Worcester Business Journal

wbjournal.com | December 11, 2023 | Worcester Business Journal 19 By Rich Frenette Rich Frenette is founder of Workforce Train- ing Solutions, a Leominster-based company de- signed to help businesses achieve strategic staff development goals and improve profitability by securing state workforce training funds. Contact him at rich@wtsmass.com 7) Businesses within Massachusetts are eligible to apply. Businesses based in Massachusetts contributing to the state's unemployment insurance are eligible for workforce training funds. 6) A variety of approved training workshops are available within the program. A list of typical workshops includes, but is not restricted to, software training; English as a second language; diversity, equity, and inclusion; executive leadership coaching; staff development; and salesforce customer relationship management. 5) Identify opportunities and challenges aligned with funding eligibility. By identifying staff development needs and aligning those needs with funding eligibility, businesses will experience the strongest return on investment. 4) Work with businesses and organizations to secure funding. By navigating the application process for businesses, the team obtains insight, knowledge, and expertise of the training program grants and how best to present a compelling application. 3) Benefits include improving staff skill sets and achieving strategic staff development goals. Corporate strategic plans should include staff development objectives. Successful staff development addresses business opportunities and challenges leading to improved market competitiveness, profitability, and employee morale. 2) Senior management buy-in for training programs is important. This grant-funded staff training opportunity must have senior management buy-in to ensure training will continue through the entire process. Senior management is best positioned to identify workshops addressing overall strategic staff development goals. 1) Know the best time to apply for the grants. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis and businesses may apply anytime. K N O W H O W e IRS takes action to help those scammed by the Employee Retention Credit BY EMILY MICUCCI Special to WBJ I f you're not burned out by early De- cember, are you even a U.S. profes- sional with a slew of responsibilities outside the office? Between planning for the new year, tying up loose ends, and juggling personal obligations, the threat of falling into a slump and losing productivity and momentum is real for employees and the companies they work for. e hiring platform Ladders reports employees surveyed in the U.S. and Europe reported a drop in their own productivity in December, peaking between Dec. 16 and 19. So what can you do to maintain focus for yourself or those you employ? Set priorities. You can't do it all during the busiest season but don't let important meetings or projects fall by the wayside. Collaborate with your team or supervisor to identify and delegate work in a way that is manage- able. For employers, strategic holiday planning involves allocating judiciously and fairly to prevent overburdening your staff, writes Sheya Michaeledes, for workplace insight platform Allwork. Close the office. It may sound counterintuitive, but offering an extra paid day off or two around the holidays could motivate your employees to work harder through the December rush, says Harvard Business Review, which found employees whose offices close beyond the usual holidays are signifi- cantly more likely to report higher productivity. Ring in the new year. By getting excited about new initiatives aer the holidays, you can drum up workplace enthusiasm when distractions are pil- ing up. December is a good month for planning sessions for the year ahead, or even a year-end town hall-style meet- ing to discuss highlights and learning opportunities from the previous 12 months, writes Jennifer Ho for TrainingIndustry.com. 7 THINGS I know about... ... The Massachusetts Workforce Training Fund Program B E AT I N G T H E Y E A R - E N D S L U M P F O R E M P L O Y E E S A N D E M P L O Y E R S Matthew Erskine is managing partner for Worcester law firm Erskine & Erskine. Reach him at (508) 753-7100. BY MATTHEW ERSKINE Special to WBJ M any tax professionals are familiar with cases where clients were aggressively encouraged to apply for the Employee Retention Credit, resulting in false claims and penalties. To address this, the Internal Revenue Service has temporarily halted the program and provided a procedure to withdraw claims without penalties. e ERC, established under the CARES Act in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, offers a tax credit to reimburse qualified wages paid during periods of economic hardship or business closure in 2020 or 2021. Eligible employers, who experienced a full or partial suspension of business or a reduction in gross receipts due to COVID-19, can claim a tax credit of 50% or 70% of qualified wages, up to certain limits. Unfortunately, the ERC has been subject to abuse, with ineligible and fraudulent claims made due to aggressive promotion by unscrupulous individuals. e IRS has acted by imposing a moratorium on new claims while continuing to process previously filed claims. Stricter compliance reviews have been implemented, lengthening the processing time. To address the issue of claims already filed, the IRS has issued FS-2023-24, outlining a process for taxpayers to withdraw their ERC claims. Taxpayers who believe their claims were inappropriate should consult with a qualified tax attorney and follow the withdrawal process outlined by the IRS, which involves filing an amended Form 941. It is important for taxpayers who may have filed an inappropriate ERC claim to refrain from cashing any checks and seek independent legal counsel for guidance on the best course of action. e withdrawal process offers relief for those who unknowingly fell victim to aggressive promoters or filed claims they believed were eligible. By following the withdrawal process with the assistance of a qualified tax attorney, taxpayers can rectify their situations. We hope the IRS will provide clear procedures for those who have already received the credit but have now realized their ineligibility, allowing them to return the funds through a settlement program. e misuse of the ERC by unqualified claimants will likely result in numerous criminal investigations and civil penalty situations. It is crucial for affected taxpayers to act promptly and seek professional advice to navigate through this challenging situation. W W W

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