The Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) has sharpened its safety enforcement on businesses whose operations rely heavily on forklift operation to transport products from one place to another. That means manufacturing companies in particular and other businesses with warehouse facilities need to be vigilant. One component of the initiative centers on making sure forklifts…
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Two more Syndeo employees are now certified through the Society for Human Resource Management. HR Business Partners Courtney Vitamvas and Thuy Tran passed their exams in June about two weeks apart and after months of studying. A SHRM certification is an industry-recognized credential for individuals who are considered an expert in the field of human…
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Employers are facing an increasing number of discrimination or retaliation accusations from former employees who say they were wrongfully terminated. Businesses can protect themselves from those types of allegations but don’t always win if matters are taken to court. Take for example a case involving a former Kansas City, Mo. television reporter who was awarded…
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Michael Gellerman will have to wait longer to add another golf tournament championship to his list of accomplishments. Gellerman did not make the cut to advance to weekend play of the Wichita Open by shooting two over par with a score of 72 in the second round of the tournament. He shot even par in…
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Michael Gellerman has a fondness for the Wichita Open. The city’s premier golf tournament is where Gellerman, who calls Sterling, Kan. home, made his first start as a professional golfer in 2015 after graduating from the University of Oklahoma. “It’s great,” Gellerman says of the Wichita Open. “They do an incredible job. All the player…
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Compliance audits are on the rise, meaning employers need to be aware of pitfalls that could result in penalties and fines. Increasingly, state and federal audits are being conducted to ensure companies large and small are complying with employment laws. Syndeo helps companies get in and stay in compliance. In Kansas, wage and hour audits…
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Kevin Steckley is setting a high bar for fundraising. Steckley, who is part of Syndeo’s sales team, raised $91,775 through the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Man & Woman of the Year campaign. As such, Steckley won the distinction of 2019 Man of the Year. The results of the 10-week fundraising campaign were announced June 1…
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Contribution amounts for health savings accounts are set to increase in 2020. The IRS announced May 28 the limit for an individual will increase to $3,550, a $50 increase over the 2019 amount. The contribution limit for a family plan will jump to $7,100, a $100 increase. Those changes are effective Jan. 1, 2020. Catch-up contributions…
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Changes may be in store for the Family and Medical Leave Act. The U.S. Department of Labor announced this week it will seek input on how to improve the FMLA, which requires certain employers to provide their employees with at least 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave for qualified family and medical reasons. The labor…
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The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has a new member. The U.S. Senate voted 50-43 on May 8 to confirm Janet Dhillon as chair of the EEOC, resolving a two-year impasse. An attorney by trade, Dhillon has a background in business having worked as an in-house attorney for US Airways, JCPenney and most recently Burlington Stores….
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A recent court ruling may require certain employers to submit more information to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Companies that file an Employer Information Report, more commonly referred to as an EEO-1 Survey, with that organization now have until Sept. 30 to submit “Component 2” data in addition to the “Component 1” information that…
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Syndeo is in the running for a Best in Business Award. The company is one of 15 finalists vying to be one of five overall winners in the competition, which judges businesses in south-central Kansas on financial performance, innovation and giving back to the community. Best in Business is a Wichita Business Journal awards program…
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The U.S. Social Security Administration has started sending employers “no-match” letters for the first time in seven years. Letters are being sent for instances when the organization discovers W-2 records an employer submits do not match records the administration has for an employee and his or her social security number. The forms also are called…
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Dozens of businesses across the U.S. have found themselves in trouble with the IRS following a crackdown on employment tax compliance. A nationwide enforcement and education initiative in recent weeks led to IRS revenue officers visiting approximately 100 companies suspected of “serious issues with employment tax compliance.” Those visits resulted in several dozen legal actions…
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Syndeo has a payroll director for the first time. Kate Rhea started in that role April 1 after spending the past four years as one of the company’s human resources business partners. She oversees Syndeo’s 10-person payroll department and is now part of the company’s leadership team. Rhea says while the department is different, the…
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Organizations are finding more practical ways to incorporate the use of drones or unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) into their operations. Law enforcement agencies are using drones for aerial surveillance and to help locate criminals. Real estate agents increasingly are using drones to showcase properties they are trying to sell. Construction companies are taking a similar…
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One of Syndeo’s own is participating in the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s largest annual fundraiser. Kevin Steckley, senior business development partner at Syndeo, is in the running for Man of the Year. That’s part of the Man & Woman of the Year philanthropic competition that raises money to support blood cancer research. The campaign officially…
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A push to change the longstanding salary threshold at which certain employees are eligible to receive overtime pay is moving forward. The U.S. Department of Labor announced on March 7 a proposed change that would make in excess of one million more American workers eligible to receive overtime pay. The suggested change, which is expected…
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Today’s employees have different preferences on how they want to receive performance feedback. In some cases, the traditional annual performance evaluation is giving way to an approach that emphasizes managers and supervisors providing employees ongoing feedback throughout the year. “It is the contemporary way of doing things,” says Tonja Sowder, vice president of human resources…
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A gender pay disparity case is unsettled again following a U.S. Supreme Court decision this week to overturn a lower court ruling. Because of a technicality, the Supreme Court vacated an April 2018 ruling by the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals preventing employers from using a woman’s compensation history as a justification for paying…
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The shootings at the Henry Pratt Co. plant in Aurora, Ill. are a tragic reminder of how deadly confrontations in the workplace are all too real. These types of situations give employers a more heightened awareness about the possibility for violence to occur. But steps can be taken to help lessen the risk, human resources…
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The record-keeping rule from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration is again in effect. OSHA requires many businesses with more than 10 employees whose work involves a higher level of risk to keep a record of serious work-related illnesses and injuries from the previous year. An OSHA Form 300 is used to keep a detailed…
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Kansas lawmakers are considering two bills that would amend and improve a statute pertaining to professional employer organizations and employment security tax filings. Syndeo president Bill Maness and industry representatives are among those advocating for the change. Maness testified before Kansas House of Representatives and Kansas Senate committees in Topeka this week along with Michael…
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Bringing in qualified employees is a great way to increase your company’s chances for growth and success. But in reality, it’s about so much more than that. When trying to attract new talent, the goal is always to bring in the best of the best. Landing top talent sometimes requires us to implement new strategies…
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E-Verify is back up and running. The web-based employment verification program has resumed operations following the partial shutdown of the federal government that lasted more than a month. Now, employers who use E-Verify have until Feb. 11 to log employees who were hired when the program was unavailable. Though service was disrupted, employers still were…
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Hiring and training new employees is a big investment, meaning optimal hiring practices are essential if employers want to avoid the high costs of employee turnover. When it comes to hiring candidates who will be successful in the long run, it all starts with asking the right questions during the interview process. Developing a list…
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Jenna Marceau and Syndeo are receiving national attention. Bizwomen selected Marceau, Syndeo’s director of implementation and systems management, as a 2018 “Headliner” in the professional services sector. Bizwoman is a digital news platform featuring stories and information about women in business across the U.S. and is an arm of Charlotte-based American City Business Journals. Headliners…
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More respect. More say in company decisions. A seat at the executive conference table. These are the things most managers, department heads and team leads want. At the same time, C-suite executives want their leaders to be more strategic and proactive. Here are six actionable ways you can increase your strategic leadership skills AND impact…
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Changes to the federal overtime law are expected to be at the forefront of U.S. Department of Labor discussions early in 2019. At issue is the threshold at which a salaried employee would be eligible to receive overtime pay. A change could make millions more Americans overtime eligible and likely increase employment costs for employers…
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The list features a familiar Syndeo name. Kate Rhea, one of Syndeo’s HR business partners, has been selected to the 2019 class for the Wichita Business Journal’s HR Professionals Awards. “We couldn’t be prouder of her inclusion in this class,” says Bill Maness, Syndeo’s president. “She is an outstanding representation of the efforts by all…
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Businesses can expect to pay more to reimburse their employees for work-related travel. The IRS recently issued its 2019 optional standard mileage rates that will be used to calculate deductible costs for employees to operate an automobile for business, medical, moving or charitable purposes. The rate for general business travel is increasing to 58 cents…
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Note: This part of a series of stories aimed at encouraging businesses to think proactively about safety. Safety is the responsibility of everyone within a company. While management sets safety policies and procedures, it’s up to employees to keep safe themselves and others around them by following those protocols. Management and employees working in…
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Note: This part of a series of stories aimed at encouraging businesses to think proactively about safety. Creating a culture of safety doesn’t come without some work from a company’s management and its employees. A collaborative approach, however, can lead to lower instances of workplace injuries and workers’ compensation claims. Adhering to these seven…
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Did you know that recent studies show that 71 percent of employees are not engaged at work? Without a desire to work hard, employees cannot contribute to the team’s collaborative goals and efforts, causing the business to under perform. If employees are apathetic or disengaged with their work routine, something needs to be changed quickly….
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Being intentional about your organization’s culture is good for your staff, customers and, of course, your bottom line. Open communication, being inclusive, leading by example, living the company’s values, working with purpose and focusing on people over profits are all ways to build a company culture your employees will love. What is Workplace Culture? A…
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Syndeo Outsourcing is part of an ongoing national dialogue about how to advance the professional employer organization (PEO) industry. It’s an issue for which Bill Maness, Syndeo’s founder and president, has a passion and one he had the opportunity to address during the annual conference of the National Association of Professional Employer Organizations. “I saw…
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Add Leadership Wichita graduate to the list of Kevin Steckley’s accomplishments. Steckley, senior business development partner with Syndeo Outsourcing, recently completed a nearly three-month leadership development program put on by the Wichita Regional Chamber of Commerce. He was one of 31 people from organizations large and small who were selected to participate in this year’s…
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Burnout is something everyone experiences in the workplace at one time or another. Projects become overwhelming, leaders or clients set unrealistic expectations, and employees start losing sleep, productivity and satisfaction. As a leader, human resources professional or decision-maker, you have the ability to create a burnout-free workplace. Challenging situations will inevitably arise from time to…
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Note: This part of a series of stories aimed at encouraging businesses to think proactively about safety. What is a safety culture? Unlike a safety program, which has a start and end date, a culture is a philosophy: How we live, how we think and how we act. Building a proactive safety culture is…
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Note: This part of a series of stories aimed at encouraging businesses to think proactively about safety. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration issued employers thousands of citations for safety violations this year. Companies have been slapped with nearly 30,000 violations through the first three quarters of 2018, according to OSHA data. And many…
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