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  • The EEOC has made it into the news again, but you may not have heard about it.

    A few months after the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) issued a ruling on how pregnancy in the workplace can be viewed as a worker’s comp issue, they have now weighed in on wellness programs.

    Under the Affordable Care Act, there has been a strong push on advocating wellness for employees, and rightfully so. Wellness programs improve the health and productivity of your employees while increasing efficiencies and increasing profitability.

    However, according to an article on jdsupra.com, the EEOC has not yet issued guidelines on how employers can and must structure wellness programs to be in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Despite the lack of guidelines, the EEOC is pursuing two litigation cases against two separate companies for what they say are violations of the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act).

    Challenges Ahead Sign. The EEOC's lack of guidelines have created challenges for business owners who want to administer an employee wellness program.

    As a small business owner, keeping tabs on all the government regulations that apply to your business and industry is a daunting task. Even larger companies with compliancy departments get into trouble sometimes!

    Fortunately, professional employer organizations can help ensure you’re compliant with not only wellness programs, but also with payroll, risk management, HR, and employee benefits. To learn more about how a PEO can keep you compliant in today’s increasingly regulated business environment, contact us at 888-823-2084 today.

  • In the business world, everyone is always looking to maximize profitability. It’s not because business owners are greedy trying to grab every last dime. It’s because they are working their tail off to either make the business succeed or make it grow.

    In their efforts to do so, business owners look to control what they can, especially when it comes to costs. As a salesperson, I have often been the person who they tried to control costs through by either beating me up on price, extracting extra services or using what my company does to help make them more profitable. However, it often seems to come back to controlling costs.

    When a business owner thinks of controllable costs, they often think of material prices, employee hours or something else on the production end. What seldom comes into play is controlling workers comp, healthcare and unemployment costs.  But, how can you control those costs? Those things are completely out of a business owner’s control. Right?

    Wrong!  Large corporations, with large HR budgets, have long been able to control costs in those area by self-insuring or doing better documenting of employee issues that lead to terminations.  Small business owners general don’t have that same luxury, unless they work with a PEO.

    How PEOs Make Your Business Stronger

    According to a recent white paper put out by the National Association of PEOs, companies that use a PEO have 10-14% lower turnover of employees than comparable companies. With employee replacement costs equaling 150% of that employee’s wages according to the Society of Human Resource Managers (SHRM), that is a cost that is a potentially large cost that can be cut or altogether avoided. These numbers are even higher for companies in the white collar world.

    Companies that use a PEO that has a self-insured Worker’s Comp and/or Healthcare program automatically have mechanisms put in place through those programs that monitor and manage costs tied to those programs. By having specialists working exclusively in those areas, every conceivable way to manage those costs is reviewed for its viability and cost effectiveness.

    Additionally, companies that use a PEO are 50% less likely to fail compared to other similar companies in their industries.  According to that same white paper “Data broken down by specific industries  point to ‘Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services’, ‘Construction’ and ‘Finance and Insurance’ as being three industry categories that disproportionately benefit from PEO services in both lower employee turnover rates and lower business failure rates.”

    To see how a PEO like GMS can benefit your business, give us a call at 330-659-0100 or fill out our online form today.

  • Beginning January 1, 2015, OSHA will begin enforcing new rules and requirements according to a recent article in Construction Equipment Guide. This new rule applies to companies that fall under Federal OSHA jurisdiction. (Do you know if your company falls under this category?)

    This rule change stems from a Bureau of Labor Statistics report that 4,405 people were killed on the job in 2013. Under this new rule “employers will be required to notify OSHA of work-related fatalities within eight hours, and work-related in-patient hospitalizations, amputations or losses of an eye within 24 hours. Previously, OSHA’s regulations required an employer to report only work-related fatalities and in-patient hospitalizations of three or more employees. Reporting single hospitalizations, amputations or loss of an eye was not required under the previous rule.”

    Even employers who are typically exempt from reporting workplace injuries will be required to comply with this new ruling.

    Additionally, OSHA has updated the list of industries that are required to routinely keep and complete injury and illness records. In the past, those that were exempt based on their Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) code, they are now based on how relatively low their reported injury and illnesses are. Those employers with fewer than 11 employees will still be exempt.

    Learn more:

    Workplace Injuries by the Numbers

    3 Barriers to Workplace Safety Programs 

  • For many employers, hearing that the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has issued a ruling sounds a lot like fingernails on the chalkboard. They know it’s there, but they don’t often want to hear it.

    Pregnant business woman.

    A couple of weeks ago in a 3-2 decision, the EEOC issued new enforcement guidance under the Pregnancy Discrimination Act (PDA) that also covers possible workplace accommodations.  

    According to Bloomberg, a revision to the 1983 EEOC Compliance chapter on the PDA “requires employers to offer light duty to pregnant employees if they make light duty available to non-pregnant employees similar in their ability or inability to work.” The PDA was a 1978 amendment to Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. The implementation of this was partly due to pending issues before the Supreme Court.

    What this guidance essentially does is put pregnancies in the same category as a Worker’s Comp claim. If, as an employer, you offer light duty to employees that were hurt on the job, you now have to offer that same accommodation to a pregnant employee. In other words, if an employer offers light duty only to an employee injured on the job and not to a pregnant employee, that employer is in violation of the PDA.

    As most small-business owners spend their days wearing many hats trying to grow their business, they don’t often have the time to spend reviewing every government agency regulation change that comes down the pike. All too often, they find out about it after the fact.

    That’s where a PEO like GMS, comes in. If you’re interested in learning how GMS can help keep you compliant with ever-changing government regulations while at the same time lowering your risk management and benefit costs, give us a call at 330-659-0100 today.

  • Got Problems? Who Doesn’t?

    An EAP is a great resource for employees to seek help with personal concerns. From anxiety and emotional distress to financial difficulties and relationship concerns, an EAP is here to help. The cost of an EAP for employers is minimal however; the benefits to both the employer and employees can be life changing.

     

    Here at GMS we have contracted with Zeller & Associates to provide this service not only clients of GMS, but to GMS employees as well. Rodd Zeller and his staff bring over 50 years of experience in the industry and remain a well respected resource utilized by many companies offering EAP’s to their employees.

    Why Should You Offer an EAP?

    1. 100% confidential 
    2. Help manage employees who are having personal issues that may lead to performance issues. 
    3. Reduce time off work for a disability or emotional issues that can worsen. Some companies have experienced up to a 67% decrease in unplanned absences and tardiness.  
    4. A study by the National Institutes of Mental Health reports that 66% of all terminations are personal-problem related. EAPs help you retain employees!
    5. A great way to compliment the drug free safety program. 
    6. Super quick scheduling times!

    What are some advantages for employees?

    Free of charge to employees and their family members.

    1. Again, 100% confidential
    2. Easy access to an already established network of hand picked, qualified, and licensed clinicians.
    3. No diagnosis on their medical record or medical history.
    4. The knowledge and comfort this resource is available when needed.

    Who uses EAPs?

    A lot of companies use EAPs. Here’s a case study from General Motors (GM):

    • 40% decrease in lost time
    • 60% decrease in sickness and accident benefit
    • 50% decline in filed grievances
    • These savings resulted in $ 3.7 million savings in annual health care costs

    It can be difficult to fully quantify the value of an EAP to both employers and employees.  An EAP has the potential to not only create a healthier and more productive workplace, but to also provide life-long benefit to your employees.  Contact GMS today for more information and to enroll! 

  • So you listened to your friends and advisors and finally established your company’s presence on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.  Now you can control your company’s web presence, right?

     

    Certainly more and more companies are making their presence known through all the different social media sites.  With Facebook approaching 1.5 billion users and Twitter nearing 700 million, it can be a very cost-effective way of getting your company’s message out. It can help attract tech savvy employees and keep your clients and customers connected with your company.  

    There are, however, some things you need to consider.

    Blurred Lines Between Personal and Professional

    With more and more employees bringing electronic devices that connect to social media into the workplace, the increasingly blurry line between private and public comments could become a security concern.  According to Real Business, “many still do not realize that the difference between a chat on Facebook and one in a bar is that social media posting constitutes publication and dissemination to a potential audience of millions. It’s therefore crucial for companies to consider the extent to which they embrace social media. For instance, with access to social networking sites during working hours potentially reducing productivity, do they need to consider restricting usage?”

    There have been plenty of stories out there of employees venting unflattering things about their company online. Couple that with pictures employees may post, those things can negatively impact the perception of the company. It’s not uncommon for prospective or existing customers to Google a company and how they’re represented on social media may have a big impact on that perception.

    Be Mindful of How Your Posts Are Interpreted 

    Another consideration is what one employee may think of another employee’s post and whether they consider that discriminatory or inflammatory. If an employee feels that a post is creating a hostile work environment, the employer may become liable.

    What You Can Do

    So how does a business owner protect his or herself while taking advantage of the marketing opportunities that are available? Companies with strong HR departments craft comprehensive social media policies that address things that create clear guidelines about what is and isn’t acceptable during work hours and the repercussions to employees that don’t abide by the company’s policies.  Unfortunately, cookie-cutter approaches don’t work and these policies must be tailored to individual companies.

    So what does a small business owner do? Well, for one, they can reach out to an HR company, like GMS to get help.  

  • Well, that’s a relief.  The employer mandate for 100+ employee companies has been pushed back to 2015 and 50+ employee companies to 2016. No worries until then, right?

    Unless you’re the guy who keeps kicking the can down the road hoping that something changes, you’re wrong. There’s a pretty good business book written by Rick Page called Hope is not a Strategy. I’m amazed at how many savvy business owners seem to think that it can be.

    The simple truth of the matter is that the Affordable Care Act has changed everything you know or have ever known about health insurance. In fact, it’s completely changed the game. If you think you’ve protected yourself by getting grandfathered in, you’re just going to trip over that same can later.

    You do, however, have options.  Larger companies have been self-insuring their healthcare plans for years and in the process been able to grab ahold of costs that were going up even back before today’s expected increases.  Small companies didn’t have that same luxury.  Until now……

    GMS has a solution for small companies that want to:

    1. Have the predictability of a level monthly cost like a traditional health plan, but with increased savings opportunities.
    2. Avoid any potential pitfalls that Community Rating through the ACA may create.
    3. Get access to claims data to help them control costs.
    4. Have more say in the network of providers their employees can use.
    5. Customize their healthcare plans to better serve their employees.

    If you’ve ever thought about any of these and think that it could positively impact the benefits package you provide your employees while significantly lowering costs, you need to speak with someone at GMS.  

    Think about it. If your workers’ comp premiums were raised without  you knowing why, would you tolerate it?  Unlike workers’ comp, you have a say in who you want your health insurance through. Why should they be held to a different standard than your workers’ comp insurance provider?

  • According to a recent article in Bloomberg’s Business News, HR departments are going to become increasingly busy over the next 12 to 18 months.  Why?  Because of a recent memorandum that was issued by the White House to the Department of Labor to “modernize and streamline overtime regulations and make more workers eligible under federal law.”

    At the base of this memo is the administration’s desire to transform employees exempt from overtime hours (salaried employees mostly) into non-exempt employees.  This will have enormous financial repercussions on businesses everywhere.  If a salaried manager is working 50-60 hours/week and suddenly becomes a non-exempt employee, one of two things will have to happen.  The employer will have to either cut that employee’s hours to save money (making him/her less productive) or will have to swallow the increased costs associated with more overtime.  A third option would be to hire additional help, potentially adding additional employee-related costs.

    Unlike the initial rules for the Affordable Care Act, there is no exemption based on a company’s size.  This could create extra pressure on small businesses.  Not only would there be the cost of additional overtime, but there would also be the additional costs associated with the auditing employers will have to undertake to make sure they’re compliant with the new regulations.

    Of course, larger employers already have many of the mechanisms in place to take on this added regulatory burden.  What about small businesses?  Where can they go for help?  

    You guessed it. GMS. Give us a call at 330-659-0100 or contact us online to learn more.

     

  • True or false: You can’t do anything to manage your company’s unemployment tax rates?

    If you answered true, you answered incorrectly. But take heart because:

    1. Many other business owners would have also answered “true”
    2. There is actually a lot you can do to manage unemployment tax rates

    Unemployment Tax: It’s All in the Details

    When it comes time to let an employee go, the best thing you can do to protect yourself from unemployment claims happens well before you want to terminate the employee and everything needs to be in writing. You’ll be much more likely to win the case if you provided your former employer with documentation like:

    • Employee handbooks, signed by the employee
    • Detailed job descriptions, signed by the employee
    • Written warnings with employee sign-off
    • Progressive disciplinary actions

    How a PEO Can Help

    PEOs like GMS take an active approach in managing risks related to unemployment claims. In the process, PEOs save you time, increase cashflow, and eliminate your liability. Best of all, you retain full control over your employees.

    More specifically, GMS helps by:

    • Writing employee handbooks and job descriptions for you
    • Actively consult throughout the employee discipline and termination process
    • Provide representation on your behalf at claims hearings
    • Administering and reports all your company’s unemployment taxes

    Your Next Step is Easy

    Okay, so we started this post with a tricky question. Now it’s time to end it with an easy one.

    True or false: It’s time to call GMS?

    See! We told you that would be an easy one. Here’s our number: 330-659-0100

  • Ahhhh—feel the ocean breeze blowing through your hair, your toes digging into the sand, and the cool drink in your hand. Your computer is nowhere in sight. That’s right, you’re on vacation!

    As an employee, taking time off is important. It keeps you focused, gives you a break and lets you spend some quality time with your family or friends. As a company, administering a paid time off (PTO) policy is also important, and much less relaxing than taking the time off. 

    With traditional PTO and sick time plans, your company is trying define and limit the liability of paying an employee for time they didn’t work. Sounds simple. 

    But how do you keep track of it all? Without a streamlined system it can be easy to miscalculate PTO for your employees. Miscalculations mean lost money for your company. According to a 2010 survey by Kronos conducted with Mercer, poorly planned absences cost U.S. organizations over 8% of their payroll each year.

    What can your business do to effectively manage PTO?

    Maybe you’ve seen that some companies offer unlimited vacation days, or an “open” vacation policy. This may be an option for some companies, but it requires a high level of trust and accountability between employees and managers, and would still require planning for coverage of the absent employee. It also brings into question state requirements about reimbursement for unused PTO if an employee were to leave a company. This clearly isn’t a solution for everyone. 

    A better option is to look to a professional employer organization (PEO) to outsource human resource (HR) functions, including management of PTO. 

    Online HR Portal Available 24/7 

    If you’re nervous that outsourcing HR functions like PTO means you have less control over your business, you’re not alone. In reality, though, the opposite is true. GMS actually gives you stronger control. 

    How? We store all the information that you and your employees need so you can have a centralized place to measure, track and review critical HR information 24 hours a day, including, but not limited to:

    • Time off requests
    • Performance reviews
    • Job descriptions
    • Employee handbooks
    • Company communication
    Talk with GMS to learn more. Once we’ve had the chance to talk, we’re pretty sure the only question you’ll have is what you can do with time you used to spend keeping track of your employees’ PTO.
     
    We suggest taking a vacation—you deserve it.