Employers

Most of us likely take paid sick leave for granted. It accumulates over time, and we dip into the account when there's an injury or illness that prevents us from going to work, whether for a day or, as in the case of a serious malady, for much longer. Workers benefit most directly, but it also allows employers to attract the best and brightest workers and spares their co-workers and customers from coming into contact with a potentially contagious disease. But what so many have come to expect as a minimum standard of full-time employment, many others have never experienced first-hand.

As a longtime Federal Hill business owner, Penny Troutner cheered the passage of Maryland's same-sex marriage law. Not only does the owner of Light Street Cycles believe it's a matter of fairness, she believes it's good for business. That goes for workers and employers alike, Troutner said last week after Maryland voters approved a ballot measure making same-sex unions legal. Couples can obtain civil marriage licenses from the state starting Jan. 1. "I have had gay and lesbian employees and would like to think the more rights they achieved, the easier it is for them to feel comfortable with who they are, which is always better in a workplace," said Troutner, who said she also believes the law will attract gay couples to the city and state.

There's a good chance during open enrollment this fall that you will be offered a high-deductible insurance plan with a savings account - if you haven't already been nudged into one. Increasingly, employers are offering this as a way to rein in their health insurance costs. The high deductible means lower premiums, benefits experts say. And employees - confronted with the prospect of potentially paying thousands of dollars before insurance kicks in - are less likely to run to the emergency room for minor problems, which also keeps costs down.

When Mitt Romney ran for Massachusetts governor in 2002, the private equity magnate said he was uniquely qualified to create jobs, particularly in the private sector, and to lure employers to the Bay State. Instead, under his leadership the state was the fourth-weakest in the country for total job growth and the third-weakest for private-sector job growth - causing hundreds of thousands of his fellow residents to leave Massachusetts, seeking opportunities elsewhere, the data show.

Fort Meade's rapid growth in the past few years has made it the state's largest employer, but getting a foot in the door — or, rather, inside the guarded fence line — can be daunting. Many of the Army installation's 56,000 jobs require a security clearance. And though it's one base, Fort Meade contains 95 employers, including the National Security Agency and the Environmental Protection Agency. When local officials held an event last week to demystify Fort Meade hiring, 300 people showed up, armed with notebooks and resumes.

The almost two decades since the Clinton tax increase in 1993 have constituted a mighty experiment in macroeconomics. That period - more than a quarter of the entire postwar era - is divided into two periods of almost one half each, the first being a period following tax increases and the more recent period following two large tax cuts. The empirical evidence shows that the period following the tax increase experienced the largest peacetime expansion in U.S. history and the creation of 23 million jobs.

Keeping your opinions to yourself at work might not be easy in today's supercharged political climate. With the general election just weeks away, political discussions naturally come up in offices, on campuses and at job sites throughout the Baltimore area. But seemingly harmless banter about the latest debate or a candidate's misstep quickly can turn ugly, some workplace experts warn. Strong opinions on candidates and issues can become a source of conflict and tension, experts say, potentially offending colleagues, bosses, even customers.

TV commercials, debates, rallies and campaign speeches are among the ways to view the presidential candidates' positions and what's important to women in this year's election. Another way is speaking to female legislators to get their perspective on issues of concern to women. I was fortunate to interview a diverse group of women legislators from Maryland and the Maryland Women's Caucus on the issues that pertain to women. Maryland women lawmakers represent the diversity of our country with members from all walks of life, ethnicities, races and sexual orientations, including African-Americans, Hispanics, whites, Asian-Americans/Pacific Islanders, Indian-Americans, Caribbean-Americans and openly gay members.

Many Maryland employers will see the tax they pay for unemployment insurance drop by more than half next year. The tax cut, which will be announced Monday by the state Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation, reflects the improving employment situation in the state and should give businesses a boost as they use that money for other purposes. The unemployment insurance tax soared several years ago as the ranks of the unemployed spiked during the recession, which in turn depleted the state's trust fund for jobless benefits.

A Landover business owner pleaded guilty in federal court Wednesday to failing to account for and pay employment taxes, leading to a more than $2.2 million tax loss, federal authorities said. Alphonso Tillman, 44, of Fort Washington, had been president and owner of Remote Surveillance Technology Solutions Inc. and a successor business, Remote Surveillance Technology Services LLC, both of which provided commercial and residential security guards, the plea agreement said. Tillman failed to file quarterly forms showing the amount of wages and compensation subject to withholding, income tax withheld and taxes due, said the announcement by Rod J. Rosenstein, U.S. Attorney for Maryland, and Rick A. Raven, special agent in charge for the Internal Revenue Service criminal investigation field office in Washington.