Stay up-to-date on the companies, people and issues that impact businesses in Syracuse, Central New York and beyond.

VIEWPOINT: Syracuse-area native serves aboard “Fast and Feared” U.S. Navy warship
A native of the Syracuse area is serving in the U.S. Navy aboard USS James E. Williams, a guided-missile destroyer, currently participating in counter-drug operations in the eastern Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea. Chief Petty Officer Ryan M. Sullivan, a 2001 Jamesville-DeWitt High School graduate, joined the Navy 14 years ago. Today, Sullivan, serves aboard a ship with […]
CEO FOCUS: New Program Advances Region’s Leadership in Unmanned-Systems Industry
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) recently announced that Syracuse Hancock International Airport was selected as one of five airports in the country for its drone detection and mitigation-research program. As part of the program, the Syracuse airport will test systems that detect and block drones in a real-world environment that includes both commercial and military aircraft. This
VIEWPOINT: 5 Tips to Transform a Micromanager Into a Servant Leader
The word micromanager often carries a negative connotation because, from an employee’s perspective, that type of leader is over-involved in his work, creates tension, and doesn’t trust employees enough to do their job. Servant leadership, on the other hand, brokers mutual trust because such leaders believe in employees’ skills and knowledge. With a more collaborative and positive
VIEWPOINT: Warning To Remote Workers: Out of Sight Could Mean Out of Job
Although the debate continues about whether the business world will return to normal even after most people receive the COVID-19 vaccine, the expectation is that many companies will soon call employees back to the office. Some workers may still get to work part time from home, and some businesses will make remote work permanent. But the tension
VIEWPOINT: Tips to help make the most of your health plan in 2021
Last year was a difficult one as the COVID-19 pandemic swept through our country, impacting families and communities nationwide. The health challenges of the pandemic also provided a crucial reminder about the importance of health care. For many New York residents and Americans, new health-plan benefits for 2021 began in January. If this is your situation, now
VIEWPOINT: Enforceability of non-competes for terminated employees in New York depends on location
A decent case from the Appellate Division, First Department — King v. Marsh & McLennan Agency, LLC (Feb. 11, 2021) — serves as a reminder that, depending on where your business is located within New York state, a different rule applies for the enforceability of your employee non-competition and non-solicitation covenants when you terminate someone without cause. Specifically,
VIEWPOINT: The Need for Employee-Benefit Audits Remains but with Changes
The past year changed almost everything, but one thing that remains the same is the need for retirement-plan sponsors to engage an independent accountant to perform an annual audit of their plan. Currently, any qualified retirement plan — 401(k), defined benefit, 403(b), and others — with 100 or more qualified participants (regardless of whether they are participating
Ask Rusty: Does Paying FICA Tax Now Increase My SS Benefit?
Dear Rusty: If a person retires at age 66 and continues to work full time, Social Security (SS) federal payroll (or FICA) taxes are still taken out of his weekly paycheck. Will this taxation for Social Security contribute more to the person’s SS benefit, even if already retired? Signed: Curious Retiree Dear Curious Retiree: Since its inception
Here are some recent tweets that came across the @cnybj Twitter feed, offering small business, COVID-19, and HR tips. SBA @SBAgovAlert! Fraudsters have been targeting small business owners through email phishing schemes. Reminder: Any email from SBA will come from accounts ending in http://sba.gov Learn how to report suspected fraud to @SBAOIG: https://sba.gov/covidfraudalert Small Business

EVOKE: Creativity shows education & creative expression
MARCELLUS — In late November 2020 Chelsea Lembo, a former public elementary-school teacher and certified educator with a specialty in arts-integrated learning, was organized and ready to make an impact. She had already established an entity (LLC) for her startup and had a space secured in Marcellus where she could provide students with creative workshops.
Stay up-to-date on the companies, people and issues that impact businesses in Syracuse, Central New York and beyond.