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  • 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.

  • According to the Association for Talent Development’s 2014 State of the Industry Report, organizations spend an average of $1,208 per employee on training and development. For companies with fewer than 500 workers, that number is even higher, coming in at $1,888 per employee.

    But time is money. According to that same study, companies are spending an average of 31.5 hours per year training employees. That’s time you aren’t billing to an account or turning prospects into clients.

    Learn how GMS can make human resurce functions like employee training more efficient.

    Training Doesn’t Have To Be Draining

    There are many reasons why companies fail their training process. They have complicated or incomplete training materials. They don’t foster enough participation with trainees. They don’t bring in different trainers to keep things fresh. They don’t set clearly defined expectations for new hires. The list goes on.

    No matter the reason, lack of time is perhaps the most common reason why training programs fail. If you try to do it all alone, you simply don’t have the time you need to build a strong training program.

    Which is exactly how a Professional Employer Organization can help. PEOs tackle the details of employee training, including:

    • Determine training needs based on company and industry needs
    • Develop and execute wide range of HR training via in person training and webinars
    • Track and monitor employee progress through customized training program
    • Recommend training if/when HR issues arise

    This not only improves your onboarding and training processes, it frees up your time to focus on other important business functions. 

    Next Steps

    Bringing on new employees or improving your existing staff doesn’t have to be painful, inefficient, and costly. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help.

  • Back in January, I wrote a blog post called “Are You a Union Shop? Are You Prepared to Be?” In it, I talked about how an NLRB ruling split 3-2 along party lines was making it easier for unions to unionize a place of employment.

    A PEO like GMS can help your company by creating an employee handbook.

    Well that time has  come. In a recent article posted online, the NFIB talks about how these new rules will “bring about “quickie” union elections in as few as 10 to 14 days. This change in election rules will make it much more difficult for employers to fight a union organizing campaign and far easier for unions to win. It also goes into some suggestions about things that employers can do to put themselves in a better defensive position should this happen to them.  

    Among the four things they listed, No. 3 struck me:

    Don’t be afraid to communicate with employees. Address your business’s labor relations philosophy in new hire orientation and in an employee handbook.

    An employee handbook? Really? Exactly!

    Over the last eight years, I have spoken with business owners in many different industries and varying sizes. Some have employee handbooks and are diligent in keeping them up to date. Some have them, but don’t update as frequently as they need to. Some have thought about it, but never got around to it. Some, incredulously, don’t have one because their attorney advised them years ago to not get one and put anything in writing.

    Well, with the ever-increasing employee-related costs of government compliancy, more and more business owners are starting to see the importance and value of having this very basic Human Resource tool in their company. A handbook is just a first step, albeit, a very good one.  

    If you need help in that area or in other areas related to human resources and/or are concerned with the future of your workforce, give us a call at 888-823-2084 or contact us online.

  • You have to make a lot of decisions when you own a business, and they’re not always easy. The decision to partner with a Professional Employer Organization (PEO) to manage your payroll, human resources, risk management strategies, and benefits is a perfect example of this.

    Do your due diligence when selecting a PEO. Contact GMS with any questions you may have to help make your decision.

    What You Should Ask

    At GMS, we encourage you to do your research when it comes to deciding on whether you partner yourself with a PEO and, if you do, which organization you choose. There are some very important questions you should ask every PEO before you make the call, including:

    • Do you offer the range of services that will meet my needs?
    • How are your employee benefits funded?
    • Can you tailor your benefits packages to meet the needs of my employees?
    • Are you a member of NAPEO (National Association of Professional Employer Organizations)?
    • What is your client retention rate?
    • How many companies and employees do you currently represent?
    • What certifications or accreditations do your employees have?
    • Do you have any clients that are similar to my business?

    The answers you receive can let you know more about what that PEO can offer you and your company and make the decision process a lot easier.

    HR Management Through GMS

    At GMS, we strive to make your business simpler, safer, and stronger. Part of that process includes you making an educated decision that will benefit your organization, so contact us today to ask any of the aforementioned questions – or any others you may have in mind – and see if GMS is the PEO for you.

  • If you’re like most business owners, you probably didn’t go to school to learn the intricacies of human resource management. As a result, you’re either spending too much time on HR or too little. Neither is good for your bottom line.

    Managing HR by yourself can cause big headaches. Consider a PEO instead.

    I’m Spending Too Much Time on HR Management 

    According to the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), there are 45 components to successful HR management. Forty-five!

    If you’re trying to be proactive about HR management, good for you. But if you have to manage multiple vendors who are working in “silos” while trying to make sense of everything they’re doing for you, you’re probably not spending as much time as you’d like growing your business. Either that or you’re burning the midnight oil to keep up. 

    Neither option seems that appealing, do they?

    I’m Not Spending Enough Time on HR Management

    On the other hand, if you’re not spending enough time on HR management, you’re more likely to be at risk for non-compliance fees, inefficiencies that slow down your production schedule, lower employee morale, and more. And you’re probably losing sleep at night because when it comes to HR, you don’t know what you don’t know.   

    HR Management is never a problem… until there is a problem and then it’s too late.

    Complete Guide to PEOs

    Manage HR Functions Effectively and Efficiently With a PEO

    Regardless of which path you’ve chosen when it comes to HR management, a Professional Employer Organization (PEO) can be a good fit for your business.

    When you partner with a PEO, you get access to a full team of HR experts that can help you:

    • Maintain / obtain COBRA, ERISA, HIPAA, ADA, FMLA, EEOC, and DOL compliance
    • Find and recruit top talent
    • Write detailed job descriptions 
    • Develop employee handbooks
    • Set up training and rewards programs 
    • Ensure that you’re compliant for employee terminations, and more

    Additionally, because PEOs can also help you with risk management, payroll administration, and employee benefit administration, you can find money-saving opportunities that would have been much more difficult to spot with siloed vendors.

    Best of all, you get the final say on all decisions. PEOs just make those decisions a little easier.

    Stop living in fear of HR problems and get back to growing your business. Contact GMS online or give us a call at 888-823-2084 today.

  • A few months ago, I wrote an article about pregnancy discrimination in the workplace. Specifically, I wrote about how the EEOC ruled in favor of government regulations treating an employee’s pregnancy no differently than it treats a worker’s comp injury.

    Well, the Supreme Court recently weighed in on this topic in a case between UPS and former employee Peggy Young.

    How the Supreme Court's ruling on pregnancy discrimination affects human resources.

    How This All Started

    Peggy Young was an employee of UPS who became pregnant in 2006. Her doctor advised her to lighten her workload and suggested light duty at work. UPS had a light-duty return to work policy for employees that were injured on the job, but they viewed Young’s pregnancy as an “outside of work injury”.  

    The ruling effectively blocked a lower court ruling that said UPS was justified in what they did and sent the case back to the lower court where the lawsuit can be revived.

    In the majority opinion, Justice Stephen Breyer wrote “there is ‘genuine dispute as to whether UPS provided more favorable treatment to at least some employees whose situation cannot reasonably be distinguished from Young’s.’”

    What It Means For You

    Between last year’s EEOC ruling and the Supreme Court’s recent decision, it’s obvious that this is something that you are much more likely to come across now and must begin planning for.  

    The big questions you should be asking are: How can I prepare for this? How do I ensure my business has has appropriate policies in place that address this and similar issues?

    If you haven’t addressed this with your attorney, or need help getting started, consider a professional employer organization like GMS. Our team of HR specialists will not only help you react to rulings like these, but will help you plan ahead so they don’t’ become an issue down the road. 

    Ready to talk? Give us a call at 330-659-0101 today.

  • Wow, that’s a lot of letters. What does this all mean?

    Over the last several years, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) has been contending that their reach expands beyond unionized workers. On March 18th, the NLRB General Counsel, Richard Griffin, released a 30-page report providing guidance to attorneys and HR professionals on what he believes is not a legal rule for an employee handbook under the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA).  

    In short, Mr. Griffin’s report proposes major changes under which the NLRB believes it can apply its rules.

    NLRB loosk to expand NLRA and what it might mean

    But you’re not a union shop, so who cares, right?

    If this report gains any traction, you should definitely care. By offering guidance to the legality of rules under the NLRA, it can expand its reach because all employers are governed under the NLRA.

    In this 30-page report , the General Counsel gives real-life examples of “good” and “bad” policies. Among those areas addressed are:

    • Confidentiality policies

    • Conduct toward management 

    • Conduct toward co-workers

    • Conduct toward third parties 

    • Use of company logos, copyrights, and trademarks

    • Restrictions on photography and recording

    • Miscellaneous unlawful policies

    What you should do next

    At the beginning of this piece, I wrote that this report was created for those in the legal profession and HR professionals to help them advise their clients/employers. If you haven’t gotten your copy yet, you should get in touch with your attorney. Today.

    If you’re still not sure where to begin, give us a call at 330-659-0101. Our HR specialists are there to not only react to new rules as they come across, but to help you be better prepared before it becomes an issue for you.

  • Human resources is a very important part of any business, but it can take a lot of time and money to properly manage. Even then, there are cashflow hurdles that you may come across simply because you aren’t an HR professional with all of the proper tools of the trade.

    A Professional Employment Organization (PEO) like GMS can get over those hurdles because HR is what we do. We’ve already discussed how a PEO can improve your cashflow through loss prevention, cost containment, payroll, and unemployment claims management strategies, but there’s another major factor as to how we can save you money: economy of scale.

    PEOs make your business stronger through economies of scale.

    Bigger Scale, Bigger Value 

    What the heck do we mean by economy of scale? Economy of scale is the term for the cost advantages that enterprises obtain due to size, output, or scale of operation. In short, GMS can get you lower premiums and tax  burdens because we represent roughly 20,000 workers over 850 different companies.

    That means you can get competitive benefits that attract talented applicants and retain valuable employees, all at a reduced rate. Even if you own a small business, our expertise can help your bottom line because of economy of scale.

    PEOs Are an Extension of Your Business

    You don’t need to own a big business to get big-business treatment. In fact, think of a PEO as an extension of your company – one that helps your bottom line and makes your life simpler, and you never have to fear about losing control of your business. 

    GMS can save you time and money, so get a quote from us today if you think that a PEO is the right move for you.

  • It’s expensive to pay employees, and I’m not just talking about salaries and benefits. 

    The payroll process is pricier than many business owners realize. It costs an average of $2,000 per employee per year for a small or mid-sized company to handle payroll. In addition, up to 40 percent of businesses in the United States are given an average of $845 in IRS penalties each year.

    These costs add up and can really hurt a company’s cashflow. We’ve already discussed how loss prevention and cost containment can help your business, but a professional employer organization (PEO) can also save you money and time by handling your payroll.

    Payroll costs you more than just your employees wages.

    Preventing Penalties

    You probably didn’t go to school to be an HR professional, so you shouldn’t be expected to understand all of the payroll penalty risks you face each day. But the people who work for PEOs are experienced HR professionals who can make your business simpler, safer, and stronger.

    For example, many PEOs assign a team of HR experts to your account. These professionals will help manage tax records and the storage of necessary payroll documentation, reducing your responsibility and liability in the process. 

    Saving Time

    Many PEOs like Group Management Services also provide you and your employees with anytime, anywhere access to tax and payroll information. Plus, you can realize efficiencies in tracking paid time off and in direct-depositing paychecks that you never thought possible when you did it on your own.

    Yes, you’re still involved in the payroll process; PEOs just make it much faster and easier.

    Making Payroll Easy

    Saving money is great. It’s even better when you can cut costs while streamlining a part of your business. Contact us today if you have any questions about payroll.

  • Accidents happen, which is why workers’ compensation is a mandatory expense. Still, high rates can destroy your cashflow. 

    In my last post, I talked about how loss prevention strategies help prevent accidents in the first place, which can lower your rates. Today, I’d like to explain how an effective Cost Containment strategy can cut your costs, even if a claim is filed. 

    Risk management can benefit your business’ budget. Contact GMS to find out how a PEO can help.

    Cost Containment Services

    Many business owners consider worker’s compensation a cost of doing business. But professional employer organizations (PEOs) give you options to contain that cost.

    PEOs help you:

    • Choose the most appropriate workers’ compensation coverage for your group

    • Negotiate competitive programs with insurance providers

    • Implement a return-to-work program

    • Keep good records that can be used during the claims process, and more.

    Packaged together, these services make a huge difference in what you spend on workers’ compensation.

    More Than Just Cash Savings

    It is often said that your time is your most valuable asset. If you’re spending too much time fighting workers’ compensation claims, you aren’t focused on growing your business. 

    Many PEOs save you time by offering the following services:

    • Claims investigation

    • Claims certification

    • Hearing representation

    • And merit rate predictions

    We handle the details so you have the time to grow your business again.

    Better Cashflow Through a PEO

    We are extremely successful at fighting our clients’ workers’ compensation claims, saving them clients thousands of dollars in the process. If you’re tired of dealing with rising worker’s compensation costs, or simply want to know more let’s talk.