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  • Whether you’re dealing with workers’ compensation costs or unemployment claims, risk management can be a struggle for any business owner to manage. Effectively mitigating risks, supervising safety protocols, and managing legal liabilities can take time and focus away from business growth and profitability. Fortunately, a professional employer organization (PEO) can help manage these processes and improve your business’s overall safety and risk management.

    What is Risk Management

    Risk management entails identifying and assessing potential risks that could negatively impact a company’s operations, reputation, or financial stability. It consists of evaluating workplace hazards and implementing measures to mitigate or avoid them.

    According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), millions of workers in the United States experience serious job-related injuries annually. These injuries lead to lost productivity, workers’ compensation claims, and higher insurance rates. Risk management proactively prevents such accidents by identifying hazards and implementing strategies that will safeguard employees.

    Instituting Loss Prevention Strategies

    One way that a PEO can improve your risk management is by instituting loss prevention strategies. These strategies can reduce workers’ compensation claims and improve overall safety. PEOs can help you develop safety programs, write safety manuals and guidelines, implement a drug testing process, or perform workplace inspections. Loss prevention strategies can also include having workers’ compensation insurance, claims representation, and claim investigations.

    Cost containment strategies

    While you can take steps to prevent accidents and terminations, they still happen. In the event a claim is filed, a PEO can handle the following to help you reduce associated costs:

    • Reduce liability for unemployment taxes
    • Help you write detailed 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

    Save time and money

    For a small business, workers’ compensation costs can vary from less than $100 to thousands of dollars a year per employee. Workers’ compensation and unemployment claims can’t always be predicted, but you can still reduce the amount of time and money that you spend on legal protection. By implementing safety programs, training, and protocols, you can reduce employee risk. When employees feel safer at their workplace, they are more productive, focused, and have higher morale, all of which can improve your business operations and bottom line.

    GMS and Risk Management

    If you’re searching for ways to improve your risk management and reduce workers’ compensation claims, a PEO like Group Management Services (GMS) could be what you’re looking for. Our team of risk experts are able to develop safety programs and policies to fit your specific industry and workplace. They can also perform worksite inspections, identify potential hazards or accident-prone areas in your workplace, and provide specific, cost-effective solutions.

    Learn more about GMS here!

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • Good businesses need good employees, and good employees look for good opportunities. A competitive benefits package plays a major part in attracting quality talent to your company, as well as retaining current workers. 

    Employee benefit administration can be a time-consuming and costly endeavor for a small- to mid-size company, especially one that wants to offer a complex benefits package. Instead of just accepting the hassle as a necessity, you should consider the possibility of teaming up with a Professional Employer Organization (PEO) like Group Management Services (GMS) to benefit your benefits.

    Employee benefits administration is yet another service provided by a PEO.

    Many Parts, One Partner

    A good benefits package in a pretty complex affair. Some elements of a package may include:

    • Health insurance

    • 401k retirement plans

    • Profit sharing

    • Supplemental insurance plans

    • Benefit administration

    • Group life

    • COBRA

    • Disability

    • Dental

    • Vision

    That’s a lot of information to have to focus on and administer out to your employees. Fortunately, a PEO has trained professionals that can manage your business’ benefits package.

    This also leaves you with one point of contact for your benefits package needs, instead of needing to deal with multiple providers when you have questions.

    Saving Time and Money

    Another advantage of partnering with a PEO is that it allows you more time to focus on your business. While you handle your area of expertise, GMS’ experts can streamline your employee benefits administration. In fact, we help out so many employers and their employees that we have greater buying power through economy of scale.

    The Right Fit

    A good benefits package can help you attract and retain talented employees. If you’re looking to save some time and money on employee benefits administration, contact us today to see if a PEO is the right fit for you and your company.

  • It’s always good to research your options before making a business decision. The questions may differ depending on the industry your company is in, but payroll plays a factor in every business, and it sure isn’t cheap. 

    Statistics show that it costs small- to mid-size companies an average of $2,000 per employee per year to handle payroll. Even if you’re a small- or mid-size company, a Professional Employer Organization like Group Management Services may be a good fit to help streamline your payroll needs.

    Of course, working with a PEO is a big decision, so you’ll want to find out what they can offer your business. Here are some ways to find out if a PEO is good fit to handle your payroll.

    Payroll services from a professional employment organization.

    Determine Your Payroll Needs

    One big reason why businesses struggle to make their HR process both efficient and cost-effective is because many people aren’t trained to handle things like payroll or employee benefits. GMS is, and we can offer you several services to help, including:

    • Web-based software

    • Simplified payroll management

    • Payroll tax administration

    • Management of tax records

    • Simplified deduction tracking

    If you’re losing time and money trying to handle payroll, it may be time to consider working with a PEO.

    Ask Questions

    Don’t be afraid to see if a PEO can match your business needs. Want to find out how your accountant would play into a partnership with GMS? Wondering about time-keeping systems? Worried about account accessibility? These are all questions that may make a difference in your PEO decision.

    We are happy to answer any questions you may have when it comes to how a PEO can impact your payroll. In fact, some may even be answered in our Payroll FAQs.

    Learn More

    Working with a PEO is an important decision for your business. Even if you’re a small- or mid-sized company, GMS can provide you with top-quality payroll services. 

    Want to learn more? Find out how GMS meets your needs and get a quote today if you think a PEO is the way to go.

  • It can be hard to manage HR functions internally. That’s why a Professional Employer Organization (PEO) provides comprehensive services for businesses in need of help. 

    However, some people aren’t as familiar with how PEOs operate and may be concerned about working with them. Fortunately, we’re here to help answer your questions. We’ve debunked three myths about PEOs that you shouldn’t worry about.

    Image of a man with a magnifying glass. Learn about how a professional employer organization helps businesses.

    PEOs Don’t Take Control of Your Business

    Myth: A PEO will take over your company.

    Nobody wants to lose control. Unlike what some people may think, hiring a PEO won’t lead to a takeover. PEOs partner with companies to help them make more informed business decisions and save them time and money. Our experts help you manage HR functions and stay compliant with any necessary laws, but you always stay in control and run your business.

    Small Businesses Can Benefit from PEOs, Too

    Myth: PEOs can’t help small businesses.

    You don’t need to run a huge company to benefit from a PEO. Small companies encounter headaches with HR functions just like any company. Figuring out payroll or handling HR for any number of people can lead to late hours and costly inefficiencies and errors. A PEO can help a small business solve these problems and save money while doing it.

    PEOs are a Smart Investment

    Myth: PEOs are too expensive.

    PEOs typically charge a fee per employee per month, but the costs of hiring a PEO are often covered by savings on your HR functions. Not only can PEOs uncover costly issues, they also put measures in place to make sure the “inevitable HR issues” don’t happen. Plus, you don’t have to spend countless hours trying to manage HR functions. PEO experts can manage that part of your business so that you can spend your time focusing on other important areas. 

    Complete Guide to PEOs

    Work with a Professional Employer Organization

    Over the years, GMS has helped over a thousand clients manage their HR functions. Contact GMS today to talk to one of our experts about how a PEO can help your company improve its HR functions.

  • It can be hard to seek help when you don’t know who you should ask. Business owners can spend countless hours trying to manage their business’ HR functions. Fortunately, PEOs can help save them time and money while offering professional management services that can strengthen their business. The important part is to find the right PEO partner for your business. Here are some questions that owners should ask when looking for HR help.

    Image of a business owner contacting a PEO. Learn about questions business owners should ask PEOs, including “what is a PEO?”

    What is a PEO and How Does It Work?

    Nobody should jump into something they may not understand, so kick off your search for HR help with a single question: Exactly what is a PEO? A PEO is a Professional Employer Organization that works with your company to make HR functions more efficient and effective for you and your employees.

    According to the National Association of Professional Employer Organizations, “PEOs enable clients to cost-effectively outsource the management of human resources, employee benefits, payroll and workers’ compensation.” PEOs have been around for decades, providing important services for companies big and small. Every business is different, so the key is finding a PEO that can suit your specific needs.

    How Can a PEO Save My Business Time and Money?

    A PEO can make your business more efficient. Let’s face it; the average business owner isn’t the person who should be spending hours dedicated to managing payroll, benefits, and  other back office functions. They should be utilizing their time on areas where they can make a greater impact so that their company can grow. Of course, HR functions are a critical part of every company, so you need somebody who can help.

    PEO experts are just those people. A PEO employs specialists in all different areas of HR. This gives you the experts that can professionally manage areas like benefits, payroll, and other HR functions for potentially less than what it would take for the average owner to try and do on their own or to hire someone internally. Also, PEOs have a greater buying power than a small business, allowing your company to receive beneficial rates thanks to the economy of scale.

    Is My Business Big Enough for a PEO?

    You don’t need to run a big business to get quality HR management. As a premier PEO, GMS has helped everything from small, 20-person shops to companies with several hundred employees.

    GMS has been in business for 20 years and has helped over 1,000 clients make their company simpler, safer and stronger. Contact GMS today to see why we’re the right PEO for you and your business. 

  • The United States Construction Industry is sure to face some changes in the coming year, with the change of leadership and direction of the country. Regardless of your position, there has been a push for investment in this country’s infrastructure on both sides of the aisle.

    President-elect Trump has mapped out a $1 trillion infrastructure plan with the help of Economic Advisors Peter Navarro and Wilbur Ross. They have broken down a 10-year plan, with the focus of funding coming from private entities. The idea is for these revenue generating projects (i.e. Utilities, toll roads, airports…etc.) to provide tax credits to the private investors to be counterbalanced by the employee and company taxes generated from these projects.

    All parties have agreed on the need for investment into our infrastructure, which in turn, should generate more jobs in the construction industry across the country. That being the case, there are HR issues that need to be addressed through the industry to aid in this growth.

    Image of a construction worker. Contact GMS for help with HR issues in the construction industry.

    Top Issues Facing the Construction Industry

    1. Recruitment: According to a 2016 National Survey by the Associated General Contractors, two-thirds of contractors are having a difficult time finding qualified craft workers to keep up with the demand.
    2. Workers’ Compensation Costs: In this high risk industry, employers are finding it difficult to maintain reasonable premiums for workers’ compensation coverage. In March of 2015, workers’ compensation costs comprised 3 percent of overall compensation versus a 1.4 percent average for all occupations.
    3. Safety: In 2014, 1 in 5 U.S. work related fatalities across the country were in the construction industry, at an average rate of over 13 deaths per day. 
    4. Worker Classification: There has been a trend of companies misclassifying workers as independent contractors to avoid having to pay Overtime, Federal Unemployment, as well as Social Security and Medicare Taxes. The penalties include the Department of Labor being able secure unpaid wages, penalties for failure to withhold taxes, as well as other punitive damages.

    Many employers do not have the time or resources in order to effectively manage all of these areas. One way you can help combat these issues is by outsourcing all of your HR functions to a Professional Employer Organization. At Group Management Services, we have the experts to help make sure you are protected. Whether it is through recruiting, risk management, or competitive benefits plans, we have the ability to make your business simpler, safer, and stronger. Contact GMS today to learn more!  

  • As the years go by, HR administration continues to evolve. The growing need for improved operational efficiency and compliance has led more business owners to turn to HR experts for help managing crucial business functions. 

    This expansion has been so great that the Professional Employer Organization industry has nearly doubled to around $168 billion dollars in the past six-and-a-half years. The need for human resource outsourcing isn’t just a need for one or two different industries, as HR providers saw a 23 percent or greater increase in business from blue collar, white collar, and grey collar businesses. 

    While businesses often turn to PEOs for help with benefits administration and risk management services, there are other additional HR functions and benefits that have become more popular in recent years. Two of the more intriguing recent trends in human resource outsourcing is a move toward investing in online payroll and workplaces wellness programs.

     Image of a workplace wellness program, a recent human resource outsourcing trend.

    Online Payroll

    Technology is giving businesses a greater ability to track and store crucial business information. Outsourcing online payroll services to a PEO is one way businesses are taking advantage of advancing online capabilities to improve business efficiencies and save money.

    According to a survey conducted by cashflow management site Bill.com, nearly half of accounting professionals wish that they could eliminate paper checks. With online payroll services, you can. Nearly half of CEOs name sustainability as a top-three initiative for their organization, and a paperless workplace can help your business take a big step toward that goal.

    More businesses are turning to online payroll because it benefits your business, your employees, and the environment. Businesses benefit from a streamlined payroll solution that cuts down on management time and allows you to manage and access all your important information from anywhere. This easily-accessible system also makes it easier for employees to track time and access W-2s and paystubs. Finally, the lack of physical checks and files lowers your paper usage and storage, aiding the environment and allowing you to “save between $2.87 and $3.15 per pay run by paying employees electronically” according to Business News Daily.

    Workplace Wellness Programs

    These days, businesses are looking to pump up their health-related benefits offerings, especially workplace wellness programs and other related wellness perks. According to a research report by the Society for Human Resource Management, 24 percent of organizations increased wellness benefits in 2016, more than any other specific type of benefit. 

    Why are businesses gravitating toward adding wellness benefits? SHRM offers the following reasons:

    • 88 percent of organizations with a wellness program rated their initiatives as somewhat or very effective in improving employee health
    • 77 percent of organizations indicated their wellness program was somewhat or very effective in reducing health care costs
    • 53 percent of organizations wanted to create a culture that promotes health and wellness

    A workplace wellness program is a great way to benefit both your employees and your business by actively promoting a healthier lifestyle inside and outside the workplace. The CDC Foundation notes that the average productivity loss linked to absenteeism was $1,685 per employee. Promoting wellness can improve the lifestyles of your employees and help you cut down on productivity loss and rising healthcare rates.

    Take Advantage of HR Outsourcing Trends

    Whether you’re looking for help managing the latest HR trends or more traditional business functions, a PEO can be the way to go. A PEO can help you manage a wide variety of critical tasks through, offering a variety of the benefits associated with HR outsourcing, such as saving yourself time and money while protecting your business from compliance concerns or retention woes. Contact GMS today to talk to one of our experts about how we can help your business manage HR.