Blog

I receive this question very often, especially at the beginning of each year. The IRS requires any company with a 401(k) plan to conduct annual compliance testing.

The testing is conducted after the plan’s year-end. For most plans, this is 12/31.

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My two older boys, ages 9 and 10, are playing ‘kid pitch’ baseball this year. Believe it or not, when I asked them what position they wanted to play, they both said “Dad, I want to be the pitcher”.

Then we asked each player on the team what position they wanted to play and each and every player said “Pitcher”. On paper this is not strange, as this is the most glorified position in baseball. After all, they make the most money, get the most publicity (when they are good), and seem to have the biggest fan base.

The other coaches and I talked to our 13-man roster about how important every position is on the team and how every position contributes to the overall goal. We teach them that they all have to play together to win.

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Recently, four women from Group Management Services attended the Women Who Excel Seminar in Cleveland, OH.  It was a great networking opportunity as well as a forum to hear leading women talk about how they have made it to the top.  There were panelists from all different industries that discussed topics ranging from the barriers women face in the workforce to the right way to align yourself as a strategic partner. 

Jessica Mischka (Benefits Administration Manger), Catisha Jackson (Benefits Account Manager), Sanja Benic (Human Resources Intern), and Stacey Edelman (VP of Client Services) enjoyed learning how to become a stronger female presence and mentor at GMS. 

Group Management Services is very proud of not only these four women, but proud of all the females that help lead our company and its customers.

If your employee injures a co-worker or customer while on the job, your company might be on the line.

Employers can face negligent hiring charges if a hiring decision results in an employee injuring or harming any person they come in contact with through the job. Not only can negligent hiring result in exorbitant financial costs, but it can also damage the organization’s reputation.

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The Affordable Care Act is in full swing.

"Now what?"

I think I’ve heard that question from business owners a million times in the past few weeks.

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We’ve all been affected by cancer.

Each year, 12.7 million people will learn they have cancer. Cancer impacts all of our lives; our friends’ lives, our families’ lives.

What if there was something you could personally do to help?

Help Prevent Cancer

The American Cancer Society is seeking participants for a study called the Cancer Prevention Study-3 (CPS-3). The CPS-3 study is looking to enroll adults between 30 and 65 years old who have never been diagnosed with cancer. The study won’t take up too much of your time, but will make a huge difference in cancer research.

Together we can stop cancer.

I am a member of the board of the Northeast Ohio Chapter of the American Cancer Society.

If my mom only knew.

When I was younger, my parents would encourage (mandate) that I help them in the family garden out back. However, that really cut into my wiffle ball playing/tree-climbing/insect-torturing summertime. I came up with every excuse in the book to get out of it. I was told it was good exercise and that the vegetables we grew were healthier and better for me than anything we bought at the grocery store. I didn’t care. I was a kid. I hated vegetables.

Now we appear to have come full circle. Not only are gardens making appearances in the suburbs, they’re also starting to dot cityscapes and in a surprising twist, corporate campuses.

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I got a call last week from a client who has only been with us for a few months. He started back in July of 2012 and just received his first few invoices from the new year. He was pretty upset that his state unemployment tax had gone up substantially compared to November and December. Being in the payroll business for about 20 years, and with this being about the tenth of these calls I’ve taken in January, I knew where this conversation was going to lead.

The first question I ask is "Did you know about the State Unemployment Tax Authority (SUTA) wage cap?" In Ohio, the employer is only charged SUTA tax on the first $9,000 in earnings for each employee.

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Earlier this month, our CEO went back to school.

Mike Kahoe, the founder and CEO of Group Management Services, attended Career Day at Bath School. He had the opportunity to speak to fifth-graders about his career and offer advice as they contemplate their future careers.

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Do any of these sound familiar?

• Losing good employees to competitors.
• A cranky work environment.
• Excessive workplace injuries.
• Out-of-control healthcare costs.
• Ridiculously high unemployment insurance costs.

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