Category Archives: Office / HR / Employment

By Rose Miller

Who didn’t love Sinatra? Even if you didn’t grow up in his era of popularity, you probably still tap a toe or know a verse of “New York, New York” (not the Alicia Keyes/Jay Z version either).

But I can remember the last few years he was still performing on stage. It wasn’t the wisest choice. The voice was gone and the visual presentation not good. It can be painful to watch a person who is beyond their prime try to keep going well beyond the time to say goodbye.

I’m seeing the same thing in the business world. Both employers and employees who don’t want to admit it is their time to say goodbye. The problem has the same attributes to breaking up with an old lover. You keep at it, keep trying to make it work. You feel badly most of the time. Frowns replace smiles. A sense of emptiness replaces fulfillment.

By Margaret MacDonald

Vertucci Consulting LLC, co-founded by Anthony and Rebecca Vertucci, is a career coaching and consulting firm begun recently in Saratoga Springs.

The company aims primarily to solve business problems, through one-on-one consulting and through Vertucci Career Academy, an interactive website with on-demand, pre-programmed coursework available in a self-paced format.

The website offers advice on topics like resume-building, LinkedIn profile creation, interviewing, networking, negotiating and more.

The overall consulting arm assists employers with business consulting and strategy, marketing and sales, and social media, the owners said. Most of these clients consist of large companies and “solo-preneurs.”Consultations can take place in person, via phone or video conferencing.

The owners said clients generally fall under the categories of transitioning career (or transition out of a corporate job), promotion adjustment, or changing location.

By Liz Witbeck

There are many aspects involved with being a small business owner. Anybody considering starting a company needs to keep in mind  key issues involving employees.

“The biggest issue is finding candidates that are qualified and then want to stay in that position,” said Dhianna Yezzi, president and owner of Integrated Staffing, with offices in Saratoga Springs, Glens Falls, and Albany.

Yezzi said the most pressing issue facing employers today is retaining employees.

Noreen DeWire Grimmick, an attorney and partner with Hodgson Russ, said from her perspective there are pieces of legislation taking effect this year that impact business owners and employers should make themselves knowledgeable of the laws. Some of them will be phased in over time.

She said one of the most recent changes to employment laws is that as of Dec. 31, 2016, the minimum wage has increased to $9.70 for most non-exempt employees. For exempt executive and administrative employees, there are also rules regarding the minimum salaries that these employees must earn each week.

Some employers have purposely mis-classified their employees, said DeWire Grimmick.  In an attempt to stop employee exploitation, Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed an executive order, passed into law in July, establishing a permanent Joint Task Force on Employee Misclassification and Worker Exploitation. 

By Maureen Werther

Just as most people have made the transition from cell phones to smartphones, businesses looking to streamline and improve workflow, improves efficiencies, reduce their carbon footprint and save money are also opting for MFPs – multi-function printers – for their businesses.

One of the most important features of MFPs is their ability to interface with remote devices and process and share information more rapidly.

“Many of today’s workers don’t operate from 9 to 5 out of a cubicle, attached to their computers,” said Rick Gallup, owner of Document Solutions of the North Country. People are on the move or working from home and they need the connectivity that an MFP provides.

According to Gallup, there are many models of MFPs that allow an employee to fax or scan directly from their mobile device or tablet. They are also capable of connecting to the cloud and sharing information with other team members. Other features include the ability to print from or scan to commonly used sites such as Google Drive, Microsoft 365 and DropBox, to name a few.

“There are a number of apps available that can be downloaded onto the client’s MFP, offering a variety of functions and features designed to multiply productivity,” said Gallup.

Dorothy Rogers-Bullis, owner of drb Business
Interiors, supports office health initiatives.

BY RACHEL SPENSIERI

With the new year, many people have resolved
to improve their overall wellness. Similarly, many
businesses are considering ways they can help their
employees stay happy, healthy, and satisfied with
their jobs in 2016.

“During the recession, the workforce was generally
thankful just to have a paycheck,” said Dorothy
Rogers-Bullis, owner of drb Business Interiors, a
workspace design firm located in Saratoga Springs.
“Now that the economy has turned around, employers
can’t take that top talent for granted.”

Indeed, a 2014 LinkedIn study found that over
three-quarters of the global workforce was actively
or passively looking for a new job, so companies
have to up their game to keep the best-of-the-best
on their team.

The way to employees’ hearts may just be, well,
through the heart. Rogers-Bullis increasingly
notices that one approach her clients’ are using
to encourage employee retention is with wellness
programs. But today’s workplace health initiatives
go way beyond putting a gym in the building.
From hiring nutritionists to work with the cafeteria
food service staff to bringing in a yoga teacher for
lunchtime Zen sessions, companies are coming
to understand the sorts of perks that truly make
employees loyal and even improve productivity.