Visas for Chile

It is relatively easy to obtain a visa for Chile to suit various purposes of an immigrant's stay. For instance, to obtain a residency visa and work permit, all you need is a work contract from just about any local company, and you are entitled to what is called a "sujeta a contrato" visa. After the second year of continuous employment, you are entitled to permanent residency and three years later, you can apply for naturalization and a Chilean passport (as long as you meet minimum time-in-country requirements). The red tape involved in the immigration process is minimal and it is not entirely necessary to hire a lawyer, however, some local guidance and assistance does ease the process somewhat as the system is often slow in which to register the visas.

Types of Visa

Tourist Visa - The most common and recommended way is for foreigners to enter the country under a tourist visa, and then apply for a change of status to other forms of visa for Chile. It is not recommended that foreigners apply at their consulate in their home country before coming for other types of residency visas for Chile.

Temporary Residency Visa - This is the first type of visa issued when applying for any sort of permanent visa for Chile. A temporary residency visa is most commonly granted after applying and being granted a visa under the Retirement and Periodic income visa, work visa, professional visa, family member, or through an Investor Visa application in Chile. All people, regardless of the reasons for applying, must first complete temporary residency before they qualify for Permanent residency in Chile. Depending on the type of visa, you will be a temporary resident in Chile for one to two years, and you must be physically in the country at least 180 days within a one-year period to qualify for applying for Permanent residency.

Most Common Types of Temporary Residency Visas:

Retirement and Periodic income visa: this is acommonly used visa for people wishing to live in Chile, work, retire, invest, or many other things.

Professional visa: The applicant must prove both that they have a professional degree and sufficient income to support their stay.

Contract Work Visa: You must be under contract with a Chilean employer. This visa takes two years of temporary residency to qualify for permanent residency.

Independent worker visa: This is the newest visa in Chile, and allows the applicant to work for numerous employers and provides a quicker path to full permanent residency than a contract work visa.

Chile Student Visa: A temporary residency visa granted to students that have been accepted to a Chilean University or other educational institute in Chile.

Investor visa: This visa is complicated to attain and should be avoided, unless circumstances are such that you absolutely do not qualify for any other type of visa.

Permanent Residency Visa: This should be the ultimate goal for residency application, and regardless of the application type it requires at least 180 days of temporary residency in Chile within a one-year period. A permanent residency visa generally last for five years, and is renewable indefinitely. After five years' permanent residents have the option to apply for Chilean Citizenship or Dual Citizenship without the need to renounce their current citizenship.

Moving to Chile

Most people find moving to Chile to be an easy transition. It is a modern, stable and relatively wealthy country that offers expats a great quality of life. With one of the largest economies on the continent, large amounts of foreign trade as a result of numerous free trade agreements and a thriving market orientated economy, Chile is a good choice for expats considering relocating to the region.

Chile has public and private healthcare insurance and its healthcare standards are relatively high throughout the country, although the private medical facilities in the larger cities are slightly more advanced. There is also a multitude of international schools, offering quality education, primarily located in the larger cities across Chile and particularly in Santiago.

Banking in Chile can sometimes progress on 'Chilean time' - particularly if one doesn't speak basic Spanish. There are some banks that have better reputations than others and banking with the bank which one's company uses can offer many advantages. It is possible to make international transfers but these can take time.

Expat life in Chile is vibrant and fun-filled. With great living standards, beautiful surroundings and a welcoming population, many expats choose to extend their time there - a sure sign that this South American country is a great choice to relocate to.

If you have any questions about applying for your visa for Chile, please let us know. At Biz Latin Hub our Back Office Services team is dedicated to assisting our clients in navigating their way through the complexities of the Latin American business environment. With offices in Colombia, Peru, Mexico, Chile, Argentina, and Panama we have an unparalleled reach across the region and are well positioned to help companies to enter and operate within the Latin America, through providing multi-lingual back office services (accounting outsourcing, legal, recruitment and marketing services) that are Reliable, Economic and Tailored to meet our clients needs.

International Entrepreneur Parole: 20 Fast Facts Foreign Founders Should Know

What if foreign born innovators could get special permission to come to the U.S. and start a new business?

The Obama administration believes such a reality would attract investment and create jobs. That's why the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) recently proposed the international entrepreneur rule, promising to give qualified foreign founders of U.S. start-up companies special permission ("parole") to live and work in the U.S.

The long-awaited program purports to grant parole status, on a case-by-case basis, to inventors, researchers, and founders of start-up enterprises. It's a measure that could help those who may not yet qualify for existing business visas such as the E-2 visa, L-1 visa, EB-5 immigrant investor visa, and others.

Here are 20 facts foreign founders and their investors must know about international entrepreneur parole when considering this immigration option:

1. The international entrepreneur rule is not law yet. The government proposed the rule on August 31, and by law, the public has until October 17, 2016 to submit comments. After that, the government will consider the comments and may issue the rule. It's possible that the new rule could become law by the end of 2016.

2. Parole is not a visa or status. Parole does not give you temporary nonimmigrant or lawful permanent resident status ("green card"). You cannot go from parole status to a visa status such as E-2 or H-1B or even visitor status. There is no "conversion" from parole status to the green card. You have to qualify for the green card or other visa separately.

3. Applications will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Even if you can prove you meet the requirements for parole, the government can deny your request in its discretion.

4. Entrepreneurs with previous immigration violations can apply. Because parole is not an admission, individuals may get parole even if they do not qualify for other visas because of previous immigration violations.

5. Parole is not a guarantee of entry into the U.S. Customs officials at the airport can deny entry to a parolee or reduce the length of the parolee's stay in the U.S.

6. Parole is temporary and limited. If granted, parole would provide a temporary initial stay of up to 2 years. Re-parole is possible for another 3 years so that the maximum time in parole is 5 years total.

7. Only new start-up businesses qualify. The business must be 3 years old or newer at the time the parole application is filed.

8. The foreign entrepreneur must own a minimum of 15% of the enterprise. U.S. citizens and others can own or invest as long as the parole applicant owns 15% or more of the business. After receiving parole, you must maintain at least 10% ownership.

9. The start-up must be a U.S. business entity. A business formed and operated in the U.S. is required; however, businesses that are"primarily engaged in the offer, purchase, sale or trading of securities, futures contracts, derivatives or similar instruments" would not qualify.

10. Applicant must prove ownership of the start-up. Examples of ownership proof are state certificates of organization, stock or member certificates and ledgers, etc.

11. The parole applicant must play an active and central role in the start-up. You must be more than a mere investor and must actively work in the business, contributing your knowledge and skills to its operations and growth.

12. The start-up must attract significant U.S. investment. To prove that the business has "substantial potential for rapid growth and job creation," you must show receipt of significant capital from qualified U.S. investors of $345,000 or more.

13. Investors must pass qualification test. Investors in the business must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents and demonstrate a five-year record of investing in at least two businesses that have achieved $500,000+ in revenue or created at least 5 jobs. Also, the investment in your business must be no later than 365 days before the parole application is submitted.

14. Family investment does not qualify. A qualified investment would not include an investment from:

(1) you the applicant;

(2) your parents, spouse, brother, sister, son, or daughter; or

(3) any company directly or indirectly owned by you or your parents, spouse, brother, sister, son, or daughter.

15. Government investment in the start-up company can qualify. If there is no private investment, you can qualify for parole if the start-up company has received $100,000 or more in grants or awards (not contracts) from federal, state, or local agencies "with expertise in economic development, research and development, and/or job creation."

16. Applicant may be able to meet alternative capital funding requirement. If you can't meet the described capital investment or government funding requirement fully, parole is still possible if you can provide compelling evidence that your entry into the U.S. would promote rapid economic growth and job creation through the start-up.

17. Three parole limit for each company. Applications for parole are limited to three entrepreneurs per company, each owning at least 15% of the start-up.

18. Work authorization is automatic with a grant of parole. If parole is granted, you would be authorized for employment immediately but only to work for your start-up entity.

19. Spouses can work too. Your spouse can apply for employment authorization and, if approved, can work for any employer or through self-employment.20. Filing fees are required. Applicants for parole as an entrepreneur can expect to pay $1,285 for the application fee and biometrics fee (for background checks). Spouse and children (under age 21) must each pay $360 plus $85 biometrics fee (if 14 years old or older).This article is intended to help you understand basic requirements of international entrepreneur parole, is offered only as general information and education, and is not legal advice or legal opinion about your specific circumstances.

New White Collar Overtime Exemption Rules Are Coming, Now What?

On December 1, 2016, employers will have to pay more to take advantage of the Fair Labor Standards Act's (FLSA) so-called white collar overtime exemptions. To prepare for the upcoming change, employers need to know whether and to what extent they will be affected by the new overtime exemption regulations.

The new rules focus primarily on the minimum salary and compensation levels needed to qualify for the FLSA's executive, administrative, professional and computer employee overtime exemptions. Employers can ask the following questions to determine the potential impact of the new overtime rules before it's too late.

Are there any employees classified as exempt under one of the FLSA's white collar overtime exemptions? If no, you should not be affected by the higher standard salary levels under the new rules. If yes, move on to the next question.

Do any of these employees ever work more than 40 hours in a workweek? If no, you should not be affected by the higher standard salary levels under the new rules. If yes, move on to the next question.

Do any of these employees earn a salary of less than $913 per week? (This works out to $1,826 biweekly, $1,978 semimonthly, $3,956 monthly or $47,476 annually.) If no, you should not be affected by the higher standard salary levels under the new rules. If yes, exemption classifications or compensation practices need to be adjusted before December 1, 2016.

The most appropriate adjustment(s) will typically depend on specific circumstances, such as the number of newly-nonexempt employees, their salaries, how often they work overtime and how much overtime they work. Depending on their situation, employers may decide to implement one or more of the following adjustments.

Increase Salaries. Perhaps the simplest and least disruptive adjustment would be to increase the salaries of exempt white collar employees to no less than $913 per week. Unfortunately, it may also be unrealistic for many employers. Though some salary increases may be small, others may be more than double.

Those choosing this option must remember that exempt status requires more than meeting the new minimum salary requirements. Primary job duties remain relevant under the new rules and employees still have to satisfy the applicable "standard duties test" to be exempt.

Pay Newly-Nonexempt Employees Overtime Compensation. The alternative to increasing salaries is to re-classify these exempt employees as overtime-eligible employees. Those working more than 40 hours in a workweek must be paid one and a half times their regular rate. Remember that employers must track the daily and weekly hours worked by all nonexempt employees, including the newly-nonexempt.

Paying overtime compensation may not be a problem for employees who rarely work or who work very little overtime. Despite paying more for occasional overtime work, it would still be less expensive than increasing salaries. The same cannot be said about employees who regularly work or who work a lot of overtime. Their overtime pay can add up quickly, possibly approaching or even exceeding $913 per week.

Prohibit Overtime. Newly-nonexempt employees can be prohibited from working overtime. If no overtime is worked, no overtime compensation is required. This option may be simple, but it may not be easy. Exempt employees typically work more than 40 hours in a workweek because they have more than 40 hours of work to do. Their work must still get done, but someone else will have to do it.

Adjust Personnel, Schedules or Assignments. Those who prohibit overtime may have to make various operational adjustments. For example, workload distribution and workforce scheduling may need to be adjusted to compensate for the loss of overtime work. In some cases, new employees may need to be hired to make up for any lost productivity.

Adjust Wages. Newly-nonexempt employees who are allowed to continue working overtime as always will end up getting more money for the same amount of work. Reallocating regular wages and overtime compensation is a way to keep the hours worked and amounts paid to newly-nonexempt employees largely the same. However, employers may not reduce an employee's hourly wage below the highest applicable minimum wage (federal, state, or local) or continually adjust wages each workweek to manipulate the regular rate.

Employers shouldn't wait too long to start planning. It takes time to change exemption classifications and compensation practices, particularly if they are substantial or complex. With all the publicity, it's safe to assume that violations will be noticed not only by those who are affected by the new rules, but by the Department of Labor too.

To protect against the uncertainty and confusion surrounding the new rules, employers may benefit from having Employment Practices Liability Insurance to protect against various employment-related claims. Limited coverage for wage and hour claims may be available.

Employers should discuss the new overtime exemption rules with HR, payroll/accounting, managers and supervisors. Specific wage and hour training should also be considered. Please contact us if you would like more information about preparing for the new white collar overtime exemption rules.

To receive regular updates about developments which may affect your business, subscribe to The Human Equation's biweekly news brief.

Occupational Health and Safety Industry Best Practices

The primary objective of the Occupational Health and Safety Act is to ensure that safety at work is achievable in every organization big or small. By complying with this act, you can address issues that may pose danger to your employees, well before any untoward incidents occur.

Workplace inspections serve a critical role in fulfilling this objective and in maintaining a safe, productive work environment where your business can flourish. These are planned walk-through activities carried out in the work premises to critically examine various factors. Some of the aspects that may be covered are materials, buildings, equipment and so on which may potentially pose danger.

One should call in competent, experienced, safety consultants to outline how an effective safety inspection should be carried out for your workplace. Keep in mind that the nature of business, the kind of processes involved here, the kind of equipment being used etc have an impact on which aspects need to be covered during your workplace inspections.

Planning your Inspections

To carry out a truly effective inspection, it needs to be thoroughly planned where every important aspect is taken into consideration. Hiring experienced safety consultants is good move because they can bring in their expertise to point out various aspects that you may not have considered. In addition, you can have your own team enrolled in health and safety officer courses with these experts to learn how periodic inspections should be carried out to curb the risks in the workplace.

Establishing acceptable standards for various workplace activities, processes and the environment, in general, is a key component of workplace safety planning process. With the standards in place, it becomes easier for your employees and your inspectors to quickly identify increased risk in any area well in advance, so that it can be rectified before it causes any harm.

The Occupational Health and Safety Act Guide has been prepared to assist employers, workers, constructors, supervisors, owners, suppliers, and others who have duties under the Occupational Health and Safety Act.

The purpose of the OHS Regulation is to promote occupational health and safety and to protect workers and other persons present at workplaces from work-related risks to their health, safety, and well-being.

The occupational health and safety professional plays a major role in the development and application of accident investigations, risk assessments, loss prevention, and safety training programs for workers. They develop programs that will in conserving life, health and property; improve productivity by implementing loss-control programs in consultation with company and labour officials; identify health and safety hazards in the work environment and advise corrective action.

Concessions to Start-Ups Regarding Labour Laws in India

In order to promote the Start-Up ecosystem in the country and incentivizing the entrepreneurs in setting up new start-up ventures and thus catalyze the creation of employment opportunities through them, the Ministry of Labour & Employment has issued an advisory to the States/UTs/Central Labour Enforcement Agencies for a compliance regime based on self-certification and regulating the inspections under various Labour Laws. It has been suggested that if such start-ups furnish self-declaration for compliance of nine labour laws for the first year from the date of starting the start-up, no inspection under these labour laws, wherever applicable, will take place. The nine labour laws, included in this advisory are:

• the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947;

• the Trade Unions Act, 1926;• the Building and Other Constructions Workers' (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act, 1996;

• the Industrial Employment (Standing Orders) Act, 1946;

• the Inter-State Migrant Workmen (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act, 1979;

• the Payment of Gratuity Act, 1972;

• the Contract Labour (Regulation and Abolition) Act, 1970;

• the Employees' Provident Funds and Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1952; and

• the Employees' State Insurance Act, 1948.

From the second year onwards, up to 3 year from the setting up of the units, such start-ups are required to furnish self-certified returns and would be inspected only when credible and verifiable complaint of violation is filed in writing and approval has been obtained from the higher authorities.

The advisory to State Governments is not to exempt the Start-ups from the ambit of compliance of these Labour Laws but to provide an administrative mechanism to regulate inspection of the Start-Ups under these labour laws, so that Start-ups are encouraged to be self-disciplined and adhere to the rule of law. These measures intend to avoid harassment of the entrepreneurs by restricting the discretion and arbitrariness. Punitive action shall, however, be taken whenever there is a violation of these labour laws.

Start-ups not only help the country to develop and grow financially but also provide a lot of job opportunities to unemployed people of the country. The labour opportunities generated also helps the people of the country to gain employment. The Department formed for this in the government has come up with 9 labour laws which need to be looked upon in case of violation or complaint filed against the start-up.

Therefore the government is promoting start-ups and alongside generating labour opportunities for unemployed people of the country.

We offer high levels of expertise in designing, developing and delivering financial and management consulting solutions to our clients suited to their specific needs across wide spectrum of industries at all stages of businesses i.e. Startups as well as SMEs. We help our clients to turn their business idea into reality and achieve their business vision right from start up to scaling up.

How Can Employers Benefit From the California Labor Code?

It is fun working in California. The state ensures you do not face any issue regarding workplace rights, safety or health. Actually it is the California Labor Code that stands by you in all adverse situations. But what about the employers? Who stands for them? Apparently nobody. So if you are an employer in California and a good one that too, how are you to save yourselves from citations and penalties?

The laws of California are becoming stricter day by day and a single mistake can cost you your whole career. Although there are numerous organizations trying to help out the employer by constantly updating them regarding Cal OSHA and California labor laws, very few of them are actually concerned about the employers' benefits. All they do is to make them aware so that they do not commit a mistake that they have to pay a huge price for. However, a few HR consultants are eager to help the employers in California not only to prevent themselves from getting penalized but also acquire certain benefits from the existing California Labor code. How? Read along to know.

You can popularize your brand - Many companies in California, including your competitors are not much aware of the labor laws. However, all of them are aware of the basics so as to save themselves from citations. But, you can be an exception. With the help of an experienced HR consultancy firm, you can take the initiative of letting your employees knows their rights and privileges they are entitled to under the Labor laws. Thus, you will be known among your employees as the keeper of their rights and not the violator. People will flock to your company and love to work under you.You can increase awareness regarding Safety and health - An employer who acknowledges the power of human resources understands one thing. If you can utilize this power, it will take you to heights. But if you misuse it or try to exploit this power, it will be the one to bring you down. Thus, your employees should be treated as gems of the organization. Take good care of them and promote their health and well being. Invest in holding medical campaigns, vaccinations and other things necessary to maintain the health of your workers. Give them their sick leaves without grudging and you will see they will come back smiling and say, "You are the best Boss!" Sounds like music to the ears, right? Well, indeed it is.

See to that your employees are getting the best of everything - Only recently, a new law pertaining to the Cal OSHA heat illness prevention program states that you need to supply clean and purified water as well as make arrangements for adequate shade to ensure your workers' health and safety. Besides providing the same, why don't you go check out on how they are doing from time to time? Okay, you are busy but you can at least hire someone to see whether your workers are making the best of everything, can't you? That will show them that you care and have faith, this relationship building has major outcome in the future.

Impose a strict anti-harassment law - Issues like sexual harassment or discrimination should be taken seriously so as to provide your employees a sense of safety. This is crucial if you have a large organization where all of your employees work in unison with each other. While building healthy work relationships enhances the growth of your business, unhealthy incidents can ruin your name once and for all. Hence make sure that you take such issues and complaints seriously.

Thus, can you see how you, as an employer, can make use of the California Labor code to make your business one of the most reputed ones in the state? Take help from an expert HR consultancy firm exclusively for the employers in California to know all about the recent labor law updates so that you can make your employees aware of the same. If you take care of your employees, the law will surely take care of you.

UK Government Announces Plan to Reduce the Gap in Gender Pay

The UK government has recently announced that there will be a £2 million fund spent on initiatives aimed at reducing the gender pay gap between males and females. The funding will be spent on training, events, and monitoring programmes to help females move from low paid and low skilled work into jobs that are higher paid and higher skilled.

The measures will also hopefully help female employees in the event that they need to hold their company or employers to account over equal pay, or the lack thereof.

Currently the overall, average pay gap is 19.7%, and though this figure has been reduced from 25% in the last ten years, it still reflects unfair treatment of workers - in particular elderly and part-time employees. One reason for the gap is that there are more women, on average, in low paid jobs. The scheme will be looking to offer the necessary training to aim to help them move into the higher paid positions, careers and professions.

The initiative is to be carried out the by the UK Commission for Employment and Skills and will target women working in the science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM), retail and hospitality management, and agricultural sectors in particular.

The government will also:


• Publish guidance that will help women to compare their pay rate to their male counterparts.

• Invest £50,000 into further guidance to enable female employees to hold their companies to account in the event that they feel that they've been underpaid or paid incorrectly.

• Create and launch free pay analysis software to be made available to all companies and businesses so that they can calculate their gender pay gap.

• Implement extra measures to reinforce the existing Think, Act, Report initiative.

The minister for Women and Equalities, Nicky Morgan, stated that: "The measures we're announcing today will help to tackle the pay gap head-on. We will support women to move out of low paid, low skilled work, into high paid, high skilled work, through providing better training and mentoring." She added that: "We will also give both women and employers the tools to assess and address unfair pay."The measure will hopefully make it far easier for female employees, as well as the employers themselves, to identify pay gaps and issues with pay within their company, and also it will make it easier for them to bring the issue up with their bosses.

Injury by Accident V. Specific Traumatic Incident

There are generally two requirements for an employee who is injured at work, to qualify for Workers' Compensation: (1) the employee must suffer by accident; and (2) the injury must arise out of and in the course of employment.As a general rule, employees must suffer an injury by accident in order to give rise to a claim under the Workers' Compensation laws. The term "accident" has been interpreted as an "unlooked for and untoward event which is not expected or designed by the injured employee." For example, injuries by accident often arise in the construction context. An employee that falls from a ladder or trips into a hole would likely be able to claim any injuries resulting from that accident under the Workers' Compensation statute. Likewise, a welder who is injured due to an equipment malfunction or a supermarket worker who slips on a wet floor could also claim. Satisfying the injury by accident standard does not automatically result in a claim being valid. However it is an essential element. On the other hand, an employee who claims a workplace injury but cannot reproduce any details regarding when, where, and how the accident occurred will have an uphill battle in bringing the claim.

Furthermore, this claim cannot arise based on something that occurs in the normal course of an employee's work. For instance, if an employee normally lifts boxes and places them on a truck, an unforeseen knee injury resulting from that lifting likely will not qualify as an injury by accident.

As an exception to the injury by accident standard, back injuries-only require a "specific traumatic incident." The principal distinction between both are that the specific traumatic incident can occur within the employee's normal job duties. Here, the unforeseen, unusual aspect of the injury is not required, but it does have to be specific. Returning to the hypothetical above, if an employee lifts boxes onto a truck bed everyday as a part of their normal routine and injures his back while lifting one day, that claim could likely be brought as a specific traumatic incident. The employee's injury occurred during a specific instance at work.

It is often frustrating for claimants that the types of injuries covered under the specific traumatic injury standard are so limited. Every case is very fact specific. If you feel like you have been injured at work, you should consult a workers compensation attorney in your area for an objective evaluation of your case.

Should Restaurants Ban Tips?

Tipping is unspokenly mandatory. So much so that waiters have been known to chase after diners who leave less than the expected 15% of their tab. And this is with good reason. Federal law basically allows waiters to be paid below minimum wage - with tips meant to make up for the difference. This is why waiters are paid as low as $2.13 per hour in some areas. Even in New York, the starting pay is only $5.00 an hour in restaurants.

However, more and more restaurants are starting to ban tips. It has become common for some restaurants to include the tip for groups of six or more. Others are now including it for all tables and in their menus. Admittedly, this makes a restaurant seem more expensive than one that has lower prices on the menu but fully expects a proper tip left behind. People just generally don't think of the tip as a real amount to factor into a meal's price.

Why ban tips?

There are several reasons for eliminating tips. First of all, the amount of tips left by people varies widely, and is largely affected by things as arbitrary and discriminatory as a server's physical appearance, gender, race, and age. Other factors include things that are beyond the waiter's control such as the quality of the food. Diners often think that the amount they leave is up to their personal judgment. In reality though, leaving a lousy tip is tantamount to stealing from the waiter's wages.

It remains fundamentally flawed that a few select professions have salaries left to the whims of the clients. If a lawyer charges $60 an hour, he gets paid $60 an hour no matter how his finished work turns out. If a company charges $60 for mowing your lawn, you pay them $60 no matter what. If having your teeth cleaned costs $60, you pay $60 without first judging how much whiter your teeth have become.

In the restaurant business, the "backs" such as cooks and janitors, get paid a set amount for a set number of hours worked. If so, why shouldn't the "front" of the place - waiters, bartenders, even valet - get the same deal? Just like any other role in a restaurant (or any other job for that matter), the waiter puts in the expected amount and quality of labor, and so should be paid a constant and reliable amount in exchange.

In the first place, the percentage basis is also fundamentally flawed. Does it take less effort to bring you a $2 plate of fries than it does a $20 sandwich? And just how many of us can mentally compute 15% of anything, anyway?