Communication In this section, we outline the communication between people in different types of roles within the community association. Management and employees Management must ensure that employees have knowledge of any changes to rules, policies, and procedures that affect the operation of the office. This can be accomplished by scheduling meetings, sending emails, disseminating printed materials, or discussing with employees. Disciplinary or corrective action against an employee should always be conducted in private. Employees and the board Normally, the manager should be the only employee who initiates communication with the president and other board members. Directors should seek information directly from the manager or president. Only for special projects should directors communicate directly with other employees or vendors. Management and the board The manager is responsible for providing information to the directors and officers regarding the status of goals and objectives, budget and financial information, the condition of the property, the status of lawsuits and insurance claims, and other important matters. This can be accomplished by providing the directors with regularly distributed management reports, copies of correspondence and other documents, and oral reports at board meetings. The manager and the president often require more frequent communication to perform actions that require the president’s authority to accomplish. The treasurer may also require more frequent contact to ensure that they are current with respect to The manager is also responsible for communicating with members regarding meetings, financial status, building renovation and repair projects, maintenance-related activities, association events, and rule and policy changes. In a condominium or cooperative, management must handle complaints and requests for information from members within certain timeframes. In all communications, timely handling of complaints will improve relationships with residents. So, association staff, officers, and directors communicate with members in a variety of ways, such as those listed here: ● Directly, via meetings or telephone calls. the association’s financial status. Board and members/residents
● Use of in-house television channels. ● Via emails, twitter, Facebook, messenger, and other online communications. ● Via personal letters (especially in the case of use restriction and rule violations). ● Postings on bulletin boards. ● Creation and use of community. ● Via newsletters and announcements. ● At board, member, and town hall-type meetings. How the association addresses members, especially when there is a problem or issue, sets the tone for how members act and communicate. Therefore, if the manager sends out an unpleasant letter to advise a member that they failed to pick up after their dog, the member is likely to respond just as unpleasantly - perhaps by leaving a doggy gift in from of the president’s door. If, instead, the association takes a low-key, friendly reminder approach about this issue, the member may be more likely to change their behavior. A manager who has been in the business over 20 years advised, “Every time I get a complaint from a member, I begin my response with ‘Thank you for your communication…’ It does not matter if their complaint is invalid; they still need to be treated respectfully.” Another manager stated that he always thanked the member for their comments and advised that he would discuss their suggestions with the president. These approaches often lower the temperature of the encounter. We recommend that the association develop guidelines for written and verbal communications with members, regardless of the method of delivery. Some associations also have developed guidelines for answering calls from members and conduct at meetings. Management and attorneys Communication between management and the association attorneys regarding prospective and ongoing legal matters, including insurance claims, are to be considered confidential and, pursuant to statute, discussed only with the president and directors and others whom the president designates. A breach of confidentiality can adversely affect the outcome of litigation and result in a significant financial loss for the association.
PART 2: EMPLOYMENT GOVERNANCE TAX WITHHOLDING REQUIREMENTS
● Names, addresses, Social Security numbers and occupations of employees and recipients. ● Dates of employment for each employee. ● Amounts and dates of all wages, annuity, and pension payments. ● Amounts of tips reported by employees to association. ● Records of allocated types. ● The fair market value of in-kind wages paid (wages not paid in currency). ● Any employee copies of Forms W-2 and W-2c returned to the association as undeliverable. tax. The state of Florida does not have a state income tax. For information on other types of state taxes, the association may contact the Florida Department of Revenue, or may consult with its accountant. Publication 15-A and 15-B Additional federal employment tax information is available in Publication 15-A (Employer’s Supplemental Tax Guide) and Publication 15-B (Employer’s Tax Guide to Fringe Benefits), which contains information about the employment tax treatment and valuation of various types of noncash compensation.
Most employers must withhold, deposit, report, and pay the following employment taxes: ● Income tax. ● Social Security tax. ● Medicare tax. ● Federal Unemployment Tax Act (FUTA) tax. All records of employment taxes must be kept, pursuant to IRS requirements, a minimum of four years. NOTE : Florida statutes require records to be kept for seven years. For a community association as the employer the records should include: ● Association employer identification number (EIN). IRS Publications Publication 15 (Circular E) The tax guide published by the IRS, describes the federal tax- related requirements of an employer. It explains: ● Requirements for withholding, depositing, reporting, paying, and correcting employment taxes. ● Forms an employer must give to its employees. ● Forms your employees must give to the employer, and ● Forms the employer must send to the IRS and SSA. Circular E has tax tables for an employer to calculate the amount of taxes to withhold from each employee for the applicable tax year. References to income tax apply only to federal income
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