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  • The announcement that the U.S. Supreme Court has overturned Roe v. Wade has prompted employers to revisit their employee benefits. This new court ruling declares that the federal constitutional right to abortion no longer exists. It ends federal protections and leaves the decisions up to each individual US state. Abortions will be rolled back in nearly half of the states immediately, with more restrictions to follow.

    To learn more about handling Roe v. Wade discussions in the workplace, check out our blog.

    Employers’ Responses

    In response, several companies released statements reaffirming their commitment to helping employees access health care services they may not be able to obtain in their state. The following are just some of the companies that have revisited their employee benefits/policies:

    • Starbucks
    • Tesla
    • Dick’s Sporting Goods
    • Patagonia 
    • Microsoft
    • JPMorgan Chase
    • Disney

    The companies above, along with others, have created policies covering expenses for travel if an employee were to need an abortion for various reasons.

    Prior to this overturn by the U.S. Supreme Court, the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) conducted a survey taken by HR professionals. The following are key findings:

    • 32 percent of employers provide paid time off to access reproductive care.
    • 18 percent allow unpaid time off to attend marches, protests, demonstrations, and similar events to support reproductive rights.
    • 5 percent provide travel expense benefits outside of a health savings account (HSA) for employees to access abortion and reproductive services that aren’t accessible in their state of residence. 
    • 4 percent offer company matches for employee donations to groups that support reproductive rights. 

    What Impact Will You Have?

    As we continue to learn more about the impacts the overturn will have on individuals, it’s essential to make sure your employees feel heard. What steps will you take as a business owner to ensure your employees feel valued during challenging times? By partnering with GMS, our experts can update your employee handbook with new policies. In addition, we provide businesses with various tools and resources to find a coverage solution tailored to your needs. Interested in learning more about how GMS can be a resource to you? Contact us today.

  • Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, business operations have never been the same, and workplace cultures continue to evolve. Employees transitioned to working from home and having to adapt to a new way of doing business. In fact, many employees working from home claim they feel more productive, maintaining a robust work-life balance.

    However, it might not be as glamorous for the employer. There has been a rise in employee lawsuits demanding reimbursement for expenses acquired while working from home during the pandemic. Remote workers say that their employers have a legal obligation under state law to reimburse them for work-related expenses.

    Employees are requesting reimbursement for the following:

    • Cellphone
    • Internet
    • Supplies
    • Utility bills
    • Home office stipends 

    What This Means For The Future

    Finally, after two-plus years in a pandemic, business owners have requested that their employees return to the office. However, hiring new employees is at an all-time high. As a result, keeping and attracting quality talent is essential for the growth of one’s business. Since working from home is popular among employees, offering it as an option for employment will attract top candidates. 1,700 workers were surveyed, and the results showed that 48 percent of the workers said they would seek a remote position for their next job.

    With these lawsuits in many states, it’s vital that you observe what your employees want and how to create a solution that benefits both them and your business.

    Currently, no federal laws require you to reimburse your remote workers unless the expenses drop below the employees’ minimum wage. A 2022 survey showed that 62 percent of organizations currently offer employees reimbursement for at-home office or work equipment. For employers that offer reimbursement for business expenses, utilizing expense management software can help streamline the process. Employees are able to itemize and upload receipts directly into the system for the administrator’s approval.

    Should you choose to reimburse your remote workers, ensure you are clearly defining your reimbursement policy. Keep a file of every expense and reimbursement to avoid disputes in the future. An expense report system is an additional tool that will allow you to track all business-related purchases including travel, gas, meals, hotel and lodging, and more for a simplified expense reporting process.

    Protect Your Business

    In today’s unprecedented times, it’s difficult to stay on top of your daily tasks while wearing multiple hats. How can you be proactive and create future plans at the same time? When you partner with GMS, our experts are there to guide you through challenging times and ensure you stay compliant, all while keeping your employees happy. Our HR experts will work with you to update your employee handbook to ensure there are no discrepancies between what your employees may expect versus what you offer. We take on the administrative burdens, so you don’t have to. Contact us today.

  • Since recruitment is an essential function of the human resources department, it’s important to have a strategic process in place. A recruitment process is a list of steps that gets you from the job description to the offer letter and ultimately, onboarding the new hire. It’s essentially a step-by-step approach to bringing in talented individuals who will help the company grow. The recruitment process not only helps attract the right kind of candidates, but it reflects the company’s values. Being able to understand how to optimize the job recruitment process can shorten the hiring cycle by 60% while also improving the quality of your hires. Continue reading to learn about the steps in the recruiting process.

    Step 1: Identify Your Needs

    Define exactly what you’re looking for in a candidate for each position. It’s essential to sit down with your team to determine the specific hiring needs for your open job positions. Make sure these requirements are precise, specific, and realistic. You may think it’s quite simple to replace a role for someone who just left. However, this step in the recruitment process tends to get more difficult when you’re starting from scratch for a position you’ve never had or you’re changing the responsibilities of a role.

    Step 2: Prepare The Job Description 

    Once you determine the candidate’s persona, write down a detailed job description. Creating a compelling and unique description will help you attract the most qualified candidates for your job. The job description summarizes the essential responsibilities, skills, and qualifications for the role. This is a very important step in the recruiting process. Your job description should include:

    • A clearly defined job title
    • The job overview 
    • Company overview 
    • Benefits
    • A list of responsibilities 
    • Required skills
    • Salary for the position 

    There are millions of job postings on the internet. Ensure you create a job description that will stand out from the rest. This is the beginning of marketing your company and your job to your future hire.

    Step 3: Create A Recruitment Plan

    After writing a detailed job description, sit down with your team to determine what the next best steps are. A recruitment plan will provide your team with an outline of the steps your company will take when filling the position. These strategies help businesses focus their efforts and resources on specific hiring strategies that will provide them with excellent candidates. Create a timeline for each step moving forward so you know exactly what you have to do to reach your end goal, an offer. On average, a new position takes 27 days to fill. Determine when and where you will conduct interviews. Have a deadline in place for when you need the position filled.

    Step 4: Start Searching

    When you start searching for candidates to fill the roles, it will be the most time-consuming step in the recruitment process. It takes time and patience to find the right candidate who is depicted in the first and second steps of the recruitment process. Utilize recruitment tools to cut down on search time. Below are ways in which you can best utilize your search efforts:

    • Create targeted ads (use social media platforms including LinkedIn, Indeed, and Glassdoor)
    • Engage with candidates who have applied in the past
    • Attend career fairs within the area
    • Employee referrals
    • Networking events

    Step 5: Recruit Top-tier Talent

    All companies want top talent to be a part of their team. However, these candidates most likely have many options. Your team must be strategic when recruiting these types of individuals. Especially in today’s tough labor market, attracting top talent is more competitive than ever. Companies need to be proactive so they can ensure that they attract the best talent and ultimately, keep them long-term. Below is a list of important factors to consider when looking for top-tier talent: 

    • Create a positive workplace culture
    • Treat current employees well
    • Know your best sources for talent
    • Plan your interviews based on the quality of talent
    • Be sure you verify candidates’ credentials
    • Make an offer fast
    • Keep in touch with quality candidates

    You need to ensure you make an offer fast to top-tier talent as they are most likely receiving a handful of other offers from other companies. Top candidates are only available for 10 days before being hired elsewhere. If they decline your offer and decide to go elsewhere, continue to stay in touch with them. It shows the candidate that you had a high interest in them, and you may find another position with your company that might be a better fit in the future.

    Step 6: Conduct A Phone Screen

    Once your team has found a handful of qualified candidates, it’s time to start interviewing. Prior to bringing the candidates in for a formal interview, conduct a phone screening to confirm they will be a good fit for the position. The phone interview step gives you the opportunity to ask preliminary questions and determine which applicants have met the necessary job requirements to move on to the next step, an in-person interview. This allows your team to narrow down the selection process and make sure you want to take the time to interview the candidate in person. Job candidates are interviewing your company the same way you’re interviewing them. Be sure you have a list of the top interview questions to ask before you begin this step. Questions to ask in a phone screen interview:

    • Tell me about yourself
    • Can you tell me about your background?
    • Why are you leaving your current employer?
    • What do you know about our company?
    • What are your salary expectations?
    • How soon would you be able to start?
    • Do you have any questions?

    Step 7: Interview In Person

    Following the phone screening interview and determining qualified candidates, it’s time to bring them in for an interview. These interviews should be conducted quickly after the phone screen interview. This step in the recruiting process should be unique and show the candidate what your company is all about. The cost of a bad hire adds up with the salary, training costs, hiring a replacement, etc. On average, companies lose $14,900 on every bad hire. Consider asking these questions to get the most out of your interview:

    • What type of impact did you make at your most recent job?
    • Tell me about a time you failed to reach a goal or complete a project. What happened, and why were you unsuccessful?
    • How would your colleagues describe you?
    • Name a work accomplishment that makes you proud. 
    • What motivates you?
    • Do you like working with a team or working alone?
    • When conflict arises at work, how do you handle it?
    • Where do you see yourself in the next five years?

    Be sure you are communicating with the candidate about where you are in the process and what the next steps are. Be sure to lay out the timeline so they know exactly what to expect.

    Step 8: Offer

    You’ve made it to the final steps where you see all your hard work pay off. You have determined a candidate that possesses the qualities you’re looking for. This is the most important step of the recruitment process. Make sure you present a desirable offer to the candidate that they won’t pass up. You first need to make a verbal job offer. Let the candidate know right away that you’re extending an official offer of employment. Be sure to provide details regarding the position, start date, compensation, bonus structure (if applicable), pay frequency, and when they need to accept or decline the offer.

    After you offer the candidate a verbal offer over the phone, it’s time to move on to the written offer. Provide all the information mentioned in the verbal offer along with their future manager’s contact information, and any steps they might have to take so they can come in ready to go for their first day of work. Make sure you get the written offer letter over to the candidate as soon as possible, via email. Provide a deadline for them to get the offer letter back to you to keep the momentum going. Once you’ve sent the offer over email, follow up via phone or email to ensure they received the offer letter. Anticipate this step to take slightly longer and be ready to negotiate salary and benefits.

    If they accept the offer, ensure you are following up with them once a week between the acceptance date and their first day. If not, you could run into the chance of the candidate backing out.

    Step 9: Onboarding

    Onboarding the new hire is your final step in the recruitment process and lends a hand to their success within their new role. Although there will be a plethora of forms during the onboarding process, it’s also important to include processes and resources that will help them transition into your company successfully. Consider having one-on-one meetings with them weekly or bi-weekly to check in with the new employee.

    The Benefits Of Outsourcing HR

    As you’ve noticed, it takes a lot of time and money to implement a recruitment process successfully. From creating a job ad to finding the right candidate to providing opportunities for employee development, the cost of hiring and training adds up. Professional employer organizations (PEOs) like GMS provide guidance on hiring and training as well as manage the administrative burdens associated with all aspects of the employee life cycle.

    Melanie Bahr, Recruitment Specialist Manager at GMS, provides her insights on hiring. “In this ever-changing and challenging hiring environment, finding the right candidate can feel like finding a needle in a haystack. Below are three important issues to consider in making a better hiring decision:

    1. Experience versus potential: experience is the most important and valued factor when evaluating a candidate. It’s important to remember experience is not everything, do not prioritize it over everything else. You may interview people who seem promising but don’t have much of a track record. While these candidates have not proven themselves at work yet, they have obvious potential.
    2. Skill set: determine what the must-have skills are and look at which skills you can train the candidate in. Many soft skills can make a candidate a great option and with little training, could be the right fit.
    3. Culture fit: consider thinking about how a candidate will fit in with your company’s culture. When employees are a good fit culturally, they will be happier at work allowing for enhanced productivity and reduced turnover.

    As a premier human resources company, we give our clients access to state-of-the-art HR software and other resources necessary to grow their business. GMS can help strengthen your business through our employee training and recruitment services. Contact us today to learn more.

  • An employee handbook compiles all your company policies, procedures, working conditions, and behavioral expectations that guide employee actions within the workplace. It provides your employees with direction on how they can access your promotion policy, open-door policy, Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA), Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), PTO, and any other important information your employees should know.

    Employee handbooks also include information about your company, a welcome letter from the president or CEO, the company’s mission and vision statements, purpose, values, and much more. Additionally, within an employee handbook, there is an area that shows your employee benefits and payment procedures.

    With a well-written handbook, employees will always know what is expected of them within the workplace. They will understand how their employer will address and apply the policies and procedures of their business. Employees will know that any employee in a similar situation to them will receive similar treatment.

    The Challenge Of Keeping Employee Handbooks Up To Date

    It takes a significant amount of time and effort to keep your employee handbook up to date. For small businesses that don’t have an HR professional, it’s even more challenging. However, it is vital for your business to have an employee handbook that’s up to date. It’s important to know that a handbook that’s outdated can ultimately cause more harm than good, especially if the policies aren’t compliant with the law. With that said, it’s important to know that you are not legally obliged to have an employee handbook. To learn how an employee handbook will benefit your business and the importance of updating it frequently, continue reading.

    Why It’s Important To Update Your Employee Handbook

    Employee handbooks have a variety of essential functions. Typically, handbooks are the first piece of information your new hires see during the onboarding process. It’s the introduction to your company. Employee handbooks also act as a reference point for your new hires. If you are a small business owner and don’t have a full-time human resources representative to answer questions, this is an excellent resource for your employees to utilize.

    You should review your employee handbook every calendar year to include any necessary updates. These updates could be changes to company policies, procedures, organizational structure, and more. If you plan to have any changes in the future, that is also something to consider when reviewing your current handbook.

    Laws change frequently. It’s your responsibility that your company follows all laws that apply to your business. This includes minimum wage, family leave laws, gender pay gaps, equal employment, and overtime regulations.

    Information could be missing. Perhaps you were reviewing your handbook and noticed you were missing information. You could have forgotten employee classification, unemployment, termination policies, etc. Whatever the situation is, be sure to add the missing information. 

    Technology changes. Since technology constantly changes, there will always be something that needs to be addressed. Topics such as data privacy, social media, cell phone/computer usage, and others, must be addressed.  

    How To Update Your Employee Handbook

    Depending on the size and tenure of your business will determine when you should be updating your employee handbook. You must review the document, compile any updates, write, or revise content, and update any legal documents that have been changed in order to stay compliant with the law.  

    Sit with your HR professionals (if applicable) and determine the major changes that need to be addressed within your handbook. This can include but is not limited to state and federal laws, paid time off policies, equal employment, and other areas.

    Consider adding the following topics to your handbook if you haven’t done so already:

    • Safety of employees
    • Employee benefits
    • Paid time off and vacation
    • Relationships expected in the workplace
    • Use of drugs
    • Discrimination policies
    • Inclusion and diversity
    • Remote and hybrid work policies 
    • Family medical leave act (FMLA)
    • COVID-19 policies 
    • Time and attendance
    • Personal appearance and dress code

    When You Should Update Your Employee Handbook

    As an employer, you should be reviewing your handbook at least once a year. Depending on the size of your business, you may want to consider reviewing it every six months. It’s common practice for an employer to review new case rulings and regulations to ensure the handbook is up to date. If you’ve had recent incidents like harassment and/or discrimination cases, those specific sections should be reviewed and updated.

    Partner With GMS Today!

    As you can see, a lot of work goes into creating an employee handbook for your business. If you are a business owner and don’t already have a handbook, the benefits it has for your business are extensive. Small business owners juggle a lot at once. Let us take on the administrative burdens while you focus on more important aspects of your business. Contact us today!

  • Early this month, Politico released that the U.S. Supreme Court has voted to overturn abortion rights. Since then, discussions and debates regarding abortion rights have been the center of attention throughout social platforms. If the ruling is reversed, access to abortion will most likely be banned or severely restricted in most states.

    Let’s take a step back and recall the origin of Roe v. Wade. In 1973, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled out a law in a case called Roe v. Wade. This is the case that legalized abortion in the United States. When the case began in 1970, Jane Roe, a name used to protect the identity of Norma McCorvey, instituted federal action against Henry Wade, the district attorney of Dallas County, Texas, where Roe resided. However, the U.S. Supreme Court disagreed with Roe’s statement of the right to terminate pregnancy in any way and time. They then attempted to balance a woman’s right to privacy with a state’s interest in regulating abortion.

    Ever since the ruling established the right to abortion, politicians have enacted dangerous restrictions that make getting an abortion nearly impossible for many people. Cases since then have included Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pennsylvania v. Casey (1992), Gonzales v. Carhart (2007), Whole Woman’s Health v. Hellerstedt (2016), June Medical Services L.L.C. v. Russo (2020).

    As a business owner, you may have questions as to how you should handle conversations about political issues in the workplace. Research shows that 92 percent of workers have witnessed or have been a part of unthinkable conversations. It is your job as a business owner to ensure a civil work environment where all employees feel safe. You should provide support on how employees can have conversations about politics in a respectable manner. No matter what you may think of a particular topic, a good starting place is to reach a common ground. Below is a list of ways you can restore peace and ensure a civil environment in the workplace:

    • Focus on company values
    • Practice the skill of active listening 
    • Address expectations
    • Hold training sessions
    • Provide resources to employees
    • Lead by example

    How A PEO Can Assist With The Training Of Your Employees

    Working onsite is more complex than ever before. Business owners and HR professionals must be more strategic in their approach to ensuring a safe place for their employees. Political discussions are a complex topic but taking proactive steps to help facilitate a respectful environment is encouraged. Partnering with GMS will provide you and your business resources to facilitate a safe workplace for your employees. GMS offers online employee training programs that can assist in handling controversial conversations in the workplace. Contact us today!

  • Advancements in technology have redefined the way businesses communicate, collaborate, and operate. The constant innovation of technology has forced businesses to rapidly adapt to new technology in order to thrive in today’s competitive marketplace. Since the beginning of the global pandemic in 2020, businesses have found new ways to operate, in turn, requiring HR leaders to also champion an attitude of technology adoption.

    Knowing that an HR leader’s success requires marrying great employees with solid technology, you understand the significant impact the right human resources technology can have. Implementing the right technology can have a significant impact on your business. The key to an HR leader’s success requires great employees and technology. The options are endless when it comes to choosing which HR technology solution matches what you’re looking for. You’ll need to determine the benefits and drawbacks of each technology platform and then compare the cost and value.

    Below is a list of tips for HR professionals to help determine which HR technology solution is the right fit:

    Capabilities For Faster Hiring

    As the effects of the global pandemic are still affecting the supply and demand for employees in the workplace, integrating technology to help with these efforts is vital for growth. Businesses have been suffering from the lack of employees and the number of jobs that need to be filled. By utilizing an applicant tracking system (ATS), the hiring process will track every step of the way. ATS programs allow companies to input specific parameters for job openings and use the systems’ automated algorithms to search through incoming resumes. Recruiting and hiring managers can search resumes stored in an ATS with keywords – plus, some systems will rank applicants based on how well they match your job description. It’s fast, easy, and it allows you to focus on growing your business. 

    More Efficient Onboarding Processes

    As soon as you hire your new employees, it’s time to take them through the onboarding process. The initial step is important as it adapts employees to their new role and the company’s culture. Utilizing technology in the onboarding process increases accessibility, improves candidates’ overall experience, and speeds up the entire process. With GMS Connect, our clients utilize a paperless onboarding process, benefits enrollment, payroll, and employee training that will help your new employees get acclimated and set up for success in their new roles.

    Pay Rules And Ensuring Compliance

    With the right technology solution, you can set up customized alerts for specific needs which automates the entire process. Whether you are utilizing a cloud-based solution or a manual process, you need a system in place to track employee hours, understand deductions, and issue payments to your workers. If you choose to partner with a PEO like GMS, you will have access to our proprietary technology with dedicated HR service and support. Your employees can access their paystubs, update personal information, and complete other tasks from anywhere they have access to the internet.

    Creates Opportunity For Growth

    Technology that improves your employees’ growth will assist your business in growing as well. The options are endless when it comes to technology platforms for your business. Learning is essential in the modern workplace for your employees to grow over time. One of the most popular HR technology platforms is a learning management system (LMS) – which is a web-based platform or software used to implement and monitor a learning process. An LMS is used to deploy learning strategies across the workplace, facilitate experiential and formal learning, manage compliance training, and enhance sales enablement. Essentially, it is beneficial for both the employer and employees as it reduces learning and development costs, enables a more streamlined onboarding process, improves employee performance, tracks performance, and helps employees upskill or reskill.

    Secure Data Access

    You may ask yourself, if my employees onboard electronically, how will their confidential information be secure? Great question. Our clients can rest assured that their information is protected by the highest standards. GMS is proud to be SOC 1 certified, a true testament to our stringent policies and procedures. By having our client’s information in a cloud-based HRIS, you don’t have to worry about your employees’ information getting lost or stolen.

    Partner With GMS To Learn More!

    When you work with GMS, you gain access to cutting-edge technology that lends a hand in rapidly growing your business while saving you time and money. Through GMS Connect, your employees will be able to onboard more efficiently, gain access to their information without disrupting your daily tasks, and ultimately, help them grow within their organization more effectively. Learn more about our technology by clicking here.

  • Have you ever considered partnering with an HR outsourcing company but have many questions about where you should start? Whether you have a full-time HR team within your business or run a one-person show, there are many processes and regulations that have costly consequences if they are unmastered. There are several outsourcing options that your business can utilize, which include a professional employer organization (PEO), administrative services organization (ASO), human resources organization (HRO), and a human resources information system (HRIS) – amongst many others. Continue reading to better understand the value and capabilities of the different HR outsourcing options available.

    Professional Employer Organization (PEO)

    A professional employer organization (PEO) is an all-inclusive outsourcing option for your most time-consuming HR tasks and employer liabilities – including payroll, benefits, human resources, and workers’ compensation. There are currently more than 700 PEOs in the country, as it’s been around for over 30 years. 

    If you choose to partner with a PEO, you gain access to more cost-effective options regarding healthcare, ancillary benefits, and workers’ compensation. PEOs work diligently with small business owners to provide them with the same buying power as a larger business through a co-employment relationship. This means your business and the PEO divides your employer’s responsibilities. Your company’s employees are employed by your company and the PEO. You may think this means that you’re going to lose control of your company. However, the reality is that you will never lose control of your business when you hire a PEO. A PEO will assist with more informed HR decisions that will make your business stronger.

    Administrative Services Organization (ASO)

    Administrative services organizations (ASO) are similar to a PEO in that they offer services including payroll, human resources, tax compliance, workers’ compensation, and benefits. The main differentiator is that an ASO doesn’t fall under a co-employment agreement. As a business owner, this means that you retain the employer of record status. All payroll taxes are reported and filed using your client’s FEIN. These types of companies ultimately assist in selecting and securing benefits for their client’s employees which allows you to carve out your own benefits plan. An ASO is designed to minimize your risks and liabilities through outsourcing essential employment-related tasks and responsibilities, allowing for easier management. However, clients don’t have access to the competitive pricing that a PEO offers.

    Human Resources Organization (HRO)

    Human resources organizations (HRO) are typically favored by larger companies that have already developed internal staff and technology that are able to manage the HR tasks. HROs provide a selection of services for business owners to choose from instead of managing all your HR functions. Companies interested in outsourcing to an HRO may have a need that’s outside of their internal expertise. There is no co-employment relationship, and the client organization remains the employer of record. As a business owner, there are a handful of laws and regulations that you face. However, managing them on a day-to-day basis is complicated. The main difference between an HRO and an ASO is that an HRO only handles the “human” aspects of human resources. Typically, HROs manage benefits, tax, or payroll-related issues. 

    Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO)

    Recruitment process outsourcing is when you outsource your internal recruitment function to a specialist that assumes the responsibility of owning and managing the entire recruiting process. They work with your internal team to transform how you approach obtaining talent when you need it. An RPO differs from staffing agencies as they assume ownership of the design and management of the recruitment process along with the responsibility for results. Finding quality talent and retaining them is quite the challenge in a complex recruiting environment. If you’re looking specifically for external recruiting help, partnering with an RPO is the right fit.

    Human Resources Information System (HRIS)

    When your business utilizes a human resources information system (HRIS), it will help your business use technology to enhance your people processes and improve HR functions. HRIS software provides personalized HR tools and solutions to tackle business challenges. Ultimately, HRIS software helps companies organize and manage people-related data in one location. The data that is organized and managed include:

    • Demographic information of employees (date of birth, gender, contact information)
    • Job information (position, department, pay rates, etc.)
    • Benefits provided
    • Time-off balances

    The list of benefits of an HRIS is extensive. When utilizing an HRIS system, you have capabilities of the organization, compliance, time savings, HR strategy, employee experience, and convenience.

    Which Is The Right Fit For Your Company? 

    While the above HR outsourcing companies offer valuable resources, you need to determine what level of service your business needs. Whether you are looking for external guidance for one specific HR function, like recruiting, to every aspect of your business, a PEO can help. Growing small to mid-sized businesses with little HR experience may benefit from a PEO like GMS. Partnering with a PEO will reduce the cost of doing business and free your management team from administrative work that slows productivity within your business. You will no longer have to be an expert at everything. Get in touch with our experts today to learn how we can help you.

  • Ohio and Republican legislative leaders have reached a compromise for the legalization of marijuana in Ohio vote for next year’s ballot, 2023. The Ohio Marijuana Legalization Initiative (2023) would enact a state law to legalize the cultivation, processing, sale, purchase, possession, home growth, and use of recreational marijuana for adults 21 years of age and older. In addition, the law would impose a 10% tax on adult-use cannabis sales and direct revenue to fund “a cannabis social equity and jobs program” to offer “financial assistance and license application support to individuals most directly and adversely affected by the enforcement of marijuana laws.”

    The legalization process has been quite a challenge for advocates. They’ve needed to turn in a first batch of at least 132,887 valid signatures to the state to initiate a process. Following that, lawmakers would have four months to decide whether to enact the proposal. Unfortunately, the legislature declined to move on to reform for November 2022 ballots.

    To bring the issue before voters in November 2023, advocates must resubmit their petitions on January 3rd, 2023.

    Stay In The ‘Know’ By Partnering With GMS

    Our experts at GMS work with you to create a simpler, safer, and stronger workplace for you and your employees. While the cannabis industry is making its presence in the state of Ohio, GMS will keep you up-to-date on any changes that your business should know in order to stay compliant with state laws. To learn how GMS can benefit your business, contact us today. 

  • An ever-changing workplace environment, coupled with the effects of COVID-19, leaves companies with positions to fill and a shortage of qualified candidates. In 2021, more than 47 million Americans had quit their jobs, which was a record for the most resignations in history. The majority of workers who quit a job in 2021 stated that low pay (63%), no opportunities for advancement within their company (63%), and feeling disrespected at work (57%) were the main reasons they quit their jobs.

    The pandemic quickly changed how Americans view the workplace and their expectations of it. As COVID-19 rates are on the decline, offices are starting to enforce employees returning to work in the office as opposed to working remotely. So, how can you make your workplace somewhere employees actually want to come to? Continue reading to see how you can enhance your company culture.

    Evaluate Your Current Company Culture

    The most important step to enhancing your company culture is to evaluate the current state of it. Consider how your employees are working together, the employee engagement, arrival, and departure of your employees, etc. Interview employees or conduct surveys to gather additional information. Once you take all those factors and review them, you need to determine what’s missing in your culture. The most crucial step in this process is actually taking action to improve on the areas needed. This is a long process, but ultimately worthwhile. 

    Core Values

    Core values shape your company culture and impact your overall business strategy. They provide your organization with a shared sense of purpose for achieving common goals. Your core values define how your team operates, behaves, and interacts during day-to-day activities. Once you’ve defined your values, ingraining them into the workplace is the challenging part. You must implement accountability mechanisms so your values can be easily united into a performance management system. Taking the time to recognize employees who have positively demonstrated your company values is a simple way to ensure your employees feel engaged and rewarded. 

    Conduct Performance Reviews

    Providing constructive feedback is vital to your employees’ ongoing development. The feedback you offer them clarifies expectations, helps people learn from their mistakes, and builds confidence. When things are going well, it can be easy to provide feedback. However, providing negative feedback isn’t as simple. The problem compounds if it isn’t addressed right away, meaning you’ll find yourself dealing with a much bigger issue later. If employees choose to leave your company, be sure to take advantage of an exit interview. This allows for your team to receive constructive criticism from former employees as to why they’re leaving and what improvements they may have for your company.   

    Encourage Growth

    It’s important now more than ever to retain your employees. If you’re looking for a new position to fill, consider promoting current employees before looking externally. Making sure your current employees are given opportunities for growth is one of the best ways to keep them. Consider offering personal development programs, attending conferences with your employees, conducting skills assessments, and creating formal opportunities to try out new responsibilities.

    In today’s job market, you must ensure that you’re investing in your employees. By providing detailed career paths, you will do just that and attract talented employees. Candidates will be more interested and engaged from the very beginning of their career if they see a detailed path laid out in front of them showing the options for movement and growth within your company. According to SHRM, only 29% of employees were satisfied with the career advancement opportunities offered to them. These career paths ultimately help your employees envision a long-term career within your business.

    Employee Engagement

    Enhancing employee engagement is the simplest way to decrease employee turnover, boost productivity, increase safety, and improve the employer brand. Organizations rely on the energy, commitment, and engagement within their workforce to succeed. You must involve engagement from the entire leadership team and a lot of planning in this step. Consider volunteering as a team and have other team outings. Participating in team-building activities builds a stronger relationship within your organization while potentially helping your community. Participating in activities with team members provides your employees an environment where relationship building is encouraged. Use your company values to aid in the decision of what activities your organization participates in. 

    Transparency

    Transparency is the practice of being open and honest with your employees. Being transparent within the workplace has many benefits. Implementing an open workplace encourages clear communication, collaboration, and an understanding of others without being afraid to speak up. Your employees want to feel supported and valued. Add transparency to your company policy to ensure all employees follow and respect the order to practice honesty. Ensure you are leading by example when encouraging transparency with your team. You need to be the first to set the standard. In order to enforce transparency effectively, be sure to start in the hiring process. This allows for your employees to know from the very beginning about your culture and policies that must be followed in the workplace.  

    Incentives

    It is a common practice for business owners and managers to find effective ways to help keep their employees motivated and engaged. Offering incentives to your employees motivates them and drives behaviors that ultimately result in improved business outcomes. Incentives also create a culture of high performance and retain top performers. Common incentives can include schedule flexibility, home-office days, stock options, team retreats, and tuition reimbursement. Implementing employee incentives comes with many advantages which include improved sales, boosting the morale of your team, and reducing employee turnover. 

    Recognize Employees

    Recognizing your employees for a job well done helps employees see that their company values them and their contributions to the success of their team and the company overall. When recognizing employees, be sure you’re tying it to a specific accomplishment or business objective which encourages continued strong performance. However, a simple “great work” goes a long way for some employees to keep motivated. You don’t know how your employees like to be rewarded, so make sure you ask.  

    Embrace Technology 

    Technology has become an essential part of our day-to-day lives in the workplace. Implementing technology allows your company to be more competitive, enhances communication and collaboration, increases security, and improves productivity and efficiency. Employees must be able to understand that the workforce constantly changes, and they must be willing to adapt as well. Most organizations that are constantly changing technology platforms realize that employees quickly learn how efficient their job can become with new technology. At GMS, we provide top-notch technology to your business to help with your HR functions.

    How A PEO Can Help Enhance Company Culture 

    As an ever-tightening labor market is still relevant, recruiting employees, retention, and enhancing company culture has never been more challenging for businesses. However, GMS can offer your small to mid-sized company guidance on hiring and training, as well as assist in managing the administrative burdens associated with every aspect of the employee life cycle. Our team of experts works diligently with you to provide benefits to attract top-tier employees. We assist in recruiting top talent and providing access to cutting-edge technology including GMS Connect, Time Clock, expense reporting, and our learning management system. Having been named a Top Workplace for over six years, we understand how important creating a strong company culture is. Contact us today to learn how we can assist your business.

  • For the 2023 calendar year, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) raised the contribution limit to a health savings account (HSA) to $3,850 for an individual and $7,750 for a family. Currently, the HSA limit is $3,650 for individuals and $7,300 for a family. These higher limits allow individuals and families to save more money on qualified expenses.

    An HSA is a savings account that allows you to set aside money on a pre-tax basis to pay for qualified medical expenses. With an HSA, you can use untaxed dollars to pay for deductibles, co-payments, and coinsurance which may lower your health care costs. HSAs are available only to individuals with a high deductible health plan (HDHP) which the IRS defines as a plan with an annual deductible that is no less than $1,500 for self-only coverage or $3,000 for family coverages for 2023. It also articulated that annual out-of-pocket expenses including deductibles and co-payments for an HDHP cannot exceed $7,500 for individuals and $15,000 for family coverage.

    There will be no change to the age 55+ HSA catch-up limit rules for 2023 so it remains at $1,000 per year. This allows any individual ages 55 and older to put away an additional “catch-up” contribution up to that amount annually. All adjusted limits will go into effect starting January 1, 2023.

    GMS Is Here To Help!

    Are you a business owner that doesn’t offer any health care benefits, but you think now might be a good time to introduce them? You’ve come to the right place. We understand that health coverage can be confusing. At GMS, our team of experts sits with your employees to explain the different health coverages available to them and determine the right fit. Learn more!