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  • On April 21st, 2022, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania dropped its reinstated mask requirement for businesses located within the city. Philadelphia originally reinstated a mask requirement for businesses on April 18th which only lasted three days. A handful of reasons led to the requirement being dropped so quickly.

    Dr. Cheryl Bettigole, the city’s Health Commissioner, announced that hospitalizations unexpectedly dropped 25 percent in a matter of days. When Philadelphia announced the reinstated mask requirement on April 18th, the Pennsylvania Restaurant & Lodging Association called it “deflating.” Ben Fileccia, Senior Director of Operations for the association expressed that restaurant workers have suffered a significant amount of backlash from the very beginning of mask mandates. He believed this time would be no different.

    The Southeastern Transportation Authority (SEPTA) announced on April 18th that they would no longer require masks to be worn on public transportation. This announcement impacted Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney’s decision to withdraw the requirement days after it was reinstated. However, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced on April 20th that it has appealed the ruling. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) urged the DOJ to continue its appeal. Since there has been an increase in the Coronavirus Omicron variant, the CDC requires masks on public transportation until May 3rd, 2022.

    When partnering with a PEO, you will have access to an HR specialist who keeps you informed of ever-changing rules and mandates. Because COVID-19 has impacted businesses in ways business owners could never have imagined, let us take the burden of HR responsibilities off your shoulders. Contact us today!

  • It should come as no surprise that an engaged employee is typically a more productive employee. Performance management is an essential process for training, developing, and providing direction for your greatest assets. The problem is that successful performance management can take more than just an annual review or other traditional methods.

    The performance management cycle is a strategic plan to encourage and sustain employee success. Keep reading to learn more about how a performance management cycle works and how it can benefit your company.

    What Is A Performance Management Cycle?

    A performance management cycle is a continuous process designed to evaluate employees and steer workers’ performance. The exact length of this cycle can vary. Some businesses opt for an annual cycle that culminates with yearly reviews, while others adapt the cycle to operate on a quarterly basis.

    Regardless of the time periods, the performance management cycle is meant to be a never-ending process that repeats upon completion. A typical cycle involves four specific steps:

    1. Planning
    2. Monitoring
    3. Reviewing
    4. Rewarding

    Planning

    The performance management cycle starts with an opportunity to set organizational goals. These goals can be objectives for the whole year or particular targets for the upcoming cycle. Either way, this first stage is the time to determine an overall strategy for your business.

    The planning stage should start with the management team setting goals for the organization and then tying individual and team targets to those goals. Managers can then communicate this information to employees and work on setting goals, tasks, targets, and other guidelines to help achieve personal and organizational success.

    While organizational targets should be determined at the management level, planning out employee goals should be a collaborative process. By working with employees, individuals can better understand why these goals are important and become more invested in their success. This stage is also an excellent opportunity to showcase how achieving these goals can help employees grow their own skills and value.

    Monitoring

    Once planning is complete, the next step is to monitor employee and team progress. Regular check-ins play a pivotal role in helping employees and teams achieve their goals and address any roadblocks that may derail these efforts.

    Check-in intervals can vary but tend to be more effective when done more frequently. For yearly cycles, it’s best to meet with employees on a monthly or quarterly basis. Some businesses can even benefit from weekly check-ins, as 85% of workers who have weekly check-ins with their managers are more engaged than those without regular communication. No matter the timing, try and cover the following topics during check-ins:

    • Overall progress
    • Accomplishments
    • Roadblocks and other issues
    • Needed support
    • Potential changes

    Continuous monitoring allows businesses to keep employees on track as well as be flexible when needed. If employees struggle to stay motivated for far-off goals, check-ins can help managers to create short-term subgoals and provide assistance when needed. This level of collaboration helps employees stay aligned with company performance goals while providing them the support necessary to tackle proper, actionable steps.

    Reviewing

    Once the cycle comes to an end, it’s time to conduct official performance reviews. Managers should take this time to meet with each employee to determine if their goals were met and decide next steps.

    The monitoring process gives managers perspective on how well the employees have done throughout the cycle. After that, an official review provides employers and employees a definitive chance to evaluate if goals were met and how well the process went. Participants should try and answer the following questions during this review:

    • Was the goal completed and how well did the employee perform on these tasks?
    • Is the goal still in line with the organization’s goals?
    • If the goal isn’t complete, was it realistic or were there reasons why it couldn’t be met?
    • Did the employee have the support needed to achieve their goals?
    • Did the employee grow from the experience and gain useful skills or experience?
    • How can we learn from these goals to improve the overall process and ensure success for future cycles?

    As with the planning and monitoring stages, reviews are a great opportunity to collaborate with employees and keep them engaged. It’s important to let employees know that their feedback is important. Let them share their perspective on how they did, whether they achieved their goals or not. If they fell short of their goals, discuss these performance issues, and provide meaningful advice on how to improve and lay out solutions to address these concerns.

    Rewarding

    Each cycle ends with the reward phase, which is an essential tool for employee motivation. After putting in hard work and dedication, it’s critical to show employees that their efforts are appreciated. If not, it can be easy for workers to feel like their contributions in the performance management cycle doesn’t matter. The lack of appreciation directly affects engagement, and can even lead to employees seeking other opportunities.

    Rewards come in many forms and should be awarded on merit. By fairly handing out rewards, you not only recognize the workers who did their part, but also showcase what can happen if they achieve their goals in future cycles. Potential rewards include:

    • Company-wide recognition
    • Official written reviews with positive feedback
    • A one-time bonus or gift
    • A raise
    • Extra days off or work flexibility
    • Special projects or perks

    Once the rewards and recognitions are handed out, it’s also time to reconvene at the management level to assess the cycle and adjust for the future. Discuss any issues or other findings that would affect the future goals and get ready to start the cycle over again.

    What Are The Benefits Of Using The Performance Management Cycle?

    A defined performance management cycle gives employers a framework to boost productivity and engage management and employees. In turn, businesses can enjoy a few key benefits from a streamlined performance management process.

    Goal alignment and flexibility

    Performance management should benefit both employers and employees. The planning phase allows management to identify what goals are most important for the overall growth of the business and tie employees’ performance targets and education around those needs.

    The cycle also offers room for management and employees to adjust these goals if necessary. Over time, certain targets may become less important than new training needs or performance criteria. This flexibility gives both managers and employees the freedom to modify certain targets or tasks to accommodate these changes.

    Improved engagement

    The performance management cycle gives employees regular opportunities to be open about their goals, and allows time for managers to listen to them. This collaborative conversation not only allows employers to gather feedback, but also keep employees engaged. Employees who feel heard are 4.6 times more likely to feel empowered to do their best work. That level of engagement is a major plus for all parties.

    Retention

    The performance management cycle allows employees to receive regular feedback from managers, which makes a notable impact on retaining talent. According to Gallup, businesses that provided continuous feedback reduced turnover by nearly 15% compared to organizations that offered little to no feedback.

    A continuous cycle also gives managers more chances to discuss an employees’ growth and highlight successes. Roughly, a quarter of workers leave a job due to lack of recognition, which can be given during regular check-ins and the reward stage. These continuous opportunities give managers opportunities to value an employee’s work while still providing guidance on ways to get better.

    How To Maximize Your Performance Management Cycle

    While the performance management cycle gives employers a good framework for enabling growth and keeping employees engaged, there are ways to maximize the effectiveness of the process.

    Focus on the positive, even when dealing with the negative

    While it can be easy to concentrate on whether a goal is met or not, it’s important to give specific, detailed feedback during check-ins and reviews. Vague, generic criticism is only going to frustrate employees, so be specific and use language that makes employees think in positive terms, even if the feedback is negative. For example, position a performance improvement plan as a way to help the employee correct issues and succeed in the future instead of as a punitive measure.

    Don’t hold back on recognition

    Another way to maximize the performance management cycle is to provide recognition along the way. Proper recognition doesn’t need to wait until the review stage. If an employee does something well, let them know. Even something as simple as verbal praise can make an impact on an employee’s morale, and notable efforts may be worth additional rewards along the way.

    Utilize SMART goals

    Not all goals are created equal. Try to outline your goals using the S.M.A.R.T. method to give your employees and organization the best path for success. S.M.A.R.T. goals are:

    • Specific – Make sure the goal includes clear details about what should be achieved and why it is important.
    • Measurable – Make sure the goal can be measured or have a definitive way to indicate if it has been achieved.
    • Achievable – It should be realistic to complete a goal within the given timeframe for the cycle.
    • Relevant – The goal should tie into the organization’s overall goals and make sense for the employee to complete based on their responsibilities or needs for growth.
    • Time-bound – The goal should have a definite timeline for completion, along with potential milestones that can be used to track success along the way.

    Maximize Your Employees’ Potential

    Performance management plays a critical part in making personnel decisions ranging from training and compensation to transfers and termination. The performance management cycle gives employers a streamlined, repeatable process that gives management more insight and actively engages employees.

    Of course, a dedicated performance management process takes time and dedication to run properly. GMS partners with businesses to take on administrative burdens like performance management and other essential HR functions. Our team of experts and cutting-edge human resources information system (HRIS) allows you to spend your time on running your business while GMS makes your business simpler, safer, and stronger.

    Ready to invest in your greatest assets while saving yourself time? Contact us now to learn about our performance management services and more.

  • Many organizations steer their focus towards reducing turnover. However, they fail to realize the importance of onboarding. The connection between employee retention and onboarding is not always evident. Research shows that an employee’s first day is the key factor that determines whether or not they will stay with the company.

    Every employee remembers their first day on the job, which is why it is very important to focus on the onboarding process. A strong onboarding process not only helps with employee retention and turnover but also alleviates administrative pressures on hiring managers.  

    Onboarding For Retention 

    When hiring new employees, you must make sure to provide them with clear expectations around their specific roles. These expectations happen to be one of the most important, yet least common elements of an effective onboarding process. An effective onboarding process can increase employee retention by 82%.

    Having a comprehensive system of expectations allows HR managers, recruiters, and new employees an agreed-upon and predictive course of action. To obtain this type of consistency, managers need to align the list of expectations they have from every new hire.

    Optimizing Onboarding

    Throughout the onboarding process, communication is vital. Having a predetermined system helps expedite the process. The average new hire onboarding experience alone can consist of 54 different activities. A growing business can’t afford to take on all that administrative work.

    Partnering with a PEO allows for a smooth onboarding process. Having a cloud-based human resources information system (HRIS) in place allows businesses to have a predetermined plan to attract, hire, onboard, and manage employees. Electronic onboarding is a digitized process for onboarding new employees. The new hires can simply log in from wherever and fill out all the information needed in order to get them enrolled in your system. This process puts the information into the hands of the person who knows it best, the employees themselves. When onboarding an employee by hand, it can simply leave a business open to human error when it comes to compliance. Onboarding electronically helps make the process easier and more accurate for employers and employees.

    Final Thoughts

    GMS provides paperless onboarding, benefits enrollment, payroll, and training to support each employee up for success. Having a smooth onboarding process supports not only the employee, but your business. By implementing a process like this, you can ensure the employee’s long-term success while removing numerous administrative burdens. 

    Learn more about how you can streamline your onboarding process.

  • The U.S. House of Representatives has approved a federal bill that would decriminalize cannabis use. However, this bill’s fate in the Senate is unclear right now. If this bill is signed into law, the act would resolve any conflict between federal and state law that causes any confusion for employers. State laws associated with the use of medical and recreational marijuana still vary from state to state.

    The Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) Act, H.R. 3617, passed the House in a 220-204 vote on April 1. All but two Democrats voted for the measure and all but three Republicans voted against it.

    The Senate is currently split 50-50 between Democrats and Republicans. When the Senate is divided, Vice President Kamala Harris serves as the tie-breaking vote. With that said, the bill would need a total of 60 Senate votes to break a filibuster.

    States Still Regulate Cannabis

    Since marijuana is still listed as a Schedule I drug under the federal Controlled Substances Act, marijuana is still considered high for abuse and serves no medical value. The MORE Act would remove marijuana and criminal sanctions, and provide some relief for previous convictions.

    For the workplace, states would continue to regulate cannabis and would not be required to legalize its use. Thirty-seven states have currently approved medical marijuana use with 18 of those states also approving recreational use. Employers are still able to create policies that prohibit any cannabis use by their employees.  

    How To Adapt To Changing Attitudes

    Cannabis laws will continue to expand at the state level regardless of whether the federal government approves this bill. About 68% of Americans believe that marijuana should be legalized. 31% of Americans feel that marijuana should be legal only for medical use with 8% saying it should not be legal at all. 

    There’s an increasing number of people in the workplace who have failed drug tests. In 2021, positive drug tests reached the highest level in two decades. In light of COVID-19, many employers are struggling with staffing shortages, so testing for marijuana is no longer a main priority for companies. Despite these unprecedented times, employers need to focus on training managers and supervisors on proper ways to approach employees when they might be working under the influence. With that being said, any employee that goes through the drug screening process must be thoroughly documented.  

    Take A Proactive Approach To These Ongoing Changes

    As the cannabis industry continues to evolve, partnering with GMS will benefit your business. The experts at GMS work with you to make your company simpler, safer, and stronger. GMS will keep you up-to-date on any changes whether industry-specific or government-related. Contact us today to learn how GMS can help make your job easier. 

  • The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is ending its temporary COVID-19 related policy which allowed employers to use expired List B identity documents when it came to I-9 forms. As a result, expired identity documents will no longer be accepted to verify an employee’s eligibility to work beginning May 1, 2022.

    Authorities were unable to renew List B identity documents in a timely manner after COVID-19 became active in 2020, which allowed employees to temporarily present expired identity documents. Any employee who has provided employers with expired documents from May 1, 2020- April 30, 2022, will now be required to update their I-9s by July 31st, 2022.

    According to DHS: 

    • Any employee who previously presented an expired List B document and is currently still an employee, must provide an updated document establishing their identity.
    • No action is required if the employee is no longer employed by the company.

    There is separate COVID-19-related guidance that allows employers to review Form I-9 documents virtually, which is different than this DHS announcement. Reviewing Form I-9 documents virtually is in effect until at least April 30th, 2022. Dawn Lurie, Senior Counsel in the immigration practice group stated, “The announcement signals to us that we are nearing the end of the COVID-19 relaxation of the in-person review policy, which means that companies should start to address the population of folks that were virtually completed.”

    A violation in this regard could cost anywhere from $234 to thousands of dollars. Stacey Larotonda, GMS’ Vice President of Client Services, shares, “While some business owners think they are being cost savvy by keeping their HR functions in-house, they’re actually gambling on how expensive an overlooked error could be. All too often we see business owners being slapped with large fines, simply because they didn’t know better or weren’t keeping up with these legislative changes.”

    Regulatory compliance is complex and ever-changing. For our 2,000+ clients across the country, GMS handles these responsibilities so the business owners don’t have to. Get in touch today.

  • Following a series of high-profile digital intelligence campaigns and disruptive ransomware attacks, any company that is critical to U.S. national interests (finance, transportation, and energy sectors) must report when they are hacked or pay ransomware. Reporting these incidents will provide the federal government with more visibility into hackers who target private companies. Any substantial cyber incident will need to report to the government within three days and any ransomware payment to be reported within 24 hours. This reporting requirement legislation has been approved by the House and Senate on March 10th, 2022, and will be signed into law by President Joe Biden.

    A ransomware attack is an act in which criminals hack targets and hold their data hostage through encryption until ransoms have been paid. According to reports last year, hackers disrupted the world’s largest meat-packing company and the largest U.S. pipeline, putting lives and livelihoods at risk.

    As the war in Ukraine continues, government officials are concerned about the threat of Russian cyber and ransomware attacks against the U.S.  Many ransomware operators reside and work in Russia. The Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency is designated by the legislation as the main agency to receive any notification of hacks and ransomware payments. 

    As an employer, it’s vital you communicate these concerns with your staff to best safeguard your organization against any attacks. We recommend utilizing a cybersecurity refresher course within your learning management system as a quick and efficient way to convey this information.  

    Contact us today for any questions or concerns you may have.  

  • As a result of the expected publication of a proposed overtime rule, the U.S. Department of Labor will recommend higher salary thresholds for white-collar exemptions as soon as next month. “Employers should expect a proposed salary amount that at least, approximates the amount proposed in 2016,” stated Alfred Robinson Jr., – an attorney with Ogletree Deakins in Greenville, South Carolina. The proposed salary level for the Fair Labor Standards Act’s executive, administrative, and professional exemptions could be a minimum of $913 per week or $47,476 per year. By comparison, the Trump administration in 2019 implemented a salary level of $686, which represents a considerable increase. 

    Jason Barsanti explained that the 2016 regulations were ruled to “put too much emphasis on the salary requirement, thereby effectively making the duties test[s] irrelevant.” The duties test determines which employees are exempt from overtime pay, and it depends on a variety of factors:

    • Executive exemption – Managing the enterprise, a department or a subdivision of the enterprise must be the employee’s primary duty.
    • Administrative exemption – The primary duty of the employee must be office or non-manual work that is directly related to the management of general business operations of the employer or the employer’s clients.
    • Professional exemption – Employee’s primary responsibility is to perform work that required advances knowledge in a field of science or learning that is acquired through specialized, intellectual training and study.

    A primary duty can occupy less than 50 percent of an employee’s time under these tests. Additionally, it is possible to count time spent performing both exempt and nonexempt duties concurrently.

    With the help of a PEO company like GMS, you no longer have to worry about following the latest legislative changes. Rules and regulations are constantly changing. Do what you do best. Outsource the rest.

  • Learning is essential in the modern workplace. New technology and growing internal needs are forcing employees and employers to learn new skills over time. As a result, businesses that invest in education and improvement have an edge these days.

    Research shows that business owners who invest in learning innovation enjoy more than 9% improvement in organizational growth, productivity, profit, and transformation. This development is why more organizations have embraced the benefits of using a learning management system to support employee learning – and help their business grow along with them.

    Of course, it’s important to understand the intricacies of a learning management system before your business implements and offers one. Let’s break down the basics, benefits, and key features of learning management systems and how they impact your business.

    What Is A Learning Management System?

    A learning management system (LMS) is a web-based platform or software application used to implement and monitor a learning process. This type of system is instrumental in e-learning and mainly consists of the two following components:

    • A server responsible for maintaining the base functionality of the system
    • A user interface that students, administrators, and instructors use

    In a business setting, an LMS is used to deploy learning strategies across the workplace, facilitate experiential and formal learning, manage compliance training, and enhance sales enablement. These processes are streamlined through online learning functionality like user access, notifications, attendance, calendars, content sharing, and communication.

    Previously, LMS technology was limited in its functionality. Today, new technology allows employers to incorporate different activities such as gamification and mobile learning. These features allow an LMS to promote learning, establish a learning culture in the organization, boost productivity, and improve employee engagement.

    What Are The Benefits Of Using A Learning Management System?

    Learning management technology is beneficial for both the employees and their employer. Here are some of the main benefits of using an LMS for your business.

    Reduced learning and development costs

    The use of learning technology allows businesses to eliminate a variety of costs. By embracing online learning, organizations can cut out expenses associated with in-person learning.

    There are several hidden costs associated with in-person training. For example, businesses may need to account for travel, accommodation, and meals for some employees. Even if workers are nearby, there are costs associated with printing learning materials and either renting or maintaining physical meeting spaces.

    Those costs aren’t as necessary if most or all of your employees’ training can be done from anywhere with an internet connection. Learning technology allows your business to limit in-person training and shed costs through online functionality.

    Shorter, more streamlined onboarding process

    A good LMS is also designed to shorten the onboarding process for your employees and save both you and your workers time. There are a few ways an LMS can streamline employee onboarding.

    • Starter Pack – You can create a starter pack for the employees, including a virtual tour of the company and an introductory presentation. When employees have a good onboarding experience, 69% of them are more likely to stay at a company for a long time.
    • Content Management – Organizations can also make content easily available for employees. When the employees have educational content at their fingertips, they can learn quicker and better.
    • Microlearning – Businesses can create microlearning assets for their new recruits on the LMS. This ability enables employees to learn through bite-sized lessons, streamlining their onboarding process while keeping their attention.

    Fewer compliance issues

    Regardless of the industry, all organizations need to stay compliant with certain regulations. Businesses can add new compliance standards to their LMS allowing the system to update employees with any change in compliance laws. With just a few minutes of education, businesses can reduce issues and avoid both monetary penalties and reputational damage.

    Improved employee performance

    Another benefits of an LMS is that it can improve employee performance through multiple means. For instance, businesses can gamify training and create a reward-based learning model where employees can make regular progress.

    Certain systems can also enhance employee collaboration, which is paramount in making your team-building efforts a success. Employees can share resources, discuss projects, and benefit from social learning immensely. These efforts help employees personally invest in learning.

    Performance tracking

    Churning out training material or curating learning resources isn’t enough. Businesses also need to track the progress of their employees to determine the effectiveness of their learning initiatives. The majority of LMS options have analytical and reporting tools where employers can monitor learner progress and identify any shortcomings that need to be covered.

    Help employees upskill or reskill

    Nearly two-thirds of companies commit to reskilling or upskilling employees to address internal changes and new technologies. Besides hard skills, businesses can also teach their employees soft skills through an LMS.

    Online technology helps employers deliver, monitor, and track training courses to build essential knowledge and skills in your workforce. The right LMS gives employees unlimited access to learning resources and material so that they can learn at their own pace on whichever device or platform they prefer.

    What Are Key Business Requirements For A Learning Management System?

    Nowadays, there are several LMS vendors with different systems. As you may expect, some may be better for your organizational needs than others. There are multiple LMS features that your business should consider when selecting a system.

    Ease of use and customization

    One of the highlighting benefits of these systems is that they simplify both learning and tracking progress. An essential business requirement for an LMS is that it’s equally accessible and easy to use for employers and employees. Here are some features to look for:

    • Device Compatibility – The LMS should be compatible with different devices and provide the same user experience across platforms.
    • Appearance – The LMS should not have overly bright colors or distracting visuals that make navigation difficult.
    • Layout – The layout of the LMS should make it easy for users to find the resources and tools they need on desktop and mobile devices.
    • Additional Tools – If you have people with visual disabilities in your workforce, make sure the LMS also adds options for users to listen to content rather than read it. Make sure content is available in different formats so that it’s accessible to as many people as possible.

    System customization is another key feature. The right system should make it easy to create courses and offer plenty of room for customization so that you can personalize it for your organization’s use. If an LMS is not flexible or scalable, it will only hinder the learning experience and cause headaches when making adjustments to existing learning resources.

    Integration capabilities

    Like other systems, life is much easier when your LMS integrates easily with other business systems. The ability to connect with customer relationship management (CRM) tools, content management systems (CMS), and other forms of software will help streamline the management process, enable more data-driven decisions, and enhance the overall learning experience. Another valuable integration is single sign on, which automatically signs employees in the the LMS when they are signed on to other integrations such as email or SharePoint.

    Tracking and reporting capabilities

    LMS reporting refers to a system of data analysis and collection in the learning management system. This information lets you monitor the training process and measure its success. Moreover, you can use the LMS reports to identify components of your training process that can be improved.

    It’s important for the LMS to have tracking capabilities so that you can assess the progress of your employees and collect feedback to measure their level of satisfaction. Over time, you can use meaningful data to improve training programs, update course materials, and make other changes to course content and other processes to help enable your organization’s learning goals.

    Automation capabilities

    Automation has become a must-have for almost every business process these days, and for good reason. LMS automation allows employees and instructors to save time on menial tasks and streamline the learning process. These are some ways automation helps your education endeavors:

    • Portal Invites – Invites are automatically sent to new recruits as soon as you enter their information in the LMS.
    • Enrollment Reminders – The LMS automatically sends reminders to employees, encouraging them to finish the enrollment process on time.
    • Calendars – Employees can set reminders for certain tasks or learning sessions.
    • Auto-Assign – Instructors can set auto-assign rules based on predetermined criteria, such as an employee’s department or enrolled learning session. For instance, an instructor can set the criteria that certain learning resources must be sent to all employees in the sales team who are enrolled in the summer learning session.

    Artificial intelligence (AI)

    Automation and AI go hand in hand. Modern AI-based learning platforms can create solutions, such as speed recognition, decision-making, translating learning resources to different languages, and more.

    AI also helps instructors by giving them recommendations on how to curate and present information in the best way possible for specific users. This feature allows employers to modify training content and make online courses more effective.

    Embrace Learning To Help Your Employees Grow

    Employee education is a tremendous opportunity for businesses trying to onboard new hires, tap into their workers’ potential, and support your team. An LMS allows employers to streamline and optimize the education process.

    Of course, it takes more than just software to maximize your business’ education efforts. GMS is a professional employer organization (PEO) that gives businesses access to cutting-edge technology and expert support so that your employees are set up to succeed.

    Ready to save time and grow your business through expert HR management and technology? Contact us now about how we can simplify your business through comprehensive HR solutions and our industry-leading HRIS.

  • With the COVID-19 outbreak in 2020, the work force has changed significantly. Most employers opted to provide the option for employees to work from home, which is now a very sought-after advantage when looking for new jobs. With that being said, it is vital that employers ensure their new hires still feel connected to the company when onboarding in a remote work environment.

    While in a remote setting, displaying how certain procedures are performed and how the company functions can be challenging for new hires to fully understand. How are these new hires supposed to go into meetings with their colleagues, catch up for a chat, and learn functions that are easier to learn in person?

    There are six key factors that will help in the onboarding process in a remote work environment:

    • Be relatable
    • Encourage boldness
    • Proper introductions
    • Team bonding
    • Reviewing performance
    • Engaging in company culture

    Working in a remote environment has led employees to feel disconnected from their teams and the company. Find a way to relate to your new hires and make sure they know they’re not alone. Be sure to schedule phone calls and zoom meetings – which are more interactive than chat or email; let them know you are here for them. It is also important to provide them with motivation and confidence to reach out for any help or clarification within their teams. Team bonding and proper introductions go hand and hand with each other. Introduce your new hires to other employees, especially within their specific teams. Engage the new hires in company culture meaning, take all the new hires out to lunch or do something creative to show the company culture. Encourage your company to host events, or a virtual game night so new hires can find different ways to stand out and have fun. Finally, congratulate your new hires when they do an impressive job within their new role. Ask them for feedback or correct them if they need further guidance.

    These six factors listed above will help guide you during the onboarding process to help your new hires. Here at GMS, our electronic onboarding provides you with everything your employees need for an engaging and organized onboarding experience – whether in-person or remote. Contact us today to learn more.

  • The U.S. Department of Labor recently announced that their Wage and Hour Division (WHD) plans to add over 100 investigators to their team throughout 2022. As a result of the pandemic and great resignation, the division has reached the lowest staffing levels in decades. Acting Wage and Hour Administrator Jessica Looman stated, “While appropriations will determine our course of action, we are optimistic we will be able to bring new talented professionals on board to expand our diverse team.”

    According to the U.S. Department of Labor, some of the responsibilities that investigators include:

    • Conducting investigations to determine if employers are paying workers and affording them their rights as the law requires.
    • Helping ensure that law-abiding employers are not undercut by employers who violate the law.
    • Promoting compliance through outreach and public education initiatives.
    • Supporting efforts to combat worker retaliation and worker misclassification as independent contractors.

    What Is the Wage and Hour Division?

    The Wage and Hour Division’s mission is to promote and achieve compliance with labor standards to protect and enhance the welfare of the nation’s workforce. The Division is one of the country’s most crucial labor law enforcement agencies, enforcing comprehensive labor laws for over 148 million employees.

    The WHD enforces Federal minimum wage, overtime page, recordkeeping, and child labor requirements of the Fair Labor Standards Act. Additionally, the Division enforces a variety of legislative acts, including the Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Worker Protection Act, the Employee Polygraph Protection Act, the Family and Medical Act, wage garnishment provisions of the Consumer Credit Protection Act, and a variety of employee standards and worker protections.

    What Does This Mean for Business Owners?

    When partnering with a PEO like GMS, you can rely on support from our HR experts. Our team can help safeguard your company by performing our own FLSA audits to ensure you remain compliant. During the audit, we’ll cover an extensive checklist, covering items such as proper employee classification and proper payroll coding. Upon completing the audit, we’ll dive into any possible areas of concern and provide our recommendations to rectify said issues.

    Reach out to GMS today to ensure that your business will be properly prepared and protected if it is audited.