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  • You’re looking to hire a new candidate or thinking about promoting an employee from within your company.

    But before you take a step further you want to run a background check. What are the legal requirements and information you need to be aware of as an employer before you start this process? We do our best to give you an overview on the process below.

    Information requested for a background check depends on the employer and the job involved. For some jobs, a state or federal law requires the employer to conduct a background check. Working with children, the elderly, or people with disabilities are examples of jobs that require a criminal background check. 

    What information is included in a background check? 

    Many of the sources for a background check are public records created by government agencies. However, the detail of a background check can vary from a simple verification of an applicant’s Social Security number to a detailed account of the potential employee’s history and acquaintances. 

    Some information that may be included in a background check are

    • Driving records
    • Vehicle registration
    • Credit records
    • Criminal records
    • Social Security number
    • Education records
    • Court records
    • Bankruptcy
    • Character references
    • Neighbor interviews
    • Medical records
    • Property ownership
    • Military records
    • State licensing records
    • Drug test records
    • Past employers
    • Personal references
    • Incarceration records
    • Sex offender lists 

    What information cannot be included in a background check?

    According to the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), which sets national standards for employment screening, the following information cannot be reported*

    After 7 years: 

    • Civil suits, civil judgments, and records of arrest, from date of entry
    • Paid tax liens 
    • Accounts placed for collection 
    • Any other negative information (except criminal convictions) 

    After 10 years:

    • Bankruptcies
    *However, the above reporting restrictions do not apply to jobs with an annual salary of $75,000 or more a year (FCRA §605(b)(3)).
     

    What effect has social media had on background checks?

    Have you “Googled” yourself lately? If you haven’t, give it a try. Type your name in quotation marks in a couple of the major search engines and see what comes up.

    In this information rich age, it’s more and more likely that employers will conduct this same search prior to bringing on a new hire. Some employers will even search social networking sites, like Facebook, for the profiles of applicants. This means an employee’s online reputation can be a factor in swaying the hiring decision– whether people are aware of it or not. 

    So, we encourage everyone (employees and employers) to be aware of what they are putting out on the internet. Imagine your future employer, future employee, best friend or boss viewing the content- what would they think?  

    What must employers do to be in compliance before requesting a background check? 

    Before you get a background check you must:

    • Tell the applicant or employee
    • Get written permission from the applicant or employee
    • Certify compliance to the company from which you are getting the applicant or employee’s information. 
     
    For more detailed information before using a background check (also known as a “consumer report”), review this helpful information from the Federal Trade Commission. Using Consumer Reports: What Employers Need to Know.
     
    As you can see, it isn’t as simple as just “running a background check”. The process can be more complex and confusing than many employers realize. 
     
    If you outsource your human resources functions to GMS, we can easily manage the background check process (and many other services) for you. Then you can spend more time running your business instead of sorting through legal documents about background checks. Contact us if this sounds like a good plan. 
     
    Happy recruiting!
     

  • There are a lot of factors that go into determining what your business’s workers’ compensation rates will be. But the simple truth is this: the more claims your employees file, the higher your rate will be.

    Fortunately, there are two strategies you can follow that will limit the amount of time and money you spend dealing with workers’ compensation claims.

     Protect yourself from worker’s compensation issues with Group Management Services.

    Loss Prevention Strategies

    They say that prevention is the best medicine. That holds true for workers’ compensation management, too!  Here’s a quick list of actions that you can take to reduce the risk of workplace injuries, and, therefore, claims:

    Provide safety training programs

    • Create employee safety manuals
    • Clearly establish workplace safety guidelines
    • Undergo regular workplace inspections
    • Implement drug-free and drug–testing programs
    • Implement  injury reporting procedures

    Cost Containment Strategies

    In the State of Ohio, if a company has a better safety record than the average company of  their industry,  the company may qualify for what’s called a group rating program.

    In essence, all this does is gives a group of companies with good safety records the opportunity to qualify for workers’ compensation rate discounts. In some cases, companies can qualify for discounts of 50% with the group rating program.

    If you’re not taking advantage of these strategies, the time to start is now. And if you’re not sure where to begin, give us a call at 330-659-0100 today.

  • Many small business owners can tell you in a given day what they are paying for fuel in their fleet of vehicles, how much their labor costs are, what their inventory costs are, etc., etc., but most cannot tell you their Unemployment Tax Rate.

    No, it’s not because owners don’t care about the bottom line. More likely, this is because many business owners do not understand that Unemployment Tax is an expense that can be controlled.

    You can save time and money by partnering with a PEO to help manage your unemployment claims risk.

    The Factors of Unemployment Tax Rates

    There are many factors that make up the rate that a company is charged. For example, a seasonal work force and your company’s unemployment claims history can have a dramatic impact on what you pay.

    The Burden of Unemployment Tax Rates

    High unemployment tax rates can become a major financial burden on a company that, left unchecked, can prevent you from reinvesting in new equipment, new employee perks, and more. Your company also loses production hours dealing with the unemployment hearing process.

    The Solution to Unemployment Tax Rates

    Employing a Professional Employer Organization like GMS can assist in controlling this risk in several ways:

    • The use of strategic human resources solutions
    • Specific job descriptions to lay out expectations of performance
    • Employee handbooks to build a solid platform for any company structure
    • Provide guidance to navigate the ever expanding and difficult world of employee relations
    • Provide back office assets to assist a business owner during the hearing/claim process

    In the State of Ohio, the home state of GMS, the average win rate of employers fighting unemployment claims is about 50%. By contrast, in the past year, the success rate for GMS was over 90%.

    Give us a call today at 888-823-2084 or contact us online to explore how GMS can make your business simpler, safer, and stronger!

  • 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.

  • The unemployment process isn’t an easy one, both for the former employee and the employer. While many small- and medium-sized companies view unemployment as an unmanageable major expense, there are ways that you can save money so that the process isn’t as much of a threat to your company’s cashflow.

    Professional Employment Organizations (PEO) can protect your business from unemployment claims, while helping your business’ bottom line, allowing you to focus on the future without being held back by the past.

    Work with a PEO to help your bottom line when it comes to the unemployment claims management.

    How Much Can Unemployment Really Cost Me?

    That can depend on a couple of things. After taking in factors like your state, company size, and unemployment claim history, unemployment taxes can cost your business anywhere from hundreds of dollars to tens of thousands of dollars per year.

    Protecting Your Business

    It’s hard to predict what the future may bring, so you need to prepare for potential issues. You can protect yourself in unemployment cases by providing detailed employee handbooks for new employees and issuing written warnings that require sign-off from offenders. 

    PEOs, like GMS, can also help businesses reduce unemployment tax risks in a number of ways. Specifically, PEOs:

    • Reduce liability for unemployment taxes

    • Help you write handbooks and job descriptions

    • Consult with you on the employee discipline and termination process

    • Ensure you stay compliant with unemployment laws and regulations

    • Provide representation at claims hearings

    Saving Money While Maintaining Control

    By working with a PEO, like GMS, you can increase cashflow and eliminate liability. And just like with our loss prevention, cost containment, and payroll strategies, you retain full control over your employees while freeing up time for you to focus on growing your business.

    Contact us today to find out how much a PEO can help your business improve its bottom line through unemployment claims management.

  • 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.

  • Cashflow is key for any business. That’s an easy concept. What’s more difficult to understand is how to effectively manage all the things that pose a risk to that precious cashflow.

    As a business owner, one of your biggest risks is workers’ compensation. According to the Liberty Mutual Workplace Safety Index, workers’ compensation cost business owners nearly $60 billion in 2012. That’s a lot of money!

    The good news is that you don’t have to accept rising costs – and a strained cashflow – as a fact of business life.

    Loss prevention can help limit workers’ compensation claims and lower your rates.

    Avoiding Claims

    It may sound obvious, but prevention is the best medicine. The safer the environment, the less likely you’ll have to deal with workers’ compensation. This is just one of many ways a professional employer organization (PEO) can help. 

    Specifically, PEOs can help your business implement loss prevention strategies that will reduce the risk of unfortunate incidents in the workplace.

    Some of these strategies include

    • Safety training programs

    • Development of safety manuals

    • Development of safety guidelines for employees

    • Workplace inspection and guidance on OSHA compliance

    • Development of drug-free and drug-testing programs

    Better Cashflow Through a PEO

    A study released by OSHA claims that a 15% reduction in injuries and illnesses from businesses that don’t have safety and health programs could result in a savings of $9 billion per year. On an individual level, that means more money that can be invested in the growth of your business.

    Have you thought about the potential impact loss prevention strategies can have on your bottom line? Ready to learn more? Contact GMS today.

  • The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has begun commission meetings under its new chair, Jenny R. Yang, this month. The newest commissioner was also sworn in at this time bringing the board back to its full strength of five members.

    This month, they have also begun hearings on workplace harassment. What they have learned from experts in the field is that workplace harassment is still a major problem.

    Workplace harassment is a major issue.

    According to a recent press release from the EEOC, they are developing strategies that focus on targeted outreach and education as well as systemic enforcement to promote broader voluntary compliance.”

    That sound you just heard was business owners slapping themselves in the forehead.

    In the EEOC’s Strategic Enforcement plan for FY 2013-2016, the Commission recognized that an outreach campaign aimed at both educating employers and employees is an important strategy to deter future violations. ‘Preventing harassment from occurring in the first place is far preferable to remedying its consequences,’ Yang said.”

    Of course, what the commission said is true. So true that they are going to form a task force to identify effective strategies to “prevent and remedy” these things. This can only be good, right?

    As a small-business owner, you probably know that harassment can be a problem, but you’ve already probably taken steps to address this from ever becoming an issue. If and when this problem arises, you’re ready for it. Or are you?

    Large companies already have strategies and programs in place to prevent these things from happening and remedying them if they do. They’re not waiting for the heavy hand of big government to dictate to them how to handle these things. They have internal HR departments to put these policies in place.

    However, a small business doesn’t have an HR department. You’ve got you, your attorney and, well, you. Unless of course you’ve opted to go with an outside resource like a Professional Employer Organization (PEO).

    PEOs provide small business owners with the same type of professional HR services that large companies employ without the cost of an internal HR department. In this case, a PEO can help you put together and implement policies that can address harassment issues and as importantly how to handle them if and when they become and issue.

    To learn more about how a PEO can help your business contact us today at 330-659-0100.

  • So you have that “bad apple” employee that you have to get rid of. He’s a pain in your side. Your management team spends an inordinate amount of time dealing with him and frankly, his co-workers don’t like him either. Sounds like a no-brainer, right?

    Wrong.

    When letting an employee go for cause, you need to make sure that you’re protecting yourself from the liability of:

    1. An unemployment claim that will drive your unemployment insurance up, cutting into your margins or putting you in a competitive disadvantage with your competitors
    2. A potential discrimination lawsuit filed by the employee
    3. A possible violation of either the FMLA or ADA that will have the federal government breathing down your back

    How do you avoid these pitfalls? As with all things, there’s an easy way and a hard way.

     

    Picture of a rotten apple. Think it's easy to fire bad employees? Make sure you're protecting yourself from employer liabilities.

    The Hard Way

    You do have tools that are available to you. According to a recent National Law Review piece, the three most underutilized tools to protect employers from liability are: the extra step, job descriptions, and the gut check.

    These harken back to the proper documentation and making sure that a systematic process is followed before terminating an employee for cause.

    That brings us to the definition of the “hard way”. You have to make sure that you have accurate, up-to-date job descriptions in place along with an established, documented protocol that you follow. You can easily address all of those things during your downtime (evenings, early mornings and weekends).

    The Easy Way

    The easy way is to find an inexpensive and cost and time-efficient way in managing your unemployment. The most efficient way of handling these things is through the use of a PEO (Professional Employer Organization). PEOs can look at your operation and put together a comprehensive employee management plan that protects you, your employees and helps reduce employee cost and liability.

    To learn more how a PEO can help your business, contact us today.

  • In January of 2016, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) will begin to directly impact businesses with between 50-99 employees. While health insurance rates have been impacting business owners since the start of the ACA several years ago, those companies with 50-99 employees haven’t had to offer healthcare or face a fine. That’s changing in a couple of months.

    The interesting thing about the ACA is that the very people it is supposed to help, low income workers, seem to be the ones least interested getting their healthcare, even when it’s offered by their employers.

    Offering coverage and the Affordable Care Act.

    How the Affordable Care Act Affect Low-income Workers

    In a recent article in the New York Times, Billy Sewell, the owner of 26 Golden Corral restaurants talked about the problems he has had getting his employees to take on his health insurance.

    When this law was first passed, many businesses began scaling back their employees’ hours to get them below the 30-hour workweek threshold requiring coverage. However, others chose to offer it to their employees for a variety of reasons (retain and attract good employees, take care of their company’s “family” of employees, etc.). What they were finding was that different people had different definitions of “affordable.”

    According to the article, Sewell offered his Golden Corral employees coverage through a plan that was only offered to salaried management before. Even though he was going to pay 65% of the employees’ healthcare premiums, he found few takers. It turns out that people who work primarily on tips weren’t willing to even pay the $140 per month for a high deductible health insurance plan.

    This is a problem that isn’t unique to the restaurant industry. There are many industries with employees working at minimum wage or slightly better that either can’t afford the coverage or don’t want it. What’s an employer to do to protect himself/herself from fines tied to the law? There are some safe harbors built into the law allowing for spouse’s income, etc. However, how does a business owner know what the laws are and how they apply to them?

    How Group Management Services Can Help

    If you’re offering healthcare, looking to expand who you cover or are looking to begin offering it, you should talk to some people. If you have a broker, reach out to them or you can do what more and more businesses are doing and speak with a professional employer organization like GMS. By tying together payroll, human resources, and benefits, a PEO may be able to provide you multiple options that you may not be able to get on your own.

    Contact us today to see how partnering with a PEO can provide you and your business with beneficial options.