Organization focus: Do you have it?

• June 01, 2007

Focus is difficult to define, but your organization has it when you notice the following traits:

Car pooling isn’t paid time unless employer requires it

• April 30, 2007

Employees' typical home-to-work commutes are not compensable time, and that doesn't change just because employees meet up at a designated place and take a car pool or...

Menu suggestions for board meetings

• March 16, 2007

Question: It is my job to order the food for our board meetings. We’ve had several complaints about ordering the same types of food for each meeting. My...

Capitalizing titles

• March 09, 2007

Question: For the second year in a row, I have composed a short e-mail invite to the managers and supervisors on staff. Another employee informed me that the words...

Don’t require staff to give emergency contact info

• March 02, 2007

Q. We’re cleaning up our personnel files and updating emergency contact information. Some employees don’t want to provide their contact information. Is it...

No need to reverify expired driver’s license

• March 02, 2007

Q. I was interested in your recent article discussing reverifying employees' I-9 documents when they expire. Does this mean that if a worker shows a driver's license as...

Employees can hold you to oral pay promises under Pa. law

• March 02, 2007

Here's a reason to be extra careful about what you say to employees regarding their pay: The Pennsylvania Wage Payment and Collection Law (WPCL) gives employees a way to...

Write-offs for extended car warranties

• January 23, 2007

Q. When I bought a car for business this year, I also purchased the warranty. Can I deduct the full amount of the warranty this year?

No double-dipping on mortgage interest

• January 08, 2007

Q. I have a home office for my own business. Can I deduct mortgage interest in addition to the interest claimed on the personal part of my return?

Executive assistant skill test for potential job candidates

• December 15, 2006

Question: I'm the HR representative in a small financial-planning firm. We're looking for a really good executive assistant to support our three principals, but we're...

Tactful criticism

• December 08, 2006

Question: During a performance review, how do you tactfully discuss with an employee -- point out to an employee -- that he or she spends way too much time visiting...

Not being used to my full potential

• December 08, 2006

Question: I am the executive assistant for the CEO/president of a small (45 employees) company. The boss frequently travels, either on business trips, family trips or...

8 ways to partner with your boss

• December 01, 2006

Eight-step formula for becoming a better partner with your boss.

Tired of running boss’s personal errands

• November 22, 2006

Question: I work for a business owner as a bookkeeper and assistant office manager. I also am referred to by others as the business owner's secretary. I don't have...

How do you track contracts?

• October 26, 2006

Question: I have worked for my employer -- a large company with more than 1,400 employees -- for eight years now. When I started working here, the amount of contracts...

Protect your deductions for margin-loan interest

• October 16, 2006

When you buy securities “on margin,” you use money that’s borrowed from your broker and pay interest rates pegged to the broker’s call rate. So,...

How many admins/executive assistants do you employ?

• August 11, 2006

Question: I'm wondering how many admin/executive assistants other firms employ. We have 40 "managers" of different levels, with 3 Executive Assistants to support them,...

The pros & cons of reporting gifts to the IRS

• August 07, 2006

We usually don’t advise adding to the staggering tax paperwork you’re already required to fill out. But sometimes, it makes sense to submit...

Monthly meeting of admins a good idea?

• June 23, 2006

Question: I wish to start a monthly meeting to include as many of the Administrative Assistants throughout the organization as possible. Does anyone have any hints on...

Looking for the perfect Rolodex

• June 02, 2006

Question: I'm trying to find an essential tool I use every day and can't find it anywhere, and am hoping my fellow admins might be able to help me. I have...