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“It takes too much time.”

“I would rather not have my workers on social media sites at work.”

“What if someone posts a negative comment about my business?”

Just some of the thoughts and questions that can come up when you start talking about social media as a tool for employee engagement in the manufacturing space.

Gilmore Jasion Mahler recently held a roundtable series for financial executives at area manufacturing companies. The topic: how social media, specifically Facebook, can help with employee engagement. A recent Gallup poll shows that two thirds of American workers are not engaged at work. The numbers are even less encouraging in the manufacturing industry. If workers aren’t engaged, that means they may not stay. As manufacturers struggle to find workers, the last thing they want is to lose the good people they have.

“Your Not-So-Secret Weapon for Employee Engagement” presentations in Maumee and Findlay offered up some out of the box ideas. Attendees heard from manufacturing companies in northwest Ohio that are using Facebook to engage their workers. Among the speakers: Andrea Kramer of City Dry Cleaning in Findlay, Caitlin Lake of Toledo transportation company Bolt Express and Heidi Bollin from Toledo’s Bollin Label Systems.  Carl Dettmer from Workforce & Community Services at Owens Community College also added his perspective to the panel discussions.

Some of the key takeaways from the panel discussions:

• Facebook is your opportunity to tell your company’s story for free. It can help give your team a sense of community and can also give potential recruits a look at what it’s like to work there.
• Posting doesn’t have to take a lot of time. Select one of your workers already active on social media and designate them. Giving someone the responsibility shows you value their input and trust their judgement (another engaged employee).
• Make sure your posts align with your company’s core values and strategy. Also remember that this is a place to have some fun and show your company’s personality.
• Establish a social media policy so all of your people are aware of appropriate content for social media and acceptable time spent on social media sites in the workplace.
• Job postings are fine, but won’t necessarily get a lot of shares. Anything that conveys your company culture will help show “who you are” to the world.
• Always post pictures or video if possible to get more interaction with your Facebook posts.
• Ideas for posts are all around you: show a quick meeting at your facility, an award to an employee, the wedding picture of a newly married worker, company picnic or event. Other ideas for posts: welcome your new hires, show young people shadowing for the day or tour groups.
• Showcase products and services in a more casual setting. Avoid the direct sales pitch.
• If someone posts a negative comment, view it as a customer service opportunity in front of the world. If you handle it professionally, you’re showing everyone how you handle a difficult situation.
• Be aware that if your company isn’t on Facebook, the social media site may have created an “unofficial page” for your business that people could be posting and tagging to right now. We found many of the companies attending our roundtable events had these “unofficial” Facebook pages and didn’t even know it. People were posting questionable and sometimes inappropriate material. Claim your unofficial page and take control of it.
• Remember, if you’re looking to engage younger potential employees, it’s a new era: social media is how millennials communicate. This is where they are, and this is where they will go to look for your business.

Other topics tackled at the GJM Manufacturing & Distribution Financial Executive Roundtables: House Bill 523, the legalization of medical marijuana in Ohio. Labor and Employment lawyer Sarah Pawlicki of Eastman & Smith helped manufacturers prepare for this major change in their workplaces. GJM Tax Partner Steve Schult also shared information about WOTC (Work Opportunity Tax Credit). The tax credit applies in the hiring of certain employees including veterans, the long-term unemployed and many other populations. GJM’s tax professionals are working with many of our clients right now to see if they could benefit from WOTC.

GJM established the Manufacturing & Distribution Financial Executive Roundtable after learning that area manufacturers needed a way to come together to share their challenges and successes. Previous roundtable topics have included mergers & acquisitions, company culture and the state of Ohio manufacturing.

Established in 1996, Gilmore Jasion Mahler, LTD (GJM) is the largest public accounting firm in northwest Ohio, with offices in Maumee and Findlay. Locally owned, GJM offers comprehensive financial services including assurance, business advisory, tax, risk advisory and healthcare management. The Firm’s professionals specialize in industries including construction, real estate, healthcare, manufacturing/distribution and utilities.

What is WOTC?

WOTC, or the Work Opportunity Tax Credit, is a federal tax credit. It’s available to employers in the healthcare field and in other industries who hire and retain veterans and other people who face significant barriers to employment. Employers claim about a billion dollars in tax credits every year under the WOTC program. There is no limit to how many people an employer can hire to qualify to claim the tax credit, and there are a few simple steps to follow to apply for WOTC.

How Does WOTC Work?

The tax credit that employers can claim depends upon the target group of the person hired, the wages paid to that person in their first year with the company, and the number of hours worked. There is also a maximum tax credit that can be earned.

For the long-term Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) target group only, the credit is available to employers who hire members of this group for up to a two-year period.

TANF Target Group:

The employer can claim a tax credit equal to 40% of the first-year wages, up to the maximum tax credit, if the employee works at least 400 hours.

The tax credit grows to 50% of the second-year wages, up to the maximum tax credit. Again, the employee must have worked at least 400 hours.

For all other target groups, the credit is available to employers who hire members of these groups, based on the employee’s hours worked and wages earned in the first year of employment.

Other Target Groups:

If the employee works at least 120 hours, the employer can claim a tax credit that’s 25% of first year wages, up to the maximum tax credit.

The tax credit goes up to 40% of first year wages (up to the maximum tax credit) if the employee works at least 400 hours.

Who can I Hire?

• Veterans
• TANF recipients
• SNAP (Food Stamp) recipients
• Designated Community Residents (living in Empowerment Zones or Rural Renewal Counties)
• Vocational rehabilitation referral
• Ex-felons
• Supplemental Security Income Recipients
• Summer Youth Employee (living in Empowerment Zones)

How do I Apply for WOTC?

In order to apply, you need to fill out IRS form 8850. Application instructions are also available to help guide you through the process.

Jamie Dixon is a member of the Gilmore Jasion Mahler Healthcare Specialist Team, with an expertise in long-term care, home health care and hospice. A member of the Ohio Council for Home Care and Hospice, he has been a member of the Financial Issues Committee for close to 20 years. 

I first heard of Gilmore Jasion Mahler, LTD (GJM) through my neighbor, Bob Bobek, when looking for an internship to fulfill my credits for my undergraduate degree.

I was brought in for my internship in July of 2013 for 3 weeks which then turned into over a yearlong internship in the audit department (which is not your typical internship) that led to a job offer before going back to graduate school. I started out as more of a shadow for the first couple weeks bouncing back and forth between jobs just to get an idea of how the different industries work and the basic differences between how an audit, review, compilation and cost certs work. I was able to work with different managers and was able to go out in the field and get a feel for fieldwork and client interaction. The longer that my internship lasted the more detailed work I was able to contribute throughout the engagements. Going out into the field rather than sitting in the office completing the work was very beneficial to building my confidence in my work and having that experience to build off of. I was able to see how testing was performed, how to make inquiries, and start to build relationships with the clients.

Everyone at GJM is amazing to work with. I was especially worried being a new intern with no internship experience at all and being completely new to the public accounting atmosphere. All of the staff that I worked with through all of the engagements took on all of my questions and rather than being annoyed by all of the questions, made me feel like they were necessary and were essentially building blocks to better understanding the client and processes of the engagement. Any employee, regardless of their title or position, is willing to help you grow and point you in the right direction to help you learn and continue to grow. The office atmosphere, encouraging communication, and friendly staff members, who are willing to help everyone grow in every way that they can, makes coming into work every day enjoyable.

GJM is far from a “stuffy accounting firm” to say the least. It is not an everyman for themselves environment where no one communicates and keeps to themselves. Everyone is encouraged to ask questions when they don’t understand, share discoveries that others may benefit from, and share victories together. There are a variety of committees throughout the firm that employees are encouraged to be a part of to keep fresh ideas running through and keeping GJM a great place to work. The Fun Committee plans events to keep the office atmosphere light and show that the company realizes that we put in hard work and need a break/some fun from time to time. The APE Committee(Audit Policy Excellence Committee), which I am a part of, discusses solutions for inconsistencies throughout the firm or between the Findlay and Maumee offices to make our work more efficient in the long run, and the LEAN Team works to make our work more efficient and better managed overall. All of these small things build up to keep the environment across the firm light and enjoyable even through the busy season when stress levels and workloads can sometimes be overwhelming. Another great aspect of the firm that sets it apart from the others is the open door policy. This basically invites staff of any level to talk to whomever they feel is appropriate for the matter. It encourages communication through all levels and really unites the firm. It essentially reminds us that the partners are not keeping to themselves and only upper level staff can communicate with them and really supports the idea of “One Firm” in which everyone in the firm is working together to accomplish the goals of the engagement. GJM also has a variety of leagues and encourages all employees to take part. These leagues range from a bowling team and slow-pitch softball to a pistol league throughout the year. I can’t think of many firms that offer these experiences that encourage the employees to get to know each other outside of the office as well.

Lauren Grana is a GJM Audit Associate. Learn more about Gilmore Jasion Mahler’s capabilities in Assurance and our approach for helping businesses succeed.

Question: As I’m approaching retirement age, I am considering moving my savings from a traditional IRA to a Roth so the money is taxed now rather than when I start receiving payments. Is this something you would recommend?

Tax Partner Dave Baymiller’s answer:  These Roth IRA conversions need to be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.  You need to consider your current and projected future tax brackets, your cash on hand to pay the tax on the conversion, your estate plan, your time horizon, the expectation of growth in the fund, and your expectations on needing to tap the funds during your retirement. One nice thing about the Roth IRA is that you do not need to start taking mandatory distributions after you reach age 70 ½.  There are also some nice estate planning benefits associated with the Roth. Because you do not need to take the distributions at age 70 ½ , the IRA can grow to a larger amount than what you might experience under the traditional IRA rules which would leave more tax free money later on for your heirs.  Also, by paying the income tax now, you will be reducing the size of your estate and effectively prepaying the heirs’ future income tax without it being recognized as a taxable gift.

Dave Baymiller is a partner in the tax services area with over thirty years of public accounting experience. He practices exclusively in the area of federal, state and local taxation with an emphasis on tax planning and consulting. Learn more about Dave Baymiller’s expertise and how to contact him.

The GJM Assurance team has grown in recent weeks, with the addition of Zachary Durliat to the team as an assurance associate. Zach has completed multiple internships with GJM in recent years as part of his studies, and while he may not be a completely new face, we’re sure you’ll get to know him better in this Q&A. Welcome “officially” to the GJM team and family, Zach.

Describe your role at GJM. I am currently an Assurance Associate and have worked on Affordable Housing Audits, Employee Benefit Plans, and assisted on other various projects. I am always looking for way to improve processes whether that is by simply documenting the process or by using technology to aid in the efficiency efforts.

When did you start with GJM? September 7^th, 2021, but had a prior part-time internship in the GJM Tax/Administrative departments and two prior internships in Assurance.

Why did you choose the accounting industry? I like seeing the whole picture of things and accounting is the basis and glue that connects the functions of a business together, so it keeps me connected with all the different aspects of a business (the whole picture).

What do you like best about accounting? I like determining and analyzing the numbers to help find efficiencies and improvements in other aspects of the business.

Are you from the Toledo area originally? If not, where are you from? Arlington, OH (South of Findlay).

What do you like about living in Northwest Ohio? Experiencing the four seasons even when it may be all in one day.

Where did you go to school? High School: Arlington Local ’16, College: Bowling Green State University ’20 & ’21.

Do you have any pets, hobbies, family you'd like to mention? No pets yet but a dog at some point. I enjoy woodworking, snowmobiling, and have three younger sisters.

How do you like to spend your free time? Bake desserts, work in a woodshop, going on walks with my girlfriend, playing recreational sports.

Favorite book? Favorite movie? I have never read or seen any of the Harry Potters, but I played Quidditch at BGSU. I am not the biggest fan of reading books. I prefer watching movies instead. Favorites: The Rookie, Field of Dreams, Miracle on 34^th Street.

Are you involved in any community organizations, do any volunteer work? Not yet but I am looking forward to getting into some.

What is something people may be surprised to find out about you? My parents worked and met at the Findlay office.

Welcome, Zach!

Established in 1996, Gilmore Jasion Mahler, LTD (GJM) is the largest public accounting firm in Northwest Ohio, with offices in Maumee and Findlay. Locally owned, GJM offers cloud-based accounting and provides comprehensive services including assurance, business advisory, tax, risk advisory, healthcare management and outsourced accounting. The firm’s professionals specialize in industries including construction & real estate, healthcare, manufacturing & distribution and utilities.