Read it Later: May 2020

Sunday, May 31, 2020

Fwd: Special Edition: The Story Behind the Story

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Gary Burnison, Korn Ferry <gary@kornferry.com>
Date: Sun, May 31, 2020 at 6:58 AM
Subject: Special Edition: The Story Behind the Story
To: <stevescott@techacq.com>

At a time when different work needs to get done—and work needs to get done differently, we leaders have to change. Today, everyone is a leader—and it culminates in how we make others feel.

I had this experience when I was 12 years old, at a basketball camp led by Coach Gene Keady—a legend in Kansas for having earned Junior College Coach of the Year three times while at Hutchinson Junior College. He later went on to an acclaimed coaching career at Division 1 colleges, most notably Purdue where he served as head coach for 25 years.

Although I was pretty tall and lanky, it was clear I wasn't destined for the college court, let alone the NBA. But Coach Keady worked with me nonetheless, such as teaching me to dribble to my left. Coach Keady must have seen something else in me, when he pulled me aside on the last day of summer basketball camp and said, "Gary, you're gonna be a leader—never stop believing."

My miniature "Camper of the Week" trophy, once the centerpiece of my childhood bedroom, is long gone. But the coach's words have stayed with me all these years—not only for what he said, but how he made me feel.

Through the years I've tried, although not always successfully, to make others feel the same—and especially now. Empathy is the starting point. It's the catalyst that turns "we're all in this together" from only words to a feeling and then an action.

The pandemic will create a seismic shift in an organization's skillset as well as its mindset—that starts with the leader but is never about the leader. Although there are "green shoots," the tale of the tape of this pandemic is disheartening—people who are not only isolated, but also feeling insulated from others. Like everyone, I'm hearing about how others are dealing with serious illnesses, fears about the health and safety of loved ones, and even divorces that are skyrocketing. The emotional and physical toll on people is mounting, as evidenced by a significant rise in the use of employee assistance hotlines and telehealth.

This is the "story behind the story" that leaders need to understand.

Too often, though, empathy is confused with sympathy. The difference is far greater than just a few letters. Sympathy rushes in to fix things with an attempt to cheer people up—like telling the person who has lost hope and direction that "at least you still have your [insert attempt here]."

Empathy looks at reality and doesn't blink. It forms a bridge, heart to heart, that broadcasts verbally and nonverbally, "I know how you feel. Our circumstances may be different, but I've been there, too."

Here are some thoughts:

The glass is already broken. There was a time when companies looked for leaders who weren't afraid to "break glass." These "change agents" were brought in to shake things up, often without excuses or regard for people's feelings. They operated like the wording on a fire alarm: "In case of emergency, break glass." Today, the pandemic has broken that glass. The workforce has been scattered and shattered. Now it takes a different kind of leader who can turn broken glass into a mosaic of possibility. This past week, I participated in a financial services webinar with the CHROs of Bank of America, Citi, and Prudential Financial. Lucien Alziari of Prudential described how, in normal times, transitioning to a 97% remote workforce would have required "an 18-month project…[with] six risk committee meetings, and at the end of the project that conclusion would have been, 'We can't do that. It's too risky.'" Amid the pandemic, though, that goal was accomplished in 24 hours. This type of rapid change is baseline for moving forward. As I've said to our team, "We can't think of ourselves as a 50-year-old firm. We need to think like a 5-month-old startup." Those who come out of this crisis as winners will find the silver lining. They will make the most of the disruptive change—but only by meeting people where they are and bringing them to where they need to be.
"Everything is great": Just the other day, I was shocked to hear an executive describe how he polled people within his organization to get a pulse of their mood and their motivation. He found that, in his words, "Everything is great." What he was proud of were actually symptoms of people either being afraid for their jobs or a culture that lacks empathy and trust. While it's easy to slip into the wishful thinking that "everything is great," we know that's not the case anywhere. In the triangulation of cash, psychology, and biology that will get us through this crisis, we know that cash is not a durable commodity, doesn't truly feed the soul, and isn't in abundant supply—and a biological solution is still 18 to 24 months off. Psychology is the answer. My colleague Dennis Baltzley, Korn Ferry's global head of leadership development solutions who works with senior leaders, explained it this way: "You need to be aware of the wide range of emotions and where people are. The leader may say, 'Emotionally, I'm beyond this crisis,' but people are lagging. They need to move, but the leader can't make them. Instead, the leader must motivate them." Empathetic leaders know they can't bulldoze people to push them where they need to be.
Today's Butterfly Effect: A small or even insignificant event can create a much bigger impact—like the proverbial butterfly flapping its wings that stirs the wind into a tornado. These days, leaders can leverage the butterfly effect as subtle shifts take hold and then ripple through their organizations, creating significant changes in how people think, act, and work together. I saw this recently when a colleague shared with me how she became "compelled to do anything I could" to help others ride out this crisis. Her attitude set off a chain reaction of positivity among the people around her. The result, she told me, was "the most incredible commitment to each other and the firm." The leader's job is to shine a spotlight on those small and sometimes barely perceptible shifts—to see the butterfly within the caterpillars that can't yet get off the ground, but sincerely want to try. Indeed, there is a leader within each of us.
Leadership is still a contact sport. From pizza to coffee to banking, everything has become contactless these days. It's how we keep ourselves safe. But that doesn't apply to leadership. In fact, leaders must be contacting people more than ever. At the start of this crisis, I was making 50 calls a day. I've slightly moderated the pace but have extended it to almost everyone—from reporters to people I haven't spoken with in years to checkout attendants at the grocery store. Empathy informs leadership. The starting point of every conversation is what is on people's minds—how are they feeling, what are they worried about, what are they thinking? Only with that understanding can the discussion pivot from "this is what we've always done" to "this is what we can become."

On a personal note, I had a valuable learning experience this week. Each Memorial Day, we honor those who died in service to our country. When referencing this very important day in last week's message, I indicated that this day honors those who served. As a father with a son at West Point, I know the difference, but I sure didn't articulate it well. A few members of the military let me know the error, as they rightfully should have, explaining with empathy.

This is how we help each other on the journey. It's how we continuously grow and progress. Indeed, this is how we understand the story behind the story.

Regards,

Gary Burnison, Korn Ferry CEO

Our latest books Advance and Lose the Resume, Land the Job are available.

This email was sent to you to market Korn Ferry services. Please click here to update your email preferences or unsubscribe from our announcements and promotional communications. You may continue to receive transactional emails such as registration confirmations, product updates, and responses to your direct requests.

Korn Ferry | 1900 Avenue of the Stars, Suite 2600 | Los Angeles, CA 90067 U.S.A.

Virus-free. www.avast.com

Thursday, May 21, 2020

Fwd: T-Mobile - T-Mobile Launches ‘Connecting Heroes’ Free 5G for First Responder Agencies is Here

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: T-Mobile US, Inc. <Investor.Relations@t-mobile.com>
Date: Thu, May 21, 2020 at 8:41 AM
Subject: T-Mobile - T-Mobile Launches 'Connecting Heroes' Free 5G for First Responder Agencies is Here
To: <stevescott@techacq.com>

T-Mobile US, Inc. has added a new press release to its website:

T-Mobile Launches 'Connecting Heroes' Free 5G for First Responder Agencies is Here

What's the news: T-Mobile is launching Connecting Heroes, part of the new T-Mobile's first Un-carrier Move: #5GforGood. And T-Mobile's giving everyone a new iPhone SE on us or half off a flagship superphone from another top brand with eligible trade-in. Plus, the country's biggest 5G network is getting even bigger and better, with service now live in San Francisco, Sacramento, Tampa and Orlando.

Why it matters: First responder agencies face impossible trade-offs between buying life-saving equipment including PPE or funding important wireless communication. T-Mobile is helping solve that problem with Connecting Heroes, a 10-year commitment, bringing up to $7.7 billion back to first responder agencies.

Who it's for: State and local first responders who risk it all to protect us. And all essential workers … and everyone who's had to change the way they work and live in these unprecedented times.

BELLEVUE, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Not just a bigger company, a better one. In a video today, T-Mobile (NASDAQ: TMUS) CEO Mike Sievert launched Connecting Heroes, the Un-carrier's 10-year commitment to provide free service and 5G access to first responder agencies — all public and non-profit state and local fire, police and EMS departments — saving them up to $7 billion. Interested agencies can sign up at www.t-mobile.com/connectingheroes. Plus, the Un-carrier continues to build out its industry-leading 5G network at a furious pace. T-Mobile's 5G network is now 8 times bigger than AT&T's and 28 THOUSAND times bigger than Verizon's.

As a 'thank you' to everyone who's shifted the way they work and live during this pandemic, the Un-carrier is giving Sprint and T-Mobile postpaid customers a new iPhone SE on us or up to half off a flagship superphone from another top brand starting tomorrow through Monday, May 25. Customers just trade in their existing eligible device, and they'll owe nothing but the sales tax on an iPhone SE — a powerful new smartphone in a popular design — or get up to $500 off another new superphone. No add-a-line. Nothing more to buy. Just "thank you."

"When we're at our most vulnerable, first responders are there for us … and they are under more pressure today than ever before. Connecting Heroes is one way we're saying 'thank you' in this critical time," said Mike Sievert, CEO of T-Mobile. "People who save lives shouldn't have to choose between life-saving equipment and wireless service. And with Connecting Heroes, they won't have to. We're not limiting this program to a few months or a year … first responders can get free service including 5G access, for a full decade. THIS is the kind of impact the new T-Mobile can have in the world. THIS is the kind of difference we can make."

State and local first responder agencies face tight budgets, year after year. So, they're forced to make impossible trade-offs between providing them critical life-saving equipment or the communications services needed to do their jobs. Not anymore. Connecting Heroes provides free unlimited talk, text and smartphone data with the highest network priority to every public and non-profit state and local, police, fire and EMS agency.

"Access to critical communications is vitally important for our first responders," said Mike Mayta, CIO at the City of Wichita, KS. "The more information that we can get to them, the better they're going to be able to serve the public. We've been partners with T-Mobile for well over 10 years, and what we're seeing through this Heroes program is, they're walking the walk and not just talking the talk."

If all first responder agencies sign up, it's an estimated $7.7 billion back in their budgets over 10 years. Money that can help close the budget shortfall they face year after year. Money they can put towards extra pay, lifesaving tools and better support for these brave heroes. That is #5GforGood.

5G for All

The launch of Connecting Heroes is made possible by T-Mobile's 5G network and the massive capacity that will be unleashed from the merger with Sprint. In just a few short years, the new company will have 14 times the capacity of T-Mobile standalone, covering 99% of Americans nationwide from factories to farms.

The first step in having a reliable network is actually connecting to the network. T-Mobile customers have the best 5G availability according to Opensignal's latest analysis — Quantifying the Global 5G Experience Across Ten Operators¹. This means T-Mobile customers connect to a 5G network more often than any other U.S. provider and more than any other country in the report. And the Un-carrier's unprecedented 5G network is only getting bigger.

5G service is now live in San Francisco and Sacramento and is starting to light up across Tampa and Orlando. T-Mobile's 5G network now covers nearly 6,000 cities and towns and more than 225 million Americans across more than 1 million square miles. That's on top of the Un-carrier's far-reaching LTE network that covers more than 99% of people in the U.S. By comparison, Verizon 5G covers limited outdoor areas of 34 cities and roughly 36 square miles. You can check out T-Mobile's nationwide coverage map, including 5G, at www.t-mobile.com/coverage.

Thank You!

And, the Un-carrier is rolling out a big 'thank you' to all those who have cared for us … and everyone who has had to shift the way they live and work during this pandemic. They can all get an iPhone SE on us with bill credits, or take $500 off another flagship superphone via trade-in credit & rebate (at T-Mobile) or bill credits (at Sprint), when they trade in their existing eligible smartphone and are on a T-Mobile or Sprint postpaid plan — or switch to one — and pay the tax. Just head online or to a Sprint or T-Mobile store. For more information on this offer, visit t-mobile.com or sprint.com.

"The way the Un-carrier says THANK YOU is, of course, by putting money back in your pocket — like with an iPhone on us or half off one of the latest 5G superphones," said Sievert. "This weekend, every T-Mobile and Sprint postpaid customer can get a new iPhone SE on us, or half off another brand-new phone, with eligible trade-in. Why? Because 'thank you' — that's why!"

Connecting Heroes comes on top of the Un-carrier's best-in-class plan for individual first responders and their families — Magenta First Responder. With 50% off family lines compared to Magenta, Magenta First Responder delivers the best discount in wireless for individual first responders and their families.

This move is the latest of T-Mobile's merger-related commitments to launch. Connecting Heroes is part of a series of initiatives dubbed #5GforGood. In March, the first of those, T-Mobile Connect launched months ahead of schedule to usher in a new level of affordability in wireless. T-Mobile also continues to include 5G for free, at no extra cost, and to improve coverage for Sprint customers, increasing LTE coverage by hundreds of thousands of square miles, and increasing average upload speeds by up to 50% for customers with 5G devices. And, earlier this month, T-Mobile unveiled plans to hire 5,000 people next year, as part of the company's commitment to create new jobs.

For more information on #5GforGood and Connecting Heroes, check out www.t-mobile.com/connectingheroes.

# # #

Connecting Heroes line eligibility subject to reverification. Coverage not available in some areas and may be impacted by emergencies; check your response area. While 5G access won't require a certain plan or feature, some uses/services might. On device offers, if you cancel wireless service, remaining balance on required finance agreement (T-Mobile customers) or lease (Sprint customers) becomes due. Allow 2 bill cycles for credits. Rebates via virtual prepaid MasterCard (no cash access; expires in 6 months). See details, Terms and Conditions, and Open Internet information at T-Mobile.com.

About T-Mobile

T-Mobile U.S. Inc. (NASDAQ: TMUS) is America's supercharged Un-carrier, delivering an advanced 4G LTE and transformative nationwide 5G network that will offer reliable connectivity for all. T-Mobile's customers benefit from its unmatched combination of value and quality, unwavering obsession with offering them the best possible service experience and undisputable drive for disruption that creates competition and innovation in wireless and beyond. Based in Bellevue, Wash., T-Mobile provides services through its subsidiaries and operates its flagship brands, T-Mobile, Metro by T-Mobile and Sprint. For more information please visit: http://www.t-mobile.com.

¹ Opensignal – Quantifying the global 5G experience across ten operators, May 2020, based on independent analysis of mobile measurements recorded during the period January 31 – April 30, 2020 © 2020 Opensignal Limited.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200521005530/en/

Media Contacts
T-Mobile US, Inc. Media Relations
MediaRelations@t-mobile.com

Investor Relations Contact
T-Mobile US, Inc.
investor.relations@t-mobile.com
http://investor.t-mobile.com

Source: T-Mobile

Click here for a complete listing of T-Mobile US, Inc. press releases.

To unsubscribe from this list, please visit the email alert section of the T-Mobile US, Inc. site.

Date Sent: 5/21/2020 11:41:12 AM

Wednesday, May 20, 2020

Fwd: COVID ALERT: State Tax Implications of Remote Employees Due to COVID-19

Sent from BlueMail

On May 20, 2020, at 4:38 PM, Armanino LLP <update@armaninollp.com> wrote:

COVID ALERT: State Tax Implications of Remote Employees Due to COVID-19

To view this email in a web browser, click here.

UPDATE

Latest in regulations and government changes prompted by COVID-19

State Tax Implications of Remote Employees Due to COVID-19

Summary

With the rapid adoption of city and county shelter-in-place rules and state lockdowns (i.e. Hawaii) many employees found themselves working from locations that they never expected to be working from and for much longer than expected. Now employers have begun to ask, "Where are my employees working from? And what do I need to consider as a result of having almost, if not all, my employees now be remote employees?"

Unfortunately, the answer isn't easy or straightforward. Having employees working remotely can potentially impact the employer's state income tax withholding and business activity taxes (e.g. income, franchise and gross receipts).

State Income Tax Withholding on Employee's Wages

Generally, state income tax withholding is required in the state where the employee is providing services, NOT the state the employee resides. There are exceptions to this rule, for example, if there is a reciprocal agreement between the state of residence and the state where the work is performed. Reciprocal agreements, most commonly seen on the east coast, allow residents in a neighboring state to not have to file and pay income taxes on wages earned in the non-resident state. However, due to COVID-19, many employees are now working from their homes or maybe wherever they were when the shelter-in-place or lockdown rules were executed.

Having employees performing work in these new jurisdictions may require employers to register with the state and begin withholding payroll taxes on that employee's wages.

But at what point is that required? After the employee has been there a week, two weeks, a month, two months, longer? Unfortunately, many states remain silent on the length of time that an employee must be working from that state to create a withholding requirement.

The good news though is that the states that have started addressing this question via guidance or law changes, have said that so long as the employee's telework location is temporary and a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the state will NOT seek to impose withholding requirements. However, employees that choose to continue working from their remote location after an applicable work from home order has been lifted could be subject to state tax withholding in that state/city.

Income Tax/Business Activity Taxes (BAT) Nexus

Income tax/BAT nexus can be established by physical presence and/or economic nexus. Numerous states have some sort of economic nexus rule or have set economic nexus thresholds, but regardless of whether or not a state has an economic nexus standard, the physical presence of an employee working within the state generally establishes income tax/BAT nexus. That being said, what happens now that employees are working from states that they have never worked from before? Does that employee's inability to travel to their normal office location (which may be in another state) now create income tax/BAT nexus in the state or city that they are now working from?

Prior to COVID-19, states had taken a pretty hard line that having one employee in the state, even if for only one day, could subject that business to the state's business tax (income/franchise/gross receipts). Some states had expanded physical presence to mean the employee had to be in the state/city in excess of seven days to create physical presence nexus, with other states defining it as 10 days. Now with COVID-19 shelter-in-place currently approaching 10 weeks in some areas, businesses must now consider what new jurisdictions they might have income tax/BAT nexus and whether they will need to file any additional 2020 state/locality tax returns due to the location(s) of their remote employee(s).

Similarly, some states recognized the implications of remote employees on business taxpayers and have provided COVID-19 nexus relief stating that the state's tax department will not use someone's temporary location as the basis for asserting BAT nexus in the state. Georgia even went so far as to say that an employee's temporary location would not void Public Law 86-272 protection for that employer so long as that employee's location is temporary and there remains an "official work from home order issued by an applicable federal, state, or local government unit."

The fact that Georgia addressed P.L. 86-272 implications is much appreciated as most states have remained silent on this even if they have provided general COVID-19 nexus guidance. Re-evaluating P.L. 86-272 protection is something any business that has previously claimed protection should do, as having non-sales employees within a state is considered an unprotected activity and will void any P.L. 86-272 protection previously applicable to the business taxpayer. Consequently, it may cause business taxpayers to not only have additional state income tax liabilities but also impact the amount of sales subject to throwback to the state of origin (if goods are shipped from a state with a throwback rule).

The key to ensuring that an employee's remote location does not create income tax/BAT nexus is to make sure the employee's location is in fact temporary. If an employee chooses to remain in their remote location after an applicable work from home order has been lifted, the COVID-19 nexus relief may no longer be applicable. However, it is less clear if even a temporary remote location will void P.L. 86-272 protection, especially as states have more recently pushed against the application of P.L. 86-272 protection in general, as it limits their ability to tax out-of-state taxpayers.

Sales/Use Tax Nexus

Similar to BAT taxes, sales and use tax nexus has historically been created by having even just one employee visit the state, let alone reside there for multiple weeks. While the Wayfair case created economic nexus rules for most states and many localities, the state's physical presence rules remain in place post Wayfair. Having employees temporarily reside within a state where the business is not already collecting and remitting sales/use tax may now subject that business to new sales/use tax registration, collection and filing requirements.

Most states that have considered the implications from COVID-19 remote employees to payroll tax withholding and BAT nexus have also recognized the need to address the impact on sales/use tax nexus. These few states have issued guidance that sales tax nexus will be "waived" so long as no other factor created sales/use tax nexus — meaning if the jurisdiction's economic nexus thresholds are met, or if the taxpayer had property in the state in addition to the remote employee, then the state would not waive sales tax nexus.

Insights

What should employers do? The most important step is making sure you know where your employees are working from and then monitor their time in that location. Employers should also continue to monitor the guidance issued by states where they have employees currently located.

What should employees do? Employees should keep track of the time spent working at their temporary telework location, monitor payroll tax withholdings on their paystubs, and inform their employer if their current location is expected to continue once shelter-in-place/lockdown rules are lifted. Becoming more knowledgeable about their current location, state of residence, normal office location payroll withholding and personal income tax rules will help employees review their payroll tax withholdings and assist them as they consider any new state tax filings for 2020.

Ideally, the hope is that instead of waiting on all the states to each issue their own guidance on payroll withholding, BAT nexus, and sales/use tax nexus, there would be some level of federal guidance, as COVID-19 is a global pandemic that has implications for everyone in every state and is not a "natural disaster" limited to one or even a few states. However, it is unknown if that will happen and for now, we must rely on each jurisdiction's approach to providing relief to taxpayers whose workforce may be unexpectedly more dispersed across the country or even the world due to COVID-19.

Armanino is here to help provide you with support and expertise through these uncertain times. If you or your team have any questions visit our COVID-19 Resource Center, reach out to one of our Rapid Response Team Leaders, or if you need immediate assistance, contact us for a rapid response.

This communication is provided as an educational service by Armanino LLP for clients and friends of the firm. This communication is an overview only, and should not be construed as legal or tax advice or advice to take any specific action. Individuals or organizations should consult with their tax/legal advisors before making any tax/legal-related decisions.

Armanino LLP, 12657 Alcosta Blvd. Suite 500, San Ramon, CA 94583

You're receiving this email because you're signed up to receive updates from Armanino LLP. If you'd prefer not to receive updates you can manage your subscriptions.
View our privacy policy.