your environment with inclusion will be the key to maximizing your diversity efforts.

In our organization we focus on cultural diversity and the richness that it brings to our environment, not just categories outlined by the EEOC. To create more diversity in a workplace, start by educating yourself and your key influencers on how to create an inclusive environment which facilitates the exchange of ideas by creating a safe structure to do so. By taking the time to get to know different viewpoints, you will see new perspectives and ideas with the goal being a healthy and open communication.

It’s up to you as a company to be able to embrace this change and different perspectives in this new world of business. The world is changing and its time that you should start too!

5 Reasons to Hire a Veteran

One of the difficult challenges that veterans face when they exit the service is how to align their military skills with the corporate world. Companies that are looking to hire veterans may also struggle in translating the skill sets to their industry. However, being in the military develops soft skills such as a strong work ethic and values that many employers are looking for. When interviewing military candidates, keep in mind that the most successful veteran hiring programs focus more on the intangible skill sets versus the tangible skill sets.  Because of this, it is critical to remember that a transitioning service member is qualified to do much more than the direct equivalent of his or her position in the military.

Here are 5 Reasons why you should hire a Veteran:

1. Goal Focused:Veterans are highly motivated to get the job done. They are focused on the mission and how they will be able to complete it. They are forward thinking individuals and hold themselves accountable for their actions.
2. Leaders:In the military, you learn how to clearly communicate to a team and are held accountable from day one. This enables veterans to give good direction and motivate and inspire team members. They understand the qualities that it takes to be a good leader and how to encourage team members to be and give their best.
3. Teamwork:Many tasks in the military are teamwork driven. They have experience working with all groups of teams, small or large. They know how to create an objective and finish the task on time. They are able to adapt to different personalities and different environments.
4. Adaptability: Veterans areable to learn new skills and concepts quickly and concisely. In the military, you are pushed into different high stress situations that force them to think quickly and understand what works and what doesn’t.
5. Loyal: Veterans value honor, integrity and loyalty. It is instilled in them the moment they sign up for the military.

If you are looking to hire a veteran but having trouble translating their military skills with civilian work, contact us today and get matched up with our Certified Military Recruiters. They can help explain why hiring a veteran is best for your business needs.

Top 3 Ways to Become a Successful Business Owner

Every year, more than 500,000 businesses change leadership and we will continue to see that grow as many will retire and the new generations such as Millennials/ Generation X will take over. Becoming a business owner can be complex. However, our new President Ian Wagemann talks about the 3 principal that have helped him accelerate his dream of being a business owner and his journey along the way.

1.) Struggling Artist – Be Humble

Rick Wareen once said, “True humility is not thinking less of yourself; it is thinking of yourself less.”While I was not starving in the physical term like most early business owners are, I was realizing that it is better to seek out great mentors that may have insight into how to better build your business and what pitfalls to avoid. Veteran Enhanced Technology Solutions is an IT Consulting firms that predominately holds contracts with the State of California, but as most business owners know is that doing business in and particularly with California can be somewhat cumbersome. I was tired of spinning my wheels and decided to reach out to Gary Herbold for advice; it was the best move I made.

2.) Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon – Use your Network

While I have not ever attempted the challenge, I do realize what a small world it is and who you and your network are connected to. Gary Herbold former president of Amerit Consulting has been a longtime family friend and someone my father visits every time that he is in town. A couple years after starting my business my dad mentioned that Gary was doing something with veterans and that we should connect. The “something with veterans” ended up being a 15-year-old extremely successful Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) certified company that has several locations across the country and servicing large household names. Even though I had known Gary my entire life I almost wish I would have not looked up his firm before the phone call. The phone call was almost two hours long mixed with advice and pitfalls on running a SDVOSB firm. The one comment that stuck in my mind was his initial comment after asking what advice he could give. In true Gary fashion, “We have not been that small in a while”. Defiantly could have been a conversation ender, but I pressed on. Gary also had an idea that he would later share with me.

3.) Tenacity – Work Smarter and Harder than Everyone Else

 The conversation didn’t end on an “Aha Moment” as I was expecting. I wasn’t expecting him to send me to a client that had a pile of cash to give our growing firm but thought I would at least have identified a mountain to start climbing. Three days later a guy named Michael Larkin, Senior Vice President of Amerit Consulting contacted me and wanted to know what we did and if it would make sense to work together. We slowly developed a working relation and worked together on how we could help grow each other’s success. Little did I know; the process was an interview of sorts to see if I was cut out to run Amerit. I worked hard to grow my firm Veteran Enhanced Technology Solutions as well as put in more time to find out how we could help Amerit. I never gave up no matter how hard the mission. Almost a year later Gary came to me with a proposition of taking over the company that he created and grew for 12 years. I was honored, fearful and excited all at once. Your business is like a child; a vision that you have seen from infancy to adulthood and everything in between. While Amerit could seem like a stubborn adolescent you still have the vision of its true potential and I am honored that Gary would trust me with that responsibility.

Humility is key to becoming a true leader and to become a leader you must find what and whom you will lead. As individuals we need to understand that we must never be too proud to reach out to our friends, family, mentors, and peers for advice. More than likely they have experienced something that you are currently or will go through. Your network is key to your success and your ability to make those connections is paramount to being successful. Success is measured in many ways. For me my dream is to build a technology company that has the ability to help veterans’ transition into a career; not just a job. To make your dream a reality you have to work hard. You cannot expect anything to be handed to you. You have to have the grit to dig deep and climb the mountain without knowing what is on the other side. These are key in becoming a business owner.

Ian Wagemann, President of Amerit Consulting

The California Supreme Court established new jurisdictions regarding the qualifications of Independent Contractors (IC) in the state of California earlier this year. Instead of the common law test to determine IC status, they have adopted the “ABC Test” currently used in States such as Massachusetts, Indiana and New Jersey.

With the recent emergence of the “gig economy” and the utilization of free lancers, this ruling could either provide greater clarity to business using IC’s; or create a huge impairment for growth.  How will this ruling change business behaviors?

According to the Supreme Court’s opinion in the Dynamex case. Workers can only be classified as an Independent Contractor if they met the following:

1. A) that the worker is free from the control and direction of the hirer in connection with the performance of the work, both under the contract for the performance of the work and in fact; and
2. B) that the worker performs work that is outside the usual course of the hiring entity’s business; and
3. C) that the worker is customarily engaged in an independently established trade, occupation, or business of the same nature as that involved in the work performed.

Many ICs today may not be compliant after this new test. California based companies that are looking to hire ICs, will need to follow the ABC test. Compliance Departments in these companies you will need to reclassify their ICs accordingly in order to remain compliant with California law. Companies will also want to keep in mind the federal wage and hour law, as well as, all state wage laws when testing IC status.

If your organization currently uses IC’s as part of your talent ecosystem, you may want to prioritize your engagement policy.  There are helpful tools available on line to assist, or contact us for additional solutions to mitigate your risk.

Amerit Consulting is excited to announce the appointment of Ian Wagemann as President and Chief Executive Officer. After 16 years, Gary Herbold has retired and will fully transition out of his role by the end of 2018. Under Gary’s leadership, Amerit has grown into a multi-million-dollar staffing, payroll and consulting enterprise with clients and employees located throughout the United States.

Click here to continue to read about Amerit’s New President.

Payroll Audits…

Payroll is a game of detail.  Acknowledging each and every tiny detail is critical for correct payroll processing. We all know how to do our jobs and we know what details we must pay attention to get that gratifying “job well done.” But after a day jammed packed with back-to-back meetings, To Do Lists that only keep growing and endless daily tasks that start to steamroll about 3:30pm, sometimes those job-well-done-details can slip just beyond our reach. Even with a water-tight processing system you really must find the time to audit for every little detail. Payroll audits are critical but the earlier and more often you complete them, the better off you will be. Even on a small team, or a one-man wolfpack, you need to stop and review everything you are completing.

Payroll audits are just like proof reading a term paper in college. It takes time and you often don’t have to change much of anything, but it is important to make sure you didn’t use there instead of their, or that you didn’t add an extra 0 to the end of that bonus amount. But skipping the audit step in payroll, you aren’t just risking being docked for ending a sentence with a preposition but you risk an unhappy employee/employer and potential labor disputes.

Keys to a successful audit plan:

• Whenever possible, enlist a third party to complete audits

Having an outside auditor, not involved in the adjustment process is important for a fresh review for all changes made. When reviewing updates we have personally made, we often let our experience and expertise blur the reason for the audit in the first place. Accidents happen and an audit is simply a process to catch any accidents before they become catastrophes.

• Checklists, Checklists, Checklists

Procedural Checklists ensure that all critical checkpoints are quite literally signed off on during the processing phase. While they can become cumbersome, they are a key player in the audit game, because they will limit the need for audits in the first place. This is particularly important when you don’t have the luxury of a fresh set of eyes for audits. A checklist is a great way to remind yourself to check all critical aspects during the processing phase.

• Save documentation for all changes made for review

This won’t only help to have something to verify the changes are appropriate and should be made in the first place but all documentation you have will be helpful should a change be challenged down the road (by an employee or even scarier, the labor board). You can never have too much documentation in the payroll world.

• Set internal deadlines that provide ample time to for your audit

We are all busy bees but by NOT carving out time to review each payroll is preparing to fail. No one means to make mistakes, that’s why they are called mistakes, but they do find their way to sneak into our work every now and then.  Accepting the fact that we are all human is important in realistically planning your audits timing.

Chrissy Angiola, Sr. Payroll Coordinator

1+ years in Finance in the Staffing Industry

Meal breaks, double-time pay and paid sick leave. For most California employees these are familiar concepts. As a recent transplant from Michigan, these were all a little foreign to me in the realm of employment law.

California is one of the most employee focused states in the country, with many progressive employment laws differing from not only other states, but also federal regulations. Several concepts employees in California should be aware of include meal breaks, overtime and double-time pay and paid sick leave.

Meal Breaks:

Employees are entitled to an unpaid, uninterrupted and unrestricted meal break of a minimum of 30 minutes before five hours of work is completed. In addition, employees are entitled to a second meal break of 30 minutes if they work more than 10 hours in a day. Employees may request to waive their first meal break if their shift will be completed in 6 hours or less and their second meal break if the total hours worked on that workday is no more than 12 hours. Employees are responsible for taking timely, recorded meal breaks. However, it is the employer’s responsibility to ensure these meal breaks are not only taken but also uninterrupted.

Overtime and Double-Time:

In addition to the federal overtime standard, time and a half after 40 hours worked in a week, California employees also receive overtime pay for work in excess of eight hours in a given workday. This means that employees can receive overtime pay even if they don’t work 40 hours in the week. California requires that the first 8 hours worked on the 7th consecutive day of a work week be paid at the overtime rate as well.Double time, two times an employee’s rate, will go into effect for all hours worked over 12 during a workday. Do keep in mind there are several instances where employees are not eligible for overtime pay. When an employee is classified as exempt, often this includes salaried employees and if an employee is working an alternative work schedule, such as four 10 hours days, they may not be eligible for overtime pay.

Paid Sick Leave:

Since 2015 California employees who work more than 30 days in a year, including part-time and temporary employees are entitled to paid sick leave. Although employers have the choice to select if paid sick leave is accrued or given at hire in a lump sum, the majority of paid sick leave plans in California are set on an accrual basis of 1 hour of sick time earned for every 30 hours worked. Keep in mind that employers are required to provide a minimum of 3 days of sick leave per year but some cities within California have decided to add their own more expansive paid sick leave plans. Employers also have a window of 90 days to decide when employees will be eligible to use their sick hours.

Employment law can be extremely complex and daunting for both employees and employers alike. Always be sure to thoroughly review a company’s handbooks to determine how they interpret not only these regulations but also other employment laws.

Shannon McDougall, SHRM-CP, Human Resources Account Specialist

3+ years in Human Resources in the Staffing Industry

What is financial literacy and why is it important? Per Wikipedia, “Financial literacy is the possession of the set of skills and knowledge that allows an individual to make informed and effective decisions with all of their financial resources.” As part of daily life, each of us routinely makes decisions that impact our financial well-being. From children first earning an allowance, to being gainfully employed, to having our own children, to retirement; there are a multitude of life stages, each of which require a different financial focus.

It is never too early to start learning how to make good financial decisions. Once a child is old enough to understand money and has discretion on how they might spend even pocket change, they can begin to absorb simple lessons on spending vs savings. In a similar vein, it is never too late to learn more about finances and start walking down the path of becoming financially literate.

I think some folks believe “all that finance stuff” is just too complicated, too hard to understand so they give up before even trying. This is a truly a mistake. Like so many other areas, breaking down the information, taking a piece at a time can make it all manageable. You don’t have to become a CPA or a financial advisor. Every piece of information you learn will put you that much further ahead.

Need inspiration to get started? A tool that you can use at different stages of life? If so I would highly recommend you check out 360 Degrees of Financial Literacy, a website sponsored by the AICPA (American Institute of Certified Public Accountants). The website, https://www.360financialliteracy.org, has a wealth of information to assist in taking the financial reins at all of life’s stages. On the website there are videos on topics like budgeting, debt management and savings as well as articles on current topics such as tax reform. You will find calculators for college and retirement planning, as well as the ability to post questions and get answers from The Money Doctor.

The path to increased financial literacy start with a single step. Take that first step today!

Lisa Cvecko, CPA, CGMA, Vice President of Finance