| Happy New Year! |
"The distinction between the past, present and future is only a stubbornly persistent illusion."
~ Albert Einstein
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| CustomerCare |
We welcome your suggestions as to how we can expand our customer care, so please feel free call or send us a fax or email. If you need supplies or service, we consider that a priority and will endeavor to meet your needs in the most expedient manner. Telephone: 818.884.8554, Fax: 818.884.6696 and Email: robbinsinsurance@attglobal.net
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Our Mission:
We believe that nothing is more important than serving the needs of our clients. We like to touch base on a regular basis so that we know what you need and how to help. We send our Client Call to you each month to let you know that your business is important to us. In every issue, we strive to find the most interesting, effective information and web-based tools for our clients.
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PrivacyPolicy |
The ClientCall is distributed to customers of Kenneth Robbins Insurance Services, and others recipients, by request. We do not sell, rent or share our subscribers' information (subscriber name, company and email address). We highly value our customer's privacy as well as their trust in our discretion and services. If you have any questions regarding our policies, please do not hesitate to contact us. | |
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You may wonder why your January ClientCall is arriving a bit later than usual -- it is a gesture of courtesy. Yes, we know that last week was probably a tough one for you. The feasting and merriment is over for the season; some of you dragged yourselves into the office on January 4th still nursing that pulsating post-holiday hangover headache (for those that imbibe... the rest of us are shopping for diet snake oil during our lunch hours and renewing gym memberships ... oh, the fudge, the sugar cookies and all kinds of gooey, yummy stuff! It was all so good and, now, so very evident on our hips and thighs today).
The first week after the long holiday season, from October 31st to January 1st, is often a challenge. Your email inboxes are engorged with unanswered messages and spam, the fax machine has overflowed like a paper fountain and your desk is piled high with urgent, "need it yesterday" tasks. So, we gave you a week to get over your headache, indigestion and work backlog. We promise to keep this ClientCall short and sweet (we'll try), because we know you're really busy.
Still, we have to ask the obligatory question: where did the year go? In fact, what happened to the whole decade? Weren't we just sweating out the Y2K bug and laughing about dancing to Prince's "1999"?
We won't rub salt in the wound by doing a decade retrospective; instead we'll give you some constructive information to start the New Year.
First, stop writing "2009" on your checks.
After you write "2009" or "1-xx-09" on your check (and you know you will), don't forget to initial the crossed out 09 and write in "10" so that your bank will honor your check. We'll continue to send reminders through March - after that, you're on your own.
Second, according to the Los Angeles Times, starting January 1st, the penalties for betting in an office pool are lower, but be prepared to pay up if you bet on dogfights, engage in human-trafficking or cut cow's tails. I know these new laws will put a crimp in your entertainment and secondary revenue streams, but we feel it is our duty to warn you.
Third, expect healthier food in your favorite restaurants; food preparers may not use more than a half gram of trans fats per serving. We predict that deep-fried Twinkies are going to be real a challenge!
As for new laws and regulations that are really relevant to your workplace, please check out InternetIntel.
This month's Entrepreneur.com article focuses on employee management and what you should consider before making changes at work.
Thank you for reading ClientCall. We wish everyone a great 2010! |
| Enterpreneur.com |
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David Javitch: Employee Management
Look Before You Leap at Change
Ask these 8 crucial questions to make sure everyone's on board before you act.
By David Javitch, October 22, 2009
Change is hard to deal with. Just thinking of the word can conjure visceral reactions and the expectation of difficulties, resistance, anger, betrayal, shock and misfortune. But hesitating before you implement a change isn't necessarily bad. When problems occur in business, the most adaptable entrepreneurs jump at the opportunity to make a change. Occasionally, though, they leap too fast.
Entrepreneurs who want to do something differently should ask themselves the following crucial questions before implementing a change... Click here for the full article: Look Before You Leap |
 InternetIntel |
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CalChamber is a great resource and we are happy to share it with our clients. Below are a few of the new regulations that you may want to review. Also, don't forget to update your Employee Handbooks!
New Form I-9:
Revised August 7, 2009, the new Form I-9 contains an updated list of acceptable documents that employees must present upon hiring. The new form also bears a note that all documents presented to establish identity and/or ability to work in the United States must not be expired.
E-Verify Required for Federal Contractors:
Federal contractors and subcontractors must use the E-Verify system when hiring employees. Other employers may use the verification system if they wish to do so. E-Verify compares Form I-9 document information against federal government databases to verify employment eligibility.
Increase in State Withholding:
State withholding increased on November 1, 2009. There is a 10 percent mandatory increase on employee withholdings, a 0.6 percent increase in supplemental wage withholding and a 1.2 percent increase on wage stock options and bonus payments.
Alternative Workweek Schedules:
The law regarding alternative workweek schedules was amended to permit an eight-hour day as a valid alternative schedule.
Additionally, the Division of Labor Standards Enforcement (DLSE) issued an opinion letter stating that under some circumstances, an alternative workweek schedule may be in place for less than a full year - for example, during the summer months only.
(*The Client Call and Kenneth Robbins Insurance Services make no claims for or endorse or accept any liability for use of the services or companies listed herein. We provide these links and information as a courtesy; our readers are strongly encouraged to review and research the services listed before making any transactions.) |
 BulletinBoard |
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We've been hard at work, updating and reformatting www.robbinsinsurance.net. We added a Client Information Center, where you will find breaking news regarding benefits, locations and schedules for vaccinations, as well as links to other value-added benefits for our clients, such as LARx cards and more. We posted downloadable Employee Benefit change forms and COBRA enrollment forms on our new FAQS and Forms page. We take your privacy and security very seriously, so we will not post forms that with any specific policy information on our web site. However, we'd love to get your feedback and suggestions regarding robbinsinsurance.net - what can we do to make this site easier to navigate or more useful to you? After all, we created this site for YOU.
www.RobbinsInsurance.net is a client service site, not a sales tool (although we won't turn away referrals or new business : )
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| About Us:
Kenneth Robbins Insurance Services
20501 Ventura Blvd., Suite 384
Woodland Hills, California 91364
Tel: 818.884.8554,
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