How To Create a Payroll Policy

  A payroll policy explains the process of payment — salary administration, timesheet keeping, wage methods and payment schedules — making employees conscious of what to anticipate on payday.   Your payroll management system, which details your obligations as an employer, should be such that it avoids costly noncompliance by detailing the payment of the right taxes for each employee and processing claims for expense reimbursements. Your payroll policy must also keep up with local, state and federal employment tax and wage laws. Your payroll system defines the responsibilities and accountabilities of all payroll staff and managers, including access and security levels.   Operations should be certified in detail, covering everything from employee hiring to separation. Procedures should cover payment processing —managing new contracts, time reporting, work changes, outstanding payments, data updates and deductions. Does your company use a payment processing service? You must still be on top of legislative…read more...

Relocation Need Not Be Painful

    The more management can do to make a transition to a new location an adventure, rather than a hassle, the more likely it is that the worker will settle back in as a productive team member. Managers and human resources departments can take initiatives to ease the burden.   Why companies move employees There are compelling business and operational reasons for having teams or individuals pack up and go. Certain industries, such as technology firms such as LinkedIn and Spotify, encourage mobility and are most inclined to offer relocation perks. Generally, however, smaller and midsize companies tend to relocate people most.   Companies are driven by a plethora of reasons, such as: Building a competitive advantage. Improving office efficiencies — such as relocating experienced employees to help boost lagging performance. Optimizing growth strategies — launching a new location or expansion where it is hard to staff up teams…read more...

Unconscious Biases to Avoid In the Workplace

Before we begin, it’s important to define unconscious biases. According to the University of California San Francisco’s website, “unconscious biases are social stereotypes about certain groups of people that individuals form outside their own conscious awareness.”   Just as important is the fact that “everyone holds unconscious beliefs about various social and identity groups, and these biases stem from one's tendency to organize social worlds by categorizing.” Now, the main problem with unconscious biases is that they have the potential to cloud people’s judgment-making abilities and result in poor decision-making outcomes.   How unconscious bias impacts the workplace   One study in particular found that employees may respond in the following ways if they perceive themselves as being the victim of negative unconscious biases at work: Withhold new ideas and solutions from their employer. Refrain from referring others to available positions with the company. Look for another job and quit as…read more...

HRSG: We Do Respectful Workplace Training Differently!

HR Strategy Group is a noted expert in the field of HR Crisis Management and Harassment prevention strategies. Our “Respectful Workplace Training Program” is focused on harassment and discrimination prevention training in the workplace. Current research indicates that the best way to prevent harassment is to align the training to the company’s values and then demonstrate how harassment undermines the company’s values. We will design your Respectful Workplace Training program with your mission, vision, and values in mind.   How is HRSG's Respectful Workplace Training Different?   Our training is thought-provoking, lively, interactive, and yes, even fun! The goal of our interactive training is to educate employees as to the specific actions that they can take if and when they identify harassment in the workplace. The training not only enables employees to identify and address harassment -- we offer proactive steps employees can take to maintain a respectful workplace. We design specific interactive…read more...

Are Your Posters Up to Date?

Workplace experts are advising businesses to check on the required federal posters they display at their businesses. Some recent regulatory changes have led to poster modifications this year, and HR departments need to review the rules and post the latest notices.   According to the Society for Human Resource Management, the Know Your Rights: Workplace Discrimination Is Illegal poster now includes the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act in effect as of June 27.   Laws relating to pumping breaks for nursing employees used to apply only to nonexempt workers, says the SHRM. They now apply to exempt workers as well. The Labor Department has updated the relevant FLSA poster to reflect this.   Employers now see a third significant change, with a new FMLA poster that clarifies that even though an FMLA leave is unpaid, companies may require employees to use employer-provided paid leave at the same time, according to the SHRM.…read more...

5 Signs of a Toxic Workplace and What to Do About It

  A recent survey of 40,000 workers at 125 companies conducted by the workplace consulting firm Emtrain reported some eye-opening statistics about toxic workplaces. For example, the survey found that 83 percent of employees wouldn't report harassment, 41 percent of employees aren't confident management would take harassment complaints seriously, and 29 percent of employees surveyed have left jobs because of workplace conflict.   Toxic workplaces are defined as workplaces that cause employees to feel stressed, depressed and drained, which makes them unhappy about coming to work every day, makes them less productive, affects other employees and ultimately take an economic toll on the company. This can become a vicious cycle.   Companies can take the following steps to prevent a cycle of toxicity: Frequent, clear communication. The importance of good communications cannot be overemphasized. Communication by grapevine gives rise to gossip and false rumors that breed anxiety. Whether the news…read more...

Tips for Supporting Pregnant Employees

About half the workface is female, so there's a good chance you will at some point be managing pregnant employees. The first thing to know is that the Pregnancy Discrimination Act forbids discrimination based on pregnancy when it comes to any aspect of employment, including hiring; firing; pay; job assignments; promotions; layoffs; training; fringe benefits, such as leave and health insurance; and any other term or condition of employment. Despite being illegal, however, pregnancy discrimination still takes place in the workplace.     Given that approximately 85% of working women will be pregnant at some point during their careers, managers will likely need to address this in their businesses. As companies formulate their parental leave policies, they should keep in mind that discrimination can have direct consequences for pregnant employees' careers. They may lose promotions, earn lower salaries, or suffer stress and other health consequences.   Here are three steps…read more...

Is This Your Situation: Choosing Which Business Records to Save

Unless you're a bookkeeper, keeping records is not the most appealing part of running a business. But keeping good records is a necessary evil that will help you determine what money is coming in and what is going out and whether tax is deductible or adds to the basis of your property or investment. Without good records, it's hard to prepare and defend an accurate tax return. Although your recordkeeping system is up to you, the shoebox method is never appropriate. A business checking account will be the source of many records that should show business transactions — gross income, deductions and credits. Today, most businesses use electronic accounting software, although you'd be wise to back up all records and print out hard copies.     What Records Should You Keep? You should keep all documents that support the numbers you include on your tax returns. Following are some of…read more...

What to Know About Payroll Records

Are you feeling overwhelmed with records? It may be time to clean up your old payroll files, but that means you need to figure out which records you can destroy and which you must retain. As you may have guessed, sizable penalties and large settlement awards are in your future if you are unable to provide required information when requested by the IRS or an employment-related lawsuit.   You can turn to the American Payroll Association for basic guidelines for payroll record retention. After all, the Internal Revenue Code requires all employers who withhold and pay federal income, Social Security and Medicare taxes to maintain certain records for each employee.     So, what to retain? Here's a brief guideline: Income, Social Security and Medicare tax records for at least four years after the due date of the employee's personal income tax return — generally for the year in which…read more...

Coaching Can Help Bring Out the Best

Because skilled talent is expensive to find, companies turn to coaching earlier as a method for developing their employees' potential. People are also changing roles more often and need to be supported through those transitions.   Learning to look within for answers   Coaching supports new behaviors and new ways of thinking, intended both to achieve professional success and hit corporate targets. The process attempts to tailor management skills at all levels, from supervisors up, by focusing on where behavioral changes are most likely to impact growth. The role of the coach embodies multiple facets. It may be to provide reassurance and confirmation that a manager is on the right track; it may also serve to strengthen competency while solving problems and achieving results. But make no mistake: It is not career counseling, nor is it a repackaging of supervising, correcting, training or reprimanding. The coach is not there to…read more...

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