Warning!
Paying a Salary Does Not Eliminate Overtime Pay
If you believe that paying
any employee a salary rather than an hourly wage means you
don't have to pay overtime pay for work in excess of 40 hours
a week, you are WRONG. Employees who
are normally classified as hourly workers rather than exempt
employees(i.e.,
management, salespersons, or independent functioning administrative
personnel) cannot even waive their legal right to overtime
pay even if they want to do so. If you decide to pay a pressman
a salary all you have done is give him/her broader leeway
to come in late or work partial days and still get full weekly
salary, but if he/she works more than 40 hours in a regular
workweek, they are entitled to receive overtime pay at one
and a half times their hourly rate. The hourly rate would
be calculated as the "salary" divided
by your regular scheduled weekly work hours (40 or 37.5 or
other). A non-exempt employee currently working under "a
salary" arrangement
who has not been receiving overtime pay as required by law,
could file a complaint with the wage and hour department
and collect up to three years of past overtime wages due.
And on a related note...
Exempt
Status of CSR's and Estimators in Question
In an unexpected move, the Wage/Hour
Division of the U.S. Department of Labor recently withdrew
several opinion letters on several exempt, overtime,
bonus, and salary deduction issues. Of particular concern
is the withdrawal of a letter that did confirm exempt
status for a Client Service
Manager of an insurance company. The company used
the Administrative exemption test under Section 541 to
claim that the position should be exempt from overtime.
The letter stated, “work
directly related to the management or general business
operations of the employer’s customers and
primary duties including the exercise of discretion and
independent judgment with respect to matters of significance"
would make the position exempt. The government
agreed with that position. In the printing
industry, many employers have used similar arguments to
reason that Customer Service Representatives and Estimators
are exempt positions under federal law (note: certain states
have laws/regulations on the books that can make these
positions non-exempt, e.g., California). The government's
withdrawal of the opinion letter may mark a
major shift in how exempt positions are determined in the
future. For more on this story, see www.dol.gov/esa/whd/opinion/FLSA/2009/2009_01_16_26_FLSA.htm
andwww.dol.gov/esa/whd/opinion/flsa.htm.
Get
Perfect Color from a Digital Press
At last-a program to help you get
high-quality color output from your digital press! "Optimizing
Color from Your Digital Press" will be held July 20-21
at the Printing Industries of America HQ in Pittsburgh,
PA. Led by world-renowned digital expert David Zwang and
Julie Shaffer, Vice President, Digital Technologies of
Printing Industries of America, this two-day workshop will
give you hands on experience and a comprehensive understanding
of what it takes to produce high quality digital output.
Attendees will learn how to:
- Apply troubleshooting, benchmarking,
and operational improvements
- Improve digital color output
and consistency
- Increase production speed while
maintaining quality
- Build and ensure customer satisfaction
Bonus! When you register for this program
you will have the opportunity to take part in a digital
color survey and compare your company to the national results,
plus download a digital test form, bring the sheets to
class, and compare your sheets to a standard.
Cost for this program is $595 for members. Get more info
and register at www.printing.org or
call 800-910-4283, ext. 755.
And in case you didn't know...the
Digital Printing Council (DPC) is a select program available
to all Printing Industries of America members. The DPC provides
its members and the printing industry with informative tools and publications
that are designed to help firms be more productive, efficient, and generate more
sales with new digital technologies. The DPC offers two levels of membership—the
basic level is included FREE as part of your membership in PGAMA. Learn more
at www.printing.org in the Programs & Services section under Sections,
Groups & Councils.
Celebrate
Your Employees
Studies have shown that employee recognition programs enhance
morale, increase productivity, and motivate performance.
Now more than ever, it's important to keep your best people
satisfied with their jobs, to save you the cost of recruiting
and training. If you do not have an employee recognition
program in place, Printing Industries of America can get
you started. The association sells certificates of achievement
for administrative, production, and management staff, as
well as certificates for length of service and 25-Year congratulatory
awards. (All certificates are $19 each.) They also have wood
grain plaques to display the certificates for $29 each. (Of
course, you can always create your own company certificates,
too!) Upcoming events on the employee recognition calendar:
Shipping/Receiving/Drivers Week (May 11-17); Mailers Week
(July 20-24) and Customer Service/Bindery Week (Oct 5-9.)
For more info about the program, go to www.printing.org in
the Programs & Services section under Awards & Recognition.
Staples
Is New Business Partner
Staples has teamed up with our national
Association to offer members a brand new office supply
procurement program. Effective as of April 29, you are
eligible to receive low contract pricing on more than 30,000
office supply products through StaplesLink.com. This program
offers you an average
discount of 55% on office product purchases; the
convenience of online ordering and FREE Next Day Delivery
on minimum orders of $30, plus an easy online return process
and more. To start saving, enroll in this program today.
You will need your 6-digit Printing Industries of America
ID to get started. Contact Carol
Atwood at PGAMA, 410-319-0900
if you need your ID number. For more info about the program
or to start shopping online, click
here.
Freebie
of the Week-Adobe Video Training
If you would like to heighten your knowledge and expand
your abilities using Adobe products, this series of FREE
videos can help. Learn the ins and outs of Acrobat, Flash,
Illustrator, InDesign, Photoshop, and more. Easy to navigate
site has videos sorted by product and title. Most clips are
less than five minutes. Check it out at www.adobe.com/designcenter/video_workshop/.
Member Anniversaries
Congratulations to the following companies, marking major
anniversaries as Association members this month:
***75 YEARS!***
Flint Group
25 Years
Design Print & Mail
20 Years
K & W finishing, inc.
Levine & Associates, Inc.
One Mile Up, Inc.
SGM Bindery, Inc.
10 Years
EU Services
Wildes-Spirit Design & Printing
5 Years
PrintPartnersLLC
Member
News
Walker Supply invites
you to their Wide Format Open House May 14 & 15 at
their facility, 45 Derwood Circle in Rockville, MD. The
event will be held from 9:00am-4:00pm, and will showcase
the new Epson Stylus Pro GS6000 Low Solvent Printer, the
Mutoh Hybrid 1608 Flatbed/Roll Printer, and the Epson Stylus
Pro 7900. Live demonstrations and a chance to ask questions
of top industry manufacturers. Refreshments will be available.
RSVP by May 11 to 301-738-6500. For details and info call
Kent Walker, 800-775-9528.
Oles Envelope prevailed in
a dispute with the City of Baltimore over a contract for
printing water bill envelopes. The city had asked companies
to bid for the job, and at the end of April, had picked a
Florida company even though their quote was higher than Oles'.
Mark Jones, a customer service rep for Oles, contested the
decision during a meeting with top officials at City Hall.
The result: Oles Envelope was awarded the job. Read
the whole story here.
EU Services won two gold
awards from the National Association for Printing Leadership
(NAPL), in the Web positioning and community events categories.
Full details about the competition are on WhatTheyThink.com.
In Memoriam
We regret to report that Ralph
H Barrett, Jr.,
a former Chairman of the Board of P&GCA, died Thursday
April 30.
Services were held Tuesday.
Upcoming Events
| May 12 |
Webinar: Employee Free Choice
Act-Avoiding Unionization,
2:00-3:00pm. Many expect the number of unionized workers
to triple over the next several years due to the economy
and the new political climate. Learn effective management
practices that undermine union overtures and organization
strategies, lawful means for eliminating unions, and
union interferences as well as how to negotiate new
cost-savvy bargaining agreements. This FREE webinar
is brought to you by Offit-Kurman. Register on pgama.com. |
| May 13 |
Webinar: Beyond Print: Expanding Print
Sales and Profits with Ancillary Services. 10:00-11:00am.
Over
the past decade printers sales of ancillary services
has grown faster than print, now accounting for
more than one in nine sales dollars for the typical
printer. For many printers the proportion is much higher.
Learn how printers are increasing both sales and profits
by selling print and beyond. Led by Ron Davis, Chief
Economist for Printing Industries of America. Cost is
$59 per connection for members/$118 for non-members.
Register with PGAMA, 410-319-0900 or at www.pgama.com. |
| May 14 & 21 |
Seminar: Credit
Crisis RX, at
the University of Baltimore Thumel Business Center,
M. Scott Kaufman Auditorium (11 West Mt. Royal Avenue,
Baltimore MD). The Credit Crisis Rx Workshop continues,
with sessions on “What to Do When Your Bank Says
No” (May 14) and “Bridging the Gap When
Debt Financing Isn’t Enough.” Owners, CEOs,
COO’s and CFOs should attend! Cost is $95. More
info and registration online. Presented
by the Maryland Dept. of Business & Economic Development. |
| May 19 |
Workshop:
Post-Recession Planning, 9:30am-4:00pm
at PGAMA. Is your firm
ready to face the post-recession
print market? Find
out what to expect from
the economy, what the
hot trends will be,
and how to get in on
the action. Featured
speaker is Dr. Joe
Webb from WhatTheyThink.com! This
event will be FREE
for members and includes
lunch. Register with
PGAMA, 410-319-0900
or at www.pgama.com.
Sponsored by member
firm Presstek, Inc. |
| May 21 |
Special Event:
Cocktails &
Connections Happy Hour,
5:30-7:30pm at Liberatore's in Timonium, MD. Join us
for this strictly social gathering to meet and mingle
with your professional peers. FREE event--but you
must RSVP in order to attend. Sign up at www.pgama.com or
call the office, 410-319-0900. Liberatore's is located
at 9515 Deereco Road, Timonium, MD 21093 (PH: 410-561-3300).
Sponsored by member firms Advantage Book Binding
and Group Benefit Review, and non-member firm Atlas
Container. |
| May 27 |
Webinar: Key Dynamics Shaping Print Markets
and Printers over the Next Decade,
10:00-11:00am. Planning to stay in the printing
industry for another decade or more? Check out
this "tour
of the future" to explore the possible good,
bad and ugly trends that will shape the industry
environment over the next 10-20 years and how your
can design the "printing firm of the future" to
prepare for the worst and capitalize on the good.
Led by Ron Davis, Chief Economist for Printing
Industries of America. Cost is $59 per connection
for members/$118 for non-members. Register with
PGAMA, 410-319-0900 or at www.pgama.com. |
| June
3-5 |
Seminar:
Total
Immersion VDP,
at the Printing
Industries of America
headquarters
in Pittsburgh, PA.
VDP is the driving force
behind marketing campaigns
today, so it is crucial
for your company to
have the right
staff
and knowledge to give
you the highest profits
from this technology.
Attend this workshop
to get hands on training
focusing on converting
data to
images, colors,
and custom messages.
Member cost is $895.
Register at www.printing.org. |
| June 4 |
MAGE
Lunch & Learn
Meeting:
Sales Tips & Leads
from the Baltimore
Business Journal,
Noon-1:00pm at PGAMA.
This lunchtime session
will give you tips
on being a "Smart
Reader" of
the BBJ. Attend and
learn:
-About the Book of
Lists (what it is, how to get in it and how to use
it)
-How to “Skim & Decide”(techniques
for finding what you need from the Baltimore Business
Journal)
-How to recognize sales leads within news stories
and features
-How to use this information to support your networking
efforts
Cost
is $15 for MAGE members
and $25 for non-MAGE members.
Limited seating-register
early. To sign up go to www.pgama.com or call the office, 410-319-0900. |
| June 8 |
Special
Event: PGAMA
Golf Outing, 8:45am
shotgun start at Crofton
Country Club. Make
contacts
with other members
and business associates
at our annual golf
outing.
A challenging course,
an outstanding lunch,
and prizes for Longest
Drive, Closest to Pin,
Hole in One and Putting. Cost is $145 per person
for golf, breakfast
and lunch; $45 for
lunch/awards
only. Early
Bird Discount! Register
by May 11 and pay
$135
per person! Look
for flyer from PGAMA
with registration
info, or call the
office, 410-319-0900. |
| June
9 |
Special
Event: Green Media Conference, 8:45am-5:00pm
at the Marriott Wardman
Park Hotel-2660 Woodley
Road NW-in Washington,
D.C. Networking reception
follows, 5:00-6:00pm.
PGAMA is co-sponsoring
this one day conference,
presented by leading
experts and actual end-users
of sustainable media.
Attend to increase your
knowledge on becoming lean
and green! Learn from
top thought leaders and
practitioners on building
profits in a down economy,
plus find out about the
Involvement of governmental
agencies and where the
stimulus money is going.
Keynote speaker is Bob
Tapella. PGAMA members
pay the discounted rate
of $395 per person! More info
and register at http://www.sustaincommworld.com. |
| June
19 |
Special
Event: Art Stowe's Retirement
Party, 7:00-10:00pm
at Martin's West-6821
Dogwood Road in
Woodlawn,
MD. Join current members,
former members, colleagues,
friends, and family
to salute
PGAMA President Art
Stowe who is retiring
after a remarkable
39 years of service
to the Association
and to the industry.
Join us for cocktails
and an appetizer
buffet
as we celebrate Art’s
career with a toast,
a roast, and a chance
to boast! Additional
Roasters Welcome!
If you have a special
memory of Art to
share, please contact
Carol Atwood at
the
PGAMA office, 410-319-0900. Tickets are $62
per
person. Invitations
will be mailed. |
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