Monthly Archives: December 2012

Is Your Boss a Psychopath? Let’s Hope Not

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Categories: Human Resources, Wellness

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It’s hard out there for the working professional. The last thing you need is a manager who is less than stable. That’s fortunately not a problem for me, but below are some things to keep in mind. Ragan has the info:

He’s smartly dressed, always early, and has a fancy corner office. He looks put together, but you know the truth: Your boss is a psychopath.
You just haven’t been able to prove it—until now.

In a new infographic, LearnStuff.com lists all the facts you need to get him or her admitted. For example, here are the traits of a psychopathic boss:

  • Manipulative, yet charming.
  • Lacks empathy and remorse.
  • Expert at masking his or her true self.

You knew it. Your boss qualifies! But before you call up the authorities, consider these stats:

  • Your boss is four times more likely to be a psychopath than the average person.
  • Thirty percent of workers would have their boss seen by a psychologist.
  • More than 2 million people leave their jobs every year; one out of six quit because of their bosses.

Something has to be done. Having a bad boss can increase your chance of heart disease by 25 percent, which makes reporting to him as bad for your heart as passive smoking. Not to mention, a stressed worker—like someone suffering under a mad man—weighs, on average, 10 pounds more than a relaxed peer.

Winter Wellness: Keep It Simple

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Categories: Wellness

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This column was originally posted at Inside INdiana Business:

Braving the brisk air for a jog may be the last thing you want to do when you wake up. Pursuing indoor activities is a rewarding alternative. Head to the gym or pop in an exercise DVD. Short on time? No problem. You don’t have to use a treadmill or lift weights. Spend two or three minutes doing stretching exercises. Take deep breaths as you prepare for the day ahead.

During your workday, keep active. Conduct standing or walking meetings. In addition, discuss projects in person with co-workers rather than always using e-mail. Or call them and stand up while you’re talking. Nine times out of 10, if I’m on the telephone, I’m moving.

If those options don’t appeal to you (it’s all about personalizing your initiative), try one of these simple desk exercises. Grab a Frisbee or paper plate and turn it upside down. Then put it under your desk and move your legs back and forth on the carpet. It’s a great way to work lower leg muscles.

Looking for inexpensive strength training tools? Use resistance bands (also called therapeutic bands) to stretch. Another idea is to replace your traditional office chair with a stability ball, which helps improve posture and works core muscles. If that is not an option, you can still engage your abs by sitting up straight on the edge of your chair and slightly leaning back.

Prefer something more social? Take a stroll on an indoor path with co-workers. After hours, create your own walking route at a shopping mall. And if the weather isn’t too chilly, venture outside and have fun! Take a scenic walk through the woods at a park or go sledding.

Did you know that you don’t have to exercise for long periods of time to reap the benefits? Ten minutes here and there – adding up to approximately 30 minutes a day – can make a big difference. The key is figuring out how you can incorporate physical activities into your normal day based on what you feel you are capable of doing and what interests you.

Take the stairs. Walk up an escalator rather than standing in place. When you’re grocery shopping, push your cart through every aisle. Small steps add up.

The holidays bring good tidings and… lots of temptation. Why not take a walk after a big meal with family and friends? Also, instead of sampling all of the festive foods you crave, enjoy one or two things and savor them.

Many people will enter 2013 with a resolution to stop smoking. It’s an important step that can dramatically improve your health and well-being. The QUIT NOW Tool  offered by the Wellness Council of Indiana is a valuable resource to assist Hoosier employees in their smoking cessation efforts.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, each smoker costs his or her organization $3,391 annually in direct medical costs and lost productivity. That’s a huge impact. Remember: Healthy employees lead to healthy workplaces with happier, more productive team members.

The best gift you can give to yourself is good health. Find what works for you and makes you happy. That’s how you truly make a lifestyle change.

Bottom Line: Not a Lot of Extra Money in State Budget Forecasts

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Categories: Government, Health Care, Tax/Finance

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The Indiana State Budget Committee listened to three separate forecasts recently regarding Medicaid, the economy and revenue; together these will set the stage for debates in the coming session over the next state biennium budget.

Medicaid Forecast
The day started with the Medicaid presentation by Michael A. Gargano, secretary of the Family and Social Services Administration (FSSA) and Robert M. Damler, an actuary with the firm of Milliman, Inc., a financial and health care consultant on contract to the FSSA. The duo outlined the various projections relative to Medicaid expenditure obligations anticipated over the next two years. While predicting Medicaid expenses is particularly difficult this year due to the unknowns of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), the forecast nevertheless attempts to estimate the potential liabilities of the state by making a series of assumptions regarding: the implementation of programs, reimbursement amounts, the impact of new provisions, additional federal actions, long-term trends, and ultimately, the increase in Medicaid recipients and the state’s financial obligations.

Their forecast projects the general fund monies needed to provide Medicaid assistance will grow by 17.1% in fiscal year (FY) 2014 and 8.7% in FY2015. That translates to almost $450 million over the biennium. Fortunately, however, the appropriations for Medicaid have exceeded the actual expenditures in FY2012 and are expected to do so again in FY2013 (by $264 million and $234 million, respectively). The over appropriation in FY2013 will help offset the FY2014 increase some, but overall dollar obligations will nevertheless grow significantly. If you compare the appropriated amounts in the last budget with the projections of what will be needed for Medicaid in the next two years, you still end up with a difference of $428 million (The math: FY12 appropriation = $1716M, FY13 appropriation = $1882M, projected FY14 = $1929M, FY15 = projected $2097M; 1716 +1882= 3598; 1929 + 2097 = 4026; 4026-3598 = 428) Keep this additional $428 million dollars in mind when we consider the general fund revenue projections below.

Economic Forecast
This presentation was given by James Diffley, chief regional economist for IHS Global Insight. Diffley gave the big picture on the U.S. and Indiana economic outlooks. His overview considered the effects of global and domestic uncertainties on exports and business capital spending, housing and vehicle markets, consumer spending, employment and income levels, potential tax changes and the chance of recession if we go over the “fiscal cliff.” In short, IHS is predicting a continuation of modest/slow growth. Indiana is situated well, but remains vulnerable to all the outside factors.

Revenue Forecast
The main attraction of the day was the general fund revenue forecast for fiscal years 2013-2015. This forecast is based on the underlying economic projections of IHS Global Insight but gets down to the nitty-gritty of how much money the budget-makers will have to work with as they put together and debate the details of the next budget. These projections are arrived at by consensus of a bipartisan and non-partisan committee of fiscal analysts who look very closely at all state revenue sources. They meet regularly, apply sophisticated models, track a multitude of factors, receive counsel from numerous advisors, academics and other sources, and have in recent years proven very accurate.

The report took into account recent legislative changes and such things as how alterations to the gaming laws in surrounding states will likely lead to even further reduction in Indiana’s gaming revenues. The bottom line of the revenue forecast committee: Total general revenues are projected to increase by a very modest 2.2% for FY2014 and then another 2.9% in FY2015. In dollar terms, that is $14.65 billion in FY2014 and $15.08 billion in FY2015. The collections for FY2013 were $14.33 billion. The projections represent a slight increase of $320 million for the first year of the new budget and another $430 million in the second year – a mere $750 million over the biennium.

Now let’s go back to the additional $428 million needed simply to meet the projected increase in Medicaid: $750 million minus $428 million leaves only $322 million (a little over 2% of the annual budget) to pay for all other desired budget and fiscal priorities that have been put forth. These include restoring over $350 million in K-12 education cuts, an approximately $100 million pre-school program, several hundred million in stymied university capital projects, billions in long-term road maintenance and other infrastructure needs, as well as the incoming Governor’s proposal to cut individual income taxes by well over $500 million. Clearly, there’s not enough money to go around – let’s see what gets done!

Sick of Trying to Figure Out New Health Care Regs?

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This entry was posted in Health Care by Matt L. Ottinger. Bookmark the permalink.

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Obamacare. The PPACA. The ACA. However you label it, federal health care reform is a confusing mixture of laws and requirements for Indiana businesses to grapple with.

To help you understand the changes more clearly, the Indiana Chamber has just released Health Care Reform for Indiana Employers – an online guide (ePub) authored by attorneys from Ice Miller LLP.

"In enacting the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 (PPACA), Congress fundamentally changed the landscape for employer-sponsored health care plans," says co-author and Ice Miller attorney Christopher Sears. "This guide is intended to provide employers a road map to navigate the uncertain waters of PPACA, in order to be in a position to timely comply with its different requirements as they become effective."

The guide provides you with a resource to understand PPACA and what it means for you, your employees and your health plans. The ePub discusses the following:

  • Individual mandate and exchanges
  • Employer coverage mandates
  • Employer disclosure and reporting requirements
  • Employer coverage and responsibility provisions
  • Wellness programs 

Online access to this publication is available for $74.25 for Indiana Chamber members. To place your order, call (800) 824-6885 or order online.

Actor Depardieu Says “Au Revoir” to Native France Over Taxes

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Categories: Tax/Finance

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Like it or not, Ayn Rand and her famous novel "Atlas Shrugged" will always be critical elements of American literary lore. I’ve read most of the book and have watched the first segment of the film series via Netflix. It’s intriguing and makes you think about public policy, that’s for sure. While I find it to be a bit heavy-handed and dismissive of the working class (at least in what I’ve consumed thus far), I think its underlying message is useful: Don’t punish success.

At any rate, famous French actor Gerard Depardieu is said to be "going Galt" by relocating to Belgium due to France’s 75% income tax on top earners — an egregious amount by any standard. The Cato Institute’s blog relays:

Few Frenchmen are more recognizable at home and abroad than the movie star Gerard Depardieu. Last week, Depardieu caused a great controversy in his native land by moving to Belgium – partly to avoid the 75 percent income tax on the wealthy that was introduced by the socialist President of France, Francois Hollande. Depardieu’s move was condemned by the French political establishment, including the Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault who called the actor’s action “pathetic.”

Depardieu shot back and, in an open letter to Monsieur Ayrault, wrote, “I’m leaving because you think success, creation, talent and anything different should be punished. I am sending you back my passport and social security, which I have never used.” The French actor claims to have “paid 85 percent taxes on his revenues this year [2012] and estimated that he had paid €145m ($189m) in total since he started work as a printer at the age of 14.”

The lessons from Monsieur Hollande’s debacle should be obvious. The rich are a mobile lot and there are plenty of countries that will welcome them with open arms. The British Prime Minister David Cameron, for example, has promised to “roll out a red carpet” for the French tax refuges. Moreover, as my colleague Alan Reynolds reminds us, high tax rates on income may discourage many wealthy people from remaining in the labor force, since, to use economic jargon, their elasticity of taxable income is much higher than that of low and middle income earners. Translated into English, people like me have to work even if our tax rates go up, because we have to come up with money to pay our mortgages, student loans, etc. The rich people don’t.

The French government was warned of the negative consequences of tax increases. It chose to ignore those warnings. Instead, the French socialists assumed that they could go on plucking the golden goose indefinitely. (Then again, the socialist grasp on reality has never been very good.) Of course, when idiotic policies backfire, politicians feign surprise and then shift the blame onto others. Thus, French Labor Minister Michel Sapin asked in a radio interview “What is more normal than those who earn enormous amounts of money paying lots of tax?” The French Culture and Communication Minister Aurelie Filippetti bemoaned Depardieu’s action by stating that “We shouldn’t be receiving moral lessons from people who abandon the battlefield when we need everyone to be mobilized.”

So, there you have it. A great actor who started with nothing and built a spectacular career that revived the French movie industry and filled the coffers of the French state is condemned for finally standing up for himself by a member of parasitic political elite that has brought a great country to the edge of fiscal ruin. Straight out of Ayn Rand’s novel.

Our People, Our Future: Why We “Stick Our Noses” in Education

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Categories: Education, Indiana Vision 2025

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The question came our way much more frequently in the past. The fact that it occasionally is still asked today is a true mystery.

The inquiry: Why is the Indiana Chamber of Commerce “sticking its nose in the middle of” education debates? The answer: Skilled workers, if it hasn’t always been this way, are the absolute number one factor in determining the success of our state’s companies, their employees and our communities.

Yes, many other factors come into play. Tax burdens, health care costs, moving people and products, having adequate and affordable natural resources, and encouraging entrepreneurs are a few of the other critical ingredients. But as Mitch Daniels, who just wrapped up eight years as governor, is fond of saying, Indiana has established a pretty good sandbox or toolkit.

All the sand in the desert or tools in the garage are not enough if people aren’t prepared to take advantage. Organizations of all types and sizes throughout the state (and country) will quickly tell anyone who listens that their employees are their greatest asset. When that human talent is not able to adapt, work in teams or learn new technologies, that critical asset can turn into a liability.

Many of you have likely heard me say or read in BizVoice that it’s no accident that Outstanding Talent is the top driver listed in the Indiana Vision 2025 plan. What does that mean? Indiana must excel at all levels of education and workforce training. We have to make sure Hoosiers – whether young students, those just beginning their careers or older employees – have the resources they need to be successful. We have to challenge the status quo. We have to demand improvement and accept innovation.

Any less would be a dramatic disservice. That is why the Indiana Chamber, and all of us, needs to be in the middle of the debate.
 

Groups Call for National Innovation Focus

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Categories: Education, Technology

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Innovation. Experts contend that the dominant role of the U.S. is in jeopardy as other countries accelerate their efforts and Americans lag behind.

Two organizations say a national focus is needed. Here is a quick summary from the State Science & Technology Institute.

The call is for the United States to create a national federal office of innovation to help focus and concentrate innovation across the country.

Following the election, the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF) announced its policy recommendations for the administration in their weekly news publication as part of their "Winning the Race 2012" series. Among other recommendations to improve the country’s competitiveness, innovation, and productivity, ITIF calls for the creation of a National Innovation Foundation. Similar in scope and organization to the National Science Foundation, the National Innovation Foundation would support companies and other organizations in innovation activities. 

Similarly, OECD in a late November policy paper recommended establishing a national innovation agency, specifically, along with the proposed National Network for Manufacturing Innovation, within the National Institute of Standards and Technology. 

Both ITIF and the OECD note that many other countries with "advanced economies" have an agency that consolidates and coordinates a national innovation policy. Instead, the United States’ innovation policy is spread throughout White House offices and Department of Commerce agencies.

With the approach of the so-called "fiscal cliff" and a focus on creating a leaner government, it is unlikely that a new agency or office is realistic. Instead, it may be necessary to scale back the activities of other departments and agencies. 

Overspending is “Jingle Bell Wrong”: Don’t Buy Your Way Into a New Year’s Mess

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Categories: Tax/Finance

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It’s amazing how it happens every year: All of a sudden, it’s the middle of December and Christmas is just a couple of short weeks away.

Because even though Christmas is always on December 25 (each and every year, guys), it seems that there is always financial stress at crunch time when you realize you are going to buy gifts for your family, the in-laws, your friends, your spouse and your children. (Notice I said “going to” and not “have to.”)

Have we not realized this was coming ALL YEAR LONG?

Why, then, do we continue to spend ourselves into a hole that we have to dig our way back out of at the beginning of the New Year? Do the happy holiday blinders go on and we just say, “Charge it!”?

Try just saying, “No.” Because, like my Papaw Kermit always said: “’No’ is a complete sentence.”

You don’t have to buy love with Christmas presents. But, if you enjoy giving and it makes your heart happy, go for it. Just start planning earlier than December 12. 

I’ve listened to a few financial planning “gurus” over the years. Just recently we had a visit from local financial smarty, "Pete the Planner" (as part of the Chamber’s internal wellness programming, our staff will be able to participate in a financial wellness program with Peter Dunn throughout 2013).

They’ve all pretty much said something similar: Start saving up your cash earlier in the year to pay for Christmas. Don’t touch the money unless you are using it for your Christmas shopping purposes (whether that’s in May or on Black Friday). And DON’T spend money you don’t have.

It’s time for Americans to start taking back control of the economy, which will start with each family getting in control of their finances. And no one can do it for you (not even the government). It’s not easy – sticking to a budget takes work, but financial strain and daily turmoil causes more work and stress than living within your means.

As it is only a few weeks away from Christmas and it’s a little late to start stockpiling your money for Christmas 2012, my advice is this if you are fretting and can’t afford gifts. There’s no shame in telling your friends and family that you are working to right your financial ship and that spending time together – or offering to clean their home or cook dinner for them or just listening when they need a shoulder – is a better gift than anything bought in a store. If they are truly your friends and family, they will be understanding and help you on your path to financial peace. 

And next year, you can start saving money early … unless you decide that offering your time and services is a much better gift anyway.

President Controls the Big States in 2012 Vote

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Categories: 2012 Political Races

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Former Chamber colleague Michael Davis shared this election follow-up recently:

In the 2012 election, 20 states recorded at least 2.5 million votes for president.  President Obama won 15 states while Governor Mitt Romney won 5 states.
 
Here are the 15 states Obama won (for a total of 276 electoral votes) in order of total ballots cast:  California, Florida, New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Illinois, Michigan, Virginia, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Washington, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Maryland and Colorado.
 
Here are the 5 states Romney won (for a total of 90 electoral votes):  Texas, North Carolina, Georgia, Missouri and Indiana.
 

Griffin: Indiana Air Cleaner Than Decades Ago

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Categories: Energy, Environment

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[youtube_sc url=http://youtu.be/-UGAL01dW1g rel=0 fs=1 autohide=1 modestbranding=1]

Indiana Chamber VP of Environment & Energy Vince Griffin discusses the state of Indiana’s water and air. You may be pleasantly surprised to hear how it compares to previous generations. For more, visit www.indianachamber.com/environment.