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Post by jodycat on Dec 19, 2008 8:33:41 GMT -5
Jaime, Bonnie, & Jenny...is it possible to set up a fund for paid help so people can donate directly to that? I think it's a great idea and that way, the money has already been set aside for it. If someone donates to it, they know what they are donating for. Does that make more work for Bonnie? Not my intention if it does. I just donated about $225 between Christmas cards and calendars. I would be delighted to see all of it put to this use.
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Post by schwung on Dec 19, 2008 12:03:37 GMT -5
schwung--so how is old owen rd looking these days? I am scheduled to volunteer tomorrow, and probably playing hookey from work, so i will have the advantage of taking my sweet time to get there from snohomish, and today hwy 2 wasn't too terrible, and the sideroads were, well, terrible...but i do have AWD and chains... I was waiting to respond to this because I actually haven't been out at all, but Mike went to work today and he said its not bad. The only place that is iffy is Old Owen Road but it has been plowed and sanded. The hill is fine, the last few miles does have snow on it but its flat and if you go slow it would be fine. If you can let me know if and when you might be coming that would be great...thanks Julie!
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Post by cardicorgi on Dec 19, 2008 14:04:19 GMT -5
Jaime, Bonnie, & Jenny...is it possible to set up a fund for paid help so people can donate directly to that? I think it's a great idea and that way, the money has already been set aside for it. If someone donates to it, they know what they are donating for. Does that make more work for Bonnie? Not my intention if it does. I just donated about $225 between Christmas cards and calendars. I would be delighted to see all of it put to this use. This could be a solution. I agree that it is necessary to have consistent help at Jaime's, but worry a bit about the added work that a paid worker might entail specifically for Bonnie. I also agree that it's really easy to get burned out as a volunteer and no one wants that! I think hiring someone might raise a few issues (tax/insurance/worker's comp/etc) that should be resolved.
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Post by jaybird on Dec 19, 2008 15:32:36 GMT -5
I'm pretty sure that if we hired someone to clean stalls that person would be considered an independent contractor, rather than an employee. Tax reporting requirements for an independent contractor are very simple.
I'm less in favor of setting up a separate fund for stall cleaning. If we decide to do this, the expense of hiring a contractor to clean stalls will be clearly outlined in our financial reporting. Anyone who feels that this is a misuse of SAFE funds will probably elect not to donate to SAFE any more. I really don't think that this is a major concern. Stall cleaning is arguably part of the upkeep of our horses. It has to be done for their health and safety. This is a completely different issue than if we were to start paying ourselves for the management of the rescue.
I'd just like to quickly address the earlier discussion about the SAFE bank balance. Looking at the monthly financials, our typical monthly outlay is slightly more than $5000 per month. So the $25,000 we have in the bank at the moment represents 5 months of normal operating expenses. Anything out of the ordinary would be in addition to that. So while I think we are doing quite well at the moment, if donations drop off or if we have an emergency or two, we would still be able to stay afloat for a reasonable period of time.
I'd also like to point out one thing that never happens here at SAFE: we never come on the board and say that we want to do X, Y and Z, but only if people send us the money needed to pay for it first. If we decide that a horse needs help, we have the financial resources to pay for it outright.
So I agree that we need to be frugal and sensible with our money, but I also agree that it doesn't make sense to break our backs in order to save a few pennies. I feel that hiring help, especially over the winter, would be a good use of our money. If that causes people to not want to volunteer any more...well, gosh, I don't know what to say. Again, I don't really think that is a huge concern, because I think the majority of our volunteers do it because it's an enriching experience. What I do know is that the experience for our volunteers needs to be pleasant for the most part, and let's face it, cleaning paddocks in the snow is not pleasant.
I think that hiring someone to clean stalls at Jaime's three or four days a week would be a good place to start. That way we'll have more volunteers available for the other days of the week, meaning that people can double up, get the work done faster, and get in out of the cold. It also might be more fun for our volunteers to not have to work alone all the time. As someone else pointed out, it would also mean that volunteering for SAFE could mean being able to do something other than stall cleaning....like working with the horses?
The bottom line is that if no volunteer shows up (as has been happening rather a lot lately) the work has to be done by Jaime. And don't forget that even if someone comes out and cleans during the day, she is still solely responsible for feeding in the morning before work and feeding at night before she goes to bed. That in itself is a TON of work.
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jbirashk
Junior BB Member
SAFE Volunteer
Posts: 52
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Post by jbirashk on Dec 19, 2008 15:46:37 GMT -5
schwung--so how is old owen rd looking these days? I am scheduled to volunteer tomorrow, and probably playing hookey from work, so i will have the advantage of taking my sweet time to get there from snohomish, and today hwy 2 wasn't too terrible, and the sideroads were, well, terrible...but i do have AWD and chains... I was waiting to respond to this because I actually haven't been out at all, but Mike went to work today and he said its not bad. The only place that is iffy is Old Owen Road but it has been plowed and sanded. The hill is fine, the last few miles does have snow on it but its flat and if you go slow it would be fine. If you can let me know if and when you might be coming that would be great...thanks Julie! I'll be out between 2:30 and 3, shooting for closer to 2:30. I'll see you then!
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Post by jodycat on Dec 19, 2008 16:51:53 GMT -5
For immediate help, I recommend contacting Julie about Juan. I know he is looking for extra work, as he has a newborn. He is completely dependable, and has missed no days during this bad weather. He charges, I think, $2.50 per stall and $4.00 per paddock. He is experienced. And I'm sure he could also do things regarding watering and feeding.
I personally am not wild about using high school kids unless you really know them. Their work ethic often is not the best, and you don't need to be worrying about supervising them.
Just my views, of course.
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Post by oneidea on Dec 19, 2008 16:58:01 GMT -5
There was some good information on WC in Stable Management a few months ago: stablemanagement.com/issues/article.php?tid=688&channel=smThere is also guidance as to how the IRS determines IC vs employee status here: www.irs.gov/businesses/small/article/0,,id=99921,00.html I would advise consulting with SAFE's tax attorney and insurance agent before determining anything. There can be benefits to classifying an employee and paying WC (in that they typically cannot sue SAFE or Jaime's homeowners ins. if they are injured on the property and agree to accept WC benefits for their injuries). IMO, it is important that anyone SAFE hires, either as an IC or employee, be legally employable, be classified appropriately, and have their earnings reported accurately. Hiring anyone on a cash basis, or "under the table" is unethical and illegal (not implying that SAFE would do that - I just know that it is a common practice at some barns). There are also labor laws that prevent children (of hs age) from working in ag businesses - I think it is <16 yo but not sure...
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Post by jodycat on Dec 19, 2008 17:53:17 GMT -5
Um, I'm going to assume Juan is legal since he speaks English just like I do with no trace of an accent.
If that was part of the point of that post.
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Post by oneidea on Dec 19, 2008 18:16:27 GMT -5
Um, no it wasn't. I can't tell anything about anyone's legal employment status by their name, the color of their skin or their accent or lack of. There are a lot of reasons people may or may not be legally employable - regardless of race or heritage or English skills. My parents live in the US, I was raised here, yet I have siblings (that look and talk JUST like me) that are not legally employable in the US as they don't have green cards and/or have chosen not to naturalize.
It is unforunately very commonplace in this industry to hire people "under the table" for a variety reasons - sometimes its that the workers don't have proper documentation, sometimes they have other legal issues like garnishments or past convictions that prevent them from getting other jobs and don't want a paper trail. Sometimes the employers don't want to hassle with reporting and WC.
SAFE has always operated in an above-board, transparent and ethical manner and I'm sure they will continue to operate this way, regardless of "industry practices" in other barns to hire "under the table", mis-classify workers as ICs, or to allow children to work in a barn in violation of L&I laws.
One other thing - SAFE will want to check into D&O insurance if you hire an employee. The majority of claims against NFPs are employment related (the second being slip & fall accidents).
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Post by Whitewolf821 on Dec 19, 2008 18:18:37 GMT -5
If Juan has a set rate that he charges, then it would be IC status. You would just need an independent contractor agreement (Bonnie...PM me if you need one...I work with them a lot and have a bunch of varieties on hand) and a W-9 form (again, I have this if you need one emailed).
Independent contractor agreements would help protect Jaime and SAFE. They state that the worker is aware of the job hazards and assumes responsibility for all accidents that occur while on the job.
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Post by coconut on Dec 20, 2008 0:25:43 GMT -5
and all that reminds me that I was looking for a volunteer who would be willing to check into the insurance issue for SAFE....
So...THAT absolutely qualifies as a NEED....
Anyway, is there anyone out there that has a knowledge of insurance who can shop this for us and actually understand what it all means?
PM me if this interests you!
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jbirashk
Junior BB Member
SAFE Volunteer
Posts: 52
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Post by jbirashk on Dec 20, 2008 1:49:05 GMT -5
and all that reminds me that I was looking for a volunteer who would be willing to check into the insurance issue for SAFE.... So...THAT absolutely qualifies as a NEED.... Anyway, is there anyone out there that has a knowledge of insurance who can shop this for us and actually understand what it all means? PM me if this interests you! So I think that Juan from Julie's might be an insurance salesman. The few times that I have met him his truck advertised some insurance agency (can't remember exactly what it said). Anyway, I understand that there are many types of insurance and what he does probably isn't related, but the irony was just too good to not share!
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Post by coconut on Dec 20, 2008 2:12:25 GMT -5
So I think that Juan from Julie's might be an insurance salesman. The few times that I have met him his truck advertised some insurance agency (can't remember exactly what it said). Anyway, I understand that there are many types of insurance and what he does probably isn't related, but the irony was just too good to not share! He's sounding like our all-purpose guy already! I have been trying to visualize our needs being met could it really be all that easy?
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Post by Sara on Dec 20, 2008 18:59:27 GMT -5
I am not a licensed agent but I do work in the commercial insurance field and specialis in non-profits. While I can't directly place the insurance, I would be happy to offer my opinion of coverages (what it all means) and exclusions. I don't think I have the time to commit to the shopping part but would be happy do do some analsyis if someone else wants to obtain a couple of quotes. I would highlly recommend obtaining at least 3 competitive quotes.
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Post by coconut on Dec 22, 2008 15:44:26 GMT -5
ALL HANDS ON DECK!!!!!!!!!!
Help Needed TODAYat Jaime's in MONROE
She's been up all night and still going after all day yesterday.
If ANYONE can get there PLEASE get out there and do what you can...even if it's just for a little while.
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