Leverage Benefits to Recruit and Retain Talent

Leverage Benefits to Recruit and Retain Talent

It’s a lot more efficient to retain good employees than to find and hire new ones. The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) recently asked its members how they are adapting their employee benefit programs to avoid losing quality workers. Two-thirds of respondents in the study represent employers with fewer than 500 employees.

SHRM’s “Strategic Benefits” study set the stage by asking employers how many are having a tough time retaining highly skilled employees. Fully 37% reported that this is a problem for them — up from 27% only four years ago. That challenge was more acute among self-described “high-tech” companies.

More than one-third of respondents reported difficulty retaining employees at all levels within the organization, up from 25% in 2012.

Nearly one in five surveyed employers changed their benefits plans within the last year. And among high-tech companies, one in four did so.

How many companies have changed these benefits in the past year?

Employee Segment
Benefit category	All	High performing	Highly skilled
Health care benefits	61%	44%	44%
Flexible working arrangements	37%	31%	35%
Retirement savings plans	35%	25%	27%
Leave benefits	34%	27%	28%
Career development	34%	36%	34%
Wellness	26%	23%	23%
Family-friendly benefits	14%	10%	10%

Source: SHRM 2016 Strategic Benefits Survey

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What did employers change? As the table above indicates, among the employers that made changes, health care benefits were altered by the majority. Some employers differentiated benefit plan changes for the various employee segments.

Employee Segment Targeting

As the table shows, 44% of the employers made changes particular to high-performing and highly skilled workers. Also, career development plans were more prevalent for high-performing employees among employers that changed those benefits.

That finding was consistent with a widely held view that professional and career development benefits are becoming more critical to employee retention. Slightly smaller majorities of respondents also believe that flexible working benefits, health care benefits, retirement savings plans and wellness programs will become more important.

Family-friendly benefits are seen to be dropping in importance, with only 28% believing they will grow in value (vs. 55% 2013).

When asked which benefits will be more critical to helping employers retain high-performing employees, respondents overwhelmingly identified career development (70%), and slightly smaller majorities named health care benefits, retirement plans and flexible working arrangements. Similar benefit priorities were ascribed to high-performing employees.

Millennial Priorities

Career development and flexible working arrangements were also considered vital to the retention of millennial generation workers, with 83% and 80% of survey respondents, respectively, identifying those benefits.

The SHRM survey asked employers the same set of questions with respect to recruiting new workers. Their responses generally fell into the same pattern.

One noteworthy finding, however, is that employers see the primary bread-and-butter benefits — health and retirement plans — gaining importance in the recruitment of employees at all levels of the organization, but career development and flexible working arrangements as becoming a larger draw for millennial and highly skilled employees.

The survey did not get “into the weeds” on the kinds of changes survey respondents made to their plans. The general trend with health plan changes in recent years has been a shift to high-deductible health plans (HDHPs) paired with health savings accounts. However, that’s been a mixed bag for employees.

According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, in 2016 the average employee contribution to HDHP premiums was $943 for single coverage and $4,289 for family coverage. Those numbers are 16% and 19%, respectively, lower than the average of all health plan types. However, employees who incur higher than average number of medical claims typically wind up paying more under HDHPs than HMO or PPO plans by virtue of the higher deductible.

Relative Competitiveness

Employers who consider health benefits as a vital tool for retaining and recruiting employees need to only make their plans less costly to employees than their competitors do, even while overall costs to employees are on an upward path.

Expanding flexible working arrangements, in contrast, doesn’t necessarily entail an increase in employer costs, so long as there’s no productivity drop among employees who use these programs. In general, with proper supervision and the appropriate kind of job (that is, one in which employees don’t need a lot of facetime with colleagues), the productivity issue goes away.

Similarly, career development benefits, which are so cherished by millennials (as are flexible working arrangements) don’t need to add significant costs to your employee “total compensation” budget.

Making an effort to sketch out a probable career path for talented employees may not cost anything. And while additional training programs do increase costs, if the net result is better trained and more loyal employees, that expense becomes a long-term investment in the future of your organization.

(Source: Bisection)

Office Wellness

Office Wellness

The new year is officially under way, and with it comes a whole new 12 months worth of possibilities and opportunities for you, your company, and your employees. With each new year comes resolutions to set and goals for us to reach. The most common resolutions are usually either financial, or health based. From saving money to losing pounds, or for those ambitious employees, a little bit of both. Why should you take interest in the New Year’s Resolutions of your employees? Because you can benefit from them as well, while also benefitting your employees. There is an undeniable connection between productivity and health. It’s simple logic, a healthy employee can do more with a more positive outlook, so why not give your employees some incentive to keep with their resolutions?

How do you do This?

There is a multitude of ways you can implement a wellness program, and no one way is universally effective. This is because every company is different, and a wellness plan needs to be tailored to it’s employees and their needs. Especially when you consider the physical needs of different work environments. Office jobs, for instance, don’t generally offer a lot of physical activity, whereas construction sites offer an abundance of it. You can also choose how extensive your wellness program is. Some companies will do the basics, offering health screenings and resources for learning how to live healthy. Some companies will go all out, offering incentives for improving your health, creating health events outside of work, and encouraging physical activities such as walking or visiting the gym.

One thing to remember when implementing a wellness program, however, is that it has to be inviting, not intimidating. You can not force an employee to live a healthier lifestyle. You have to invite them to do so. Making it a requirement, or punishing an employee because they don’t take part in the program will cause completely polar effects to the intended goal. Make it simple to take part in the wellness program. Don’t make it an obligation, rather let them use it at their own pace. This doesn’t mean you can’t try and motivate an employee to join it of course.

What is Wellness Though?

When you think of Wellness, what comes to mind? Is it working out and building some muscle, or maybe eating a healthy salad instead of a greasy burger? Many people think of the physical body when it comes to wellness. While that is a major part of it, there is much more involved. Wellness incorporates all parts of the human experience, meaning Physical, Mental, Emotional, and for some, even Spiritual. These are all for the most part, connected however. Studies show that people who are physically healthy tend to have a more positive state of mind and emotion. Emotionally positive people tend to get out more and be more active. Physical fitness can also boost confidence, which in turn, can make someone feel emotionally stronger as well.

Wellness on a spiritual level is best left to the individual. Some find spiritual wellness in churches, some by meditating in the woods, and some don’t believe in it at all. To refrain from conflict between ideas, it is best to focus only on physical, mental, and emotional, and leave spiritual journeys to the employee.

How does this Benefit the Company?

A happy employee is a productive employee, and a happy employee is oftentimes, a healthy one. Physically, mentally, and emotionally fit employees can work for longer, with more stamina and more focus. They tend to be happier and can help raise morale in the office. They tend to be more outgoing and can inspire other employees to try and live healthier lives. Not to mention smiles are contagious. That’s not just a saying, some studies have shown smiling around others can inspire them to smile as well. Other studies have shown that by simply smiling, you can improve your mood.

A wellness program that allows employees to work together is also a team building exercise. It lets employees operate together outside of a pure work environment. They can support each other on their path to better health, and socialize while they work out.  

It also helps to attract new employees to your business. Individuals with a certain skill set can be highly sought after in a market, giving them room to choose a company. Often times the four factors that pull an applicant to you is pay scale, benefits, location, and environment. While you can’t really do much for location, unless you have a plan for moving an entire building across town to please an applicant, a wellness program can add to the benefits and environment parts. Pair them with other benefits such as health insurance and vacation pay, and your company goes to the top of the list for the applicant.

How far should you go with your wellness plan? That depends on your employees and what your company can comfortably accommodate. When reviewing the possibility of a wellness program, let a Port Orange Payroll Company like Vision H.R. supply you with in depth payroll reports, so you have all the numbers you need. Don’t wait, the time to start is today. Otherwise, tomorrow will become next month and next month will become December.

Port Orange Payroll Company

Vision H.R. | The Human Resource Experts

At the Round Table

At the Round Table

We all know the tales of King Arthur, the king who was gifted the sword Excalibur by the Lady of the Lake and was declared King of all of Britain! Even though strange ladies lying in ponds handing out swords is no basis for a system of government, his tale is still one of the most well known from the medieval era. Countless movies, books, and video games have been made based on his tale. What some people forget however, is the tale is not simply about King Arthur, it is also about his knights of the table round. Each knight may not get as much recognition as King Arthur, but they all had their own tales, and fought to protect his kingdom. This is the way of many stories, however. One name takes the title, though many others do their part to keep the world going. Can you imagine if King Arthur had to save and rule Britain all on his own, or if Frodo had to destroy the one ring without the other members of the fellowship? A lot of great novel series would be shortened to one short story.

Like these tales of old and of now, we must remember that even the titule character in our story can not stand alone. It takes more than a company owner to keep the business floating above water. He needs assistants, associates, managers, an entire round table of people working together and apart. Each department has it’s own duties to see to, but have to be aware of what is happening around them as well.

Why am I telling you about King Arthur? Because seeing every department as important is key to a successful company. It decides if you are King Arthur, sitting upon his throne as a respected ruler, or King Arthur, being followed by a guy with two halves of a coconut and getting insulted by people in a castle. Even the department that houses the janitors and maintenance workers, which some may look down on, are vital to a successful company. If you don’t think every department is important, imagine trying to climb a staircase that is missing steps, or driving a car that is missing one wheel and a windshield. You may get there eventually, but it’s not going to be easy.

One such department, that not only is important to the company itself, but to every department around it, is payroll. Payroll services are vital to keeping a company together, because they make sure the employees can keep coming into work. They also help to motivate employees to keep working. That is actually a little limited in scale, because even the management of a company relies on payroll to make sure they get their regular paychecks. Even above management relies on payroll, to know how much money it is costing them, so they can make other financial decisions.

This is why it should be a priority to make sure your payroll department is running at full efficiency. While you could keep an eye on them yourself, you could look at outsourcing your payroll. This option allows you to maintain control of your payroll, without having to worry about how it is operating. With a company like Vision H.R., a trusted Daytona Beach Payroll Company that services surrounding cities such as Port Orange, New Smyrna Beach, and Ormond Beach, you get a staff of experts that don’t just tell you they know what they are doing. They have a long history of success handling numerous client’s payrolls. Like any good knight at your round table, we are confident in our abilities, and so we are offering a free quote, so you can make the best decision for your company. For more information, or to answer any questions you may have, you can contact a member of our staff at (877) 641-0012

Daytona Beach Payroll Company

Vision H.R. | The Human Resource Experts

Starting a New Business

So, you had an idea, and that idea grew into a plan, and now that plan is going to open any day now. It’s pretty exciting, starting your own business. No more making money for other people. Now you are going to be the one sitting in that leather chair, making the big decisions and big money. At least, that is the plan. Plans can be complicated things, though. One small oversight can be one big mistake.

This is especially true if you are acting on a dream with no real prior experience. Some people break off from a higher up management position to start their own business. They know about all the different parts of the business to consider. Some people are simply going about their new business with nothing more than a hope and a prayer. Rather you know what you are doing, or are doing plenty of research to learn, you can benefit from a little help.

Even though we are talking about new and growing businesses, this advice can go for any company. A strong foundation for any business is presentation, and financial stability. You have to make sure you have enough financial assets to stay stable, and a way to cover any loss or emergency. This can mean either having emergency money, or insurance to cover anything that might happen. That might not sound too complicated, but that is just a simple description of it.

Payroll involves quite a few areas that need to be covered, and is a vital part of your overhead. Your overhead, is the amount you need to make a month to have that financial stability. Any company with a physical location, and now even the ones that are entirely done online, will need employees. If you want to keep those employees, you are going to have to pay them regularly. You also have to take taxes out of their paychecks, consider things like sick or holiday pay, and how to label an employee.

You need to learn all of that pretty fast as well. The only other option is to hire someone to learn it for you. This could be an employee, or it could be an company that handles company’s payroll for them. Even if you don’t have your business yet, you can talk to a company like Vision H.R. about what steps to take to get your payroll started off right from day one. Vision H.R. is the payroll company New Smyrna Beach to Daytona Beach companies come to for help and advice.
Any company just starting out has limitless potential to grow, and when you have a helping hand, you have even more freedom to spread your wings and fly. So start your business the right way, and request a free quote on your business, rather it is just starting, or already a well established part of our community here in Volusia.

Payroll Company New Smyrna Beach

Vision H.R. | The Human Resource Experts

Time to Update the Handbook

Time to Update the Handbook

One of the most powerful tools someone in a management position can have, is an employee handbook. They set out the rules and regulations that you can refer to when dealing with an employee. It details what an employee is allowed to do and what is prohibited. Especially once the employee signs their handbook, stating they understand the contents of it. After that sign it, they don’t really have any valid excuse to go against it. Of course, something so ultimately powerful has to be watched closely as well. Like a flashlight with old batteries, an out of date employee handbook won’t help you much.

Why do you need to update your employee handbook though? Isn’t it a firm foundation of what to do and what not to do? The reason you need to update it is because in the modern world, new trends and distractions continuously explode onto the scene. Let us take a look at some of the trends 2016 brought us and some that it left behind.

Poke’mon Go

Beard Fashion

Hoverboards

The 2016 Battle for the White House

Snapchat

Instagram Stories

Uber

Tattoos in the Workplace

Colored Hair in the Workplace

And many more.

Of course, some of these were around before 2016, but saw a intense increase in popularity this year. Some of them are still popular as we enter 2017. A few though, such as Poke’mon Go, took the world completely by storm, and like any storm, faded away almost as quickly as it had come. With trends shifting so unpredictably, it is recommended to review and modify your employee handbook at least once a year. Some companies even choose to do it every six months.

There was a time when items such as tattoos, piercings, and unnatural hair colors were reserved for alternative scenes and lifestyles. You would expect a hardcore biker to ride down the street with sleeves of tattoos. Now though, there are places that let anyone from cashier to manager have them. Is your company one of them, or do you prefer to limit tattoos and piercings? It is okay to change your mind on the matter, as long as you let current and potential employees know. An updated employee handbook is a great way to do so.

Another trend that popped up and could use a little bit of monitoring is the Smart Watch. People are just not impressed with a digital watch anymore. Now they want one that can answer calls and play music. Should you allow them though, and if so, what limitations should you place on them? Employees have turned texting in the workplace into an art, and now they have a tool to make it even easier. That employee might be stopping to check the time, send a message to a friend, or watch a cute cat video. You have no real way of knowing. The employee, however, has an easy way to know if what he is doing is right or wrong. How do they know? That’s right, it’s in the 2017 Edition of the Employee Handbook.

With so many new trends, reviewing an employee handbook should not be done alone. Speak to your managers, or even your employees. Consult a company that knows more about creating and maintaining an employee handbook like Vision H.R. Take steps while creating an employee handbook that is comprehensive, yet easy to understand. Also, don’t forget to inform your employees about any changes you have made to the handbook. They can not be held accountable for breaking a rule that they don’t know exists.  

Creating an Employee Handbook

Vision H.R. | The Human Resource Experts

The Importance of Being Prepared

The Importance of Being Prepared

We spoke before about the presidential election. Well the election is now over and Donald Trump is our new President. With a new president, comes new policies and ideas. What are these policies and why should you take note of them? Because these changes could affect how much taxes are collected. As a business owner, you have to be on top of this information. You are responsible for making sure the proper taxes are taken out of your employee’s paychecks. You are also responsible for the taxes your company pays. There are other policy changes that can affect your business. Just this year, overtime for salary workers was changed, and raising the minimum wage has been discussed to some extent for most of 2016, with many demanding to set it at $15 a hour.

Even if you are not too interested in politics or who is president, you have to be aware of the potential impact it can have on your company because:

1. It will impact your company.
2. You must make sure your employees are aware of any changes.

Of course, there is the chance that this election won’t have much impact at all on your company. It wouldn’t be the first time a candidate made promises they couldn’t keep. However, It is better to be prepared for something that doesn’t happen, then have something happen and you not be prepared.

Luckily, there is a source you can use to stay ahead of the curve on these changes, without having to do the research yourself. You are a busy person, especially now that you are in the middle of the holiday season. There are limitless sale possibilities that you can be taking advantage of. What is this source? It’s called Vision H.R. and it can take a lot of responsibility off your plate.

Don’t take too long on making a decision about plans for the Trump presidency. Yes, there is still a bit of time before the new candidate is sworn into office, but the idea behind being prepared is being ready for something before it happens. By outsourcing to Vision H.R. now you will get the normal benefits that they offer, such as an organized, easy to follow payroll department, and they will also be ready to make any changes to your payroll before they even take effect. On top of that, you will know when these changes will be coming, so you will be able to inform your employees.

The best part, even if you don’t end up needing to make any major changes, Vision H.R. can still benefit your normal, day to day business. It gives you more time to worry about more pressing work related responsibilities, while making sure your payroll is organized and done effectively. The only thing you risk losing from this, is a few moments of your time requesting a free quote for your company.  

Payroll Management Company Daytona Beach

Vision H.R. | The Human Resource Experts

Looking at Tomorrow

Looking at Tomorrow

The year is coming to an end. We are in the middle of the holiday season and New Year’s is just around the corner. It feels like just a month ago we were walking into work for the first time in 2016 and already we are shopping for Christmas presents. While we are preoccupied worrying about holiday sales, we have to look at the obstacles and opportunities of the upcoming year as well. Some of these obstacles and opportunities will be easy to see, some we won’t know about until they happen.

What are some of these opportunities and obstacles you have to look for when the new year comes around? When it comes to payroll, there are going to be some employees up for a raise. You are going to have to make sure you can afford to pay these employees their new wage. Even just a 5 cent raise will cause a significant increase over the course of a year. Don’t forget about vacation pay either. A new year means a new round of vacation hours for employees, on top of any other incentives you offer such as holiday pay.

Living in the Daytona Beach and Port Orange area also brings about another round of seasons to prepare for. Bike Week, Daytona 500, Spring Break, all times that your business might see a significant increase in traffic. While Daytona Beach might be the epicenter of the tourist invasion, some places like Ormond Beach and New Smyrna Beach will also get quite a few extra tourists thanks to their hotels, beaches, and motorcycle shops. So if you have a business anywhere in Volusia County, you are going to need enough employees with enough hours to take care of the inevitable influx of business.

How can you get all the information you need to get ready for the new year? The easiest way to do this is to have someone prepare your payroll and supply an easy to understand report so that you can see how much payroll is costing you. You can use this information to make stronger decisions for your business, and make plans for the future. Where do you find someone who can do this for you? Don’t worry about hiring a new employee to train or trying to find someone who already knows the craft. Instead, look at outsourcing to a payroll company. Instead of a single person, you get an entire team of payroll and human resource specialists. Want another good piece of advice? Head over to Vision H.R. now and you can get a free quote for your business, so come January 1st, you will already be set up and ready to go.

Daytona Beach Payroll Services

Vision H.R. | The Human Resource Experts

Focus On the Most Common ACA Compliance Mistakes

Focus On the Most Common ACA Compliance Mistakes

Given the complexity of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), it should come as no surprise that many employers occasionally stumble in their compliance efforts. The best way to avoid an IRS audit and potential penalties is by taking a proactive rather than reactive approach.

Formalize Your Approach

Among the most heralded best practices in ACA compliance is the creation and adoption of formal policies to guide decision making. Among other topics, important matters to address include:

-Procedures for classifying employees as full time, part time, seasonal or variable-hour to determine their coverage eligibility (such as your “look-back” measurement process),

-How you determine whether your plan satisfies the ACA’s affordability requirements — including whether you use safe harbor rules and, if so, which ones and for which category of employees,

-Your method for determining whether an employee who has been rehired after an absence will be counted as a continuing or a new employee, and

-What health coverage is available to employees out on unpaid leave, and for what period of time.

As when dealing with the IRS on any benefits issue, being able to demonstrate that your organization has established rules and procedures will go a long way toward keeping you in the agency’s good graces in the event of an audit.

Follow Your Policies

Although it may sound obvious, it doesn’t always happen: Once you have established your policies, be sure to follow them. Failure to do so is about as problematic as lacking necessary compliance policies in the first place.

Take, for example, the matter of employee classification based on the look-back measurement method. Inadvertent employee misclassification crops up regularly. Such errors can lead to penalties under Section 4980H — more commonly known as the ACA’s “play or pay” provision.

A few highlights of the rules for employee classification under the look-back rules can illuminate some of the issues involved. First, employees classified as part-time, seasonal or variable-hour fall under one set of rules based on the “initial measurement period.” Meanwhile, employees deemed to be full-timers are governed by another set of rules. This is where some employers have run into trouble in classifying new full-time employees as part-timers.

The ACA’s 90-day limit on a health plan’s holding period before allowing newly hired and newly eligible full-time employees to receive coverage is one month shorter than the ACA’s employer deadline for offering coverage. To avoid confusion between the two deadlines, employers are generally advised not to exceed the 90-day period.

In contrast, you can hold off on offering coverage to part-time, variable-hour and seasonal employees without penalty during an “initial measurement period” up to the first day of the 14th month following their employment. But, if that later deadline is used and such an employee is deemed (in an audit) to have been misclassified (that is, he or she should have been classified as a full-timer), you could face a penalty for the gap between the two deadline periods.

Note: Employees with variable hours can be deemed as eligible for health benefits if they average at least 30 hours of work per week during the look-back measurement period.

Anticipate IRS Attention

The general standard employers are expected to adhere to in classifying new employees is the “reasonable expectation” of their work patterns. Although the IRS can apply a subjective assessment of “facts and circumstances” in determining whether you have properly classified employees, regulations spell out several guiding principles its auditors will apply.

For example, in determining whether an employee is properly classified as variable-hour, the agency will likely apply the following three factors:

1 Whether the new employee is replacing another one and what the previous employee’s work pattern was,

2 How similar the responsibilities of the new employee are to current employees who aren’t full-time, and

3 How the job was described in solicitations to job applicants.

Two other common ACA compliance shortfalls that often attract IRS attention are improper documentation of an offer of coverage and errors on Forms 1094-C and 1095-C. The offer of coverage should clearly explain the various options and associated employee costs. In addition, you need to attach a statement regarding whether coverage offered satisfies the ACA’s minimum value standard.

Even if your offer meets those requirements, you need a system to prove that the offer was made, should you be challenged on that count. The simplest way to do so is to include a detailed confirmation-of-receipt document with the offer, which you’ll need to provide to employees and ask them to fill out and return. The document should also stipulate that, if the employee doesn’t respond to the offer itself, it will be assumed that the offer has been declined.

As mentioned, the complexity of Forms 1094-C and 1095-C, whose completion on behalf of full-time employees is required of all fully insured applicable large employers, can easily lead to mistakes. For instance, there are 200 possible combinations of codes on lines 14 through 16, yet only 49 could, in theory, be accurate. The bottom line: Check and double-check that the forms have been filled out correctly. The IRS says it will have some sympathy for employers who make a “good faith effort” to do the job right, but good faith is in the eye of the beholder.

Respect the Volume

Employers need to respect the sheer volume of regulations associated with the ACA. One government official recently estimated the total at 20,000 pages — and the actual number is probably greater. If stacked in a pile, those pages would be taller than recently retired basketball superstar Kobe Bryant.

But this challenge is manageable. With guidance from your professional advisors, and by focusing on some of the most common compliance trouble spots, you can minimize your organization’s chances of being subject to a time-consuming audit and costly penalties.

(Source: Bisection)

Should you Post That?

Should you Post That?

Literally everyone and their grandma have become involved in some sort of social media site or app. The most popular of these being Facebook, Snapchat, and Instagram, while others like Twitter are still prominent in the social media circle. They post anything from “Having coffee at Starbucks” to “Look at my grandchild playing” to “Lizard people are running the government”. While social media is a great way to stay connected to a large number of friends, celebrities, and companies, it does come with certain problems. Over the years, numerous stories have popped up about employees getting fired because of what they posted on their Facebook. Did their employer have a right to fire them for something they wrote on their social media accounts? In some instances, they had every right, in other instances they had no right at all.

Some would argue “but I have the freedom of speech!”, well not exactly. The first amendment is often misunderstood as having total freedom from the consequences of what you say. In reality, it gives you the freedom to express yourself without the government censoring you. It does not protect you from private businesses or individuals. Especially when you consider that Florida is an “at-will” state, meaning a business owner can terminate your employment without warning or reason, with few exceptions.

If you are a business owner, it is important that you learn the exceptions to the rules, just in case you are placed in a situation where an employee might be eligible for termination over a social media post. It is almost important for employees to know these exceptions, so they can keep their posting in line with the company. The best way to do this is to create a page or section in your employee handbook that both sides can reference. To help build a dependable employee handbook, contact Vision H.R. and get a free quote. To better understand what you can and cannot fire an employee for posting, continue reading.

What You Can Fire For

-Discrimination: An employee represents their company. If you’re employee posts discriminatory material, including anything that promotes racism, sexism, homophobia, or intolerance, they can be terminated from their employment.

-Release of Customer Information: Customer information is confidential, even just being in your building no one’s business. The most common instance of this happening is when servers are fired for complaining about tips on social media, sometimes even posting photos of receipts. Other instances include a doctor who posted about a patient. Even though they did not use their name, the patient’s friends were able to recognize who the post was about.

-Contradictions: Did one of your employees post a photo of them partying the night away, and call in sick the next day, saying they have some 24 hour bug? Worse, did they call in sick, then post pics of them partying the night away? Some employees forget they added their boss as a friend on Facebook, and get caught in their little lie. This can show a lack of dedication to their employment, and to their coworkers.

-Posts Admitting Poor Work Ethics: I am sure most of us have seen someone on social media posting about “ugh, I’m so bored at work”. Now admittedly, some days at work are boring. Whenever there is harsh weather, or an event in a different part of town, business might migrate away from you for a day or two, and you can only clean the store up so many times while waiting. When there is business however, or you have an important assignment, and post about how bored you are, you are showing you are neglecting your work. Posts about leaving work early, horseplay in the workplace, or anything else that goes against regulations or proper work ethics can be ground for termination.  

-Posting Trade Secrets: Remember when Martha Stewart became the source of several internet memes when she was caught doing insider trading? Yeah, employees can’t do anything like that either. If they post information that is not intended for customers to know, they could be subject to termination.

-Illegal Activities: In many states, marijuana is illegal in every sense of the word. Yet, people still post about how they plan on getting high with friends. Along with being illegal, if your employee handbook states a zero tolerance stance on drug abuse, they have two reasons for termination of employment.  

What You Can Not Fire For

-Complaints About Work Conditions: If an employee complains about unsafe, or unprofessional work conditions, they are protected from consequence by the employer.

-Whistleblowers: No, we are not talking about people who expose government secrets, rather, someone who admits their company is involved in illegal activities. If you are involved in some form of illegal activity, and an employee takes it to Facebook, they are protected from you. Hopefully that is not a problem.

-Other Side of Discrimination: We spoke about employees displaying signs of discrimination, this rule also goes for the employer. Showing any signs of discrimination against someone of a different race, religion, culture, and thanks to an ordinance passed in Volusia County, of a different sexuality, can lead to a heavy lawsuit and very bad publicity. This includes posting inappropriate material online.

-Political Views: Right now, America is highly divided with the 2016 elections coming up. Both sides love their candidate and for the most part hold deep resentment for the opposing candidate. While it is okay to talk about politics in the workplace, don’t let it get out of hand, and do not terminate employment because someone has the opposing candidates face all over their Facebook.

With great power, comes great responsibility, and while we don’t think that was meant for social media, it doesn’t make it any less true. Employees and employers alike need to be wise about what they post on websites like Facebook and Instagram. It can take years of training and education to get a job, or to build a business, and one post to take it all away. Like many things, though, the best way to stop this from happening is to be proactive about it. Have Vision H.R. create a employee handbook that details all the policies and regulations related to working for you, including social media usage. Don’t be afraid to place informational material in break rooms or offices that outline posting so social media. Much like the terms and conditions to any website, many people click they have read and accept them without ever reading as much as the first sentence. By placing informational material around the workplace, you give them another chance to learn the information listed in the handbook. Just be careful not to be too overbearing about it, or you might create a sense of distrust in your employees. They should be encouraged to be smart about what they post, not paranoid and overly cautious. If an employee posts something inappropriate, a coworker or customer will bring it to your attention. Not to mention you would be on Facebook all day trying to keep up with how often some people post.

For more assistance with things like employee handbooks and management training, you can visit www.Vision-hr.com to see a list of our services and to get a free quote for your business. Vision H.R. is a trusted Daytona Beach Payroll Services and Human Resource Management company that helps clients from Oak Hill all the way to Palm Coast with items like payroll management, employee benefit packages, business insurance, and other crucial business areas. We think you will be so satisfied with our services, you might just post about them on Facebook.

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Why Employees Shouldn’t Share Wages

Why Employees Shouldn’t Share Wages

How much do you feel you are worth? That is an important question when deciding if you are working at a job worth having. Unless of course you are the owner of the company, then it becomes a little bit harder to just up and quit for a better job. For this article though we are looking at things through the eyes of an employee. It is important that an employee feels like they are being respected. A respected employee is a productive employee, and an employee feels respected thanks to interactions with management and to a well done payroll department. Part of this comes from the confidentiality that comes with doing payroll.

Mankind is a jealous species. Sometimes it is something small, wishing we could have the neighbor’s BMW while also being happy with our Nissan. Other times, we can take jealously to  dramatic heights, creating rivalries, starting arguments, and tearing apart relationships, including  work relationships. When you do payroll, it is always recommended to keep worker’s wages private, and to encourage them to do the same. This is because even if you are paying a decent wage to an employee, and they think they are getting a decent wage for their work, it can all turn around when they find out a coworker is getting paid more than they are. Some employees are rational about learning someone is getting paid more than they are, figuring they have worked there longer, or have more education in the profession. Some will feel motivated to work harder, so they can reach that pay grade someday. A select few don’t care either way. The ones you need to worry about, are the employees who feel it is unfair that someone else is getting paid more.

Some of these employees will make their discontent obvious, others will try and pretend it doesn’t bother them. Either side of the coin needs to be dealt with quickly and effectively. This doesn’t mean giving them a raise to match the other employee’s salary, it means explaining why they are getting paid more in an understanding way. Don’t do it like it is not an issue,  you will come off condescending, or uncaring, which will only compound the issue. Instead, take a few minutes to meet with the employee one on one, and discuss the matter in depth.

When you are talking to the employee about the difference in pay scale, remember these key points.

• Give the employee compliments. Make sure they know the difference in pay is not due to their work performance.

• Explain why the other employee is paid more in simple terms, rather it is because they have been working there longer, have some form of education that benefits the job, or they do extra, such as offer to work on weekends when most want off.

• Show the employee what they can do to one day reach that pay level.

• Don’t make promises you cannot keep. Don’t tell an employee if they work harder, or offer to work more hours and they will get a raise if you do not know if you can deliver.

If done right, this can turn a jealous employee into an even more productive employee, working harder with the thought of a pay raise in mind. It will also help to ease tension in the workplace. Even if you are not involved in the issue, just feeling the tension between two coworkers can make the workplace seem a little less welcoming. If you want to try and avoid this problem from even happening, there are a few steps you can take to reduce the chances of pay wages being shared.

• Give out Paychecks in Envelopes: It is not just how much another employee is getting paid an hour, but also how much they are getting paid weekly. If there is a large enough gap in two employee’s weekly checks, they can figure out one of them are getting paid more.

• Offer Direct Deposit: With direct deposit, there is no physical evidence of how much someone is getting paid, it is all done online. This removes the chance of someone accidently seeing another person’s paycheck.

• Employee Handbook: We mention employee handbooks quite a bit, because they are such a valuable tool in the workplace. Put in your employee handbook about how you shouldn’t discuss your wages at work.

There is a good chance that this situation will never come up, especially if you take the steps we just listed above. They are not just vital for a tension free workplace, but also a part of an effective payroll department. Want another tip for how to avoid employees learning about each other’s wages? Consider contacting Vision H.R. to outsource your payroll to. Vision H.R. is the Payroll Management Company Daytona Beach and surrounding cities count on to handle their payroll and human resource management. For a free quote, or to just learn more about our services, you can visit www.Vision-HR.com

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