ESG republic HR, Payroll, Benefits, and Workers' Comp. Blog

Employee Leasing

Mike Lopez — Tue, 24 May 2011 03:14:00 GMT

Workers who are officially employed by a professional employer organization, which is responsible for overseeing all HR-related functions.

Still not sure about Employee Leasing? Read the following article that describes how the process works.

Click here to read the story.

Cash-strapped states go after unclaimed benefits

Mike Lopez — Wed, 04 May 2011 05:52:00 GMT

Billions of dollars in unclaimed life insurance benefits are at the center of a legal wrestling match as cash-strapped state governments step up their efforts to make sure insurance companies properly account for the funds.

Although the money belongs to the beneficiaries, states have laws stipulating that the government becomes the owner of abandoned property after a period of time. Several states, budget-challenged California among them, are aggressively enforcing their unclaimed property laws to force insurers to hand over the money.

Continue reading here ->

THIS WILL CHANGE THE COMPLETION OF BUSINESS

Mike Lopez — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 05:57:00 GMT

This is no April Fool's joke. The Workers' Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau (WCIRB) Actuarial Committee just completed its review of its interpretation of California industry experience. They conclude that California's workers' compensation advisory pure premium rates need to increase by nearly 40% -- 39.8% by one member's calculation.

This changes the game for Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones who has been successfully holding down health insurance rates. The Bureau's conclusions can be called into question by looking at reports done by Compline last year which proved that while the Bureau represented that the industry lost some $1.5 Billion, the reality was that it made a profit of some $600 Million. Last year's Compline report can be found here.<http://ws1.wcexec.com/t/87701/18608/32915/0/>

WCIRB's actuarial committee itself doesn't make a recommendation on the actual number to be filed, just the methodology used to calculate the recommendation. WCIRB's governing committee is tasked with approving the final number and ordering a mid-year filing. Its members will consider the issue on Wednesday. Generally it closely agrees with the committee recommendation.

Just weeks ago key WCIRB officials were saying a mid-year filing was unlikely, but that was before the industry's experience through the end of 2010 had been analyzed. That analysis shows continued deterioration, primarily on the medical cost front.

Overall loss development accounts for about 4 points of the likely increase. Also on the rise is the allocated loss adjustment expense, which is the amount the industry spends adjusting claims and defending cases. The latest UCLA wage forecast adds another 3 points to the calculation, according to the Bureau.

The final number could still change if carriers file amended data. And the analysis currently covers only 99% of the market. WCIRB actuary Dave Bellusci notes that they have concerns about the premium and claims data for one carrier and are working to ameliorate those concerns. Until that time, however, WCIRB is excluding its data from the analysis.

While WCIRB's governing committee is expected to approve a mid-year filing on Wednesday, the actual filing likely won't happen until late April. WCIRB president Bob Mike noted that any filing has to include for the first time information on the rates that carriers have actually been filing.

Two Trends for Human Resources In 2011

Mike Lopez — Sat, 22 Jan 2011 06:10:00 GMT

While the first few weeks of 2011 already noted a number of encouraging signs for the coming year – lower unemployment, higher small business borrowing, gains in manufacturing activity and small business employment – there are a number of critical changes expected to unfold this year -we’d like to explore two additional topics: healthcare reform and social media.

Healthcare reform. Healthcare reform has been one of the most hotly debated issues in the country in recent years, even as the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act was signed into law last March. Although it is expected to be implemented gradually over the next several years, some key provisions will be enacted this year, including a provision that provides tax credits to small businesses to help cover up to 35 percent of employee healthcare premiums – a measure that is expected to free up budgets and boost business filings.
Social media. Last year also marked a revolution for social media, as businesses began to embrace the phenomenon in droves. This trend is expected to continue through 2011, but as social networks are used most significantly for personal reasons, small businesses should consider adopting social media policies for their employees.

If you need help with any of your HR needs contact us today!

Two New Employment Laws in California

Mike Lopez — Mon, 03 Jan 2011 16:59:00 GMT

The California legislature has passed several bills which were signed into law and take effect January 1, 2011. The following two laws have a direct impact on employers, while others pertain to unemployment and other administrative matters.

Organ Donation Leave

California lawmakers have added a new leave entitlement for qualified private sector employees who volunteer to donate an organ or bone marrow. As an incentive to encourage people to save lives, the legislature provides that employees who participate will receive generous leave rights, including paid time off. Eligible employees can take leaves of absence with pay for up to 30 days for organ donation or up to 5 days for bone marrow donation.

Employers may require use of vacation, sick and/or PTO under specific limitations. Under the new law, employees returning from organ or bone marrow donation leave must be returned to the same position they held when the leave began or to an equivalent position.

This leave will not run concurrently with FMLA or CFRA. The employer must continue paying for health benefits during the leave, and it does not constitute a break in service for purposes of seniority, vacation accrual, salary or other benefits of employment. Employers may not interfere with the leave or retaliate against an employee who takes leave.

Meal Period Exemption

AB 569 provides a limited exemption from California’s meal period requirement to construction employees, security officers in the security services industry, commercial truck drivers and employees of electrical and gas corporations and local publicly owned electric utilities if the employees are covered by a valid collective bargaining agreement which expressly provides meal periods for those employees.

If you are a California employer, we suggest you consult with a California human resources firm that is familiar with these news laws, and how they may impact your business.

The Sick-Day Bounty Hunters

Mike Lopez — Mon, 13 Dec 2010 18:01:00 GMT

We know that employees have regular sick days that are needed to get well. But, as an alarming number of workers play hooky, corporations are clamping down—and calling in the detectives.

Playing hooky without getting caught—as immortalized in the cat-and-mouse skirmish between Ferris Bueller and Principal Rooney in Ferris Bueller's Day Off—used to be an adolescent rite of passage. Now it has given rise to a thriving industry, with stern legal precedent to back it up. In 2008, Raybestos Products, a car parts manufacturer in Crawfordsville, Ind., hired an off-duty police officer to track an employee suspected of abusing her paid medical leave. When the employee, Diana Vail, was fired after the cop produced substantial evidence that she was exploiting her benefits, she sued Raybestos. In what became the landmark case for corporate snooping, the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals dismissed her lawsuit. A panel of judges declared that while surveillance "may not be preferred employer behavior," it wasn't unlawful. According to Susan W. Kline, a partner at the Baker & Daniels law firm in Indianapolis, the case "encouraged [companies] to consider hiring their own private detectives." It also set a precedent, she says, that "reasonable suspicion" is sufficient justification for employer spying.

Continue reading this great article here.

Lola Gonzalez laid herself off to save her employees' jobs

Mike Lopez — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 06:18:00 GMT

Lola Gonzalez laid herself off to save her employees' jobs. We congratulate her willingness to sacrifice her pay for her staff. We also recognize that she also could have saved money by using an HR Outsourcing company to save money throughout the year.

If you are an employer, you should consider all of your options with an HR Outsourcing company. We offer valuable services to employees and employers.

If you would like to read the story from USA Today please click here.

If you would like to learn more about our services please visit ESGrepublic.com

5 Reasons to Switch From a Payroll Service to An HRO

Mike Lopez — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 16:48:00 GMT

Most business owners don't realize what an HR Outsourcing company can provide. Here are 5 reasons your company should switch from a payroll service to an HRO.

Liability

With an HR Outsourcing company you have a co-employer relationship and with a co-employer relationship you get shared liability with those employees. Payroll taxes and unemployment claims are taken care of by the HR Outsourcing company. Therefore, the HRO is 100 percent liable for that part of it and the business owner doesn’t have to worry about those kind of liabilities. So there’s a shared liability that the employee now have a vested interest with the HRO.

Efficiency

The efficiency with a payroll service is you only have one company that just processes payroll. That’s all they do. With an HRO, you have an entire company of experts that handle payroll, benefits, worker’s comp, safety and human resources. This means you have one company that provides all of these services to you. So therefore, having one person or company handling all of these things, which is maybe a low cost, but it’s not necessarily as efficient as having a team of experts. You can have an entire company for roughly the same price or maybe even cheaper than your one or two employees internally or any outside payroll service. This provides a great deal of efficiency for business owners.

Expertise

The value of the expertise comes in with an HRO that has a number of employees with a great deal of experience in Human Resources, Payroll, Benefits, Workers' Compensation and Safety. Whereas some business owners, only have a couple of employees internally that have to learn as they go. They know a little about HR, safety, and worker’s comp. With an HRO, you have people that just do HR and that’s all they’ve learned and they’ve done it for a number of years. They have a great wealth of knowledge in HR. You also get a company that has worker’s comp experts that knows worker’s comp laws, regulations and restrictions. Also, you will have the same experts with payroll and benefits. You have people that have spent a great deal of time and years learning these things, so you don’t have to.

Convenience

The convenience is having one company you call for all payroll questions. You also have one company to call for any employee administration related questions. So any questions related to payroll, benefits, HR, worker’s comp, and safety have one phone number to call. Whereas before, if they had a number of different outsourced services they’d have to call five or six different numbers to get their questions answered.

But with an HRO you’re able to call one number and have one point of contact. Which then can be able to go to all the different departments within that HRO and be able to get your answer taken care of. So it’s very convenient to be able to have just one source to handle any type of employee questions.

Options

When you deal with an HRO, they have large amounts of employees under their belt and therefore they go out and get your company voluntary benefits. So employees now have access to discount theme park tickets, discount movie tickets, Aflac, and more services that a smaller company does not have the time to get these extra benefits. Services like these really do improve the workplace environment. Let's not forget that having options of multiple insurance plans, 401k plans and multiple dental plans provides companies an advantage to hiring a more skilled workforce. There’s such a great array of options when you work with an HRO. These different options for businesses are invaluable to look over.

Most business owners don't realize that an HRO or even administrative companies provide all of the services under one roof. If you have any kind of problems with payroll, human resources, benefits, workers' compensation or safety in your business, you should check into and HRO. Having issues in any of those items can be very expensive to deal with and costly. It could ruin your business.Why wait until you have that problem? Find an HRO or an administrative company and see if it makes sense for your business.

Why Your Employee Handbook Should Have A Social Media Policy.

Mike Lopez — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 23:30:00 GMT

Having a Social Media Policy in your Employee Handbook is very important in our new online world.

One reason you want a Social Media Policy is to protect your company information. If you have confidential information within your company you want to ensure that your employee’s are not posting confidential information online. Posting proprietary information on how to make a product or certain company information is confidential information. Because Social Media outlets are viewed by many people, an employer wants to make sure their information is protected. So having a social media policy which outlines the dos and don’ts will help regulate how employees appropriately use social media in the workplace.

The number two reason why an employer should have a social media policy is to set guidelines. A question an employer should ask themselves is; what is acceptable? Such as, on a blog. What is acceptable on a social networking personal site? You want to ensure if someone does have his or her own personal blog or personal networking site, you want to outline what is acceptable. Also, outline if employees do identify themselves as employees of your company, you want to make sure it’s in a positive light, without any negative commentary. Make sure you outline a set of rules and guidelines of what’s acceptable within the policy.

The third reason why you should have a social media policy is to protect yourself from claims. Claims is a broad statement used here. Claims can be about unemployment claims, wrongful termination claims, and possibly some wage and hour claims as well. In regards to unemployment claims, if you have a social media policy and it’s evident an employee has violated this policy, more than likely this employee will be denied and therefore will not receive unemployment benefits.

Having a social media policy can also protect you from wrongful termination claims. If an employer outlines the rules and guidelines for the use of social media in the workplace, a claim for wrongful termination is less likely.

To be proactive, we recommend contacting an HR Outsourcing company(ESG republic) and working with them to see what kind of social media policy your company needs. There are certain industries or jobs where you may not be on the computer or have access to cell phones all day. So a social networking policy may not be as needed. But if social networking is a part of the way you do business, then an employer needs to start looking at certain resources and look at what works best in your organization.

In this day and age, if your organization is utilizing social media as a marketing tool, a Social Media policy is needed so you can monitor what employees are posting or doing on social media networking sites.

"I Quit This Job!", What Every Employer Doesn't Want To Hear

Mike Lopez — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 21:02:00 GMT

Why do employers need a letter of resignation from an employee who is quitting?

A letter of resignation is needed for many reasons. One reason is unemployment claims. If an employee quits and does not provide a letter of resignation, then the employee has the ability to change their reason for quitting when they file an unemployment claim and mostly like win. The inconsistent reason for quitting can result in the employee winning the claim and be awarded benefits.

There are certain circumstances when an employee can quit with “good cause” and still be eligible for unemployment. An employee will likely be awarded unemployment benefits if:

Working conditions were detrimental to their health and safety. The work was making them physically ill.
The employee had to follow a spouse out of town for a job.
The employee needed to take care of a dependent child.

Above are just a few reasons for a quit with “good cause” attributable to employment but these items need to be documented as the final reason for leaving the job. Whether these statements are true or not, the employer needs the documentation from the employee for effective control of unwarranted claims.

How can an employer protect themselves against false unemployment claims?

There are two ways that an employer can protect their company.

Documentation. An employer must document the history of performance of an employee. The documentation should be kept in their employee file and reviewed periodically to ensure all matters have been addressed. The resignation should also be included in the employee file.
Hire an HR Outsourcing company. ESG republic, which is an HR Outsourcing company, helps our client’s everyday with employee matters. We provide the assistance with the documentation of each employee. We handle the termination process by visiting on site, on the phone, or having the employee visit our corporate office. When the unemployment claim comes in we attend the hearing with the documentation to support our client against the claim. This gives our clients the security in knowing they have a team of experts helping to control costs and employee matters.

Whether you use an HR Outsourcing company or do it yourself, make sure you have your employee give you a reason for their resignation. This could save you from an unwanted unemployment claim.

Why do you need Co-Employment?

Mike Lopez — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 16:27:00 GMT

Why do you need Co-Employment?

Business owners want to focus their time and energy on the "business of their business" and not on the "business of employment." As businesses grow, most owners do not have the necessary human resource training, payroll and accounting skills, the knowledge of regulatory compliance, or the backgrounds in risk management, insurance and employee benefit programs to meet the demands of being an employer. A Co-Employment gives small-group markets access to many benefits and employment amenities they would not have otherwise.

You still run the company you started, but with less headache.

The client retains ownership of the company and control over its operations. A Co-Employer and client will contractually share or allocate employer responsibilities and liabilities. The Co-Employer will assume responsibilities and liabilities associated with a "general" employer for purposes of administration, payroll, taxes and benefits. The client will continue to have responsibility for site specific items including direction and control of the workers. In general terms, Co-Employer will focus on employment-related issues and the client will be responsible for the actual business operations.

More companies are turning to co-employment options.

It is estimated that 2-3 million Americans are currently benefiting from a co-employment relationship. The average company in the industry has grown more than 20 percent per year for each of the last six years, according to a survey of the National Association of Professional Employer Organization members. The industry generates approximately $51 billion in gross revenues annually and professional employers have an exceptionally high client retention rate due to strong client and employee satisfaction.

Watch the HIRE Act webinar for payroll issues

Mike Lopez — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 17:01:00 GMT

Did you miss the HIRE Act webinar? You can watch it now.

Learn how the HIRE Act will help you handle the complex payroll issuses that will show up. Also, how a company like ours(ESG republic) can help you with those issuses.

HIRE Act Webinar Slides

Mike Lopez — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 19:10:00 GMT

Today's HIRE Act webinar provided great information. Please download the attached slides.

HIRE-Act-Webinar-Slides.pdf

HIRE Act Webinar for Employers

Mike Lopez — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 22:58:00 GMT

Free Webinar - June 9th @ 10am(PST)

We are offering a free webinar about the HIRE Act. Learn more and sign up today.

What will be discussed?

Under the Hiring Incentives to Restore Employment (HIRE) Act, enacted March 18, 2010, two new tax benefits are available to employers who hire certain previously unemployed workers (“qualified employees”).

The first, referred to as the payroll tax exemption, provides employers with an exemption from the employer’s 6.2 percent share of social security tax on wages paid to qualifying employees, effective for wages paid from March 19, 2010 through December 31, 2010.

In addition, for each qualified employee retained for at least 52 consecutive weeks, businesses will also be eligible for a general business tax credit, referred to as the new hire retention credit, of 6.2 percent of wages paid to the qualified employee over the 52 week period, up to a maximum credit of $1,000.

12 Manager Mistakes That Spark Lawsuits for Employers

Mike Lopez — Mon, 17 May 2010 15:24:00 GMT

Lawsuits by employees against their employers have grown tremendously in the past decade. Sometimes those lawsuits have merit, sometimes they don’t. But, either way, those lawsuits cost time and money to fight—money that is better spent on product development, training and raises.

Even worse, some laws—including federal overtime law and the Family and Medical Leave Act—allow employees to sue their supervisors directly, meaning a manager’s personal bank account could be at stake.

Most lawsuits are not triggered by great injustices. Instead, simple management mistakes and perceived slights start the snowball of discontent rolling downhill toward the courtroom.

Here are 12 of the biggest manager mistakes that harm an organization’s credibility in court. Use these points as a checklist to shore up your personal employment-law defense:

1. Sloppy documentation

Most discrimination cases aren’t won with “smoking gun” evidence. They’re proven circumstantially, often through documents or statements made by managers. Documents, particularly e-mail, can help the employee show discriminatory intent. The lesson:Always speak and write as if your comments will be held up to a jury some day.

2. Not knowing policies, procedures

Courts expect supervisors to know their organization’s policies and procedures. If a manager admits ignorance, legal experts say juries typically view that as purposeful, not forgetfulness.

That’s why it’s vital to make sure you understand company policies. Don’t make decisions based on a vague memory of a policy. Double check it or check with HR before taking action.

3. Inflated appraisals

Performance reviews are one of the most important forms of documentation, yet managers sometimes inflate the ratings for various reasons. If a manager later tries to cite “poor performance” for that same person’s termination or demotion, those overly positive appraisals create a heap of credibility concerns.

Be direct, honest and consistent.

4. Shrugging off complaints

Turning a blind eye to any employees’ complaints of unfairness or perceived illegal actions is a guaranteed credibility buster. Comments like “I’m not a baby sitter” or “Boys will be boys” will hurt employee morale and jeopardize your standing in court.

5. Interview errors

It may be easy to answer the question, “Why did you hire that person?” But managers often run into trouble when they have to answer, “Why did you reject certain other candidates?”

That’s because rejection decisions typically aren’t well-documented and the decision-maker may not recall the reasons later.

During interviews, stay away from any question that doesn’t focus on this central issue: How well would this person perform the job he or she has applied for? Never ask about age, race, marital status, children, day care plans, religion, health status or political affiliation.

6. Changing your story

If an organization changes its reasoning for making an adverse employment decision (firing, discipline, demotion, etc.) in midstream, its credibility is shot.

Be straight with employees from the start about reasons for discipline. Don’t sugarcoat your comments.

7. ‘Papering’ an employee’s file

Most managers hear the mantra, “Document, document, document.” But it’s possible to overdocument, especially when it occurs right before a firing. Courts will be able to see through a rush of disciplinary actions cited in the days before a termination.

Be consistent in documenting negative and positive performance and behavior of employees. It’s best to keep a “performance log” for each employee, regularly making notes in each file.

8. Being rude, mean-spirited

An organization can have the best case in the world, but if the key supervisor comes across as rude, insensitive and mean, the attorney’s job of selling the case to the jury will be much harder.

Use the golden rule in handling staff.

9. Careless statements to feds

When responding to charges filed with the EEOC or state agencies, employers often have to submit position statements. Managers may be called upon to help provide some of that information. You can bet the employee’s attorney will review these statements, particularly affidavits, and introduce them at trial, especially if your story has changed. Keep your story consistent.

10. Lack of legal knowledge

Juries will expect—and the plaintiff’s lawyer will encourage them to expect— that employers stay abreast of developments in employment law. Refresh yourself regularly on your organization’s policies, read communications sent from HR and, when in doubt, ask questions.

11. Dictating accommodations Under federal law, employers must make “reasonable” workplace changes to accommodate an employee’s disability. How to choose those accommodations? It must be a give-and-take process to reach a solution, the law says. Managers too often try to dictate the solution.

12. Firing employees too fast Managers who fire without first trying to improve the worker’s performance will appear insensitive and potentially discriminatory in court. Conversely, managers who try to improve things before resorting to firing will stand a better chance of avoiding a lawsuit.

Need help with your HR department? Get started here.

Top 7 Things Your Employee Handbook Should Have

Mike Lopez — Wed, 05 May 2010 18:11:00 GMT

Regardless of how small or large your organization may be, running an organization without polices and guidelines is very challenging. Having a well-written employee handbook is very beneficial because it communicates to employees their rights and obligations as an employee. It lays out your workplace do's and don'ts and is the connecting link that establishes the employee/employer relationship.

Two New Tax Benefits Aid Employers Who Hire and Retain Unemployed Workers

Mike Lopez — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 18:04:00 GMT

Employers who hire unemployed workers this year (after Feb. 3, 2010 and before Jan. 1, 2011) may qualify for a 6.2-percent payroll tax incentive, in effect exempting them from their share of Social Security taxes on wages paid to these workers after March 18, 2010. This reduced tax withholding will have no effect on the employee’s future Social Security benefits, and employers would still need to withhold the employee’s 6.2-percent share of Social Security taxes, as well as income taxes. The employer and employee’s shares of Medicare taxes would also still apply to these wages.

Can employees benefit from an HR Outsourcing relationship?

Mike Lopez — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 15:56:00 GMT

Employees seek financial security, quality health insurance and Work Life benefits, a safe working environment and opportunities for retirement savings. When a company works with an HR Outsourcing company(ESG republic), job security is improved as efficiencies are implemented to lower employment costs. Job satisfaction and productivity increase when employees are provided with professional human resource services, training, employee manuals, safety services and improved communications.

With ESG republic, employees are provided a greatly expanded Work Life benefits package, to include a 401(k), a flexible spending plan, life insurance, disability insurance, fitness club and credit union memberships, child care discounts, “every day” shopping discounts, and more. These benefits really impact an employee’s life and the lives of their families.

Can employees benefit from an HR Outsourcing relationship?

Mike Lopez — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 17:45:00 GMT

How the ESG republic Co-Employment Works.

Mike Lopez — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 17:19:00 GMT

Once a client company contracts with ESG republic, we will then co-employ the client's worksite employees. In the arrangement among ESG republic, a worksite employee and a client company, there exists a co-employment relationship in which both ESG republic and client company have an employment relationship with the worker.

ESG republic and the client company share and allocate responsibilities and liabilities. ESG republic assumes much of the responsibility and liability for the business of employment:

such as risk management
human resource management
and payroll and employee tax compliance.

The client company retains responsibility for and manages product development and production, business operations, marketing, sales, and service. ESG republic and the client will share certain responsibilities for employment law compliance. As a co-employer, ESG republic will provide a complete human resource and benefit package for worksite employees.

Employee Leasing vs. Co-Employment?

Mike Lopez — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 11:03:00 GMT

Co-Employment

A co-employment arrangement involves all or a significant number of the client's existing worksite employees in a long-term, non-project related, employment relationship. ESG republic brings services to the client, including the management of human resources, employee benefits, payroll and worker's compensation. ESG republic assumes employer responsibility for employment tax, benefit plans and other human resource purposes. With an ESG republic co-employer relationship, client companies make a long-term investment in their workers, because ESG republic provides access to health insurance, retirement savings plans, and other critical employee benefits for their worksite employees. If the ESG republic relationship is terminated, the co-employees will cease to work for ESG republic but will continue as employees of the client.

Employee Leasing

By comparison, a leasing or staffing service supplies new workers on a temporary or project-specific basis. These leased employees return to the staffing service for reassignment after completion of their work with the client company. Some would define employee leasing as a supplemental, temporary employment arrangement where one or more workers are assigned to a customer for a fixed period of time, often for a specific project.

What Business Can Use HR Outsourcing?

Mike Lopez — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 15:53:00 GMT

Any business can find value in a relationship with an HR Outsourcing company. An average client company is a business with 17 worksite employees. Increasingly, larger businesses also are finding value in a co-employment relationships because HR Outsourcing companies (ESG republic) offers robust web-based HR technologies and expertise in HR management. Additionally, the extensive network and buying power of HR Outsourcing companies (ESG republic) large employee base will provide companies with the highest quality employee benefits at the lowest possible price.

So whether your company has 5 employees or 100, your company can take advantage of HR Outsourcing companies (ESG republic) abilities to help your company grow and be successful.

Building Better Healthcare Habits

Mike Lopez — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 10:20:00 GMT

Emergency rooms have often been mistakenly utilized for urgent care needs. By definition, an emergency is a dangerous situation that occurs suddenly and requires immediate action. Therefore, emergency rooms should be used only for injuries and illness that cannot be dealt with properly in a doctor’s office. Urgent care facilities are equipped to take care of illnesses and injuries that require medical attention but are not life-threatening. Some symptoms that may be treated at an urgent care facility are fever, earache, nausea/vomiting, flu, dizziness, sprains, minor cuts that may or may not require stitches, and fractured bones

Emergency rooms are not always the fastest choice for medical care needs- and certainly NOT the most cost-effective.

Below are some examples of why you might want to select an urgent care rather than the emergency room:

Urgent Care Facility	Emergency Room
Example 1: You break your arm
Typical wait time = 30 minutes Most insurance accepted Your cost = $450.00*	Typical wait time = 3 hours or more Most insurance accepted Your cost = $1787.00*
Example 2: You need stitches
Typical wait time = 30 minutes Most insurance accepted Your cost = $275.00*	Typical wait time = 3 hours or more Most insurance accepted Your cost = $976.00*
Example 3: You have the flu or just not feeling well
Typical wait time = 30 minutes Most insurance accepted Your cost = $65.00*	Typical wait time = 3 hours or more Most insurance accepted Your cost: $156 * for triage only. If seen by a physician, additional fees may apply
*Example prices ONLY. These are not quotes for actual healthcare costs.

5 Things To Look For In A California HR Organization

Mike Lopez — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 18:26:00 GMT

Are you still dealing with all of your company´s Human Resource, Workers´ Compensation, Employee Benefits and Payroll needs? Are those business necessities your core competency? Are you compliant with local, state and federal regulations governing those important areas of your company? What if you could outsource those functions, provide better benefits to your staff, operate in compliance to protect you and your company, and save money in the process? You can!

A Professional Employer Organization (PEO) is designed to help small to mid-sized companies by providing them the resources to better manage and administer these non-revenue generating but essential business functions. You stay focused on your core business, what you know, and what you got into business to do. The PEO manages much of the rest, benefiting both you and your staff. Here is a quick list of 5 things to look for in a PEO:

Combination of Hi-Tech and Hi-Touch Delivery.
Let´s face it…in today´s business world, many deliverables are made available online and much business is done via phone and email, etc. However, as a "service" business dealing with the complexities of human resources, training, safety, employee benefits, enrollment and orientation, it´s important to deal with a company that will be there when you need them. Likewise, your PEO should be able to deliver hi-tech solutions to help you manage your business in a more efficient and timely manner.
Multiple Employee Benefit Options.
Often times, small and mid-sized businesses struggle to afford and offer attractive and competitive benefit choices to their staff. Benefits that will help you attract and retain the best staff. Many PEO´s will simply work with you to broker a plan for your organization but not offer a competitive group policy option. Look for a PEO that will meet or exceed your employee benefit needs. Large group policies, often with multiple plan options (HMO, PPO, HSA, etc.) or even multiple carriers, can be more attractive to your staff as they can choose the coverage that meets their personal needs. Composite premiums versus age-banded pricing can also have its advantages.
Safety Services – Not Just Workers´ Compensation.
As the employer of record, PEO´s will typically provide all required workers´ compensation insurance for your staff. But insurance without attention to prevention is not enough. Your PEO should be as concerned about preventing claims as they are about managing them should they occur. Training, ergonomics, Injury and Illness Prevention Programs, Personal Protective Equipment, work site audits and inspections, pre-employment drug screening and background checking and hiring best practices are just some of the things to expect.
Real Human Resource Services.
Like the previous tip, human resource services shouldn´t be defined solely by the reaction to events. Make sure your PEO is providing a comprehensive and proactive review of your current business practices, policies and procedures related to employment. Again, expect training, professional employee handbooks, job description review and development, hiring, firing, counseling and disciplinary best practices, among other HR deliverables.
Payroll – Options, Ease and Accuracy.
Let´s face it…payroll doesn´t have to be complicated but it has to be right. Make sure your PEO has available options to track, manage and submit payroll information. Web-based time clocks, swipe clocks, biometrics, and company specific online payroll portals are just some of the ways companies report and manage time and attendance these days. What works for you? Will your PEO work with your current reporting methods? Is it time for a change?

These are just 5 tips for selecting a Professional Employer Organization to meet your needs. Certainly, checking customer references and personally meeting with the PEO to assess their staff expertise, professionalism and responsiveness will go a long ways too. Following these few tips can help tremendously as you explore the many benefits of outsourcing these non-core business functions. Want more information? Click here.

You're Late! - An Employers Problem

Mike Lopez — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 15:53:00 GMT

Jim, the operations manager for Walton’s Mountain Supplies, noticed John coming to work late for the third time this week. He checked with Mary Ellen, John's supervisor and discovered this had been a regular occurrence for the past two months. Jim then asked Mary Ellen what she had been doing about this. She explained that John was a good worker once he showed up and she didn’t feel that 10 – 15 minutes was worth the confrontation.

A couple of months later, Mary Ellen came to Jim and let him know that Elizabeth was consistently coming in 5 -10 minutes late; she had given Elizabeth three verbal warnings and had written her up twice. Mary Ellen recommended that Jim fire Elizabeth. In talking with Mary Ellen, Jim discovered that Elizabeth was an “adequate” worker and John was still coming in late.

What should Jim do? He decided to call his ESG republic Customer Service Manager for advice. This is what he was told:

You must enforce your policies equally across the board. If you are not going to hold one employee accountable for the policies then you cannot hold another accountable for the same policy.
If you terminate Elizabeth, at this point, you are exposing your company to a potential law suit for, Wrongful Termination and Sexual Harassment.
Write up both employees. Make the write-ups “Final Warnings” and attach all documentation to each write-up; such as time sheets and previous write-ups.
Explain in the final write-up what your expectations are for each employee, making sure you are consistent.
Review your Employee Handbook and make sure it is current and contains your policy for tardiness. Also, be sure employees have signed the acknowledgement page stating they have received and read the handbook.
The CSM also recommended Jim train his supervisors about the importance of keeping updated performance logs.

Include positive and negative behaviors
Include the date of the entry
Write observations not assumptions
Be specific
Keep out biased language
Be brief, but complete
Track trends
Be consistent