When Barry L. Scholz opened his construction business 29 years ago, he knew he wanted to concentrate on projects and directing his employees on the job - not on the payroll and paperwork.
“Whether you have one employee or six on the payroll,l there is a lot of paperwork and reporting to the government,” said Scholz, owner of Barry Scholz - Builder, a residential carpentry business located in Winthrop, New York.
Scholz focuses his business on lesser and major renovation projects. Keeping up with the latest government regulations can be daunting for small business owners like him. That’s why he turned to Penski, Inc. Staffing for help with payroll and staffing. Penski specializes in human resources, payroll services, assessment and staffing services.
“It’s pushing 20 years now that Penski took over my payroll. I spend 15 to 20 minutes a week on paperwork and they do the rest,” said Scholz. “I love their services. I’m not worrying about withholding and deductions. It’s covered.”
Penski also provides skilled laborers to local construction companies. One of Scholz’s first employees came from Penski. Scholz’s company is one of dozens of construction firms that have come to rely on Penski payroll and recruitment services.
John M. Wicke, general manager, said Penski provides all levels of staffing to hundreds of firms annually, many of which are construction companies. “We pride ourselves on knowing our clients’ needs so we can provide the best possible candidate for a variety of positions. We have successfully partnered with leading construction companies by providing skilled, entry-level and mid level employees,” said Wicke. “Every day, we interview candidates and assess their skills to determine their talents and experiences. Our clients have come to count on our superior customer service and quality referrals that allow them to focus on their core business and have confidence in the skill level of our assignees. The difference in the cost of a ‘bad hire’ or of just filling the job opening versus using Penski Staffing to find the exact “fit” is significant.”
Jobs are available despite these difficult and challenging economic times, insists Stacey MacCue, branch manager of Penski’s Watertown location. “There are employment opportunities out there for the job seeker. Employers will often use us during challenging times because they might not be able to make the long-term commitment in respect to employment. We offer a great service by allowing employers the convenience of trying out a prospective employee before they make any permanent decisions,” said MacCue.
Currently Penski is looking for job applicants who want to work in areas such as: administrative, technical, construction, labor, retail, call center positions, sales/marketing professionals, health care and not-for-profit positions. A person can be assigned for a day or for several months. To view these and other job opportunities visit www.penski.com.
MacCue added that candidates undergo assessment testing to ensure the right job fit; and some people will receive soft skills training for job readiness. There are no out-of-pocket costs to the job applicant. However; companies pay a recruitment fee to Penski. MacCue said, “Our recruiting costs often turn out to be less then what the employer would pay on their own, especially when you add up all the costs associated with hiring, such as advertising, as well as the time involved in interviewing, recruiting and screening applicants. Our service allows the company to focus on its core business instead of the hiring process. We also provide them with outstanding candidates that fulfill their expectations resulting in higher productivity in the workplace.” Annually Penski places 1,500 people in careers that range from administrative and production positions to controllers and engineers.
Wicke credits the success of the company to its ability to meet the customer’s needs. Penski is focused on finding the right match of employer and employee. These are standards that were set by founders Robert and Judith Penski more than 25 years ago. Penski’s commitment to the region has helped the company build a reputation of being the staffing industry leader of the North Country.
Penski, Inc. Staffing has four regional offices in Potsdam, Massena, Ogdensburg and Watertown. For more information go to www.penski.com.
It seems like almost every day there is a newspaper or magazine article about another discrimination case going to court or one that has recently settled. The courts are burdened with a huge number of discrimination cases. You have to wonder - what don’t employers get? Although the laws can be confusing, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) is very clear: discrimination is against the law. Title VII of the Civil Rights of 1994, The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) clearly spell out that it is illegal to discriminate in any aspect of employment.
Spelling It Out
‘Any aspect of employment’ covers hiring and firing, compensation, assignments, or classification of employees, transfer, promotion, layoff or recall, job advertisement, recruitment, testing, use of company facilities, training and apprenticeship programs, fringe benefits, pay, retirement plans, disability leave, or other terms of employment.
It also includes:
- harassment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, age;
- retaliation against an individual for filing a charge of discrimination, participating in an investigation, or opposing discriminatory practices;
- employment decisions based on stereotypes or assumptions about the abilities, traits, or performance of individuals of a certain sex, race, age, religion, or ethnic group, or individuals with disabilities; and
- denying employment opportunities to a person because of marriage to, or association with, an individual of a particular race, religion, national origin, or an individual with a disability.
Title VII also prohibits discrimination because of participation in schools or places of worship associated with a particular racial, ethnic, or religious group, pregnancy, childbirth or related conditions. It includes a recently enacted law with regard to military families.
State laws can add other protected classes. Basically, everyone is in a protected class except the white male between the age of 18 and 40 and there are even some exceptions here, such as veteran status, the Uniformed Service Employment Re-employment Rights Act (USERRA), and the Soldiers and Sailor Act.
Chart A (bottom of article) shows a few examples of some of the discrimination cases recently settled in our court system. The costs are mind-boggling and can put a small business out of business.
Is it the attitudes of employers that get them in trouble? Is it that they don’t understand the law? Or maybe they don’t have the staff to keep them apprised of the law? Laws and regulations are constantly changing and if an employer does not have staff dedicated to human resources, it can be overwhelming. Many cases can be avoided if an employer takes the right steps.
What are those steps?
If you have a problem with an employee, do your homework. Call the Department of Labor. In New York, the right office to call is the New York State Division of Human Rights (315-428-4633) in Syracuse. They have personnel on staff to advise employers of the laws and of their rights. They can quote you chapter and verse and guide you through the process, avoiding unnecessary lawsuits and potentially large sums of money, as noted above. This service is free.
An employer taking advantage of this free service offered by the State of New York may avoid having to incur unnecessary costs and unwanted negative publicity. In these economically troubled times employers need to take advantage of whatever sources are available to assist their business.
Employers pay enough to New York State just to conduct business in the State. Take advantage of some of the free services offered. This can be a big help and can potentially not only save an employer (especially a small business) money, but also keep bad publicity from your doorstep.
An employer can also contact a labor attorney for advice. Make sure to find a reputable specialist in labor law as not all lawyers are thoroughly familiar with that field.
Chart A
Company / Discrimination / Cost to Employer
03/30/09 Newspaper / Sexual / $300,000
03/27/09 Photo Processing Plant / Age / $272,000
03/25/09 Surgical Center / Sexual / $290,000
03/24/09 Civilian employer / USERRA / $118,000
03/19/09 Airline / Disability / $850,000
I believe most everyone will agree that the country is in troubling economic times. When these times hit, businesses look for ways to cut costs. After the fat is removed, where do you go? I am starting to hear of companies cutting back on safety. This thought process is wrong. Companies need to maintain their safety processes and training. Good safety practices may be saving businesses tens of thousands of dollars a year or more. Some companies feel that safety is a negative impact on the bottom dollar. Nothing could be further from the truth. Read more
This past September, two dozen seafood workers in the State of Washington became ill from carbon monoxide poisoning. Each year there are at least 600 deaths related to carbon monoxide poisoning in the United States. The majority of the poisonings and deaths occur in the home, but many illnesses are also being reported in the workplace.
Carbon monoxide is known as the ‘silent killer’ because it cannot be detected by any of the human senses. It is a colorless, odorless and tasteless gas. Read more
New York State Tax Law Sections 209 (2)(f) and 1101 (b)(8)(v) and the regulations interpreting them 20 NYCRR/1-3.2(a)(3) set forth a regulatory scheme which permits an exporter to deliver its goods to a warehousemen in New York, have that warehousemen break bulk and deliver its goods.
Kelly Services started as an idea after one man watched the car manufacturing company’s boom in the mid 1940’s. Big companies needed more help. His idea has grown to what Kelly Services is today - an ideal staffing solution. Read more
Most companies have safety programs but how effective are they? How will these programs stand up to an Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) audit in the event of an incident or employee complaint? From my experience, health and safety programs drafted by small companies would have a difficult time getting through an OSHA inspection without receiving one or more citations. How can this be corrected before someone is hurt or before the company receives an inspection? How does a small business owner get there? Read more
“The whole idea of going into business for yourself is to do what you love for a living. Entrepreneurs have that opportunity…”
Vicki B. Quigley, dean
JCC Business Division
Earlier this year, Jefferson Community College, Watertown, announced the implementation of a new concept for students, alumni and faculty. Housed in the heart of the new John Foster Dulles Building, known also as the Dulles Business Division Building, the Entrepreneurship Center is a user-friendly “think tank” for small business concept development, reported Business Division Dean Vicki B. Quigley. Instructional staff located within the E Center includes Brian H. Murray, assistant business professor, Cheryl R. Ditch, associate business professor, and Janet Wells, entrepreneurship coordinator, adjunct business instructor, and Jefferson’s Table visiting chef. Read more
In December 2005, the Chamber’s first Career Fair was held at Jefferson Community College. Workforce 2020…Investing in Our Future, is a program focusing on two important workforce issues in the North Country: the loss of our college educated young adults to larger metropolitan areas, and; the disconnect between educators in charge of preparing young people entering the workforce and the employers struggling to find qualified workers.
Through this event, the Greater Watertown-North Country Chamber of Commerce and our partners began an initiative to address these issues, and hopefully start a process that will positively impact North Country business. Read more
Business is booming in the North Country as a result of the expansion of Fort Drum. Every sector of the economy is impacted, including healthcare, education, construction, hospitality, retail, and service businesses. This positive growth is helping the region to prosper in ways we haven’t experienced in a very long time. Read more
