PROFNET EXPERT ALERTS: Student Debt / Charitable Contributions / Holiday Parties

Dec. 19, 2011

EXPERT ALERTS

1. Finance: Financial Aid Advice in Response to Student Debt Issue2. Taxation: Check Before Making Last-Minute Contributions3. Workplace: Changing Child Labor Laws Is Far From Simple4. Workplace: Exercise Caution in Recruiting From the Ranks5. Workplace: Getting Through Company Holiday Parties Without Legal Hangovers

OTHER NEWS & RESOURCES

1. Upcoming #ConnectChat: Year in Review2. Words to Retire in 20123. Interesting Expert of the Week, 'A Christmas Story' Edition4. Grammar Hammer: Do Santa and His Reindeer 'Bring' or 'Take'?

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EXPERT ALERTS:

Via Expert Alerts, ProfNet members can alert reporters to experts who are available to discuss timely news topics. If you are interested in interviewing any of the experts, please see the contact info at the end of the alert. You can also find Expert Alerts online on ProfNet Connect at http://bit.ly/pncalerts

**1. FINANCE: FINANCIAL-AID ADVICE IN RESPONSE TO STUDENT DEBT ISSUE. Frank Palmasani, veteran admissions and guidance counselor, and founder of online financial aid resources ManagingCollegeCost.com and MyFinancialFit.com: "Student debt has surpassed credit card debt for the first time in U.S. history and the economic impact of the student debt crisis is one of the big unknowns that we are facing today in this country. The college financial-aid system in the U.S. needs to dramatically shift its focus from figuring out how to finance college after a school has been selected to considering affordability first." Palmasani is available to discuss how parents and students are wasting time, energy and money by following the traditional college search timeline; why putting affordability first is the best option and how families can assess their affordability range; how parents and students can maximize use of net price calculators to determine which categories of schools are financial fits; and how to include your student in the college financial process. Palmasani is located in Chicago. News Contact: Liz Kelsch, [email protected] Phone: +1-630-536-0595

**2. TAXATION: CHECK BEFORE MAKING LAST-MINUTE CONTRIBUTIONS. Tyree Collier of the Dallas office of Thompson & Knight: "Year-end is a time when taxpayers consider charitable contributions, while many nonprofit organizations are making last-minute appeals. But before giving to any charity you haven't previously been involved with -- even if it sounds legitimate -- get the full legal name and verify the tax-exempt status. Many organizations have similar-sounding names, and unethical groups may purposely solicit using more familiar-sounding names. There are a number of websites that provide guidance on a charity's effectiveness and status, and that the IRS website provides a function for researching charitable organizations, as well. Additionally, it's best to make contributions with a check or credit card to help assure that the funds are used as intended, and donors should be sure to get a receipt or acknowledgement from the charity with the date and amount of the contribution." News Contact: Barry Pound, [email protected] Phone: +1-800-559-4534

**3. WORKPLACE: CHANGING CHILD LABOR LAWS IS FAR FROM SIMPLE. Neil Martin, employment attorney from the Houston office of Gardere Wynne Sewell LLP: "With his proclamation that current child labor laws are 'truly stupid,' GOP presidential candidate Newt Gingrich has cast a light on an emotionally charged issue that has been complicated by a patchwork of regulations. Originally designed to protect Industrial Revolution-era children from working long hours for pennies, the federal government created the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) of 1938. The act is still in effect today, but some have called for a reassessment of FLSA regulations, as well as the various child labor laws that each state has enacted. Permitting teens to work for lower than minimum wage is being proposed as an answer to jobs going overseas for cheaper wages, and as an answer to the myth of adolescence. However, these proposed changes focus on age alone and not intellect or ability. You have to balance protecting young workers and allowing them to become productive members of society, and that is neither simple nor evident." News Contact: Rhonda Reddick, [email protected] Phone: +1-800-559-4534

**4. WORKPLACE: EXERCISE CAUTION IN RECRUITING FROM THE RANKS. Joe Ahmad, executive employment lawyer at Houston's Ahmad, Zavitsanos, Anaipakos, Alavi & Mensing P.C.: "It's natural for executives to want to take members of their team with them to their next jobs, but there are right ways and wrong ways to recruit from your former employer. Recruiting fellow employees to leave with you while you're still working for the company is not only bad form, but it's generally regarded as a breach of fiduciary duty or duty of loyalty. You simply can't maintain those duties if you're actively recruiting other employees away to a competitor. Once executives have moved to the new job, though, they are free to recruit from the former employer -- assuming the employees being wooed aren't constrained by noncompete or other agreements. It's a good idea to abide by both the letter and the spirit of those agreements. Litigation avoidance is often less about the law than it is about courtesy and conscientiousness." News Contact: Mary Flood, [email protected] Phone: +1-800-559-4534

**5. WORKPLACE: GETTING THROUGH COMPANY HOLIDAY PARTIES WITHOUT LEGAL HANGOVERS. Julian Wright, a litigation attorney with Robinson Bradshaw & Hinson in Charlotte, N.C.: "A resurgence in company holiday parties this year should spur employers to revisit policies governing these events and the activities they may invite. As an increasing number of companies plan holiday parties this season as a result of improved economic conditions, they should be reminded of the potential liabilities that can result from over-consumption of alcohol by employees and customers. What should be a joyous occasion could become a tragedy with long-lasting legal entanglements that are the worst of holiday hangovers. Many organizations may be surprised to learn that some states, including North Carolina, recognize a 'social host' theory of liability, and whatever harm an employee does driving home drunk from the company holiday party could -- or could not -- be attributed to the employer." News Contact: Michael Henry, [email protected] Phone: +1-704-926-1364

OTHER NEWS & RESOURCES:

Following are links to other news and resources we think you might find useful. If you have an item you think other reporters would be interested in and would like us to include in a future alert, please drop us a line at [email protected]

1. UPCOMING #CONNECTCHAT: YEAR IN REVIEW: ProfNet Director Maria Perez will lead a Twitter chat discussion on Dec. 20 featuring you and your 2011 successes and failures: http://bit.ly/vZUcZp

2. WORDS TO RETIRE IN 2012: Samantha McGarry discusses words from 2011 that are overused and abused by professional communicators: http://bit.ly/vkrkT5

3. INTERESTING EXPERT OF THE WEEK, 'A CHRISTMAS STORY' EDITION: ProfNet Director Maria Perez interviews Brian Jones, owner of "A Christmas Story" house in Cleveland: http://bit.ly/scji2U

4. GRAMMAR HAMMER: DO SANTA AND HIS REINDEER 'BRING' OR 'TAKE'? ProfNet Editor Grace Lavigne explains how to use "bring" vs. "take": http://bit.ly/vW5WQv

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/PRNewswire – Dec. 19, 2011/

SOURCE ProfNet