Stay up to date with Keena Staffing news. http://keena.com By a vote of 60 to 36, the Senate passed a bill earlier today to keep the Social Security payroll tax at its lower 4.2 percent rate through 2012 and President Barack Obama has promised to sign the legislation as soon as it reaches his desk. For example, a worker making $50,000 a year would pay $2,100 in Social Security taxes this year, instead of $3,100 if the tax were at its normal 6.2 percent level. Had the extension not been passed, employees would have seen a tax increase beginning in March. http://keena.com/news/index.asp?w=news&q=detail&nid=33 A Workers' Compensation audit is a mandatory, time-sensitive process that is becoming increasingly more detailed. Its primary purpose is for your business’ insurance carrier to adjust your workers' comp premium based on how closely your estimated payroll at the start of the policy period adequately reflects actual payroll by the end of the policy period. Employee records, payroll records, business operations records and certificates of insurance are just a few examples of resources requested during the audit process. It is imperative that upon receiving a Notice of Audit, your business contacts Keena as soon as possible. Keena will then be able to work on your behalf coordinating the request and reviewing the data prior to the scheduled audit date. Prior to any policy renewals, Keena will continue to contact their client companies to review any possible options that may better suit and reflect their specific business needs, taking into account factors of reduced premium, increased cash flow, or policy management. http://keena.com/news/index.asp?w=news&q=detail&nid=32 In today’s business world, many companies and organizations have come to rely on employment firms such as Keena to provide staffing in support of workplace variables that include internal growth, special projects, seasonal needs and leaves of absence. Keena offers an array of staffing services specifically tailored to your organization’s needs. These services include Temporary Staffing, Temp to Hire Staffing and Direct Hire Staffing. Some benefits in utilizing temporary staff initially include lower compensation-related costs, time efficiencies and financial savings toward your recruitment process and the opportunity to evaluate candidates’ performances prior to making any permanent employment commitments. For additional information regarding staffing solutions offered through Keena , please contact Dave Bodak, Staffing Specialist at 793-9825 or daveb@keena.com. http://keena.com/news/index.asp?w=news&q=detail&nid=31 In observance of President’s Day on Monday, February 20, 2012 most banks and the US Post Office will be closed. Keena will be open regular business hours 8 am – 5 pm. If your payday falls on a Tuesday or Wednesday, in order to process and mail your payroll in a timely manner and ensure direct deposit some deadlines have been changed. Please submit the hour’s by10:00 am Friday, February 17, 2012. Thank you for your cooperation in this matter. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to call (518) 793-9825. http://keena.com/news/index.asp?w=news&q=detail&nid=30 401(k) and 403(b) $17,000 401(k) and 403(b) contribution limit $5,500 401(k) and 403(b) 50+ catch-up limit Health Savings Account Single Plan Family Plan Max Contribution Limit $3,100 $6,250 Catch-up Contribution (55+) $1,000 $1,000 http://keena.com/news/index.asp?w=news&q=detail&nid=29 In observance of Christmas Day & New Year's Day, Keena, along with most Banks & the US Post Office will be closed Monday December 26th and Monday January 2nd. In order to process your payroll in a timely manner and ensure direct deposit, some deadlines have been changed. If your payday falls on Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday please submit hours by Thursday, December 22, 2011 for Christmas week and Thursday December 29, 2011 for New Year's week payroll. If you have any questions, please call (518) 793-9825. We wish you a safe and happy holiday season! http://keena.com/news/index.asp?w=news&q=detail&nid=28 Ergonomics is the science of designing equipment, the workplace and even the job to best “fit” the worker. The five main principles of ergonomics are: safety, comfort, productivity & performance, ease of use and aesthetics. Proper ergonomics practiced in the workplace can reduce the potential for accidents, injury and ill health and improve productivity and heighten performance. Ergonomic problems can be indentified through a myriad of means, from simple observation to a thorough risk assessment. It’s important to consult with a qualified ergonomics expert to assist with the solution toward any ergonomics concern. http://keena.com/news/index.asp?w=news&q=detail&nid=24 Please be sure to provide us with the last day worked for your seasonal employees. It is especially important to pass along their forwarding addresses so that we have them for W-2s. Feel free to use our Employee Termination Form, and Employee Change Form to notify us of these changes.As always, please contact us if you have any questions. http://keena.com/news/index.asp?w=news&q=detail&nid=23 Please be advised - Your workers' compensation policy audit will add payments made to the cleaning person, the person that mows the lawn, fixes a clogged toilet, or puts on a magic show – if the vendor doesn’t have their own workers compensation policy. Although many are sole proprietors and are not required to have a policy, once they are providing a service for you they become your liability. So make sure you request a workers’ compensation certificate with your company name listed as the certificate holder from any 1099 vendor that comes to your place of business and performs a service, or budget for their inclusion in your audit.If you have any questions, please contact Mike Regan. http://keena.com/news/index.asp?w=news&q=detail&nid=22 The Fall season is upon us and Keena’s Placement Division is currently busy assisting some of the area’s leading companies with their staffing needs. There are not many activities that require as much time and resources as finding that right person for the job. Our Placement Division is ready to work with you and your business to help relieve those concerns. Staffing options offered through Keena include short and long-term temporary placement, temporary to permanent placement and direct permanent placement. For further information, contact Dave Bodak, Staffing Specialist at Keena. http://keena.com/news/index.asp?w=news&q=detail&nid=21 New York State has experienced record high levels of unemployed workers receiving unemployment benefits in recent years. This has forced the State to borrow money to pay these unemployment wages. In order to recover the interest cost on this borrowing, NYS has created the Interest Assessment Surcharge (IAS) of .25% on total taxable wages (about $21.25 per employee). This IAS is due to the state by August 15th. If you have any questions regarding the IAS assessment, please call Brian Lamos, CPP at 793-9825. http://keena.com/news/index.asp?w=news&q=detail&nid=19 Keena's online service allows employees to review paystubs as well as other payroll related information. Secure access to this service is available 24 hours a day, 7 days week from any computer connected to the internet. Please go to the top right hand corner of page and select employee login and type in user ID and Password. If you need your user ID and password or have questions or need additional information or help, please feel free to contact us. http://keena.com/news/index.asp?w=news&q=detail&nid=18 Did you know that a single workers’ compensation claim can negatively impact your policy for years after and incident? In most cases the best offense is a good defense; whether it is maintaining good housekeeping in an office environment or wearing proper safety protection at all times out in the field. A safety policy is only effective if owners, managers, or supervisors walk the talk. Allowing employees to relax rules to save time or letting them ignore a safety measure “just this time” can have a long-term impact on the employee’s health and cost the company thousands. If you do not have safety measures in place, please contact us for information on implementing a safety plan. http://keena.com/news/index.asp?w=news&q=detail&nid=17 Brian Lamos recently attended a conference sponsored by our payroll software. There he saw many exciting advancements that will be taking place over the coming months including Reporting Enhancements, Divisional Invoicing, Electronic Submission Of Child Support Payments, etc. As these advancements become available, we will highlight them individually along with how they can be used to increase our service to your company. http://keena.com/news/index.asp?w=news&q=detail&nid=16 Safety problems are common during hot weather. Heat tends to promote accidents due to the slipperiness of sweaty palms, dizziness, or the fogging of safety glasses. Heat also lowers the mental alertness and physical performance of an individual. Increased body temperature and physical discomfort promote irritability, anger, and other emotional states which sometimes cause workers to overlook safety procedures or to divert attention from hazardous tasks. To read more and learn the signs of heat stroke and heat exhaustion and how to protect yourself, please click here. http://keena.com/news/index.asp?w=news&q=detail&nid=15 New York State is serious about Workers' Compensation Audits! Please be prepared to provide all the data requested for your annual WC audit. While some information requests seem a little invasive, your cooperation goes a long way to completing an accurate audit with few complications. And remember, providing the requested information in a timely manner will help keep your premium down.If you have any questions about your WC audit, please contact us. http://keena.com/news/index.asp?w=news&q=detail&nid=13 After a number of years of relatively stable rates, workers' compensation rates in New York State are on the rise. The increases are largely due to the rapid rise in weekly workers compensation benefits and, unfortunately, the Workers' Compensation Board's lack of implementation of legislative reforms passed in 2007 (when rates dropped considerably). While the average rate increase is 4.5% the trades have seen increases of close to 30%. Remember that careful claims management is important in controlling your rates. Please complete an Accident/Incident Form and contact Keena as soon as possible after a work site accident or injury so that we can help you. Lastly, you can avoid "uninsured subcontractor" charges by getting a certificate from ALL sub contractors that you do business with. If you have any questions, please give us a call. http://keena.com/news/index.asp?w=news&q=detail&nid=12 New York State's Wage Theft Prevention Act is now in effect. We have been busy here preparing for the changes required by this law. Starting this week, your employees may notice small changes to their pay stub. This new law is very specific about what information needs to be included. For the complete list of requirements, please visit the DOL website. The other change involves the pay notice required at hiring. While we have been using a DOL created form since late 2009 to meet this requirement, they have updated their forms and are allowing employers to use their own versions. You will see that we have updated the last page of our Employee Information Packet to meet the new requirements, while trying to make compliance as easy as possible.If you have any questions about either of these changes, please let us know! http://keena.com/news/index.asp?w=news&q=detail&nid=11