Why So Many Americans are Working Multiple Jobs

Employco USA

New research from the Labor Department reveals that 1 in 20 Americans work multiple jobs. While that is the national average, several states have higher numbers than that. 8.7 percent of job holders in South Dakota work two jobs, followed by 8.5 percent of job holders in Vermont, and 8.4 percent in Nebraska.

“Currently, it is difficult to say whether or not these numbers point to a troubling economy or a solid economy,” says Rob Wilson, employment expert and CEO of Employco USA, “On the one hand, it illustrates that many Americans have to work two jobs in order to make ends meet, but on the other hand it also illustrates that people are able to find work.”

Still, Wilson believes it could be a troubling trend. “I believe that Obamacare could be partially behind American’s need to have multiple jobs,” he says, “Many employers balked at the idea of providing insurance to their full-time staff, so in order to skirt around the new rulings, they simply shaved hours off their employees’ schedules.”

Not only did this allow employers to avoid providing health insurance (as only firms with 50 or more full-time staff are required to provide insurance), but it also will allow them to navigate around other potential financial landmines.

“If the new overtime law goes into effect, shaving hours off employees’ schedules might become a must for companies who simply cannot afford to pay their staff these increased wages. Sadly, the people who suffer here are the average Americans—because they now have to find supplemental work just to make ends meet.”

New Research Reveals Americans’ Opinion of Employment 

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A recent survey from the American Staffing Association found that most Americans have little faith that they can find a better job than the one they currently have. As for unemployed Americans, hope is equally dim as 38 percent of able-bodied workers say that they do not believe they can find a job in the coming year.

CEO of Employco USA and employment expert Rob Wilson says, “According to the old adage, there is no job harder than trying to find a job, and that can be true even if you are already gainfully employed. Many Americans are miserable in their current positions, but they don’t want to waste their precious time off looking for another job if they have little hope their hard work will pay off.”

Wilson believes part of the problem is that the job search is so terrifying to many people. “Looking for a job can make you incredibly vulnerable,” he says, “Even a confident person can become depleted after a slew of unsuccessful interviews.”

His advice? Work smarter, not harder.

“If you use an employment agency, you can immediately tap into a world of connections and possibilities that would not otherwise be available to you,” says Wilson, “And these experts can be invaluable in helping you improve your resume and interview skills.”

Wilson also believes a shotgun approach isn’t the best way to go. “Don’t waste your time applying to 50 jobs just so you can feel accomplished,” he says, “Chances are most of those jobs aren’t a good fit for you, so all you have done is waste your time and the employer’s time. Instead, hone in on jobs that are specific to your skills and interests. It’s better to apply to one job a week rather than 50, if that one job could actually open doors for you.”

Lastly, Wilson thinks practice makes perfect. “There is no such thing as a wasted interview. Every interaction gives you a chance to fine-tune your skills and improve your communication.”

For more on Wilson’s job hunting tips or to speak to him further, please contact me.

Confusion Runs Rampant as Millions Pay Obamacare Penalty

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7.5 million Americans were required to pay a penalty last year due to not having health insurance. This is a higher number than the government predicted, and many worry it is a sign that the country is not prepared for Obamacare.

Rob Wilson, CEO of Employco USA, says “The Affordable Care Act is causing issues across the board. Not only did the IRS collect $1.5 billion dollars in penalty fees from hardworking Americans, but many people also were confused about filling about their tax forms. Taxpayers who paid a penalty to the IRS should have claimed an exemption on their tax forms, but thousands and thousands did not, simply because they were not informed. As a result, they overpaid the government on their taxes.”

Additionally, about five million Americans claimed no health insurance status on their forms, leaving the government struggling to find out how to categorize these folks. “We don’t know how millions of Americans in this country are able to pay for healthcare, or if they are receiving healthcare. It’s scary business.”

Critics Challenge Netflix’s Paternal Leave Plan 

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The pros and cons of Netflix’s game-changing family leave.

Netflix recently announced that they will offer one year of paid leave for mothers and fathers after they have a child. Microsoft made similar changes to their paternal leave by offering 12 weeks of paid time off for parents. (Currently, America is one of the few developed nations that doesn’t mandate paid time off for new parents.)

Rob Wilson, CEO of Employco USA, says, “Many people are criticizing Netflix because they feel the plan is too open-ended. People have the option to come back when they desire (within a year’s time), but many employees say that they will feel pressured to come back sooner in order to protect their position and their upward mobility. No one wants to be the employee that takes a full year if everyone else is taking just a few months or less. Women might especially feel this pressure as they often have to work twice as hard to earn promotions and raises.”

Wilson says that majority of Employco’s clients follow the FMLA guidelines and provide 12 weeks of time off, although this time is not paid.

“Most of these companies do not offer paid leave, but they do offer short term disability insurance through our office which has no waiting period if purchased during open enrollment,” he says. “In most cases, employees use a combination of vacation/PTO and short term disability in order to survive those early days of parenthood. It’s not a perfect system, but things continue to improve as more people aren’t afraid to broach this topic with their employers and ask for what they need.”

What College Kids Need to Know about Part-time Jobs

Employco USA

Nearly 4 out of 5 college students have a job, with most spending almost 20 hours a week working along with attending classes. However, being a student and an employee can certainly be a strain, not to mention, competition for jobs on campuses can be fierce.

Rob Wilson, CEO of Employco USA, says, “Most college kids need to work in order to help pay the bills. However, it’s a shame that so many get jobs that won’t be helpful to their careers in the long run, or jobs that don’t pay them fairly for their time.”

Here are Wilson’s top tips for how college students can make the most of part-time work:

1)   Think outside the quad. “A job on campus might seem ideal,” says Wilson, “You can be close to classes and see your friends. However, campus jobs don’t generally pay well, and you will be competing with thousands of others kids. If you have transportation options, I suggest looking off campus.”

2)   Don’t just look for “fun” places to work. “Yes, being a barback at your favorite bar would be cool,” says Wilson. “But it’s not exactly going to impress any future employers down the road. Look for jobs that have cache in the field you want to break into, even if you have to start at the bottom, such as working in the mail room at your city newspaper if you want to be a journalist.”

3)   Don’t stop at the Campus Career Center. “Your career center probably has some options for students looking for work,” says Wilson, “But I think students should go even one step further. Find a temp agency that can help you look for part-time work. Not only will they help you find jobs, they can help you work on your resume and perfect your interview skills.”

4)   Be professional. “People sometimes hesitate to hire college students because they picture an Animal House personality,” says Wilson. “Make sure that you dress professionally (ditch the college uniform of jeans and pjs), and that your social media doesn’t reflect poorly on you.  Look at your TA’s and grad students in your field. They dress the part and hence come off as more confident and capable.”

5)   Don’t be afraid to intern. “Taking a job for little or no pay can seem crazy,” says Wilson, “But, trust me, it might be the smartest thing you can do for your future. Gaining real world experience and collecting valuable contacts will make a world of difference when you finally graduate.”

Why Small Businesses Could Suffer under Changes to United States’ Employment Laws

Employco USA

A recent study from Duke University found that employment laws which protect employees from being fired affect small businesses to a much greater extent than large businesses. This is because these employee protection laws leave plenty of room for loopholes, loopholes which large companies can easily utilize to their advantage.

Employment expert and CEO of Employco USA Rob Wilson explains, “Under employee protection laws in places such as Europe, employees are kept safe from being fired under certain circumstances. This means small business owners are forced to keep them on and pay their wages. However, large companies can often sidestep this law by shunting employees off to new locations or rearranging their staff—a luxury a small firm cannot afford.”

Both Wilson and the study researchers conclude that implementing such employee protection laws in the United States could wreak havoc on small businesses.

Wilson says, “Companies large and small have already suffered under recent changes to employment laws. From Obamacare to the minimum wage to proposed changes to overtime, employers are facing new financial strain every day.”

Why “Obamanomics” is Bad for Business

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From new minimum wage rulings to proposed overtime changes to the Affordable Care Act, President Obama has made significant changes in the way companies in this country can do business. According to Rob Wilson, employment expert and CEO of Employco USA, “Obamanomics” could spell disaster for many employers.

“It started with Obamacare,” explains Wilson. “Since many companies couldn’t afford to offer their staff health insurance, they slashed employees’ hours and made them part-time instead of full-time, thereby forcing Americans to cobble together multiple part-time jobs in order to make ends meet. Now, companies face another issue: Overtime.”

Currently, the Obama administration is proposing changes to overtime regulations, changes which would offer more employees the chance to earn this extra income. However, not everyone thinks this is such a good plan.

Wilson says, “Economists don’t think the proposed plan is tenable in the long-term. Overtime wages are projected to be $1.3 billion. The FICA taxes associated with the OT wages alone is roughly $200 million (employer and employee combined). Plus, many people fear that employers will simply dump employees rather than face the prospect of paying multiple people overtime. Others will decrease their employees’ salaries in order not to lose money as a result of all the overtime they will have to pay. It’s a lose-lose for everyone.”

What the New Minimum Wage Requirement Could Mean for Companies

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As of last Wednesday, the new minimum wage in Chicago bumped from $8.25 to $10. By 2019, the new minimum wage requirement will be set at $13. However, employment expert Rob Wilson says that there are loopholes which people should look out for.
He says, “There are a few ways that people can possibly work around the minimum wage requirement. The main way is by keeping their company located outside of the city. For example, a company could be located in Deerfield, but still do business in the city, whether it is window-washing or tent rentals. In doing so, they can avoid paying their employees the new legal wage set by the city.”
Wilson, who is the CEO of Employco USA, an employment solutions firm, continues, “Virtual companies could also be confronted with new issues due to this law. For example, virtual companies in Chicago might have to leave if they have minimum wage workers elsewhere. All in all, this new wage ruling will have unexpected consequences as well as potential loopholes.”

Supreme justice ruling on Same-Sex marriage may mean a loss of benefits for Domestic Partners

Employco USA

Friday’s ruling by the Supreme Court overturned all bans of Same-Sex marriage across the nation and afforded gay and lesbian spouses equal rights under both state and federal law. For many this is a victory of human rights and a landmark that will pave the way for further equality. It was only a few years ago when public sentiment was quite the opposite. 2012 marked the defining year when public opinion swayed in favor of gay and lesbian marriage and since then that favor has grown to a strong majority. ‘Gallup Gay & Lesbian Rights Statistical Poll – 1977-2015’

While it is clear that the majority of Americans are in favor of the ruling passed down, it is fair to say that the long term affects will be significant, especially for employers in states where gay marriage was banned previously. Employers in all states should take this time to review their handbooks and company policy and update any terminology around spousal relationships especially where it refers to employee benefits and legally protected rights such as FMLA.

It is still unclear as to how companies will handle the upcoming surge of spousal inclusions to their healthcare plans, whether some will offer early open enrollments, if the ruling from the Supreme Court will, in effect, create a “qualifying life event,” or if employers will simply allow for longer enrollment periods to sort out the changes. You can expect guidance from healthcare carriers to arrive soon.

Companies that adopted a domestic partner policy to their healthcare plans and corporate policy will most likely begin phasing those out over the next year. For most states, even where gay marriage was legal, companies were given the option of allowing a domestic partner clause onto their healthcare – essentially allowing individuals with long term live-in partners to gain health benefits. While the tax benefits were not the same as they were for married individuals, it afforded the employee the ability to give his or her partner coverage and allowed the employer to support their own personal beliefs without the concern of state legality.

As of the ruling on Friday, 5 states have ceased to offer civil unions and domestic partnerships* and that list is expected to grow. According to the 2010 census, 6.8 million households are unmarried, opposite-sex partners (5.9 percent of all households), compared with about 650,000 households with unmarried, same-sex partners (0.6 percent of all households). What does this mean? The vast majority of individuals receiving domestic partner benefits are opposite-sex couples.

This “curb-cut” effect (when an accommodation or law is passed to support one group of people but becomes beneficial to the population at large) will quickly become void for many individuals as employers and states move to discontinue benefits to unmarried domestic partnerships. Many rights were afforded the gay and lesbian population on Friday, but for those individuals taking advantage of the domestic partner/civil union benefits their employer provided, it may be time to look at a more formal and legal option to the relationship.

*Connecticut, Delaware, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont

Why Obamacare Means Americans Need 2 Jobs to Stay Afloat

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Employment Expert Explains Why Obamacare Has Led To Job Losses And Slashed Hours

Under the Affordable Care Act, companies with 50 or more employees are required to provide health insurance to their staff if these employees work 30 hours or more a week.

Rob Wilson, President of Employco USA, says, “Since many companies cannot afford to provide health insurance for their staff, employers have instead opted to cut their employees’ hours so that they can limit their number of full-time staff and avoid costly health insurance plans. That means that many families will be forced to have working parents with not one but two jobs…and still no insurance!”

The bad new doesn’t end there, according to Wilson. As companies hunt for the most affordable plans and try to juggle all these new costs, something has to give.

Wilson explains, “To save money, employers might select an insurance plan that has higher out-of-pocket spending or even an insurance plan that does not place a cap on individual spending. This means that employees might now get stuck with a high-cost insurance plan for the next year, potentially spending thousands of dollars out-of-pocket on their healthcare.  Numerous organizations have already seen their out-of-pocket expenditures skyrocket, and everyone from college students to families have seen their healthcare costs become an expensive luxury…if not completely unaffordable.”