General Permit Guidelines

All food establishments will be inspected at least once every six months, or according to a risk-based inspection process.  Restaurants that prepare-cool-reheat potentially hazardous foods will be inspected more frequently.  Establishments that sell only pre-packaged foods will, on average, be inspected less frequently.

Additional inspections may be required:

• Pre-inspection for New/Remodeled Food Establishments – Builders must submit copies of the plans for review and approval prior to building.   Building plans and actual facility are checked for kitchen design, handwashing and warewashing facilities, restrooms, plumbing, and other physical aspects of the establishment.
• Complaint Inspection – All complaints received by NDA are investigated.
• Follow-up Violation Inspection – Conducted if violations are found during a routine or complaint inspection that require additional correction.  If “critical violations” are found during any inspection, the Environmental Health Specialist will issue a compliance date that may range from immediately to a day or more.
• Foodborne Illness Investigation – Conducted if a foodborne illness is actually confirmed through medical or laboratory testing.

Besides the food establishment permit, other types of food permits include:

• Temporary Food Establishment:  selling foods for immediate consumption.
• Itinerant Food Vendor:  Selling foods prepackaged at a permitted facility, including fresh or frozen meat and poultry.
• Mobile Food Unit:  selling prepackaged items and foods requiring limited preparation in a vehicle-mounted food facility.
• Pushcart:  selling prepackaged items in a non self-propelled unit.

Requirements for Food Establishment Operations are listed with the Nebraska Department of Agriculture  and the Lancaster County/City Health Department.  Click for a copy of the Nebraska Food Code.

Besides permits for the facilities, you will also need permits for individual food handlers, now available online through the Lincoln-Lancaster County Health.

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Tax Holiday. Employers receive a tax Holiday for their portion of the FICA tax for certain workers hired after February 3, 2010 and before January 1, 2011.  An employer is excused from paying its share of the 6.2% of the first $106,800 of wages for the qualified employees during the calendar year.   The maximum value for each qualified employee is $6,621.   This tax Holiday does not include the Medicare Hospital Insurance contribution (1.45% on all wages), the federal unemployment or state unemployment taxes, and other state employment tax.

Qualified employees are defined as:

• Begins work after February 3, 2010 and before January 1, 2011 in either a full-time or part-time job.
• The individual was employed a total of 40 hours or less during the previous 60-day period ending when employment starts.  Individuals must complete an IRS form that affirms their previous unemployment.
• Was not hired to replace another employee unless the former employee separated from employment voluntarily or for cause.
• Is not related to the employer and does not own more than 50 percent of the business, either directly or indirectly

Business Credit. An employer can claim a tax credit if the employer retains a qualified worker hired under the HIRE Act for a minimum of 52 consecutive weeks. The credit is equal up to $1,000.  If the employee quits or is fired before the end of the one-year period, no credit is allowed.  To qualify for the full $1,000, the qualified employee must be paid more than $16,129.03.

To qualify, the retained worker:

• Is employed on any date during the tax year;
• Continues to be employed by the employer for a period of not less than 52 consecutive weeks; and
• Receives wages as defined in Code section 3401(a) for such employment during the last 26 weeks of the period that are at least 80% of the wages received during the first 26 weeks of the period.

The act excludes employees who are not normally subject to include tax withholdings such as household employees and some agricultural labor.

For a calendar tax year employer, this credit will be available for 2011. For any other fiscal tax year employer, the credit may be spread over two years, but cannot be used in a tax year beginning prior to the ACT. 

Consult with your tax adviser or accountant to determine if your business qualifies and whether it is advantageous for your business to hire additional employees.  Specific documentation rules and regulations do apply.

Source:  Littler Mendelson, PC.

Document:  HIRE Act Signed into Law – What is Means to Employers.

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Though roughly two-thirds of all North American Internet users visit a social network at least once a month–and they spend four hours a month on these sites on average, according to ComScore, a Web-traffic research firm–most marketers have so far steered clear of social networks.

“The perception was that social networks were these crazy free-for-alls, basically an extended bar night,” says Max Levchin, co-founder of PayPal and founder of Slide, a San Francisco–based widget developer. “But the fear of putting brands on social networks is starting to subside.” (In the interest of full disclosure, Inc.’s parent company launched IncBizNet, a social network for the owners of private companies, last fall. Operators are standing by.)

Beyond the simple fact that social networks offer advertisers access to tens of millions of potential customers, they present two clear opportunities for more effective campaigns. First, they promise the ability to target customers with precision. If you want to reach baseball-loving twentysomethings who live in Seattle and have a college education, you can find social network groups that fill the bill. Second, social networks encourage your customers to recommend your company to others. Let’s say your company has a Facebook profile, and another user signs on as a “fan” of yours. Facebook will then alert that person’s friends, informing them of the connection. Voilà: textbook viral marketing for free.  That’s the hope, anyway. But skepticism is in order, as social networks have a ways to go.

For more of this article, simply click on the author’s name below.

By Leigh Buchanan, Max Chafkin, and Ryan McCarthy |  Feb 1, 2008 Inc. Magazine

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