As Americans, the freedoms we enjoy every day are largely thanks to those that serve and protect our country. Unfortunately, when many veterans come back from serving, the transition to civilian life is not an easy one.

According to the Department of Labor, the veteran unemployment rate in 2015 was 5.8 percent. The U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs goes on to state that veterans make up 11 percent of the adult homeless population in this country.

Group Management Services President Mike Kahoe recently made an appearance on The Steve Harvey Show’s Veteran’s Day Special. The show featured Ashley, a 30-year-old Navy veteran who was honorably discharged a year prior. She had a degree in psychology and a passion for helping others in her position with the hopes of a career in Human Resources. She was struggling to find work until Mike stepped in and offered her a position with Group Management Services. 

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The recent election marked the end of a long, grueling, and divisive campaign season, and employers are now faced with the task of uniting their workforce back towards their common goal. Regardless of your personnel, everyone’s political beliefs are not always going to be the same.

In a 2016 study by the Pew Research Center, “More than half of Democrats (55%) say the Republican Party makes them “afraid,” while 49% of Republicans say the same about the Democratic Party.”

As Group Management Services President, Mike Kahoe stated in a recent Wall Street Journal article on the subject of his largely conservative group, “They’re not doing obnoxious high-fives” in regards to the Trump victory. 

As a Professional Employer Organization with a focus on Human Resources, it was evident that employees on both sides kept things respectful throughout the election process. This is not always the case at other businesses, so some employers take actions to avoid any issues. 

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Most entrepreneurs start a business based on something they are passionate about. For the majority of auto shop owners, their dream started working on cars. When that passion turns into a business venture, it quickly becomes apparent that running your own auto shop requires more than just a love of cars.

Leading a group of people, keeping systems in place to track hours, and tracking employee history are just a few of the tasks that shop owners handle on an everyday basis. Owners have enough on their plate in handling day-to-day business, but the work is not done when the shop closes. Here are some of the most common HR issues facing these small business owners.

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The trucking industry has played a significant role in the industrial development of the U.S. over the past century, providing a link from manufacturers to consumers. Over that time, there have been major advancements in everything from our interstate highway system, to governmental safety regulations, to the tractors and trailers themselves.

Today, the transportation industry faces several challenges, many of which are related to consistent changes in the regulatory environment. The American Transportation Research Institute released a report in October of 2015 that listed the top 10 issues facing the trucking industry. The top three (in order) were Hours of Service Regulations, the Compliance, Safety, Accountability (CSA) Program, and Driver Shortage.

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Today, GMS celebrates a huge milestone with the signing of our 1,000th client.

When GMS was started, Bill Clinton was in office, a gallon of gas cost $1.22 and Michael Jordan had won his fourth NBA title. Twenty years later, in 2016, we have another Clinton running for office, gas prices have doubled and the Cavs are the reigning champs. A lot can change in 20 years, and a lot has changed at GMS.

In 1996, Mike Kahoe started GMS as a one-man show. Prior to that, he had worked for a temp agency for construction workers. Kahoe began to notice a trend in companies relying on a workforce made up of temps alone to avoid having to deal with workers’ comp, payroll and benefits. Not being familiar with the Professional Employer Organization industry, he floated the idea to start his own company to handle these functions of a small business.

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Update: Federal judge blocks overtime rules a week before they take effect. Learn more in our new post.

As a small business owner, it is crucial that you stay current on the latest government regulations affecting your business and employees. Effective Dec. 1, 2016, the salary threshold for overtime eligibility will increase from $23,660 to $47,476. This means that anyone earning a salary under the new threshold will now be eligible for overtime pay for any time worked beyond 40 hours in a week. 

The Department of Labor estimates there will be approximately 4.2 million workers affected who will now be eligible for overtime. Business owners must reevaluate their current workforce to meet the new requirements. The Department of Labor will automatically update the salary threshold every 3 years moving forward to match the 40th percentile of earnings of full-time salaried workers in the lowest-wage Census Region. 

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Whether your company is growing or you are simply filling an open position, the hiring process can be painstaking for any business owner. Where do you start? Should you post a listing to online job sites? Should you place ads around the local university? Do you set up a booth at a job fair?

Hiring the right people is not an easy task. It can be a lengthy process that takes away from other priorities, like growing your business. It takes an average of 52 days to fill an open position, according to a recruitment study from Bersin by Deloitte.

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