From Caz Russell LLC

With good leadership, everything improves. Leaders are lifters. Leaders transfer ownership for work to those who execute the work. Leaders coach the development of personal capabilities. Leaders learn quickly and encourage others to learn efficiently also.

If you want to give a team a lift, then provide it with better leadership! Players who enlarge their teammates have several things in common:

1. Enlargers value their teammates. People’s performances usually reflect the expectations of those they respect.

2. Enlargers know and relate to what their teammates value. Players who enlarge others understand what their teammate’s value. That kind of knowledge, along with a desire to relate to their fellow players, creates a strong connection between teammates.

3. Enlargers add value to their teammates. An enlarge looks for the gifts, talents and uniqueness in other people, and then helps them increase those abilities for their benefit and for that of the entire team.

4. Enlargers make themselves more valuable. You cannot give what you do not have. If you want to increase the ability of a teammate, make yourself better.

Visit the Chamber’s business consultants category for more on Caz Russell and all of our member consultants. 

From rabbittransit

Did you know that oral health is connected to your overall health and well-being? October is Dental Hygiene Month. You can protect your oral health by practicing good dental hygiene: this popular Oak Lawn invisalign notes that you must brush your teeth at least twice daily, floss and use mouthwash after brushing, limit the amount of sugars in your diet, and see the dentist regularly for checkups and cleanings. You should know where to find dentist near me in Markham

Need a ride to the dentist? Let us take you! rabbittransit can provide safe, reliable transportation for you. Seniors 65 years of age and older are eligible for Paratransit, often referred to as “Shared Ride.” Shared Ride is door-to-door bus service providing trips that are grouped together between multiple customers. There are no restrictions on the reason you may use our services, so the Senior Shared Ride Program can be used for all kinds of trips such as; medical appointments, grocery shopping, beauty salons, banking, recreation, physical therapy, visiting, fitness, Adult Day Care and more! There may a co-pay each time you board the vehicle. The cost depends on many different factors. You’ll love how easy it is to schedule your own appointments using FindMyRidePA.com.

Call 1-800-632-9063 today to speak with the mobility planning department to discuss your transportation needs and what you need to do to start using rabbittransit!

P.S. If you’re looking for a dentist during this Dental Hygiene Month, check out one of our member dentists. 

After officially opening its doors to students and professionals at the beginning of the school year, the SEKISUI SPI Professional Experience Lab at Bloomsburg University’s Greenly Center held an Open House for community and Chamber members along with a ribbon cutting on Wednesday, Oct. 2. 

The new lab was made possible by a generous donation from SEKISUI SPI. Located on the third floor of the Greenly Center, the space is intended to serve as a collaborative learning space for our students, faculty and community members to share ideas and experiences and improve professional development opportunities. Students will train in several areas, including job interviewing, virtual presentations, competitions, conflict resolution and much more. The center will also help increase student activity in downtown Bloomsburg, which is one of the long term goals of the Greenly Center. 

From PA Chamber of Business & Industry

The results from the PA Chamber’s 29^th Economic Survey show that employers are feeling confident and positive about the economy, however, there remains a very real concern among the Commonwealth’s job creators with the status of the state’s workforce.  The survey of 650 employers was conducted in August 2019 by Susquehanna Polling and Research and was completed in partnership with The Initiative for Family Business and Entrepreneurship at Saint Joseph’s University.   

According to the survey, job creators listed difficulties finding skilled and qualified employees to fill open positions as the biggest problems facing their companies.  This represents the second year in a row that workforce has been employers “top of mind” issue. 

“The economic strides we’ve seen over the past few years has led to low unemployment in the Commonwealth,” said PA Chamber President and CEO Gene Barr in a press release unveiling the results of the survey.  “However, there continue to be people without jobs and job openings without the people with the skills to fill them.  The growing jobs skills gap continues to be a major concern for the Commonwealth’s business community. It’s a problem that stretches across all industry sectors in every region of the state.  We’re proud to be working with a broad coalition of organizations and lawmakers dedicated to finding innovative solutions to address the Commonwealth’s jobs skills gap.” 

Only a combined 43 percent rated the quality of the state’s workforce as either “excellent” or “good” – the second lowest ranking on record – with 20 percent rating it as “poor,” – a new high in this category.  It was based on the feedback from its members that the PA Chamber launched its aggressive workforce initiative in 2016 – Start the Conversation Here – designed to help address the skills gap that continues to plague businesses throughout the state.

Employers also once again cited concerns with the state’s tax structure.  Nearly 55 percent of respondents listed lowering business taxes as one of the top issues they want legislators to focus on in Harrisburg.

The 29^th Annual Economic Survey is available on the PA Chamber’s website.

• The Danville Area Community Foundation, an affiliate of the Central Susquehanna Community Foundation, will hold its grant awards breakfast on Wednesday, Oct. 9, from 8:30-10 a.m., at the Meadows Community Center at the Maria Joseph Continuing Care Community. This event annually celebrates the investments made to community organizations through the work of the DACF. Local nonprofit organizations will be presented with 2019 grant awards during the breakfast. Reservations are required but there is no cost to attend (see printed invitation). To reserve your seat, please contact Katie Simpson by email or at 570-752-3930 by Oct. 2.

• Wild For Salmon will hold a fall tasting event on Saturday, Oct. 12, at its store at 521 Montour Blvd. (Rt. 11), Bloomsburg, from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. Come out and taste some samples of sockeye salmon tortilla soup, keta salmon power bites, holiday shrimp dip, and 7-layer salmon dip.

• DRIVE will host an Open House on Thursday, Oct. 17, from 4-6 p.m., at its new office building located at 418 Railroad St., Danville (in the old Metso Minerals Building). Come check out the newly renovated DRIVE office space and common areas, which include a 700 square foot training room available for daily rental and 24,000 square feet available for fit-out and lease. Refreshments will be provided. RSVP by emailing or call 570-284-4296. 

• The Children’s Museum, The Exchange, the Bloomsburg Area YMCA, AGAPE and Bloomsburg Theatre Ensemble will team up to hold Boo!burg, a free Halloween event, at the Children’ Museum, on Friday, Oct. 25, from 5:30-8:30 p.m. Enjoy Trunk-or-Treat, children’s crafts and games, marshmallow roasting, a costume contest, watch a great pumpkin drop and more. 

• There will be a fun, Halloween-themed, family-friendly fundraising event on Saturday, Oct. 26, at Hawkins Chevrolet, located at 1856 Montour Blvd. (Rt. 11), Danville, to benefit the Montour Area Recreation Commission, which manages the Montour Preserve. This event is being hosted by the Danville Business Alliance and several other Danville-based organizations. It will feature an obstacle course, pumpkin toss, trunk or treat and much more. All proceeds raised from the event will benefit MARC, which currently does not have enough funding to sustain operations beyond next fall. For additional information, visit the Facebook event page, and view the below video. 

• Providence Engineering will host a special AIA accredited event presentation titled Structural Engineers: Why we do what we do on Wednesday, Nov. 6, from 8 a.m. – 1 p.m. at the Blair County Convention Center, located at One Convention Center Dr., Altoona. As Design Professionals plan their designs, and as Contractor personnel encounter conditions that just won’t meet design criteria, it is important that they understand “Why” the Structural Engineer produces the designs with which they are engaged, so that all might enter into educated discussions of alternatives. This seminar will provide an overview of what is important to Structural Engineers in the use of soils, concrete, masonry, hot-rolled steel, cold-rolled steel, PEMBs, wood, and fasteners in typical designs. 4 LU/HSW credits are available. For more information or to register, visit online. 

The holiday tradition North Pole Express returns this year the weekend of Thanksgiving. Train excursions between Bloomsburg and Catawissa will be held Nov. 30 and Dec. 1. Tickets go on sale online at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 1, and cost $14.36 if purchased online (fee included). Tickets can also be purchased at The Exchange, 24 East Main St., or Exclusively You, 53 West Main St. in Bloomsburg. 

The one-hour rides include stories, characters, and caroling. Rides on Saturday will be at 10 a.m., noon, 2 p.m., 4 p.m., and 6 p.m. Sunday rides will be at noon, 2 p.m., 4 p.m., and 6 p.m.

Additional information is available on Downtown Bloomsburg, Inc.’s website. North Pole Express is coordinated by Downtown Bloomsburg, Inc. and sponsored by Service 1st Federal Credit Union.

More than 400 businesses and organizations belong to the Chamber to receive benefits and support efforts to strengthen their businesses and our region. Increased membership allows us to offer additional programs and benefits, have a stronger voice in advocacy and be involved in more activities and initiatives in our communities. The Chamber welcomes its newest member, Great Dane, to help us fulfill our mission.

Great Dane, formerly Great Dane Trailers, is one of the nation’s leading transportation solutions leaders, engineering and manufacturing durable, high-quality trailers and truck bodies, including refrigerated, dry freight, and flatbed. Founded in 1900 and with corporate headquarters in Savannah, Ga., Great Dane has nine manufacturing plants and 20 sales branches through the country. These include two plants in Central Pennsylvania – in Danville at 891 Strick Rd., and in Elysburg at 207 Progress Rd. Great Dane’s Danville plant can be reached at 570-437-3141, or for more information, visit its website, or its careers website, which includes several open positions in the area. 

More information about the final rule

The U.S. Department of Labor has issued a rule update which will make an estimated 1.3 million American workers eligible for overtime pay under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).

The final rule updates the earnings thresholds necessary to exempt executive, administrative, or professional employees from the FLSA’s minimum wage and overtime pay requirements, and allows employers to count a portion of certain bonuses (and commissions) towards meeting the salary level. The current thresholds have been in place since 2004, following federal court actions in 2016 which blocked rules that would have doubled the threshold. In this final rule, the Department is:

• raising the “standard salary level” from the currently enforced level of $455 to $684 per week (equivalent to $35,568 per year for a full-year worker);
• raising the total annual compensation level for “highly compensated employees (HCE)” from the currently-enforced level of $100,000 to $107,432 per year;
• allowing employers to use nondiscretionary bonuses and incentive payments (including commissions) that are paid at least annually to satisfy up to 10 percent of the standard salary level, in recognition of evolving pay practices; and
• revising the special salary levels for workers in U.S. territories and in the motion picture industry.

The final rule will be effective on Jan. 1, 2020.

Pennsylvania employers are currently unable to utilize the “highly compensated employee” exemption, as well as others, based on a quirk in state law. State Senator Lisa Baker is attempting to remedy this issue through S.B. 762. No change is proposed to the so-called duties tests, which define Executive, Administrative and Professional, and the rule does not require automatic salary threshold increases, as had been previously proposed.

The Department estimates that 1.2 million additional workers will be entitled to overtime pay as a result of the increase to the standard salary level. The Department also estimates that an additional 101,800 workers will be entitled to overtime pay as a result of the increase to the HCE compensation level.

From ChamberChoice & Smart Business Pittsburgh

The way that employers communicate benefits information to employees has a tremendous impact on how well the programs are understood, utilized and perceived.

“Managers and supervisors can be effective in sharing important benefits information, especially if it is not scripted or canned. Since they are most likely to know what their employees understand, they might be better able to present benefits information in a way that makes sense. As an employee’s main point of contact, managers and supervisors also tend to be more approachable with questions,” says Judy Griffith, compliance officer at JRG Advisors.

Opportunities to ask questions, express dissatisfaction and discuss problems with supervisors and managers should be encouraged. However, when managers and supervisors share benefits information, it needs to be done with caution.

Smart Business spoke with Griffith about effective benefit plan communication, via managers and supervisors.

How can an employer avoid verbal communication problems?

Communicating inaccurate information to employees is always a major concern when using managers and supervisors to relate benefits information. Employers should be mindful that misinformation not only causes an employee relation problem, it has the possibility of leading to litigation, as well.

Follow these tips to avoid problems.

• Consider allowing only specific HR personnel to discuss benefits information.

• Remind supervisors and managers, who may be asked benefits questions, to review their plan documents carefully. They should refer any question they’re unsure how to address to the HR department.

• Whether formal or informal, don’t make promises regarding any aspect of the plan that the company won’t be able to keep.

• State in the documents that amendments are to be made only in writing and approved by the corporate representative or plan administrator, if applicable.

What are some written communications cautions to be considered?

Even if written material about benefits information isn’t an official plan document, informal written promises can still prevail in court. So, make sure informal written communication about the plan is consistent with official documents before distributing.

Employees often rely on summary plan descriptions to determine their rights under a specific plan. In the event of an issue due to discrepancies between plan documents and the summary plan document, the summary plan document can hold up in court. Therefore, it’s crucial to ensure the summary plan document is correct, current, clear and in agreement with the plan documents, handbooks and other benefits information.

As a safety measure, be sure that the summary plan description, handbooks and other benefits communications state clearly that the plan document has absolute authority over them. This should appear in a separate paragraph in a prominent position. Consider using larger, italic or boldfaced type, or a distinct border, to make the information readily apparent.

Other general helpful tips include:

• Keep a copy of each communication or disclosure sent to employees, however informal.

• Grant discretion to fiduciaries in the plan document.

• Make sure all documents relating to the plan don’t include misleading information before distributing. Request additional information from the plan administrator, if necessary.

• Reserve the right to amend the plan at any time for any reason.

In addition, health insurance issuers and group health plans are required to provide a Summary of Benefits and Coverage (SBC), an easy-to-understand summary about health plans benefits and coverage. These simplistic health plan summaries can help an employer explain benefits to employees.

How can selecting the right broker help?

Employers should partner with an experienced benefits professional who can provide an effective benefits communications solution and strategy. This strategy should include engaging communications that reflect the needs, wants and motivations of your employees, and also comply with the legal requirements surrounding the benefits plan.

View the seminar handout (pdf)

Several leaders from local organizations gathered at the Hampton Inn Bloomsburg on Sept. 12 for a breakfast seminar featuring Caz Russell of Caz Russell, LLC. The seminar was titled “Developing the Leaders Around You,” and was sponsored by PPL Electric Utilities. Breakfast was provided by Ponduce Farms. 

In today’s world of low unemployment, it is more critical than ever that acquire and keep good people for their organizations. Good leaders attract potential leaders, and leaders who mentor others multiply their effectiveness. It is an ongoing process and there are many steps that need to be taken to do so. 

The entire seminar, which lasts about 50 minutes, can be viewed below, or directly on the Chamber’s YouTube channel.