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Give Thanks!

Give Thanks to the HR department in your company!

  1. Paychecks. You didn’t think that your pay was determined by little elves who then magically printed your check right month in and month out, did you?
  2. Fairness. Sure, you complain about HR, but who’s the first one you run to when things don’t seem fair? You know.
  3. Training. There are people you never even heard of in your company who work in Learning and Development. Know what they do? They design those training classes that help you advance your career.
  4. Benefits. They “owe” you benefits, right? I don’t think so. A lot of HR pros spend countless hours toiling to make sure that your benefits go for the greater good. And, surprise, they haggle with insurance companies on your behalf.
  5. Vacation. You might be surprised to find out that a company doesn’t have to offer vacation or pay you for it. HR pros work for you to make your time off policies be competitive, the best for you, and the most financially responsible for the company.
  6. Disability. Sure, there are government mandates for disability, but there’s also HR in your corner helping you through your disability. You don’t call your manager when you have to go on long-term disability, do you?
  7. Coworkers. Look left; look right. See those people working alongside you? Thank HR. They’re the ones who have to plan staffing and recruit candidates. Then they prepare the offer letter. Onboard the new people. Exit the bad ones.
  8. Reviews. I know, you hate performance reviews. I do too. But guess what? If HR weren’t there to move performance reviews along, that schmuck that you’d been working next to for the last three years would still be there. Keep the goods ones and dump the bad ones. Who do you call? HR.
  9. Increases. Sure, your manager makes decisions about your merit increase. But where did that money come from? HR compensation spends a lot of time making sure that money and headcount match. And they watch the market to make sure it’s fair. Result: More money in your pocket.
  10. Bonuses. Hello, Bonus. Hey, isn’t that the most beautiful of seasons? Here’s the broken record, but guess who’s behind that glorious bonus check? You know it. Your friends in HR, who are watching competitive pay practices across the world and are talking about the business effects with managers. (Those of you who got huge stock option grants in the late 1990s should hit your knees every day and be thankful.)

source (www.knowhr.com)

 

Posted November 24th, 2009 by Jessica Spinks - Posted in Human Resources | | 0 Comments

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10 Problems a PEO can Solve

 Found this on Facebook…

A PEO is much more than an outlet or cost effective resource for payroll.  What can you do with 4% to 7% of your Gross Annual Payroll freed up from your non-profit generating expenses?

1. Time
PEO’s remove non-productive tasks that take away time and resources so you can focus on bottom line activities such as strategic planning, marketing, and customer service.  Could you make more money if you had time to work your business?  Time is money in business.

2. Cash Flow
PEO’s improve your cash flow by integrating most of your employee cost-centers into a single cost factor; including employer matching FICA, FUTA, SUTA, Work Comp, Administrative Overhead, and employee benefits.  Your cash flows in "real-time" right along with your business income.

3. Workers’ Compensation
PEO’s make buying and maintaining work comp easier than ever.  No more BIG down payments.  No more year-end premium audits.  Because your work comp is built into your PEO rate, you pay as you go which frees up more dollars for company growth.

4. Employee Benefits
Most PEO’s have many "turnkey" benefit plans in place for your employees.  Imagine instantly adding a 401(k) plan, a Section 125, Group Health, Vision, Dental and Life, and other valuable benefits to your business without spending a fortune.   Best of all, the PEO’s manage the programs, payroll deductions, and benefit records,  making employee benefits easier than ever to provide and manage.

5. Government Compliance
PEO’s simplify all the rules and regulations associated with employing people.  They can assist you in complying with all federal, state, and local laws and statutes.  PEO’s provide you with legally required employee forms and paperwork.  They even maintain and store your employee files.

6. Human Resources

PEO’s act as your own personal HR Department, assisting with employee handbooks, job descriptions, recruiting, record management and conflict resolution.  Do your business practices and policies protect you from employee lawsuits?  PEO’s provide a reliable source to get your employee-related questions answered by HR professionals.

7. Operating Leverage

PEO’s create operating leverage for businesses by creating a fixed cost for employing people.  Rather than having to increase your internal investment in human capital and equipment to keep up with external growth, the PEO provides a predictable mechanism that allows you to increase profits at a greater rate than internal costs.  

8. Employee Turnover

PEO’s reduce turnover be establishing better systems, policies and benefit packages.  Turnover can cost your business thousands of dollars a year in lost production and employee re-training.  A good PEO will help keep your employees loyal and motivated and you spend less on training.

9. Risk Management

PEO’s can really benefit businesses with work comp experience modifiers above 1.00.   They can offer sound advice for improving workplace safety and preventing claims from occurring.   They will proactively manage your comp claims and work with you to reduce claim costs and investigate potential fraudulence.

10. Payroll & Taxes

PEO’s solve each of these problems by becoming a co-employer with you.   The PEO issues paychecks, W-2’s, direct deposits and tax deposits.   They assume your tax liabilities and responsibilities as the IRS employer of record.   This co-employment agreement and payroll administration makes everything possible for employers.
 

Posted November 6th, 2009 by Jessica Spinks - Posted in Benefits, Customer Service, Health, Human Resources, Immigration, Performance Reviews, Productivity, Recruiting, Wages, Workers' Comp | | 0 Comments

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How social media is affecting your business!

With the rise of social media in the workplace, your human resource personnel should take a closer look at their company policies.

 

Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn have become socially acceptable marketing and networking tools for the business world today. These pieces of technology aid in building one’s brand in very unique ways. But this is not new news to anyone, especially those of us who have been on these sites for years now.
Facebook has 90 million users, and is the #1 social networking site in the world and the fourth most-trafficked website in the world. There is an incorrect impression that Facebook is only for the young and used primarily for social purposes. Not so. More than 50% of Facebook’s active users are 25 years or older. LinkedIn now has 23 million users, with an average age of 41. LinkedIn is now growing faster than Facebook. This means your employees are using these sites on a daily basis!
 
What business owners really need to know is how to handle the use of these in a professional setting. We can talk about the obvious “HR policies” that should be in place such as Facebook and Twitter should not be used for personal use on company time, but this is up to the personal discretion of the owner. You might consider adding a “social networking” policy to your company handbook. What about more pressing issues such as privacy, leaking valuable and confidential company information online, and online co worker battles?
 
We have seen countless examples of social media “gone bad”, and situations one would have never thought possible.  First, employees need to be aware of their privacy when it comes to their accounts. Be aware that your co workers and possible supervisors may be able to see your personal life even if you are not directly friends with them. When you put something on the internet it is out there forever and can’t be taken back! Your status should probably not say “I hate my job” when you are Facebook friends with your HR manager. In addition, managers should make sure that their employees know a company’s confidential information that should never be leaked into cyber-space. Even if your employees are using these sites for marketing and branding purposes there are still things that shouldn’t be said. Lastly, when a dispute is going on with co workers a social networking platform is probably not the best place to “talk” about it. They should be handled by Human Resources in a professional manner.
 
Take on the challenge to address these issues in your business as soon as possible.  Do not ignore this trend because it is here to stay and will probably affect you and your company at some point.
 
 

Posted October 28th, 2009 by Jessica Spinks - Posted in Human Resources, Other | | 2 Comments

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What you need to know about Health Care Reform Today!

 

The subject of healthcare reform is not only timely but the eventual outcome will affect every citizen personally and professionally.  With an increase in information it is becoming tougher to know where to get accurate information. Knowing how it will affect your business and your personal health care needs makes this a topic for all to be interested in, no matter what side of the political fence you sit on. It is important to stay educated and informed. To summarize a little bit of recent news in regards to businesses and recent bills proposed, according to Benefits by Design’s recent newsletter, under currently proposed bills “employers will be mandated to provide health benefits to all of their employees, even if they already provide comprehensive coverage and employers will have to contribute specific amounts towards their employee premiums. Employers that don’t do this will face harsh penalties. The Senate bill does exempt employers with less than 25 employees, but the House bill applies to all employers with payrolls of $500,000 or more, which could cause wage stagnation and the loss of millions of jobs.”  Some helpful resources include this website where you can see some proposals that have been submitted to Congress. (http://www.kff.org/healthreform/sidebyside.cfm)  It shows how each reform option compares to the next. In addition this article sent out by NAPEO speaks to the impact on small businesses. (http://www.njbiz.com/weekly_article.asp?aID=79260) What can you do? Feel free to contact your local officials to get your opinions across.

Posted October 1st, 2009 by Jessica Spinks - Posted in Health, Human Resources | | 0 Comments

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Pay My Bill Contest !

 

Help My Resume is dedicated to helping the millions of unemployed across America by offering no-charge assistance programs designed to improve a recipient’s marketable skills and self-confidence. Our programs include:
 
•Professional rewriting services
•A Grant Program to address an immediate financial emergency
•Ready Start Program that supplies job candidates with a new set of clothes
•Scholarship Program that awards persons with an educational scholarship fee of $2,500 or $5,000.
•Get Healthy Program to help those who desire to improve their level of physical fitness and emotional well being
 
 
Flippin Creative Inc. has put together The Flippin Pay My Bill Contest to help one household with their gas and/or electric bill for one year. This contest was also established to raise awareness about Help My Resume and to raise money to continue to service unemployed individuals across the United States. This contest is registered with the great State of Arizona.
Prizes Include:
1) One Grand Prize Winner: Will receive $3,600.00 to put towards their gas and/or electric bill
2) One Runner Up: Will receive a brand new 2nd generation 32 GB Ipod touch
3) One Third Place Winner: Will receive a gift card to Macy’s worth $150.00
 
Here is how it works:
1) Click the Donate button to donate $10.00. With your donation you will automatically be entered to receive one of three prizes.
2) We are only allowing 10,000 entries so, you have a 1 in 10,000 chance of having your utilities paid up to $3,600.00.
3) On October 1, 2009 we will pick one grand prize winner and a second and third place winner. Winners will be notified by phone and email.
 
 

Visit their site for more details at http://helpmyresume.org/index.html

 

Posted September 1st, 2009 by Jessica Spinks - Posted in 2009 Money-Saving Strategies, Human Resources | | 2 Comments

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Save a buck or maybe two…

We all need to save a buck or two in this economy. Have you looked at your vendor relations lately? There are some really simple ways to cut some of your monthly costs that would take an hour of your time to examine.

- Call your cable and internet provider and ask if there are any special promotions going on right now? 

 - Take a look at your companies cell phone plan. Are you using all of your minutes, texts? I guarantee there is at least one way you can save money.

- Stop buying bottled water, and use filters. Give your clients a glass of water when they come visit.

- Look for coupons for your office supply order and actually use them!

- Revisit your vendor contracts and see if you are still using all of the services you are paying for.

You see not enough people take the time to do this and what the worse they can say? No? Its really not that bad.

Posted July 16th, 2009 by Jessica Spinks - Posted in 2009 Money-Saving Strategies, Wages | | 0 Comments

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Problem and Solution Part 3

 

Problem and Solution Part 3
 
This month we have been focusing on some interesting topics in our social media outreach and newsletter marketing. We wanted to take a closer look at those policies which imply many social implications and work place complications.
 
Have you thought about your company’s fraternization and nepotism policies lately? I don’t want to offer any advice on what I think you should do, but if you think you don’t need to think about it, have policies in place, or that this type of stuff would never happen in your company, THINK AGAIN!
 
These topics fall within the category of our “human nature” and they are ok. One might want to hire someone in our family if we think they would be great for the job (we do know them very well after all) or they have fallen into hard times and you have an opportunity for them.  Some items you might want to consider include:
 
  • Screen all of your applicants byt the same criteria
  • Be consistent by applying the same job performance standards and expectations to every employee
  • Follow- impartially- company discipline policies
  • Be open about the policy  
It is also perfectly natural that we may be attracted to a coworker. In this case, even if it is just a new friendship, productivity is still important in any work environment. This is where you need company policies to support your arguments. Some items you may want to consider include:
 
  • Be aware of the high probability that it will happen
  • Make sure you and your employees are aware of your fraternization policies (either you allow it or you don’t)
  • If you do not allow it make sure employees know of the consequences
  • Make sure your employees know the expectation of their job description so if their productivity levels fall due to a new relationship they are not surprised by you bringing it up.
 
In all of these situations if you have policies to fall back on you can basically fall back on them to support you and your company in tricky situations. For more consultation or help with these policies please visit our site at www.cbri.com or contact us at (602)200-8500

Posted July 14th, 2009 by Jessica Spinks - Posted in Human Resources | | 0 Comments

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Problem and Solution Part 2

 

Revisiting E verify laws and the challenges it presents.
 
E-verify laws have been around for a while now but it doesn’t hurt to have a refresher course. On the positive side, since the system have been in place for a while now we can start to discuss the trends and possible challenges that business owners and administrators are facing, while still reinforcing the benefits of using it.
 
First let’s review the basics:
 
 
  • E-verify is an internet based system operated by the Department of Homeland Security in partnership with the Social Security Administration that allows participating employers to electronically verify the employment eligibility of their newly hired employees.
  •  E-Verify is free and voluntary and is the best means available for determining employment eligibility of new hires and the validity of their Social Security Numbers.
  • You must follow the innocent before guilty theory and never discriminate or pre- judge if someone is eligible to work or not.
  • E verify must be done within 3 days of the employees start date. (check laws in your area)
 
To be clear, the E verify process isn’t all bad and it was actually implemented to help employers and their processes for hiring. It is a uniform way to help reduce discrimination, and really find out whether their new hires can work or not. This reduces your liability as a company too.
 
In light of the social media movement, I outreached to some networks on Linked in and Twitter to see what some of the challenges were. I got some interesting responses I feel are worth sharing. One linked in participant writes that the main problem is that you can’t use it as a pre screening method, therefore you have to train and go through all of the new hire practices normally even if you might have to let them go in a few days based off of the outcome. Another contact offers advice saying that you must know what you are getting into, and to remember that e verify does not replace the normal I9 document review process.
The overall solution to concerns and stresses about e verify is to make sure you stay informed.
 
  • Know your own states laws. The requirements for federal and state are different. In addition, laws might be changing soon especially with a new administration so stay up to date.
  • If you handle E verify on your own, talk to your own networks of business owners about any questions, comments or concerns
 
** Disclaimer: Every state law is different so please check the laws for yourself.Please offer any of your thoughts and experiences by commenting on our blog.

Posted June 25th, 2009 by Jessica Spinks - Posted in Human Resources, Immigration | | 0 Comments

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Problem and Solution Part 1

 

A problem in your business could be relying too much on the HR knowledge of your long term employees. In many companies there always seems to be that one person who has been there the longest, knows the most, and always lets you know about it. In addition, the problem is that this knowledge does not last forever. Once this person leaves the company you have to start all over in which frustration sets in and time is lost.
 
The solution is implementing systems that will with stand the test of time and your always evolving business.
 
Companies are always changing and evolving with new people and ideas so having consistent systems in place are essential to running your business. In order to run an effective business you have processes put in place to run invoices, customer service concerns etc., so why not have systems to support HR, payroll, work comp, and benefits. With pairing technological systems, outsourcing your efforts to companies that do this for a living, and knowledge of people, one can solve this problem. Once you have implement systems of some sort you can expect the following:  
 
  • Creates a company culture with consistency in operations, policies and procedures as well as overall employee morale.
  • Consistent knowledge base throughout the whole company, even when new employees start.
  • Systems will provide you the avenue to ensure that you have the right people in the right seats on the right bus. If there is a need for a change you will have the necessary information such as documentation, signed policies and procedures, and corrective action to make the change with your employees. 
 
These so called systems can be intimidating at first. Some examples of these “systems” might be tracking systems, leveraging your technology in a uniform and consistent way, outsourcing your efforts to a company that can do it all etc. There are a variety of systems that are available to support your HR needs that include the following:
 
  • Time and Attendance - Tracking your employees time and attendance will provide you the information to correct attendance issues, unnecessary overtime, and job costing for specific projects.
  • Payroll - Utilizing a system that is designed to reduce the number of hours you or a valuable team members spends processing payroll can allow you time to focus on the profit producing needs of your business.
  • HR Management - In having an employee handbook, policies and procedures along with an HR team (like CBR) to track these items will allow you the time to focus on correcting behavior as well as making changes in your company.
 
More time as a business owner to actually run the business. Less time training multiple times. Stay tuned for more typical HR problems and our solutions to them!

Posted June 4th, 2009 by Jessica Spinks - Posted in Human Resources | | 1 Comments

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HSA’s for Dummies

Top 8 Things to Know about Health Savings Accounts.

HSA’s are a hot topic, especially this time of year. Some people might be hesitant to elect one as their insurance plan, due to lack of information.  They might greatly benefit you as an employer and your employees.

1. Reduction of $- Reduce employer and employee premiums. You can utilize this feature by electing a high deductable plan that is compatible with an HSA

2. Deliver More- You can deliver more to your employees. Instead of paying all the money to the insurance company you can deliver more value to them by paying the dollars into their HSA account.

3. Save-  Save on taxes, because contributions are pre tax.

4. Portable- If you pull out of the plan the money is always yours. It is not a "use it or lose it" deal.

5. Small fees- Account maintenance fees are small and tax deductable.  

6. Reluctance from agents- Usually insurance agents are reluctant to offer these because it reduced their commission.

7. Stop Funding- As an employer you dont have to fund forever. It can be a temporary gift until a good balance is reached.

8. Share- With an HSA you can share the management of healthcare decisions with your employees to get the biggest bang for your buck.

Posted June 1st, 2009 by Jessica Spinks - Posted in Benefits | | 0 Comments

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