by TJ Carter, SPHR

Taking on a management role can be demanding; it brings new responsibilities, additional workload and more. It can be even more challenging when an employee has been promoted into the role of manager and is now responsible for supervising former co-workers. In order to succeed, these managers will need to find a way to transition a peer relationship into a successful manager-employee relationship.

Here are some tips for making a successful transition:

• Separate the personal relationship from the professional one. You can remain friendly with former co-workers but should make it clear that personal relationships cannot and will not influence your decisions and actions at work. Creating this separation may involve limiting or eliminating after-work socializing to avoid potential conflicts. This doesn’t mean a manager and his or her employees can’t be social or have lunch together, but if they do, conversation should be limited to general topics such as hobbies and interests.
• Let former peers know that you take your new responsibilities seriously. Some new managers will use jokes or humor to ease into difficult conversations with their employees, but doing so can undermine the seriousness of a counseling session or disciplinary action. Being gentle but firm can go a long way in helping employees improve and can help the manager gain and maintain employees’ respect.
• Treat all employees equally. Playing favorites can create tension and interfere with a manager’s ability to effectively lead the team. It could also invite claims of discrimination in some circumstances. Managers should consistently provide both positive feedback and suggestions for improvement to all of their subordinates. Doing so can promote successful employee development while ensuring fair treatment.
• Ask for help. Many managers have, at some point in their careers, found themselves in the position of managing former co-workers and peers. Talking with others in leadership roles can be a great source of guidance when making this transition.

By separating the personal relationship from the professional one and managing former peers or co-workers with consistency, fairness and respect, an employee can successfully make the transition to manager.

By Stephan Terrill

Some of us struggle with getting to work on time, and this can cause a problem in the workplace.

If you are habitually late for work, this could result in disciplinary action, possibly including termination of your employment.  Here are 5 tips that can help you make it to work on time:

1.     Lay out your clothes the night before work. This will reduce decision making in the morning and shave off 5 to 10 minutes of prep time.

2.     Organize your morning routine. See if you can pare down the time it takes to get ready in the morning.  Shorter showers,  cutting out TV watching, and perhaps brewing your coffee at home rather than stopping for the first cup of joe can help you get an earlier start.

3.     Leave early.  If at all possible, leave for work early to help keep you from feeling rushed or speeding in traffic.  In some cases, leaving your house even five or 10 minutes earlier could cut your drive by 10-20 minutes.

4.     Listen to traffic reports.  Know where the trouble spots are and take advantage of alternate routes to avoid sitting in traffic.

5.     Carpool. This will helps in two ways.  Someone else is counting on you to be on time and in larger cities, it may enable you to utilize the HOV (High Occupancy Vehicle) Lane, which will speed up your drive time.

Remember, it all comes down to disciplining yourself to getting to work on time.  Sometimes, being late is unavoidable, so be sure you know whom to contact when coming in late.  Always refer to your company handbook for specifics on workplace attendance policies.

For questions or to learn more: Alyshia Foster 214-461-1129 or alyshia.foster@staffone.com

The HIRE Act mmediately enhances employers’ cash flow by allowing employers to retain the employer portion of Social Security Tax. Read on as to be sure that you don’ t miss this opportunity as an employer to receive increased tax credits and payroll tax exemption.

With the recent passage of the Patient Protection & Affordable Care Act (H.R. 3590) and the Health Care & Education Affordability Reconciliation Act of 2010 (H.R. 4872), some employers may already be planning to limit growth as to not be affected by certain mandates of the new legislation. To comfort the fretting business owner, some alleviation has been signed into legislation in the form of tax credits.

On March 19, President Obama signed into legislation the Hiring Incentives to Restore Employment (HIRE) Act that creates a tax credit for the hiring of new employees. The law includes a payroll tax exemption and increased tax credits for employers that meet certain eligibility requirements. Under this new law, an employer that hires an employee after February 3, 2010 and before January 1, 2011, can receive a tax credit equal to the employer’s portion of the Social Security Tax. All employers, excluding government employers, are eligible to receive the credit. Public Institutions of higher education are the only government institutions that qualify for the tax credit.

To qualify for the 6.2% Employer Social Security Tax exemption under this legislation, an employer must hire an employee who has not been working for 40 hours per week for the past 60 days and whose 2010 earned wages after March 18, 2010 and before January 1, 2011 do not exceed $106,800. The exemption has no limit as to the total amount of benefits that can be claimed by an employer. An employer can save up to $6,622 per qualifying working no matter how many employees are hired.

In consideration of tax credits, employers will receive the lesser of $1000 or 6.2% of wages paid to the qualifying work. In order to qualify, an employee must have been hired after the initial start date (February 3) and remained on payroll for 52 consecutive weeks. Wages for the last 26 weeks of the period may not drop below 80% of the wages paid the first 26 weeks. Each eligible employee is expected to verify status per signed affidavit, under penalties of perjury, he or she has “not been employed for more than 40 hours during the 60-day period ending on the date such individual begins such employment.”

The legislation also encourages employers to hire sooner rather than later as the tax benefit will be greater. Neither the 6.2% Employer Social Security Tax exemption nor the retention tax credit is permitted if a person is hired to replace another employee, “unless such other employee is separated from employment voluntarily of for cause.” Additional benefits in the new legislation include: an allowance for small businesses to expense up to $250,000 of their taxable income through the end of 2010, an expansion for the eligibility of “Build America Bonds,” and it extends surface transportation policy through December, providing $19.5 billion for road construction and other infrastructure projects under the Highway Trust Fund.