Thanks to technological advancements in the modern workplace, remote work, or work-from-home (WFH) jobs have become increasingly more common. According to the Global Workplace Analytics’ analysis of 2018 American Community Service data, work-from-home jobs have grown 173 percent since 2005—11 percent faster than the rest of the workforce. Remote work has likely grown even more so as a result of the 2020 outbreak of COVID-19, which prompted many employers to shift to a remote work model to limit the spread of the coronavirus. 

Telecommuting can be an attractive work option for both employees and employers. For employees,  flexible work hours and more time to spend with family can make remote work an ideal situation. For employers, hiring remote workers can save money and increase productivity if you manage your remote team effectively. 

As more businesses implement work-from-home policies, employers will need to consider how the trend will impact HR initiatives. Here are some best practices for managing HR for remote employees.

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A small act of recognition can make a big difference for an employee’s morale. When Forbes reports that nearly two-thirds of employees would "likely leave their job if they didn't feel appreciated," these gestures can help you retain happy, talented employees.

While recognition is a good goal, you also need to make sure that these efforts make sense for your bottom line. Fortunately, there are plenty of good rewards that won’t break the bank. Here are five low-budget ideas that small business owners can use to show employees their appreciation.

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When your employees are ailing, your business is also likely to suffer. The health and wellbeing of your employees can play a big part in your company’s success, as a happy, healthy workforce has several benefits, including:

• Increased productivity
• Reduced absenteeism
• Decreased medical costs

Many small business owners have turned to workplace wellness programs to help improve the wellbeing of their employees. Over time, these programs have evolved to address specific issues to better serve employers and their employees. Here are some recent wellness trends than may be a good fit for your business.

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You can’t control Mother Nature, but you can take steps to protect your company. Summer heat is a serious threat for any business that operates outdoors, as thousands of workers suffer from heat illnesses each year.  

While you can’t control the heat, you can take measures to protect your employees from heat stroke and other serious health issues. Follow these heat safety tips to help protect both your employees and your business this summer.

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When small business owners decide to offer health insurance to their employees, they don’t have to find a plan by themselves. The process can be very complicated for people without an intimate knowledge of how health insurance works, so owners typically turn to brokers or PEOs to guide them through the process. While both PEOs and brokers have the same general goal—to find you quality, affordable health insurance for your business—they work in different ways.

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Health insurance comes with many responsibilities for small business owners. Regardless of whether you’re trying to cut health insurance costs or reward specific employees, you may wonder exactly how those responsibilities affect who you offer health insurance coverage. Can you pick and choose who can be a part of your health plan, or are there federal regulations involved? As you may expect, there are some rules you need to follow.

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As a small business owner, you may be wondering if you are required to offer health insurance to your employees. With all the uncertainty that can surround healthcare, it’s understandable that you may be unsure of what the future holds, or what you need to do to make sure your business is compliant with employer health insurance requirements. Those requirements can depend on the size of your business and if you offer healthcare coverage. Below, we outlined exactly what those requirements are as it relates to employer-sponsored group health insurance.

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Let’s be honest; what business owner looks forward to managing payroll? While payday may be exciting for your employees, it’s likely that you’re not thrilled about having to put together payroll reports, track deductions, and oversee every other critical aspect of payroll administration, especially if you do everything by paper. 

For some small business owners, payroll administration is just a necessary part of business life and the business isn’t big enough to justify its own HR department. While payroll administration is necessary, it doesn’t have to be a big burden. Online payroll software can give you the tools to take some of the pain out of payday preparation. Here are a few questions you should consider when evaluating your payroll management process.

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Let’s face it, you didn’t decide to run a business because you were excited to manage payroll. Ongoing payroll management can clog your schedule, forcing you to run reports and handle tricky calculations instead of taking the time to find other ways to grow your business. Fortunately, payroll software can help you free up your schedule while improving your payroll process. 

While a good online payroll system can benefit business owners, some may be skeptical about making the move to payroll software. Here are three myths about online payroll software that you shouldn’t always believe.

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Whether you have a single paid employee or run a small business with many employees, you need to pay attention to payroll. However, payroll involves more than cutting a few checks. Good payroll management is comprised of several different functions that help you properly pay your employees and keep your business compliant with government regulations.

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