Greater Milwaukee Jobs

DEAR CARRIE: I am 68 years old and col- lect Social Security benefits. My wife, who is 64, just retired and is not collecting benefits. Would the rules allow me to continue to collect my full benefits while she collects a spousal benefit? And would she then be able to switch to her own benefits when she reaches full retirement age at 66? If so, what is the dead- line for the filing? – Two-Step Benefits? DEAR TWO-STEP: Your question involves a strategy known as "restrict- ing an application." In other words, your wife wants to collect benefits now but restrict them to a spousal benefit while she waits to reach full retirement age, so her own benefits won't be cut for taking them too early. Alas, she can't employ that tactic because she hasn't reached full retirement age, said Linda Lauria, a spokes- woman in the Social Securi- ty Administration's New York City office in Manhat- tan. "She cannot choose this option until she attains full retirement age," Lauria said. And the news gets worse for people born after Janu- ary 2, 1954, because of a rule change. Even when they reach full retirement age, they will be unable to take spousal benefits before accessing their own, Lauria said. DEAR CARRIE: I am 70 and started receiving Social Security benefits at age 62. My wife will be 67 mid-year, and my plan is to have her take half of my Social Security (her spousal benefit) for the bal- ance of 2016, and then apply for her full benefits in January 2017. Is this allow- able? – Two-Step, Too DEAR TWO-STEP TOO: The answer is yes, Lauria said, because, unlike the wife in the previous ques- tion, your wife will be at full retirement age when she applies for benefits. "The person can restrict her application to just spouse's benefits at this time because she has already attained full retirement age," Lauria said. Help Wanted: Social Security 'two-step' still works for some spouses By Carrie Mason-Draffen Newsday (TNS) temporary projects, permanent posts or to fill in when an employee goes on maternity leave – dubbed a "maternity- ship," said Allison Robinson, founder and CEO. The Mom Project is a for- profit company that collects fees from companies that use its service. It does not charge the moms. Robinson started the compa- ny during her own maternity leave from Procter & Gamble, where she works in enterprise sales and marketing strategy. She was struck by a statistic she read in Harvard Business Review that showed 43 percent of highly skilled women with children voluntarily leave their jobs, and connected that with broader trends of businesses desiring a flexible workforce that they can bring in and out as they need. In addition, as more compa- nies roll out generous parental- leave policies in an effort to attract and retain talented employees, they must figure out how to cover that gap. "This is helping to engender the rise of a more independent workforce," said Robinson, who is in the midst of a 12- month partially paid maternity leave from P&G. Robinson said she has recruited several hundred women, most in the Chicago area, through professional and alumni associations to join the talent network. Candidates must have an undergraduate degree and five years of pro- fessional experience, and must undergo an interview with a talent manager. More than half of the recruits have a master's degree or higher. The Mom Project is now in talks with companies, includ- ing major corporations as well as smaller businesses, to get them to sign on. Robinson said she is in the final stages of placing candidates into 10 project opportunities, which typically pay $30,000 to $60,000, depending on the role and length. For example, an advertising agency that needs someone to fill a 20-hour-a-week project management role for six months is offering $40,000, Robinson said. The Mom Pro- ject, which functions like an Airbnb for hand-selected talent, connects the candidates with the work opportunity, handles the terms of employ- ment and processes the pay- ments. Career interruptions to care for kids or other family mem- bers are a top reason women lag far behind men in senior leadership positions, pay and other metrics of success. About a quarter of prime-age adults who are not working consider themselves homemakers, almost all of them are women and the majority say they want to go back to work now or someday, according to a 2014 survey conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation, The New York Times and CBS News. But most say they would prefer part-time work. Elder, who transferred to Google's Chicago offices from California three years ago to be closer to family in New York, said she and her husband tried various child care options so that she could keep working. But she felt sad a lot as she missed out on the day-to-day of her kids being little. They are now 2 and 4. Elder hopes to return to work at some point to add to the 2 GREATERmilwaukeeJOBS • May 19, 2016 moms ... from p. 1 see MOMS . . . page 6 What to do when little things set you off at work & A Q A. It sounds like you have an expectation of a fair and pre- dictable world.While this is reason- able, it's not always likely to occur, especially in the workplace. All situations are not created equal, either. In some cases you may well be overreacting; in others, there may be other factors that make the event worthy of your reaction. Be careful not to discount your reactions. Also recognize that you have reasons for your reactions. This may have been a rational response to events earlier in life. If so, take some time to process back through the past, focusing on let- ting go of this reaction when it no longer serves you. Next, consider the point of view of other people in the situation. How would the person you think is unfair describe the situation? Think about whether they're making a good-faith effort to get work done.They may not be aware of old rules, may not have noticed the ambiguity of expectations, etc. They may just be in a rush and not thinking carefully, or it may not seem to be a big deal to them. In that case, weigh your options for response. The most construc- tive would be to point out the inconsistency and request clarifica- tion – using a calm tone and neu- tral phrasing. This has the advan- tage of helping you avoid similar situations in the future, and posi- tions you as a conscientious employee. Sometimes, though, it's not as benign. If rules and standards are enforced inconsistently, or if the feedback is delivered in public or in a disrespectful way, there may be a power play going on. Or, at least, there can be damage done to your confidence and reputation. In this case, you need to stand up for yourself, but you need to be savvy about it. Your boss could be a good start- ing point, assuming that he isn't the perpetrator.Talk through the situa- tion, getting advice on the most effective way to manage the people involved and any collateral damage that may have occurred. This is especially important if you've lost your temper publicly or handled a specific situation in ways that didn't put you in the best light. And prac- tice ways to explain the actions you took in a clear and nondefen- sive way. Finally, develop an approach for managing new situations. Use the 10-second rule so you don't react too quickly. During that time, take a few deep breaths and consider the potential back story. Determine the best outcome for you, and then – and only then – take action. Q. Most of the time I'm pretty even-tempered, but some things at work set me off. They always have to do with being called to task for not following rules – the problem is that the rules are unclear or shifting so that it's hard to keep up with expectations. They're really minor things and I think I'm often overreacting (though my responses so far have been mostly internal). How can I get a grip on this? By Liz Reyer Tribune News Service (TNS) Liz Reyer is a credentialed coach with more than 20 years of business experience. Her company, Reyer Coaching & Consulting, offers services for organizations of all sizes. Submit questions or comments about this column at www.deliverchange.com/coachscorner or email her at lizdeliverchange.com. A publication of Conley Media Call Center Director: Cindy Shaske 262-306-5016 cshaske@conleynet.com Account Executive: Julie Sears 262-306-5008 jsears@conleynet.com Story Coordinator: Dan Muckelbauer 262-513-2626 dmuck@conleynet.com Production: Patricia Scheel 262-513-2690 GREATERmilwaukeeJOBS Volume 18 • Number 35 May 19, 2016 To place an ad: Call us at 262-306-5008 or fax us at 262-338-5271 deadline: Noon on Wednesdays Distributed by: Conley Distribution 262-513-2646 ©2016 by Conley Media, LLC Waukesha County Independent and Locally Owned GREATERmilwaukeeJOBS is published weekly by Conley Media – Waukesha County, 801 N. Barstow St., Waukesha, WI 53186. Contents of this publication may not be reproduced in any form without the written consent of the publisher. GREATERmilwaukeeJOBS assumes no liability for any error in copy or content. It is the advertiser's responsibility to be aware of the laws pertaining to employment advertising. Call 262-306-5008 for information. see SOCIAL SECURITY . . . page 6

• Cover