According to a 2018 study by Statista, approximately 85% of American Internet users watch online video content monthly , and those numbers are increasing across all platforms each day.

Meanwhile, approximately 48 million Americans experience some degree of hearing loss. Add to that the 4.2 million people in the U.S. over the age of 40 who are visually impaired, and then ask yourself this question: Is my video content accessible to everyone?
Whether informational, educational, entertaining or political – your videos should be accessible to every potential viewer. Otherwise, consumers who cannot see or hear will inevitably encounter barriers to your message, and you could experience a significantly smaller audience as a result.

Accessibility does not have to entail tremendous cost or time commitment, and when planned in advance and executed properly, it can help you broaden your reach exponentially.

But accessibility is not only the consumer-focused thing to do, in some cases it is actually the law.

Know the Rules

The Americans with Disabilities Act was passed in 1990, prohibiting discrimination in employment, public services, public accommodations, and telecommunications.

The first civil rights legislation of its kind, the ADA was aimed at creating equal access for people with disabilities and, under Titles II and III, has come to have a number of implications for online content.

Likewise, the 21st Century Video Accessibility Act (CVAA) was devised to ensure that accessibility laws enacted in the 1980s and 1990s were updated for digital usage, while the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) mandates the amount of programming that is required to include closed captioning. Practically all content aired on TV today must be captioned, with few exemptions .

Failure to comply with the aforementioned telecommunications standards and regulations can lead to costly consequences for businesses and video production firms.

The Importance of Closed Captions

Not to be confused with subtitles, which only transcribe spoken dialogue word for word, closed captioning attempts to provide viewers with the same level of information that they would receive from a video’s audio track. This includes background noises, musical scores, song lyrics, and so much more.

Closed captions are not only used by the deaf and hard of hearing communities, but also individuals for whom English is not a primary language.

Captioning is also incredibly beneficial when the potential for distractions exist and/or a video must be viewed with the sound muted.
Additionally, as your global audience grows, making your videos as accessible as possible by providing captions in multiple languages, helps to boost your viewer base.

With so much information to be processed and so many messages to accurately deliver, closed captioning helps your diverse audiences engage with the material more completely.

In lieu of captions, providing access to a transcript can also be helpful. A transcript is a printed documentation of a media program, which includes all spoken audio and/or dialogue, and occasionally full descriptions of key visual information and on-screen text.

The Benefit of Audio Description

Primarily used by blind and visually impaired audiences, audio descriptive services often are delivered via a secondary audio track that describes the actions on screen in great detail. This tool provides information that would otherwise not be discernable by the main soundtrack alone, including actions, scene changes, on-screen signage and text, and other visual content.

For video content that is predominantly visual, with no spoken audio, audio description is absolutely critical.

Sighted people, on occasion, can also benefit from audio descriptive services. Children with learning disabilities or autistic children may find the service particularly beneficial, as hearing concise, yet descriptive spoken words in conjunction with visual images on screen can help to improve comprehension, literacy, and much more.

It’s Never Too Late to Provide Access

If your video content is intended for public consumption, it should consistently include captioning and audio description, at a minimum. It is also wise to update your back catalog of material to extend your consumer reach as far as possible.
Maslow Media Group is uniquely poised to help your agency or corporation remain compliant, while fostering more dynamic and accessible video content.

Our company was founded in 1988 after realizing the need for a resource that could provide qualified production crews to Washington, D.C.’s television, cable, and multimedia outlets. Since that time, we have provided broadcasters with high quality solutions, including camera crews, equipment, and other creative video production services.

Expand your audience. Contact Maslow today to achieve more accessible and engaging video content.

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On January 1, 2020, a shiny ball dropped in Times Square, noisemakers tooted, other noisemakers Tweeted, and the Department of Labor’s new overtime rules went into effect, extending pay for approximately 1.3 million across the nation.

The new rule offers yet another challenge for employers, who are expected to be reclassifying upwards of 1 million employees to non-exempt status in the new year and/or raising pay rates for others to meet the threshold. Business owners will need to keep a keen eye on both salary and job descriptions moving forward.

The easiest mistake to make is believing an employee is exempt simply because he or she is salaried. It’s not always the case, and proper classification will be even more critical under the New Year’s new law, and employers should consider an internal audit to make certain everyone is accurately identified.

Under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), the new overtime rule, which was announced back in September, changes the threshold to $35,568 in annual earnings ($684 weekly), unseating the previous threshold of $23,660 which had remained untouched since the Bush administration.

This new figure is significantly lower than the $47,000 proposed by the Obama administration in 2016. That rule – intended to bring salaries in line with inflation and living expenses – was blocked nationwide by a district court in Texas.

Companies will now be paying out more wages, overall. But the change is being met with a mixed reaction from reclassified employees – some of whom are energized by the prospect of overtime pay, and others who resent the fact that they must now punch a clock for the first time or feel as though a non-exempt classification is a demotion.

Now, non-exempt workers making less than the new threshold must be paid one and a half times their normal rate after exceeding the 40 hours mark each week.

Employees are considered exempt, however, if they meet the following criteria:

• They are salaried.
• They earn at least $33,568 annually.
• They carry out executive, administrative, or professional job duties.

Additionally, the DOL rule also changed annual requirements for highly compensated employees, in an effort to avoid discrimination between high- and low-wage workers.

• The new threshold for highly compensated employees is $107,432 annually (previously $100,000)
• Workers are considered highly compensated if they:
  • Earn $107,432 per year
  • Perform office or non-manual work
  • Regularly performs the work of an exempt executive, administrative, or professional employee.

Payroll-related changes can be overwhelming, particularly when so much is at stake. Maslow Media Group can help your business remain compliant and stay the course.

MMG specializes in helping business owners navigate legal and tax-related compliance issues associated with Payroll in any industry. We regularly serve as employer of record for companies, handling all expenses, insurance, compliance employment law, and more. Contact us today to set up a consultation or call us at 202-965-1100.

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Making a splash in the job market can be a daunting prospect. Competition has never been higher, and your fellow contenders are constantly using every tool in their arsenal – including cutting a swath through social media – to get a leg up.

Headhunters employed by a talent recruitment agency are searching for well-rounded workers who are ambitious, yet humble; individuals who demonstrate a willingness to learn, in addition to the ability to be where they say they will be and do what they say they will do.

If you’ve cleared those high watermarks, here are five additional ways to increase your visibility and stand out from the rest of the crowd.

1. An amazing resume. Which isn’t to say embellished. Keep it current. Keep it concise. Keep it real.
2. A social media presence. Approximately 93% of companies turn to LinkedIn when hiring their next superstar. So be sure to have an account and a profile – and populate it with your skills, accomplishments, and keywords relating to the job you are applying for.
3. A perfected pitch. Do you have your 30 second elevator speech ready? When a recruiter reaches out, letting him or her know clearly and professionally what you are looking for in a job not only demonstrates a certain level of hutzpah, but allows the recruiter to more efficiently “sell” you to prospective employers. In addition, your efforts will eliminate time-consuming calls for positions that aren’t a fit, while keeping your name at the forefront for those that are.
4. Staying power. If you’ve been fortunate – and savvy – enough to remain with one organization for an extended period of time, leverage this trait to the nth Tenure is an extremely marketable asset and blows the musical chairs-like appearance of switching jobs every couple of years out of the water.
5. In short, be yourself. Be honest. Let your true colors show. Headhunters with a talent recruitment agency are searching for relatability and that certain someone who fits with a certain workplace culture or style. Don’t second guess yourself or attempt to put on the face of the employee you think they want to see. This often backfires. And even if it doesn’t, it’s a charade that will ultimately not pass muster in the long run.

While not exclusively a talent recruitment agency, Maslow Media Group offers a comprehensive resource for staffing and outsourced recruiting, in addition to other outsourced human resources services. We regularly draw from an extensive network of contacts, including cable networks, corporate media departments, and thousands of professionals we have worked with throughout the years.

Are you on our list?

Maslow Media Group is continuously searching for qualified industry professionals and regularly matches professionals with companies that need their talents. Learn more here.

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With so many different hats to wear, balls to juggle, and fires to put out (in addition to a bevy of other workplace idioms) the Human Resources department is largely considered one of the most high-pressure and stressful places to work within an organization.

And with the New Year right around the corner, a slew of new HR-related stresses and responsibilities are on deck for companies nationwide.

Normal HR practices and functions keep employees satisfied, safe, and productive, while ensuring that your business’ efforts are in alignment with local, state, and federal regulations.

The truth, however, is that small to moderate sized businesses can often struggle with establishing an adequate HR infrastructure, and several even rely on non-HR personnel to fill in the gaps.

If this sounds all too familiar (not to mention, dangerous), it may be time to consider hiring an outsourced HR company, which can help reduce stress and maintain operational balance in a number of ways, including:

• Administrative relief: An outsourced HR company can help your company streamline critical processes, such as Payroll, employee relations, benefits administration, and much more. Better yet, your employees interact with the outsourced company directly regarding any questions and/or concerns.
• Boosted efficiency: By outsourcing the aforementioned responsibilities, business owners are able to refocus in-house resources on mission critical tasks, such as building revenue and pursuing new leads. Internal HR personnel can focus on more strategic endeavors, such as talent building.
• Compliance: Perhaps the most dreaded of all HR functions is remaining knowledgeable of and compliant with an ever-moving, ever-changing roster of state and federal laws and regulations, including ACA, FLSA overtime, OSHA, tax law, immigration law, independent contractor guidelines, and much, much more. Your outsourced HR company should take the reins regarding all of the above, lightening the load significantly and helping you to avoid costly penalties, fines, and worse.
• Heightened recruitment: The ideal outsourced HR company will provide professional support and expertise throughout every stage of the hiring process, which can not only save your business time and money but may ultimately result in a more qualified talent bench. Recruiting tasks can include, but are not limited to:
  • Job posting
  • Screening
  • Short-listing
  • Background checks
  • Interviewing
  • Onboarding
• Improved access to benefits: An outsourced HR company offers increased negotiating prowess, which often results in greater access to better health benefits for small to medium sized businesses. Ultimately, this gives these businesses a more competitive edge when it comes to obtaining talent and helps to eliminate turnover.

As your premier outsourced HR company, Maslow Media Group offers comprehensive managed services – from payroll to insurance to employee benefits and more – to maximize your company’s potential and reach. Contact us today  to discover how we can help you.

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Brace yourself: the IRS is making changes to the W-4.

Employers will be required to comply by Jan. 1, 2020. And the IRS has said that no grace period will be provided.

The W-4 controls the amount of tax withheld from employee paychecks, and it’s never been particularly user-friendly.

Initial changes, proposed in the summer of 2018, didn’t appear to make things much easier.

Reviewers of that draft, including payroll companies and tax preparation specialists, were concerned that employers would need to offer training prior to giving the form to employees.

An IRS Withholding Calculator was similarly deemed unusable by the American Payroll Association.

Given that feedback, plans for 2019 were scrapped. The IRS is now aiming for a 2020 roll out, with the new design suspected to be available in November 2019.

The overall goal, says the IRS, is for taxpayers not to owe or be owed anything come tax time. To that end, exemptions have been eliminated. Instead of claiming a certain number of allowances, workers will now provide:

• Nonwage income (interest and dividends)
• Itemized and other deductions
• Anticipated income tax credits for the tax year
• Total annual taxable wages for all lower paying jobs in the household

Chances are, adjusting withholding will require specific financial amounts to be disclosed. Users will need to calculate the extra amount they want withheld from each pay period, taking spousal and investment income into consideration, as well as capital gains and more.

A second draft, released in August this year, is expected to be used to program payroll systems now.

But there are still widespread concerns.

The changes to the W-4 – while intended to streamline processes – could potentially prove burdensome for employers; particularly small businesses without their own payroll division. Many employees’ earnings change from pay period to pay period – making new calculations required each pay period.

Additionally, the IRS has said employees who submitted a W-4 in any year prior will not be required to submit a new version due to the redesign.

This could ultimately require employers to maintain two different payroll systems. Some protestors believe the new form could lead to employers misclassifying employees as independent contractors , simply to avoid the hassle.

Experts also say new federal forms always present the opportunity for fraudsters and scammers  to imitate employers or tax officials and call or email employees seeking personal information.

Are you already attempting to balance a heavy workload while preparing for the oncoming changes the new W-4 will produce? Maslow Media Group can help.

We specialize in navigating the numerous administrative, legal, and tax-related compliance issues associated with Payroll in any industry, anywhere in the U.S.  Let us serve as your company’s employer of record for tax purposes. We can handle all expenses, insurance, and compliance employment law, while putting time back into your schedule.

Contact us today to set up a consultation  or call us at 202-965-1100.

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Consider this: every second an office position remains unfilled – your company hemorrhages money.

Every time a new hire is brought onboard – only to spin aimlessly in a desk chair and borrow a pen or two before leaving two weeks later – your company sheds sustaining funds.

But recruiting top candidates can be a challenge, as skills are in high demand and hopefuls are influenced in equal parts by social awareness and social media.  And keeping an eye on your bottom line is more critical than ever in today’s challenging and intricate economy.

Here are just 3 ways that an outsourced recruiting firm can help:

1. Quality control – A professional recruiter knows the ins and outs of the trade and is adept at attracting only the most exemplary candidates. Not only that, but recruiters handle the sourcing of prospects and resumes, conduct interviews, spearhead negotiations, and launch the on-boarding process, drastically reducing your time-to-hire and – most importantly – your cost-to-hire. This ultimately means better, more reputable employees for your company, which helps to eliminate turnover and endlessly open positions.
2. Increased savings. Speaking of turnover, if a revolving door of employees is a continuous – and costly – problem faced by your business, clearly there’s a kink of some sort in your hiring process. Outsourced recruiting can streamline your recruitment efforts, while doing away with headhunter fees, and keeping your expenses in line.
3. Added efficiency. Keep in mind, outsourced recruiting is not meant to replace your staff. Quite the opposite. A professional recruiting team will work with your current staff and recruiting department, helping to improve productivity and allowing your staff to focus more fully on the mission at hand. And consider this: When a downturn occurs, your need for recruiting staff may plummet unexpectedly – requiring internal cuts. Conversely, during an economic upswing or expansion into another market, your company may experience a sudden need for additional personnel. When outsourcing, the recruiter accepts this burden, ensuring that you are never short-staffed or saddled with employees that you don’t need.

Maslow Media Group can be your comprehensive outsourced recruiting resource. Not only do we draw from an extensive global network of talent, but we also offer the resources and the institutional knowledge to find the ideal candidate who can grow and lead your team.

As part of our staffing process, we will:

• Interview and screen candidates thoroughly
• Process background and reference checks
• Negotiate compensation packages
• Monitor new hire performance

Contact MMG today  to discover how we can fill every requirement of your staffing needs.

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