Stay up-to-date on the companies, people and issues that impact businesses in Syracuse, Central New York and beyond.
Ask Rusty: How Do I Maximize My Social Security Benefit?
Dear Rusty: I want to apply for Social Security, but I want to make sure I get all the benefits I have earned. I am a veteran with a 10 percent disability rating (not sure if that matters). I am 68 years old. I am a minister and have been exempt from Social Security taxes […]
VIEWPOINT: EEOC Publishes New Guidance on Workplace Harassment
It’s the first time in nearly 25 years On April 29, 2024, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) published “Enforcement Guidance on Harassment in the Workplace.” The guidance took effect immediately and supersedes the EEOC’s previously published guidance from the 1980s and 1990s. Since the EEOC has not published guidance regarding workplace harassment for almost
VIEWPOINT: USDOL Announces Final Rule to Boost Salary Level to Qualify for White-Collar Exemptions
On April 23, 2024, the U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL) announced its final rule to increase the minimum weekly salary to qualify for the Fair Labor Standards Act white-collar exemptions. The final rule [was] published in the Federal Register on April 26, and will become effective on July 1. Under the final rule, the minimum
VIEWPOINT: Technology syncs preconstruction to enhance collaboration
A thorough preconstruction phase has always been crucial for delivering an efficient, successful project. Now, however, firms are under pressure to complete that phase quickly — sometimes in as little as two weeks rather than a month or longer, as was formerly more common. Amid this change, variables have also become more complex, with uncertainty
Ask Rusty: Older Husband and Working Wife Seek Guidance
Dear Rusty: I am 74 years old, retired and receiving Social Security (SS). My wife will be 65 in January 2025. Our hope was to start paying off some credit-card expense by her receiving SS when she turns 65. However, it appears there would be a substantial reduction to her benefits. Her work income is
VIEWPOINT: New York State Budget Bill’s Impact on the Workplace
State enacts paid prenatal leave, keeps paid COVID-19 sick leave on the books through mid-2025 After much anticipation, New York State lawmakers came to a final agreement on a budget bill that contains several key changes employers should note. Three employment-law provisions of Gov. Kathy Hochul’s executive-budget proposal, which we reported on in January, survived
VIEWPOINT: Marketing is not a foreign language
The main challenge facing marketers in 2024 might not be a new one. The idea of marketing as a standalone department is crystallized in popular culture. Think of the AMC drama “Mad Men” — the story of an insular advertising agency with its own language, uncompromising internal politics, and ambitions disconnected from those of its
Ask Rusty: Can I Claim Social Security and Still Work?
Dear Rusty: I will be turning 63 soon. Can I apply for Social Security (SS) and continue to work? Would I be limited to how many hours or how much I could make? I know my monthly SS amount would be cut by 30 percent, or somewhere around that, but how would working affect me?
Ask Rusty: When Should We Claim Social Security Benefits?
Dear Rusty: I am almost 63 and my husband will be 61 soon, and we are looking to see when our best time would be to start our Social Security benefits. We would like to know if one of us qualifies for benefits from a previous marriage from 1984-1995. And we are wondering if I
Stay up-to-date on the companies, people and issues that impact businesses in Syracuse, Central New York and beyond.