How Long Until I Get My Tax Refund?

This year could be more complicated than others when filing your taxes.

Tax time is intimidating to a lot of people. The dread of owing the IRS money looms on a lot of taxpayers minds. But, if you’re a middle-class worker (especially with dependents), tax time should be a time where you are eager to file your return and get a sweet refund check from Uncle Sam. Last year, 167 million tax returns were filed, with 122 returns entitled to a tax-refund. In 2021, the average refund was just under $2800. How soon will you get that refund this year? It will depend on several factors.

Taxpayers with income of less than $75,000 are projected to have, on average, no tax liability after deductions and credits when they file their returns this spring. They also will get money back from the IRS, according to recent estimates from the nonpartisan Joint Committee on Taxation.

While having a zero tax bill is not a new phenomenon, it may be more pronounced this year due to a variety of temporary tax code changes, said Elaine Maag, principal research associate in the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center.

W-2s

The first thing you’ll need is your W-2s. A 2015 law requires employers to make sure that they have W-2’s out to employees by January 31st or risk facing fines from the IRS. WSI delivered electronic W-2’s to all of our associates on January 24th. Paper copies were mailed. The first day the IRS will start taking income tax returns in 2022 is January 26th , 17 days earlier than last year If you had other income sources from last year, like driving for Lyft or DoorDash, you’ll need a 1099 showing that income. Any receipts from health coverage, unemployment compensation, and a copy of last year’s tax return will also help you speed up your tax return.

Tax Credits

Taxpayers should first focus on three tax credits:  – the child tax credit,  – the earned income tax credit,  – and the dependent care tax credit. Each is refundable, meaning you get money back if the credit exceeds your taxes owed.

Filing your taxes from 2021 could be a bit more complicated this year, in part thanks to the Child Tax Credit and stimulus payments that most Americans received last year. President Joe Biden’s American Rescue Plan delivered $1,400 checks last March and the Child Tax Credit delivered $250 – $300 a month per child for six months. If parents want to 

Before You File

The IRS advises to not start your tax return until you’re ready. Have all your W-2’s and any other necessary paperwork ready. Incomplete or inaccurate filings will delay your tax refund. For instance, errors like math problems or incorrectly stating how much you received from the advanced Child Tax Credit payments could get your tax return flagged, leading to delays of weeks or even months. Here’s an easy way to get your phone to scan paper documents for uploading.

The IRS is sending letters this month to taxpayers who received the third federal stimulus check in 2021, as well as the advanced Child Tax Credit payments. These letters will inform each taxpayer what they received through these programs in 2021 — they are important documents to hold onto because you’ll want to refer to those amounts when filling out your tax return. 

File Electronically For Speedy Refund

Filing electronically and having your refund direct-deposited is the fastest way to get your money. Remember, the labor crunch is hitting everywhere—from restaurants all the way to the federal government. Some people who filed last year are still waiting on their returns to be processed. As of December 23, the agency had 6 million unprocessed individual returns. But tax experts say that you can get that refund in an average of 21 days if you e-file. 

If you’re ready, you can use an online tax service to help you file. The IRS Free File Program is a public-private partnership between the IRS and many tax preparation and filing software industry leaders who provide their brand-name products for free. This service is for incomes of $73,000 a year or less. To partner with a tax-service provider, set this up through the IRS website. TurboTax left the IRS program last year, but you can still use them to file for free if your return is simple. (TurboTax defines “simple” as “Form 1040 only.”) These cover W-2 income, limited interest and dividend income, the standard deduction, the earned income and child tax credits, and student loan deduction. 

Need help?

Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) is a program that offers free tax help from IRS-certified volunteers. VITA services are available to people who generally earn $58,000 per year or less. They also offer free tax help to people with disabilities and people who speak limited English. Use the VITA site locator to find a site near you. Check with your local site for dates and times you can get help with your taxes. You can also check with your financial institution and ask if they offer a discount for tax preparation services.

None of this is professional tax advice; just some notes of how to be the most efficient and cost-conscious when filing your tax return, if you’re entitled to one. If you have significant tax questions, seek the help of a professional tax advisor. The deadline to file your tax return is April 18th, 2022.

How to Make Friends with a Robot

Preparing for the eventual overthrow of the human race

Experts agree that robotics and AI are the drivers of oncoming Industrial Revolution 4.0, so positioning yourself as a professional will turn you into an indispensable employee well into the future.

It’s been said since the 1950’s: the robots are going to take over. How many times have you heard that automation and robots will take all the jobs in the future? Sure, they don’t need a lunch break or two weeks vacation. They offer little drama in the workplace, rarely steal your food out of the work fridge, and usually don’t drag themselves into work after a long night of video games and snacks. 

Industrial robots help to remove workers from the hazardous environments and back breaking labor that has befell low-wage workers for generations. They can lift heavy payloads, prevent injuries, perform accurate and error-free repetitive tasks, and have a generally overall pleasant disposition. Yet, with all these triumphs, robots have yet to replace humans in the workplace. In fact, workers are becoming a robot’s best friend as technology advances.

The first manufacturing robot was used in 1960. “Unimate” as it was called, was used in a GM plant in New Jersey. Unimate pulled die-cast molds and welded them to automobile bodies. The noxious gases could’ve poisoned workers or involuntarily removed their limbs. Believe it or not, today’s industrial robots incorporate many of the designs and functions of the original industrial robot.

Robots have created new jobs for those who were once on production lines with programming. They have pulled employees from repetitive, monotonous jobs and put them in better, more challenging ones. They also allow US companies to remain competitive, keeping jobs local and helping the best employees see growth in their careers. 

Robots are user-friendly, intelligent, and affordable. As more industries adopt robotics in automation, the more roles the machines are finding to fill. It’s not just manufacturing. Robots are used in healthcare, farming, transportation, construction, and the military. Even the Amazon Alexa in your home is a robot. In the next decade, your Amazon Alexa might be making you breakfast. And hopefully, it can help with other tasks around the house. 

In an industrial setting, robots have to interact with humans in some form or another. This has created Cobots. Robots and humans interacting with each other to accomplish a task. Cobots can work side-by-side with human workers, improving their output and consistency and allowing them to support more in-line processes in a single work-space. While traditional automation requires an all-or-nothing approach. Assembly, quality inspection, dispensing are all part of the simple uses for industrial robots.

The surprising opinion is that programming robots isn’t so complicated and hard to learn. In actuality, there are few lines of code you need to make a real-world industrial robot do what it needs to do to accomplish simple tasks such as sorting and dispensing. There are many ways to get a leg-up on robotics. The idea of purchasing your own robot and learning how to program it was a fantasy just a decade ago. But robots are omnipresent these days, and the ability to learn their ways and stay ahead of our future slave-masters has never been more readily available. There are paid courses to help you learn the basics of robotics and programming. MIT’s open courseware and Stanford Engineering free video courses on robotics are the pinnacle of robotics education, and are absolutely free.

If you find yourself on the factory floor working alongside a robot friend, ask your supervisor or your mechanical engineer how the robots work and how they are programmed. Learning to control its functions and finding use for the robot in your job can only lead to positive things if you are the robot’s master. Just keep those friendships professional with your robot. You don’t want to hurt its feelings. That’s when things could get scary. 

Five Ways to Improve Your Employment in 2022

Easy tips and advice to get more of that money and personal satisfaction

If you’ve made the resolution to improve your employment in 2022, congratulations! Whether it’s a new job entirely, a promotion, a wage increase, growing your skills, or finding more balance between work and life, there are many ways to gain positive momentum at work. Take one small step each day and reward yourself for it.

Nothing comes easy, but here are five simple things you can do to up your job game in 2022.

The Intangibles

The Late John Madden had two rules: Show up on time and Work hard. Some actions you can take immediately include being punctual, positive, considerate, organized, and honest. Dress a bit nicer if you can. Even if it’s a nicer pair of jeans or shoes on the floor. Show confidence and celebrate your co-workers and their success. Help out wherever necessary. It’s the simple, yet little things, that can go a long way in being recognized as a great employee. 

Find a Side Hustle

More money means more opportunities. Diversifying your income streams can give you more confidence to make a jump to a new job if you’re ready to make a change. Some people sell makeup to their friends online, or maybe do odd jobs, or DIY projects for others. Some will drive for DoorDash or Lyft, and some will work for Wings Stadium a couple of evenings a month. No matter the source, if you can create a separate income stream, it will provide opportunities for employment growth. You can use the money to pay for education, or to relieve debt and stress, or to help bridge a gap if you’re ready to quit a job. Just remember, a side hustle is just that…on the side.

Network / Volunteer

Successful people network. How is anyone going to know how great you are if you never put yourself out there? Joining professional groups in your local area is a great way to start expanding your networking circle. Another simple way is to volunteer for an organization near to your heart. You’ll be able to showcase your dazzling personality and help others at the same time. In addition, you’ll meet like-minded people who are also looking for networking opportunities. Just showing up to volunteer says a lot about your character and who you are as a person.

Back to School

For a more traditional role, community colleges offer many degrees online with in-demand skills, certifications, and diplomas in as little as 18 months. By the end of the year, you could be on your way to graduation. 

Easier said than done for most people. But the richest man in the world, Elon Musk, said it best: “Anything you want to learn, you can learn for free on the internet.”  The best bang for your dollar is finding skills and certifications you can learn at your own pace and are low cost. There are many opportunities to learn valuable and employable skills. Sites like Skillshare, LinkedIn Learning, and Udemy offer full courses, software training, certifications, and more. It takes dedication and discipline. The courses can be had for as little as $12. Annual memberships to learn valuable on the job skills can cost as little as $159 a year. How much could you learn during a 30-day free trial?

There is also a large market for ‘boot-camp’ courses. These full-immersion courses are accredited by major universities and meet online several times a week in a full classroom environment complete with projects and homework. These courses usually have a high job placement rate, as the skills gained are quite in-depth in a specific field such as data analytics, and cyber-security. You can graduate from these 18- or 24-week courses with certifications in your new field as well as build a portfolio of projects you produced while in class. Both will be very helpful in finding a new career path. These courses can be very expensive, costing thousands of dollars, but loans, scholarships and grants, and flexible payment options are available.  Weigh your choices for what works best for you.

Add Value to Your Current Position
If you like where you work, make yourself more valuable by gaining skills that help you grow in your current position. Since certifications aren’t usually required by your employer, it shows them you’re serious about the quality of work you produce. Acquire Certifications like Certified Manufacturing Associate , Certified Automation Professional, Certified Manufacturing Technologist, or Certified Manufacturing Engineer.

If you work in an office, you could grow your skillset by learning tools in digital marketing, business leadership, CRM management, HR, data analytics, Google certifications, and more.

Talk to your employer about your intentions and ask for advice on what they would like you to learn specifically to help the operation. Ask for reimbursement. There are websites that specify in manufacturing courses to advance your career. No matter where you are, take some steps to improve your work life in the new year. Incorporate any or all of these tips to put you on a path to workplace happiness, which of course, enhance overall happiness.

Five Internal Marketing Channels That Are Better Than Email

five internal marketing channels that are not an email. two men on construction floor shaking hands
Stand out and engage your employees using these easy techniques

Most companies have a marketing department. That department probably spends their days strategizing how to brand the company in a B2B or B2C environment and attract more customers. If you’ve got the external marketing covered, the next question is how well do you promote yourself to your employees?

Internal marketing should be prioritized as highly as external marketing efforts. In a tight labor market, keeping your employees engaged and fulfilled leads to better retention. The problem many employers have is relying simply on newsletters with article after article or putting important information into another email. How many promotional emails do you delete in a day without even reading? While email marketing internally should be a part of your arsenal of tools, there are additional, effective ways to engage and inform one of your most important audiences, your employees!

Here are five non-email internal marketing channels to try that that are not an email that will engage your employees.

PRIVATE SOCIAL MEDIA CHANNELS
It’s easy to manage social media profiles and add/remove users as their employment status dictates. Create a private, employee-only account on social platforms your employees frequent. The housekeeping of getting everyone onboarded should be a focused effort. These channels allow all staff to have a voice for your business. Keep the content light and engaging, and be sure to respond to every post and comment.

TEXT MESSAGE CLUBS
Text message marketing uses SMS (Short Message Service) to deliver messages to subscribers. There are many companies you can contract with to manage your text database of employees and even help you create campaigns like polls and contests. 97% of all text messages are read within fifteen minutes. Creating a text message club can push out relevant and timely messages valued by your employees.

FACE-TO-FACE TABLES
Is the C-Suite making decisions based on the productions floor staff’s operating reality? One way to ensure that is arranging consistent, casual roundtable discussions. Getting administration in front of the floor staff can be as simple as setting up a table in the break room or conference room and inviting a couple of members of each team to meet and discuss wins, opportunities for process improvement, and answer any questions in safe spaces. Increase engagement with giveaways for attendees (like food certificates and company schwag), or letting them leave a few minutes early if the roundtables are held at the end of the day.

STAY INTERVIEWS
Staying on that face-to-face theme, a new practice taking hold is called the ‘Stay Interview”. The idea is to continually interview current employees and find out what their honest intentions are, how their jobs can be better, and what would keep them in their current job. Here’s an article on how big business is using the Stay Interview to fight turnover and retain employees.

VIDEO CONFERENCES
Getting everyone onboard a company-wide Zoom or other video call offers up opportunities to create special recognition, present professional video presentations, and sell your reputation with the entire team at the same time. Always try to keep these brief, and highly entertaining and engaging. Whatever you do, don’t do what better.com did and fire 900 employees by teleconference. Shudder.

When using internal marketing, work to communicate effectively and address your own shortcomings as a company honestly and optimistically. Let employees know that their feedback is crucial and their honesty will meet no form of retribution. Ideally, you could use one or all of the channels on a rotating basis.

Top Ten Non-Monetary Ways to Reward Employees

chalkboard with a message: top ten non monetary ways to reward employees this holdiay season

TOP TEN NON-MONETARY WAYS TO REWARD EMPLOYEES THIS HOLIDAY SEASON

If you ask an older generation, they’ll tell you all about the “Christmas Bonus.” In a bygone era, the employee-employer relationship was reaffirmed each holiday season with a bonus check for the employee. If you’ve seen the movie Christmas Vacation with Chevy Chase, you can see how problematic this became for employers, and employees.

There are many financial overtures to employees: salary, bonuses, stock options, profit sharing, and 401k match just to name a few. While your employees would undoubtedly appreciate a few extra dollars thrown their way as a ‘thank you’, there are many other ways to reward your hard working emotionally dedicated staff this season that can cost very little (or even nothing).

man double-fisting trophies
A trophy, championship belt, medal and some public recognition go a long way.

#10 – The Trophy

Sure, it’s a little hokey. Maybe your employee would rather have the $20 you spent to get a plate engraved. But a trophy, or medal, or championship belt will stand the test of time. It will be set front and center at an employee’s workstation/desk.  Having a moment with a trophy presentation in front of co-workers (do it on a monthly basis) can create a positive and memorable moment of recognition. It also has a dual effect on other co-workers to try and claim this moment for themselves down the line.

Many of these rewards and recognition are far more memorable than a cash gift or generic big box gift cards, add a personal touch and build relationships to help keep your team engaged. The holiday season provides employers a chance to connect intimately with their talent.  Studies show that an employee is three times more likely to have negative feelings about their employer without occasional recognition. So, show your staff some love this season.

#9 – Food and Drink

A gift card to a popular restaurant or a $50 gift card to the grocery store can go a long way to helping an employee. While this is technically a ‘monetary’ gift, it requires some thought and a personal touch from an employer. Sending someone out to dinner, or getting them a bottle of their favorite spirit shows your employee that who they are matters. Another simple idea is to have food and/or drinks brought in for your staff to enjoy. Do this early in the week to boost morale.

#8 – Outside the Office Experience:

Give an employee or employees a chance to do something for the day outside of the office.  Take someone golfing, to a movie, or maybe a concert. You could even go for drinks on the company after work hours. If you can, make sure the employee is on the clock. Those few hours clocked in and getting paid for something fun will stay in their heads and hearts for many weeks and months to come.

A nice pullover or hoodie makes for a wonderful employee gift.

#7 – Social Media Shoutouts

Some people aren’t going to be into having their face plastered on your Facebook or Instagram. If they are camera-shy, have them send a picture they like of themselves. Then make sure that you’re tagging them by name on your social media channels with details of how important they are to your operation. This public acknowledgement lends employees to feel secure and well loved at their job. This will promote overall performance moving forward.

#6 – Comfort and or Company Schwag

Make it more than a mug. Get something really nice for an employee that maybe isn’t available to everyone or at a price point that most don’t go near. A hooded sweatshirt, even with your logo on it, is a gift that everyone will enjoy. You can give a gift of comfort to an employee as well. It could be a blanket or maybe some nice work boots for outdoor and industrial work. Give your team member something they can use everyday that shows they are part of a team and that they are valued.

#5 – Time

It’s the only thing better than the paycheck. Give your employees time back in their lives to increase their contributions to your operation, and to themselves. Give them an extra mental-health day, or PTO days near a holiday weekend to give them an additional mini-vacation during the year. If you want to give them time during the workday, another popular idea is to let your employee spend the day volunteering at their favorite charity or allow them to work on their own projects on company time. Google lets employees spend 20% of their work time on personal projects. They know this benefits the mental health of the employee and usually benefits them as well from an R&D perspective.

#4 – Autonomy

One of the things people love most about a job is being left alone and not micromanaged. They can do their job with little supervision, and you should be able to recognize employees who can perform at high levels independently. In addition to autonomy, you can also reward employees with responsibility. While that doesn’t sound like a reward, showing your employees you trust them to handle more important tasks in their workload can give them a sense of connection with the team and purpose in their job.

#3 – One on One Time

Simple face time with the boss can go along way. It helps the employee know that they are valued because your time is important and you’re choosing to spend it with them. It gives them ownership of the team by being able to put ideas into management’s head. One-on-one lunches, weekly mentoring sessions, training on jobs beyond their current role and other private opportunities not only make them feel valued, it gives employers a chance to get a fresh perspective and retain employees long-term.

#2 – Education and Well Being

Nobody wants to feel stuck in job. If you want your employees operating at a high level, make sure they’re moving forward professionally and personally. Offering your employees a chance to develop their professional skills or to focus on their health benefits everyone in both the short and long term. Give your employee a paid afternoon off on a nice day, or send them to a spa for an afternoon for a treatment.

You can purchase (or reimburse) your employee for online classes (like LinkedIn Learning or Udemy) to grow their skills. These classes can be as cheap as $10 a course. Be sure to give them time to study and develop while they are on the clock. That Gordon Ramsey Masterclass in cooking might get you a special plate of Beef Wellington in return.

#1 – Flexibility

It is by far the most in-demand job benefit in 2021. People want to work where they are comfortable. If you can give an employee time off early to help them not spend money on child care, or let them work remotely a few days a week or create their own schedule—do it. You’re going to be giving them something that means far more than the dollars on their paycheck. It may not be attainable for every business, but whatever you can do to allow people to balance work vs. life, you’re going to be loved by those who work for you.

Take a moment to recognize those who make your operation successful. You don’t have to break the bank to do so. Just remember that your employees are people, and anything you can do to not be just “a job” is going to make them better employees, which makes your operation better.

Veteran’s Day Highlight: Corporal Brent Rogers

Today we recognize all veterans who have served our country, past and present. In honor of Veteran’s Day, we interviewed WSI’s own Brent Rogers (Payroll Coordinator), retired US Army Corporal, to learn more about his military experience.

What motivated you to join the military? How did you choose your branch of service?

I joined up because I wanted to serve my country and for the adventure. Both my father and grandfather served in the U.S. Army, so it was a pretty easy choice for me when I decided to enlist.

Tell us a little about your time in boot camp.

Boot camp was ten weeks long at Fort Leonardwood, Missouri. The first three weeks were pretty rough, but once you get used to the routine it wasn’t too bad. You learn a lot of things in a very short amount of time there (land navigation, first aid, rifle marksmanship, etc,) Our drill sergeants yelled and screamed a lot, but once we neared graduation they would mostly act as mentors to us. They all had served multiple tours overseas and were exemplary soldiers. One of them shook hands with me after I graduated, and I was pretty proud of that.

What was your primary job after training?

My primary job was being a motor transport operator and I was attached to a field artillery unit. Our main mission was to haul and distribute fuel and ammunition to the cannon crews.

Where did you serve the majority of your time in service?

Most of my time was spent at Fort Custer over in Battle Creek. We also spent time up north at Camp Grayling when we had a field training exercise.

What rank are you most proud to have earned, and why?

The rank I was most proud of was being a corporal, which is an NCO (Non-Commissioned Officer). NCOs are considered to be the backbone of the army. They take orders given from officers and ensure that the soldiers within their squad or team get them completed. I felt pretty proud to have that responsibility.

Which medals or citations are you most honored to have received, and why?

The medal I was most honored to receive is called the Broadsword Service Medal. It’s awarded to those who have completed four or more years in the Michigan Army National Guard. I thought it was pretty neat since it’s only awarded to soldiers who served in Michigan. 

Tell me about some of the special people you met.

One of the coolest aspects of being in the army is that you get to meet people from all walks of life. One of my best friends in the Army came here from Mexico and actually got his citizenship when he was in boot camp, which is pretty cool!

What was the best and worst ‘military’ food you were served, and why?

The best meal I ever had was steak, mashed potatoes with gravy and biscuits. We were at Fort Irwin, California for a month and had just gotten back from a two-week field training exercise in the desert. It just tasted really good after eating nothing but cold rations for two weeks. The worst meal I had was powdered eggs and what looked like undercooked bacon for breakfast once. The eggs looked pretty gross because they were green, but we ate them anyway haha.

Any funny stories you experienced that could only happen in the military?

One funny story comes to mind. In boot camp, they taught us how to throw a hand grenade. You stand inside a low concrete square with an instructor, throw the grenade, and duck behind the barrier to shield yourself from the explosion. Well, this one guy in our platoon chucked the grenade too low, it hit the barrier and bounced back. The instructor grabbed the guy by his collar and dove out of the barrier. The guy got yelled at a lot and they made him run laps around the barracks when we got back later that day. Everyone thought it was pretty hilarious at the time.

What are some ways civilians can honor Veterans not just on Nov. 11, but every day?

I think the best thing civilians can do to honor those who served is to volunteer and try to become an asset to both our country and our community.

How did your military experience affect your life today?

Well, I never can sleep in past 7 am nowadays haha. All joking aside, the military taught me some pretty important values like honor, courage, and commitment. I try to bring those values to my job here at WSI.

Brent, thank you for your service and for sharing your experience!

High Praise for THC-Friendly Jobs? Let’s Break it Down.

With the growing number of states legalizing the use of marijuana, the workforce has seen a shift in pre-employment requirements from employers. One of these shifts has many companies advertising “THC-Friendly” employment opportunities; WSI included. 

But what does “THC-friendly”  actually mean? 

For WSI, THC-friendly means we are no longer screening for THC during pre-employment drug tests. It’s important to note that this does not apply for every job opportunity; being THC-friendly is at the discretion of each employer where WSI associates may be placed on assignment.

Alternatively,  a THC-friendly position does not mean it’s ok to show up to work under the influence. Work environments remain drug-free. Actions such as possessing, selling, trading, or offering drugs/alcohol are grounds for termination from your position.

This also means you’re still subject to random drug screens throughout the duration of your employment. In the event that there is a work-related accident, such as crashing a forklift, you will be drug tested to confirm whether or not the incident was drug-related. 

What you do off the clock will not affect your job status as long as it does not affect your work performance. Our goal here at WSI is to balance our respect for individuals while also maintaining a safe, productive, and drug-free environment.

For more information, please visit our website to view our full drug & alcohol policy.