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Celebrating Over 45 Years of Staffing Excellence!
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Staffing Firm Fined for Failure to Accommodate
A Texas-based company that provides "food demonstrators" to retailers and warehouse stores has agreed to pay
$2.65 million to settle a U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) lawsuit alleging disability bias against the workers. More than one hundred former workers will share the settlement.
The agency said the employees, who prepared and served food samples to shoppers, were only allowed to sit on a stool for 10 minutes every two hours. EEOC alleged that permission to sit for longer periods of time - which the employer denied - would have been a reasonable accommodation for some employees with disabilities.
In addition to the payout, the consent decree requires the employer to designate ADA coordinators to address requests for accommodation, revise its disability discrimination and reasonable accommodation policies, provide training to managers and employees and establish a toll-free number for employees to obtain information about requests for accommodations.
Lisa Burden - HR Dive
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Work Opportunity Tax Credit
The Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) is a Federal tax credit available to employers for hiring individuals from certain "targeted groups" who have consistently faced significant barriers to employment. Employers can hire eligible employees from the following target groups for WOTC:
Qualified IV-A Recipient
Qualified Veteran
Ex-Felon
Designated Community Resident
Vocational Rehabilitation Referral
Summer Youth Employee
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Recipient
Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Recipient
Long-Term Family Assistance Recipient
Qualified Long-Term Unemployment Recipient
Claiming tax credits can potentially save a business thousands of dollars per year. Because the process of application and certification for these credits can be a bit involved, many companies choose to utilize a tax incentive service. Below are two providers of such services as a reference. (Flex-Staff has no affiliation with either of these services.)
Honkamp-Krueger Financial Services - Stacey May (888-556-0123)
Mancon Tax Incentive Services - Chad Brown (844-921-0930)
Additional information on the Work Opportunity Tax Credit program can be found here.
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10 Tips for Healthy Holiday Eating
It's easy to get swept up in the holiday season, but feasts and parties can tax the arteries and strain the waistline. Be choosy and spend calories judiciously on the foods you love.
Take 10 before taking seconds - It takes a few minutes for your stomach's "I'm getting full" signal to get to your brain. After finishing your first helping, take a 10-minute break. Then recheck your appetite. You might realize you are full.
Distance helps the heart stay healthy - At a party, don't stand next to the food table. That makes it harder to mindlessly reach for food as you talk. If you know you are prone to recreational eating, pop a mint or a stick of gum so you won't keep reaching for the chips.
Don't go out with an empty tank - Before setting out for a party, eat something so you don't arrive famished.
Drink to your health - A glass of eggnog can set you back 500 calories; wine, beer, and mixed drinks range from 150 to 225 calories. If you drink alcohol, have a glass of water or juice-flavored seltzer in between drinks.
Avoid alcohol on an empty stomach - Alcohol increases your appetite and diminishes your ability to control what you eat.
Put on your dancing (or walking) shoes - Dancing is a great way to work off some holiday calories. If you are at a family gathering, suggest a walk before the feast or even between dinner and dessert.
Make room for veggies - At meals and parties, don't ignore fruits and vegetables. They make great snacks and even better side or main dishes - unless they're slathered with creamy sauces or butter.
Be buffet savvy - At a buffet, wander 'round the food table before putting anything on your plate. By checking out all of your options, you might be less inclined to pile on items one after another.
Don't shop hungry - Eat before you go shopping so the scent of Cinnabons or caramel corn doesn't tempt you to gobble treats you don't need.
Cook from (and for) the heart - To show family and friends that you really care about them, be creative with recipes that use less butter, cream, lard, vegetable shortening, and other ingredients rich in saturated fats. Prepare turkey or fish instead of red meat.
Patrick Skerritt - Harvard Health Publishing
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Recipe
Cinnamon Roll Pancakes
INGREDIENTS
CINNAMON FILLING:
4
tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, just melted (not boiling)
6
tablespoons packed light brown sugar
1/2
tablespoon ground cinnamon
CREAM CHEESE GLAZE:
4
tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
2
ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
3/4
cup powdered sugar
1/2
teaspoon vanilla extract
PANCAKES:
1
cup all-purpose flour
2
teaspoons baking powder
1/2
teaspoon salt
1 cup
milk
1
large egg, lightly beaten
1
tablespoon canola or vegetable oil
INSTRUCTIONS
PREPARE CINNAMON FILLING:
In a medium bowl, stir together the butter, brown sugar and cinnamon. Scoop the filling into a quart-sized heavy zip baggie and set it aside (see *Tips below).
PREPARE GLAZE:
In a small pan, heat the butter over low heat until melted. Turn off the heat and whisk in the cream cheese until it is almost smooth. Sift the powdered sugar into the pan, stir and add in vanilla extract. Set the pan aside while you make the pancakes.
PREPARE PANCAKE BATTER:
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Whisk in the milk, egg and oil, just until the batter is moistened (a few small lumps are fine).
COOK THE PANCAKES:
Heat a large, nonstick skillet over medium-heat and spray with nonstick spray. Use a ladle or a 1/3 cup measuring cup to add the batter to the pan, and spread the batter into a circle about 4 inches in diameter. Snip the corner of your baggie of cinnamon filling and squeeze the filling into the open corner. When your pancake begins to form bubbles, squeeze the filling on top of the pancake batter in a swirl starting at the center (just as you see in a regular cinnamon roll). Cook the pancake 2 to 3 minutes, or until the bubbles begin popping on top of the pancake and it's golden brown on the bottom. Gently but quickly flip it over. Cook an additional 2 to 3 minutes, until the other side is golden brown. Serve pancakes topped with a drizzle of glaze.
recipegirl.com
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Inspirational Quote
So you speak to me of sadness and the coming of the winter,
The fear that is within you now that seems to never end,
and the dreams that have escaped you and the hope that you've forgotten,
and you tell me that you need me now and you want to be my friend,
and you wonder where we're going, where's the rhyme and where's the reason?
And it's you cannot accept: it is here we must begin
to seek the wisdom of the children and the graceful way of flowers in the wind.
For the children and the flowers are my sisters and my brothers,
their laughter and their loveliness would clear a cloudy day.
Like the music of the mountains and the colors of the rainbow,
they're a promise of the future and a blessing for today.
Though the cities start to crumble and the towers fall around us,
the sun is slowly fading and it's colder than the sea.
It is written: From the desert to the mountains they shall lead us,
by the hand and by the heart, they will comfort you and me.
In their innocence and trusting they will teach us to be free.
For the children and the flowers are my sisters and my brothers,
their laughter and their loveliness would clear a cloudy day.
And the song that I am singing is a prayer to non-believers,
come and stand beside us we can find a better way.
Henry John Deutschendorf
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