HR Tips & Newsletter

In our monthly HR email newsletter (see past HR Tips below), you'll learn:

• How to effectively hire and fire your employees.
• How to deliver a less-than-stellar performance review the right way.
• Why health insurance rates keep climbing (and what you can do about it)
• Scientific ways to place individuals into the right positions based upon their personality (and prevent costly hiring mistakes).
• Inexpensive teambuilding ideas that increase productivity exponentially.
• And much more!

(This is a private mailing list and it will never be sold or given away for any reason. You can also unsubscribe whenever you want.)

HR Tips Newsletter - Archive

June 2010, Human Resources - Human Resource Issues -Some human resource issues turn from employee development to crisis management very quickly. At such times, it may be time to seek some external advice. When times are good and business is doing well, we concentrate on human resource development to improve the productivity of the workforce. HR management is usually the simple tasks of time recording, paying, taxing, reporting and other tasks. When times turn tough, then some serious HR management has to take place - up to and including layoffs - and there certainly are right ways and wrong ways of handling those management tasks.

May 2010, Human Resources - HR Services - A smooth and predictable cash flow is important to any company but it can be critical in tough times. HR services can often be an area of a business where allocated costs at tax time, when hiring or releasing employees, complying with worker's compensation or shopping for better insurance plans can put a big bubble in the middle of what would have been a good cash flow month. Outsourcing HR services to a PEO can smooth out those bumpy rides.

April 2010, Human Resources - Employee Health Care Costs - Employee health care costs are growing rapidly, complicated by new federal programs.  There seems to be no end to the strangle hold of costs, but that is only true if a company is attempting to "go it alone" in managing the benefits programs and the growing number of requirements.  CBR, a Professional Employment Organization, is specifically geared to help companies in this situation.  There are at least 3 ways that CBR can help you reduce costs and improve profits while struggling through the administrative challenges.

March 2010, Human Resources - 3 ways to increase company profits The leading PEO company, CBR, can show you 3 easy-to-achieve ways to improve your company's bottom-line profit picture.  We may even be able to show you some ways you have not even thought of before, or have thought of but were unsure of a solution.  CBR, with its expertise in employee administration management can reduce your overhead by consolidating many of the administrative functions your employees are responsible for, and free more of your staff for core, profit-making activities

February 2010, Human Resources - 401K Audit Program A 401K audit program is going to become part of the administrative headaches for business owners this year.  Retirement plans such as the 401K, have been dealt severe blows by the economic situation and by regulators.  A recent ruling by the United States Supreme Court has opened the door to litigation for losses suffered under the retirement plans.  It is time to consult with your HR outsourcing service, such as CBR, and determine if you are in a good position with your plan and to examine the possibility of shifting your plan to CBR that could remove you from liability.

January 2010, Human Resources - Sexual Harrassment in the workplace - Sexual harassment in the workplace, racial harassment in the workplace and other forms of workplace harassment sometimes start as jokes or teasing, but the issue is far from funny. Harassment reflects disrespect. Disrespect fosters poor work performance. However, when that disrespect treads on legally protected classes, HR professionals know that action better be taken quick or legal recourses will ensue. HR professionals advises companies to deal with the grey areas by defining the black and white boundary that must never be crossed.

December 2009, Human Resources - Workplace Discrimination - Americans have a funny way of naming things.  We like to put things in boxes and call them something that sounds nice even when it isn't. The "right to work" often becomes the basis of "firing without justification."  Workplace intolerance for one person is thought of as protecting the staff for another.  How prepared are you to identify your principles and stick up for them?  Just because a policy seems reasonable and is actually not illegal does not necessarily make it a good policy.  Discrimination in the workplace can come in many forms and some of them are almost invisible.

November 2009, Human Resources - Corporate incentive programs - Motivation in the workplace is often brought about through good corporate incentive programs.  All people like to feel their jobs are worth something and that they make a difference.  However, people seek different ways of finding satisfying methods of how they wish to be paid.  A well-organized corporate incentive program that takes these differences into consideration is worth the time and effort and considerable return on the investment of such a program is assured.

October 2009, Human Resources - Violence in the Workplace - Violence in the workplace can have a devastating ripple effect for a business and its owners. If you think you are safe from violence in the workplace, the numbers should be telling you otherwise. The good news is that your observations and those of your employees can do a lot to protect yourself from senseless violence. Preparing your company with foreknowledge and awareness of what to expect is a prime responsibility of business.

September 2009, Human Resources - Workplace Bullying - If you think workplace bullying is just being playful, think again.  Workplace bullying, although not illegal, is wrong and causes serious damage to employees, the reputation of business owners, and the company's bottom line.

August 2009, Human Resources - Team building activities and games - Team building activities and team building games actually do build teams of happier people and better-dispositions among all workers. These activities go a long way to improving interpersonal relationships between supervisors and staff, and by setting a few ground rules, it is easy to prove it to yourself.

July 2009, Human Resources - Office Romance: How do you understand and deal with them? - Office romances are not going away, but how you view them and how you deal with them when they become a problem is something you should plan. Even if you become caught in one yourself, a little pre-planning is important so you know what you are going to do under certain circumstances.

June 2009, Human Resources - Employee attendance and casual absenteeism is a greater threat to company profits than you may have thought.  There are many reasons absenteeism is on the rise over the past ten years.  There are also many things you are able to do to improve the attendance situation in your company, and your HR outsourcing firm has the skills to help you address them.

May 2009, Human Resources - Group Medical Insurance should be a benefit—not a burden - Group medical insurance, its higher co-payments, the fewer conditions covered, and the overall expense form together to create a significant business problem.  Many small companies have found that a PEO can do a much better job of managing employee benefit packages and do it more efficiently, thoroughly and economically.  It's a solution well-worth investigating.  Make your benefits package include features that will make them do more.

April 2009 , Human Resources - Investing in reducing workers comp claims could be your best investment - Increasing workers comp costs getting you down?  Have you ever evaluated other carriers to see if you can reduce the cost of your workers comp coverage?  Did you get the results you wanted?  Maybe you were looking in the wrong place.  The answer to the rising cost of workers compensation payments is not in the cost of supplying the coverage; the answer lies in the prevention of industrial accidents and injuries within your business.  

March 2009 , Human Resources - What tools are your staff equipped with to manage payroll? Many new businesses, starting with one person, a couple, or with a partner first feel that, as they add the first one or two people, payroll is something that can be handled.  Very quickly, though, problems can arise and it becomes necessary to seek a better way.  Outsourcing your payroll tasks, on some level, seems to be a prudent move. 

February 2009 , Human Resources - Human Resource Advice on Controlling Wasted Time at Work The top workplace time wasters may actually be the easiest to eliminate.  Read the article to find out what we consider our Top-5 easy-fix time wasters.

January 2009 , Human Resources - The Six MUST-HAVE Money-Saving Strategies for 2009
- To start off the New Year, we are launching a six-part series on how to save you and your company money in 2009. This month, we examine the cost to your business when employees are late to work and to meetings. Stay tuned during the next five months for more ways to save money on payroll, benefits and more. Also, we invite feedback on our blog to us and each other.

December 2008, Human Resources - How you write a performance appraisal - is about improving performance and rewarding achievements.  It needs to be so much more than a way a manager “gets even” or a reason not to pay out bonuses.  It is doubtful that anyone truly enjoys the performance review season because of the numerous ways the review is so often misunderstood and misapplied.  Actually, such an annual review of performance is part of a great set of tools you can use to bring out the best in your employees and rewarding them for excellent work well done if you understand the importance of the process and the methods for properly carrying out better employee relations.  

November 2008, Human Resources - Seven thoughts to remember for the company’s holiday parties - Company holiday parties that become great memories for your staff don’t just happen; they take considered preparation and anticipation of what can go right and wrong.  Think about these seven concepts and ideas to make sure that your party fosters strong relationships rather than bad feelings or embarrassment.

October 2008, Human Resources - An Ethical Workplace Benefits Everyone - Maintaining strong ethics in your business has direct benefits to the company.  Studies show that employees seek companies with a reputation of strong ethics, remain more productive in their jobs and stay longer.  As a business owner, there are some simple actions you can take to set the tone for a strong(er) reputation of ethics for your company.

September 2008, Human Resources - Keeping the Right People - In tough economic times, hiring and keeping the right person in the right job is crucial. Studies have shown that it can increase longevity by 10%. However, the real benefit is gained through production efficiency. Learn what things can go right when placing people in the job best suited for them.

August 2008, Human Resources - Tending to Business: Improving your company in a bad economic setting - Stressing over a bad economy doesn’t pay the bills Crying the woes over short money, big expenses and tightening client budgets? Put some creativity to work, step back and take a closer look at everything that makes business grow and shrink. Even in the face of a recession or economic downturn, there are a number of ways you can grow your business.

July 2008, Human Resources - Eight ways a business can survive and prosper in a downturn . No matter your industry, whether you run an HR Outsourcing firm, a construction company, an information services venture, or a manufacturing concern, you can find ways to survive and thrive in an economic downturn or recession.  Here are eight ways you can survive the current economy and maintain a healthy cash flow, if not actually grow your business.

June 2008, Human Resources - Employees: Try Before you Hire. You can interview and re-interview and still pick the wrong person.  There’s no doubt about it, interviewing can be challenging.  What about foregoing the second interview with the one or two remaining candidates and have him or her come to work for you for a day?  How about a few weeks?   This could be a great solution for many jobs and allow you to get a better feel about how an employee will do on the job - before the hiring process is completed. 

May 2008, Human Resources - When Religious Discrimination in the Workplace is Appropriate. One person’s preference is another person’s prejudice. So it seems when organizations such as religions and faith-based charities attempt to fill jobs with people of the same philosophy or faith.  Religious discrimination in the workplace may sometimes be appropriate, right?

April 2008, Human Resources - What is your company’s stand on hiring ex-felons? If yours is like most companies, you do the best you can to avoid the entire issue of hiring ex convicts. Many companies do not want the hassle of trying to figure out what to do with such a candidate when he or she indicates some kind of criminal background in his or her past. 

March 2008, Human Resources - Identity Theft from Businesses. Contrary to popular assumption, most identity theft is not taken from individuals.The theft is from companies doing business with individuals, such as employers, retailers, insurance companies and others who hold personal information for their customers. Companies have a responsibility to secure and protect individual credit and identity information just as they would any other valuable property.

February 2008, Human Resources - iPods in the Workplace: When are They a Good Idea? - The number of people using iPods, MP3 players, or other personal stereo listening devices has grown substantially and the devices are more popular now than ever.  A full one-third of all workers are tuned-in.  About 80% of those insist that doing so improves their productivity. Are they right?

January 2008, Human Resources - Handling The New Legal Arizona Workers Act - The Legal Arizona Workers Act, or what is commonly referred to as “the sanctions law” was drawn up in an effort to keep businesses in Arizona from knowingly or intentionally hiring or employing illegal aliens, thus encouraging more illegal immigration to Arizona. 

December 2007, Human Resources - How to Find the Right People to Interview - Good interviewing takes skill but locating the right people first is the key to successful hiring. Where do you find the right person to hire?

November 2007, Human Resources - Is There Such a Thing as Paying Too Much Bonus? Incentive Bonuses. Why do we pay them? How much is enough? How much is too much? Bonuses are a fact of life in business but few of us develop confidence in our decisions about how to administer them.

October 2007, Human Resources - Stop! Don't Fire Just Yet. Is there a right time to fire someone?  The wrong employee in the wrong job can be expensive but a manager needs to be clear about the reasons a termination might be appropriate. 

September 2007, Human Resources – Hiring the Right People. Some say that finding the right people for the job can also reduce stress and increase productivity as much as 30%!  The best companies recognize this and do something about it.

August 2007, Human Resources - Cost of Late Employees. What does tardiness do to a company?  Does it really make any difference to anything?  Do happy employees with relatively unstructured days truly produce more effectively?  Is widespread, chronic tardiness of any major concern to the welfare of the company or even to the welfare of the staff? 

July 2007, Human Resources - Lose Undocumented Workers or Lose Your License. What is being called the “the toughest, yet fairest employer-sanction law in the country?” Governor Janet Napolitano signed legislation on Monday, July 2nd, against employers of undocumented workers. This aggressive new reform targets the state’s businesses that rely on undocumented workers for part, or all, of their workforce.

June 2007, Human Resources - Baby Boomer Mass Retirement - Are You Prepared?. A quarter of the US population, or 77 million baby boomers, will be reaching the traditional retirement age in five years. What impact will this have on the labor force, the economy and YOUR business?

May 2007, Human Resources - How to Measure and Increase Employee Productivity. According to a survey done by America Online and Salary.com, the average worker admits to wasting two hours per eight hour work day…

April 2007, Human Resources - Health Savings Accounts Article: Participating in Your Employee's Future. As an employer or business owner, you should have a thorough understanding of the HSA (Health Savings Account) versus other health insurance plans. In these unfortunate times of rapidly rising insurance costs, both you and your employees can benefit from this new trend in health insurance.

Here are some helpful links for some key areas of your business: Free HR Newsletter Setting Up a Corporation Human Resources Workers' Compensation Safety Employee Benefits Tax Information Government/Compliance Recruiting Sales/Marketing Financial Assistance