Resignations Are On The Rise

/in , /by

All we’ve heard about for the past few years is how lackluster the U.S. job market is, which is why this fact might surprise you: The number of Americans voluntarily leaving their jobs is on the rise!

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the MONTHLY average number of workers to leave their jobs in 2013 was more than 2.2 million – more than 25 million for the entire year! In 2009, the monthly average was 1.9 million. Resignations on the rise indicate a few things that employers need to be aware of:

  • Employers have strengthened their recruitment techniques and are luring employees away from their current employers.
  • Many employed individuals no longer feel “stuck” where they are, and can quit with the confidence of finding another position elsewhere.

In order to retain your top-performing employees, you have to be an employer of choice. Employers of choice follow an all-encompassing recipe of future opportunity, commitment to a strong corporate culture, competitive salaries, employee recognition, cohesive teams, community involvement, work/home balance, job security, and great benefits.

Additionally, you have to promote a working environment where honest communication is encouraged. Having performance reviews and employee/manager meetings scheduled throughout the entire year can provide your top-performing employees with a platform for conveying their concerns. If you know of problems before they arise, you can work toward fixing them. If the employees’ frustrations remain a secret, there is no possible resolution and your employees will eventually leave.

If you currently work with a PEO, ask them about what practices they have in place to help you better retain employees, and don’t be afraid to share your workplace concerns. Historically, small businesses have always had a hard time competing with the rich benefit programs and growth opportunities found at Fortune 500 companies – but with the help of a PEO you can easily (and creatively) become an employer of choice.

Want to learn more about PEOs and retaining top performing employees? Contact our team at Employer Solutions Plus.

How Do PEOs Work With You to Lower Workers Compensation Rates?

/in , , /by

Many PEOs provide workers compensation insurance through the co-employment relationship, which takes some liability off your plate as a business owner. Because liability is shared, it should be in the PEO’s best interest to limit injuries, increase workplace safety and simultaneously lower your workers compensation rates.

A great PEO will work with you in three distinct ways to accomplish this:

Hands-on Risk Management: In high risk industries especially, it’s important for risk managers to see the workplace and your ways of conducting business firsthand. Risk assessments help identify areas that are an “accident waiting to happen” or pose a potential threat to you and your employees. Did you know that the small task of employee hand washing (or lack thereof) is the single most cited factor in outbreak investigations?  Your business needs to be equipped to stand up against aggressive lawyers in the event of a lawsuit. Your business may have overlooked areas that could result in a lawsuit or claim.

Safety Programs: PEOs can design a workplace safety program, and even organize and conduct safety trainings to ensure that employees are properly educated, aware of potential harms, and perform work more cautiously. It has been proven that when employees fully understand safety manuals and have resources (such as live demonstrations) available to them for additional help, workplace safety increases. Fewer injuries… fewer claims… fewer dollars to spend on workers comp!

Claims Management: Several claims against your business, and several lost claims, will undoubtedly increase your workers compensation rates. From an insurer’s eyes, you’re considered high risk.  PEOs manage claims for several million workers across the country as part of their service to small businesses. They are experts in risk management and go to bat on behalf of your business if and when a claim arises.

Ask what types of safety programs would be implemented or enhanced by your PEO in order to lower the number of injuries or claims from your workforce, and be wary of the PEO willing to sign you on without a thorough analysis.

If a PEO is willing to sign on your company without a thorough analysis, this may be a red flag. PEOs should ALWAYS care about your workplace safety and the amount of risk you have.

To learn more about risk management, safety programs, claims management, and what the ideal PEO relationship should look like, contact Employer Solutions Plus.

How Many Employment Laws and Regulations Are There?

/in , /by

BLBA, CCPA, CWHSSA, DBRA, EPPA, ERISA, FLSA, SCA, OSH, WARN… The list goes on and on. Looks a little bit like alphabet soup, doesn’t it?

To those of us that practice employment law and are licensed professionals, we thrive off this stuff! For those of us (employers) that are just short of an employment law degree, keeping up with these ever-changing rules and regulations is an absolute nightmare!

The Department of Labor (DOL) administers and enforces more than 180 federal laws – and then each of these laws breaks into sub-sections of specific rules and regulations. That’s not even counting state-specific employer/employee regulations!

These federal mandates and the regulations that implement them cover workplace activities for about 10 million employers and 125 million workers. “Activities” include wage and hour practices, discrimination, harassment of all forms, workers compensation, workplace safety and health, benefits, workers unions, and much more.

Many employers choose to protect themselves through a co-employment relationship with a PEO. PEOs are familiar with all state and federal employment laws and can navigate this complex landscape much more effectively and efficiently than the average business owner.

With a better understanding of each law, your business can be better positioned to avoid unsafe or unfair practices. And, through the co-employment relationship, the liability is shared – this is very important for businesses that may face an unexpected lawsuit in the future!

Want to learn more? Contact Employer Solutions Plus!

How Does a PEO Reduce Employer Liability?

/in , /by

Small business owners have a lot to worry about when it comes to liability. Not all of us turn a large enough profit to easily settle lawsuits and claims should a workplace problem arise.

Through the co-employment business model, PEOs reduce an employer’s liability in the following ways:

Payroll: There are hundreds of regulations surrounding payroll, all of which businesses must comply. Learning all of them can be extremely tedious and confusing. With a PEO managing your payroll, you can rest assured knowing it’s handled by the experts. In a co-employment relationship, your PEO assumes liability for payroll activities, which is important if there is fine or lawsuit surrounding payroll.

Workers Compensation: Many PEOs provide workers compensation insurance as well, which takes another form of liability off your plate.

Risk Management: In addition to providing insurance, some PEOs will provide risk assessments for your workplace and even safety training for employees to limit the overall risk of your workplace.

EPLI: Employment Practices Litigation Insurance (EPLI) protects employers from employees or former employees who wish to sue them. Many PEOs offer EPLI through the co-employment relationship.

To limit your Company’s liability and simultaneously improve your company’s overall cash flow position, contact Employer Solutions Plus.

Risk Management with a PEO

/in /by

Imagine the perfect world, where business owners could eliminate costly workers’ compensation insurance and audits, rid the workplace of all safety hazards, and effortlessly stay in compliance at all times … Unfortunately, so long as there is a dynamic working environment, there is always room for human error, uncontrollable factors, and risk.

However, there is good news. By partnering with a PEO, this burden is lightened in many ways. PEOs help businesses manage their risk more effectively. Through the co-employment relationship, the PEO shares many of the liabilities associated with your business and employees.

Here are some examples of PEO Services that help minimize risk:

  • Designing a workplace safety program
  • Organizing and conducting safety training
  • Creating and distributing safety manuals and resources
  • Managing workers’ compensation insurance (and securing better rates, too!)
  • Managing claims for employees injured on the job
  • Minimizing financial risk through streamlined payroll administration and access to better technologies
  • Ensuring your business is in compliance – especially OSHA compliance!
  • Managing internal threats such as EPLI claims
  • And more!

As you see above, PEO services extend far beyond your basic HR solutions. They have detailed plans to minimize risk and provide increased protection from costly lawsuits and fines. For high risk industries, many PEOs even provide access to “Pay As You Go” workers compensation programs.

Best of all, the PEO relationship delivers peace of mind. With risk management taken care of, you can focus on your core competencies to maintain and grow your bottom line. Call Employer Solutions Plus at 727-698-6207 for a complimentary consultation today. A PEO may be the right solution for you!