By Rachel Phillips
Saratoga County will soon have a another ALDI grocery story open for business.
The new store will be located off Lowe’s Drive in Wilton. A new road, called ALDI Drive, will also be constructed to allow access to the store from Old Gick Road.
According to Bruce Persohn, ALDI South Windsor Division vice president, the plan is for the store to open before the end of 2020.
Contractors Group: Employment Increased In 29 States In 2019; NYS Dipped Slightly
Thirty-four states and the District of Columbia added construction jobs between December 2018 and December 2019, while construction employment increased in 29 states from November to December, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America of Labor Department data released om January.
Association officials added that most contractors expect to continue adding to their payrolls in 2020, according to the results of the association’s annual construction forecast.
In New York state, figures showed job losses in the industry of 0.1 to 5 percent.
“Construction employment consistently expanded in at least two-thirds of the states throughout 2019, even though contractors reported difficulty in finding qualified workers all year long,” said Ken Simonson, the association’s chief economist. “As long as they are able to continue finding qualified workers, most firms expect to continue hiring this year.”
But finding workers is still an issue.
Business Report: HR Consultant Adds Value To A Business
By JAMES MARCO
When we first meet a potential client, and find out that they are having “HR concerns,” we find that those concerns fall into one of three major categories along a continuum.
The first is the small company who has had someone, often in the accounting department, trying to do HR and payroll in addition to their regular job. This person finds out a few tidbits about all the laws and compliance in the HR world, and feels more than a little overwhelmed.
This is really the first step in the development of an HR function: ensuring compliance. Small companies often cannot justify the cost of full time HR expertise, and often rely on HR firms for this guidance. Help with compliance—handbooks, job descriptions, and policy development—are usually the primary needs of small, growing companies.
State’s Family Leave Program Will Impact Employee Scheduling, Among Other Things
Courtesy Hamel Resources
By Christine Graf
The state’s paid family leave program (PFL) is having a significant impact on some businesses, say those in the Human Resources field.
New York’s PFL has been in effect since 2018, but won’t be completely phased in until 2021. It provides paid time off for individuals to bond with a newly born, adopted or fostered child, care for a family member with a serious illness, or assist a loved one when a family member is deployed abroad on active military service.
As of Jan. 1, New Yorkers may be eligible to take up to 10 weeks of family leave and receive 55 percent of their salary. By 2021, 12 weeks of leave will be offered at 67 percent pay. Weekly pay caps are calculated based on state averages.
Gail Hamel, the owner of Lake George-based Hamel Resources, said the law impacts some businesses more than others. She is a human resources consultant who works with both large and small businesses.
Local HR Professional Named Chairman Of American Staffing Assn. Health Care Council
Courtesy Stat Staff Professionals
Thomas Kernan, vice president of strategic planning and general counsel with Stat Staff Professionals in Saratoga Springs was recently appointed chairman of the American Staffing Association health care section council.
ASA is the professional trade association of the $161-billion U.S. staffing, recruiting, and workforce solutions industry.
In this role, Kernan will work with ASA and its board of directors to spearhead programs and services that meet the health care sector’s needs within the association. ASA section councils are composed of member volunteers who advise the association’s board of directors on sector-specific issues and design programs to meet the unique business challenges faced by those sectors of the staffing industry.
A seasoned business attorney and healthcare staffing professional, Kernan oversees the company’s legal affairs and collaborates with the company’s CEO on strategic planning initiatives including establishing company policies, priorities, and business development objectives.
Business Report: What Work Culture Do You Want?
So much of today’s business literature focuses on culture, ping pong tables, juice bars, and other office perks. These are the types of things that are supposed to attract and retain talent.
The fact is, every company has a “culture.” What is interesting, in many, cases is that management will often see the culture differently from line staff.
Culture is not your mission or vision statement, it’s not found in those motivational wall posters and slogans seen in many office environments. Culture is not found in some grand proclamation from the CEO. And culture certainly isn’t found at a juice bar, cappuccino machine, ping pong table, or bean bag chair.
Culture is found in the daily interactions between staff, the interactions between management and staff, and the interactions of company employees with customers and those with whom you do business. Culture can be a competitive advantage for an organization.
Business Report: Knowing When It’s Time To Say Goodbye
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.
Pension Administrator And Actuarial Firm Opens Its First Upstate NY Office In Saratoga
INTAC Actuarial Services, a national third-party pension administrator and actuarial firm with over 40 years in business, announces the opening of its first upstate New York office in Saratoga Springs.
“Choosing Saratoga Springs as the latest addition to our family of offices came naturally to us as we recognized the need to continue building a presence in this vibrant business area,” said Charles Rosenberg, INTAC managing partner. “This exciting Capital Region setting now complements our New Jersey and California offices, strengthening INTAC’s ability to serve our clients and industry partners.”
INTAC, a second generation, family-owned and operated company, provides its clients with unparalleled pension administration expertise and personalized service. The office is on Clinton Street in the downtown area.
“Our firm’s motto—Employer of Choice, Clients for Life—is proven by the business and industry awards we have received for gold star service to clients, financial advisors and other industry partners by the finest staff of professionals in the industry,” affirms Rosenberg. “Every plan sponsor has unique goals and needs; we greatly look forward to building valued and trusted relationships with our new clients.”
Properly Utilized Office Space, High Functioning Equipment, Help Workers Be More Productive
©2018 Saratoga Photographer.com
By Rachel Phillips
Businesses with cluttered offices or cramped reception areas might think that their poorly designed spaces are just a minor inconvenience, but one local business believes otherwise.
According to Dorothy Rogers-Bullis, owner of drb Business Interiors in Saratoga Springs, an office with properly utilized space has more benefits than being aesthetically pleasing.
“We make people very successful in their space,” said Rogers-Bullis.
Similarly, while a business can’t function without hardworking employees, there’s no denying the role equipment can play in deter. Whether it’s break room supplies, printer ink and toner, computer hardware, everyday office supplies, or cleaning supplies, Seeley Office Systems, which serves businesses in Saratoga, Washington and Warren counties, has a broad catalogue of wares available for business owners.
Vertucci Consulting Helps Employers Accomplish Tasks; Also Assists Job Seekers
©2017 Saratoga Photographer.com
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.