Managers are the primary contact with most of the rank-and-file employees in an organization. Whether it is an office manager in doctor’s office, the warehouse manager in a storage facility, or an inventory manager in a retail operation, all managers interact with their staff on a daily basis. As such, maintaining an educated and informed management team will go a long way in helping your business comply with complicated labor and employment laws.In an informal poll taken by AllBusiness (a division of Dunn & Bradstreet), managers were asked, “What is a manager’s role”? The answers were wide-ranging, but all shared the same underlying theme: daily oversight of the staff:”A manager’s role is to provide proper oversight and direction to a group that is trying to accomplish a certain task. They may also act as a mediator between those under him. Managers may need to be called upon at times to be disciplinarians or morale boosters.”"To make sure the place runs smoothly.”"A manager’s role is to maintain a productive atmosphere while conserving cost. He is the communication link between the employees and upper management.”The Manager’s RoleFor a manager to effectively do their job, they must be educated on the proper methods of discipline, motivation, and management. Furthermore, managers act as a direct extension of the executives and ownership of the organization. As such, any misstep by a manager may expose the entire organization to an employment lawsuit. While much of a manager’s role may seem like common sense, they must virtually become employment law and human resources experts to do their job properly.Dozens of State and Federal laws dictate precisely how managers can treat employees, speak to them, discipline, warn, and terminate them.Some of the most important laws governing these areas are Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 which prohibits employment discrimination; the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 (ADEA), which protects individuals who are 40 years of age or older; the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), which prohibits disability discrimination, and the Civil Rights Act of 1991, which, among other things, provides monetary damages in cases of intentional employment discrimination.Educated Managers = Safe EmployersSo, while you may have hired your manager to “make sure the place runs smoothly”, or to “maintain a productive atmosphere”, equally, if not more important, is to make sure your management team is aware of the laws that govern their daily interaction with their staff. If you follow the steps below, you’ll be on your way to protecting your company, and yourself, from lawsuits:
Make sure management is familiar with all company policies and procedures.
Managers should actively review the Employee Handbook.
They should be familiar with the company Mission Statement.
Managers should be positive role models, always acting ethically with motivational leadership skills.
Act professionally at all times.
Encourage management to attend training classes to further educate themselves.
CONSTANTLY and CONSISTENTLY contact the Human Resources department before taking employment-related action.
In summary, encourage and provide learning opportunities to your management staff. Make it clear to them that conscious application of that knowledge is expected on a daily basis. Following these best practices will go a long way to help you and your business remain compliant with employment and labor laws, while promoting a positive and motivated work environment.
Educated Management Will Help Keep Your Business in Labor Law Compliance
Deductions for Rental Property – Properly Claiming Tax Deductions
Buying and renting property is one of the fastest growing trends that people use to build wealth and those who successfully employ this strategy can create a better lifestyle. But part of being an effective real estate investor is knowing how to reduce taxes on rental income. The goal is to minimize taxes so that there is more money to reinvest at the end of the day. Here are three tips for reporting income from rental real estate on a tax return.Rental Income
One of the benefits of owning real estate is the income that landlords generate from rent. The payments increase taxable income so owners must keep an accurate record of rents and report the amounts for each property separately. The tax treatment for rental property depends on whether it is passive income, generated by a company that is in the business of renting personal property, and if the owner used the property at any time during the tax year for personal purposes. Each of these factors will impact taxes differently so be sure to have a good knowledge of the rules that apply.Rental Expenses
The costs of owning the rental property are allowable deductions. Owners can realize significant tax savings with good record-keeping and knowledge of tax guidelines. Three key rental expenses include:
Mortgage Interest. If there is a loan on the property the lender will send a Form 1098 at year-end. This is the statement that shows the amount for mortgage interest, deductible points, and property taxes paid through an escrow account.
Property Taxes. There are instances when property taxes will not be included on a Form 1098. For instance, the cash purchase of an investment property excludes the existence of a mortgage. In those instances, no escrow will be established. Instead, the property taxes will be paid directly by the owner. Refer to the property tax bill and payment receipts for amounts paid during the year. This will be key to reporting the deduction on the tax return. Additionally, investors should be careful to remove from their books any property that they sell or transfer during the year. Exclude those properties from tax returns in future years.
Other Deductions. By claiming property, investors can often lower taxable income with deductions such as depreciation, insurance, and maintenance costs.
These are just a few of the items that owners of rental property should track. To learn more about reporting rental income and expenses visit http://www.tbsusa.com for a free tax organizer that will help maximize allowable deductions for greater tax savings.
Find Freelance Work With Free Classifieds Online
Are you one of the increasing number of people joining the freelance workforce? Or are in you in the position of either having been made redundant, or facing job cuts at work? If so, then free classifieds online could be one way of finding employment working for yourself.What skills do you have? What kind of service could you offer? If you have a skill that other people could use, then with a bit of help from a free classifieds online service you can build a business that will allow you the freedom of using your skills to build a business.Time is one of the scarcest resources many people have today, and so anyone with a skill that can save someone else time is likely to find themselves being hired. If you place an ad with a free classifieds online site you’ll be able to let people know what you can do for them and how by employing you, they will be able to spend less time doing what they have to do and more time doing what they want to do.For example, are you any good at gardening? Yard work is a chore for most professional people who spend far too many hours in the workplace. They want to spend their weekends relaxing with their partners and children, not tending to the yard. Place an ad that tells these people that the cost of spending time with their family over a weekend without feeling guilty about mowing the lawn is $x – you’re a freelancer, you set the rate! Don’t just think about selling your services, think about selling the idea of free time; remember that’s the commodity people are looking for.Read through the other ads in the free classifieds online site that offer similar services to the ones you’re trying to sell. How have they worded their ads? If you were in need of their services, would you be tempted to ring one of these people? Think about the services you offer. If you needed someone like you, what would attract you to a certain ad? This is the kind of wording you need to put in your own ad. If you wouldn’t hire you based on your ad, why should someone else?Keep your ad short and to the point. Take the time to think out the words that people will search for when looking for your type of service. Think about the things you can offer, not just in terms of your professional expertise, but other important things such as flexibility, customized, free quotes. Are you qualified in the area you’re seeking work? If so, make sure you state you are certified. These are all things that can set you apart from other freelancers.Free classifieds online cost you nothing but the time to focus your mind on selling yourself. Use the time wisely and make the most out of these sites, they could hold the key to your future.