On December 3, 2010, the Internal Revenue Service issued the 2011 optional standard mileage rates to calculate deductible costs of operating an automobile for business purposes.

Beginning January 1, 2011 the standard mileage for the use of a car will be:
• 51 cents per miles for business miles driven
• 19 cents per miles driven for medical or moving purposes
• 14 cents per mile driven in service of charitable organizations. 

For further information you can go to the IRS announcement.

Other key information for 2011

Colorado Minimum Wage increase to $7.36

401K Limits (401B & 457 B) -  $16,500
$5,500 catch-up contribution for those over 50 years old

HSA - $3,050.00 Employee Only limit per year
$6,150.00 Family limit per year
$1,000.00 Catch-up contribution for those over 55 years old

For more information on Benefit Packages Available, please contact StaffScapes 303-466-7864.

Back in March of this year, the Maine Unemployment Insurance Commission overturned a lower ruling and awarded unemployment benefits to an employee that was fired for illegally downloading 800 music files onto her work computer. The Portland Press Herald reported that after the employee was fired, she sought unemployment benefits and was initially denied. However, the Commission overturned the denial 3-0 stating, as the Press Herald reported, the claimant “made an isolated error in judgment when she downloaded the software on the company’s computer and that the action “does not constitute misconduct”.  

What? I must have a different definition of isolated. Illegally downloading 800 files would not constitute isolated in my world. Also, not only did the employer have to pay wages to the employee for this unproductive time, but this could also open up legal action taken against the employer for copyright infringement and media pirating.

The Press herald goes on to report that the Commission ruled that the employer’s code of conduct policy “was not imposed, enforced, or communicated in an equitable manner.”

So what can we learn form this extreme case? Make sure that your policies, including code of conduct, computer and/or electronic usage policies are well documented, communicated and enforced. Contact StaffScapes to review your current policies for proper creation and implementation.

As a business owner, you know how important it is to hire the best employee for your business.  Someone who is a good fit with your company culture, someone who is great at the job they have been hired for and someone that you hope will stay on your payroll for some time.  But how do you know for sure that the excellent resume you reviewed and the person that interviewed superbly with you on Tuesday is as good as they appear?  Unfortunately, there isn’t a 100% guarantee when hiring, but there are a few things you can do to reduce the chances of making a wrong hire.  Here are five key tips for a successful hire:

1. When hiring, it is critical to understand what the job is that you need done before you begin to interview candidates.  Understanding your needs and the skills the person you hire must have will help you identify the right person.  Just hiring a warm body or the person you like because they too have a passion for golf often leads to problems down the road. 
2. Be sure to write down the required job tasks and create a job description and interview questions from this list. Sticking to your list of core responsibilities will help you to stay on track with your needs and not stray from your purpose during an interview.  Have the candidate review the position overview and ask them to tell you their understanding of the position to ensure you are communicating exactly what you intend.  This will help you to feel confident that the applicant has a clear picture of what they would be doing if hired.
3.  During the interview, be sure to ask the same questions of every candidate that you interview in the same job category to help reduce claims of discrimination.  In addition to standard questions regarding the job duties and skills of the candidate, also ask general questions that target your mission, vision, values and ethics.  This will help find the person that will be a good fit with your company culture and current employees too.
4.Consider conducting skills performance testing.  Based on the skills you seek, give each applicant a test for the core competencies you require.  As examples, you could have the applicant complete a project they would do on the job, provide a writing sample, or test on software they are required to know.
5.Do your due diligence.  Ask for references and contact them.  Try and get former managers or business references and ask a specific set of questions designed around the tasks your new hire will perform.

These tips should help you be better prepared to find the superstar you want to add to your team.  Adding staff is just one area of your human resources that requires careful oversight.  Dealing with required laws, payroll, benefits, employee relations and daily operations can be burdensome and overwhelming.  StaffScapes can help relieve many of the stressors related to these requirements.  Contact us today for more information.  303-466-7864 or info@StaffScapes.com.