Putting guidelines in place is the best way to eliminate any misunderstandings that may arise between employees and management because of a lack of understanding of management expectations.

Clearly written policies will also go along way when addressing issues such as inappropriate behavior, or poor performance.

Employee policies do not need to be long or complicated tomes. A few clearly written sentences that highlight your expectations is all that you need.

Although there are many policies that may be part of a company’s employee manual, there are nine employee policies that are important policies for any small business:

1. Probationary Period
2. Confidentiality Policy
3. Time Away From Work
4. Use and Access of Company Property
5. Internet and Social Media Use in the Workplace
6. Telecommuting Policy
7. Workplace Behavior
8. Disciplinary Policy
9. Termination Policy

Over the next several weeks, I will highlight each of these policies in detail as part of my “Small Business Employee Policies” series.

Dianne Shaddock is the Founder of Easy Small Business HR.com, a website which provides “Quick and Simple Human Resources Strategies for Small Businesses, Non Profits, and Entrepreneurs. Go to EasySmallBusinessHR.com for more tips on how to hire and manage your staff more effectively.

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Don’t:

Leave the task to someone who does not have direct supervision of the worker being fired. If you are their direct supervisor, you have the ultimate responsibility to deliver the “bad news”.

Why? Not only does it put the person who does not supervise the employee in an unfair and uncomfortable position of being the messenger of your decision, but it makes the affected employee feel dismissed, angry and resentful. Sit with your employee and be clear with them as to why they are being fired. If you have been communicating with your worker prior to notifying that they will be let go, (and I hope that you have), the fact that you have reached the point where they will be fired should not be a surprise to them.

Don’t:

Fire an employee on the spot unless the actions are so egregious that it requires immediate removal from the workplace.

Why? It is critical to be consistent with how you determine what acts of employee conduct or misconduct rise to the level of firing an employee. All businesses no matter how small should have basic standards in place that highlight your expectations relating to employee conduct or behavior in the workplace and the consequences of violating these standards. Firing an employee without having company standards in place that show that you have specific expectations of employees and their behavior complicates situations where an employee feels that they have been treated unfairly.

You should always investigate all situations that are brought to your attention whenever possible. This means talking not only to the employee in question, but any other staff members, customers, or clients who may be able to provide details that will inform your decision to keep or fire the employee.

If you don’t have any standards or policies in place, the best approach for firings involving less complicated work violation situations may be to give the employee a warning that their actions are inappropriate and then clearly highlight your expectations moving forward. Let them know that any future violations will result in termination. Document the date that the employee received this information and place a note in their file.

Be proactive and summarize your expectations of all employees in writing including the consequences for misconduct. Give a written document to all of your employees that highlight your expectations. Employees deserve to know what is expected of them, as well as the consequences of certain actions or behaviors in the workplace.

Do:

Fire workers who have crossed the line of what is considered egregious inappropriate behavior if you are absolutely certain based on the facts that the employee is guilty of misconduct. Behaviors that might require immediate dismissal if proven are:

• Violence against others
• Sexual harassment
• Threats
• Bringing weapons to work

Remember to be proactive and have written standards in place that highlight the company’s position on employee conduct and behavior. Be careful to fully investigate any complaints before making the decision to fire a worker. If you are not sure if a worker is guilty of any violation and you need time to learn more in situations such as the ones described above, suspend the employee with pay until you are able to research the situation and talk to all of the individuals involved.

Do:

Respect the privacy and confidentiality of everyone involved by meeting with your employee(s) in a private area; (it’s o.k. to have a management person present if appropriate as a witness).

Do:

Tell your employee the reason for the termination. Have a letter prepared briefly summarizing the reason for their being fired, the date of the firing and when their benefits will end, (if applicable).

Give your employee their last paycheck if at all possible when you notify them that they are being fired. If this is not possible, let them know when they can expect to receive their last check and that it will be mailed to their home.

It is recommended that you consult with an employment law attorney if you do not have a dedicated human resources professional in place to help you through these more complicated situations.

Dianne Shaddock is the Founder of Easy Small Business HR.com, a website which provides “Quick and Simple Human Resources Strategies for Small Businesses, Non Profits, and Entrepreneurs.

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This is an extremely controversial topic; especially for those looking for work or contemplating a job change.

A short time ago, I shared what I thought would be a helpful article with my Facebook friends and family, alerting them to the fact that more employers are using social media sources such as Facebook as part of their decision making process when hiring.  The article highlighted the importance of not putting anything on a social media site that you would not want your current or potential employer to see.

Here’s what I wrote:

“Be careful how you use Facebook and Twitter. Hiring managers are checking social networking sites more often as part of their reference checking process. Any inappropriate or questionable content can rule you out as a candidate if you are looking for a job”.

Some of the comments that I received were fascinating:

…”you just can’t get a break, can you?”

…”isn’t there some sort of privacy infringement here?”

“Facebook and Twitter are social outlets and employers shouldn’t be trespassing on one’s personal life”

“…where do we draw the line?”

“If a company cannot solely use my cover letter, resume and how I respond during an interview as an apparatus to make a decision, than I really should think twice about wanting to working for that company.”

As you can see, some potential candidates view the use of Twitter and Facebook as “infringement” and “trespassing” on what is seen as a personal and private resource where they should be free to be who they are with friends and family.  There is the strong belief that what is discussed on Facebook is no measure of the person that they are on the job, and therefore it should not be used to measure behavior when working.

Do we not take on a different persona depending on the audience or environment?  Is the professional and focused person that we are when we are at work the same person that we are when we are interacting with our family and friends in an informal environment?

Some argue that is natural to have different personas depending on our environment and whom we are engaged with.  Some may also argue that we should not be judged because we are letting our hair down through a medium that was set up for us to do just that.  Essentially, a medium that in a very public way, allows us to share our everyday pleasures and disappointments with those we chose to share these feelings with.

Yet isn’t the information on the Internet public domain? If a person chooses to post on a public domain site, do employers not have the right to access the site in order to “see another side” of a potential employee?

I don’t profess to have the right answers on this subject but I do have some very specific advice. Employers should not use social media as the only source of reference information on potential employees.  It’s important to get a rounded view of potential candidate’s by checking both current employer references and past references.

It’s also important for employers to weigh the content that they are seeing on the site and not make rash judgments with the exception of content that is clearly inappropriate.

For those looking for work, the new reality is that employers are using social media as part of their job reference process in order to get a “360” degree view of a potential hire.

The types of posts that can potentially rule you out as a candidate are posts with inappropriate language or pictures. Or posts that are derogatory or demeaning in any way.  Employers are also looking for how you communicate online so be careful of grammar and spelling errors. Never use the Internet to post disparaging remarks about your current or former employers.

Delete anything that may be questionable before looking for a new job.   Don’t lose sight of the fact that you are conversing on the Internet and not at the kitchen table.  Remember that others have access to your information.

Make sure that you utilize all of the privacy options allowed with social media sites if you have concerns about who will be viewing your profile.

Use of social media sites are growing by leaps and bounds daily.  Parts of our lives that were once very private really are available for all to review if you chose to participate in social media sites on the Internet.  Both employers and potential employees need to be mindful of the power of this new medium and not abuse it.  Proceed with caution.

Dianne Shaddock is the Founder of Easy Small Business HR.com, a website which provides “Quick and Simple Human Resources Strategies for Small Businesses, Non Profits, and Entrepreneurs.

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An ASO is an organization that independently handles many of your employee needs. This includes payroll processing, paying medical benefits, as well as handling employee taxes. Another organization that is similar to an ASO is the professional employer organization or PEO.

The main difference between the two types of organizations is who is responsible for the employees. A PEO leases the employees to you for a percentage of their pay. An ASO has no claim on the employees and charges a straight fee for its services.

Here are some ways to find out if an ASO will reduce cost and increase productivity of your business.

Is your human resources department taking too much of the budget, or could you use less of a burden in your payroll processing? Often many staff members will be needed to do the said administrative work for the company. By utilizing an administrative services organization you will be reducing the workload on your current staff members and may be able to reduce the cost of payroll processing.

Does your company need help with medical benefits administration and support? If you are finding it difficult to provide the necessary health benefits to your employees, you could be setting yourself up for a difficult, perhaps even legal issue in the future. By enlisting the help of an ASO, you will be placing these detailed responsibilities upon another organization.

Does your company accurately understand all of the minute details about local, federal and state tax practices? Also does your company have the ability to stay informed in all of these areas and keep up with current practices? If you decide your company could stand to outsource these responsibilities, you could place these responsibilities on an administrative services organization.

Finally the real question is; has administrative work become a nightmare for your current staff employees? Has work become difficult to manage or prone to mistakes? Any mistake on payroll could cost a few hundred dollars or more, and when you add the IRS penalties you could incur, your company could stand to lose a great deal of money. ASO’s often employ the use of a human resource information system, or HRIS. An HRIS is an intelligent database system that tracks and manages your employees. With access to the HRIS, you could follow and manage your employees and ensure things are running smoothly.

Whether or not your company could use an administrative service organization is up to you. If you answered yes to any of the above questions, you may want to look for ASO’s in your area that can provide the services at a price you can afford. An administrative services organization provides payroll and employee benefit reliability. One thing is certain; an administrative services organization could make your business more manageable.

Visit ASO & Human Resource Services for assistance with your ASO questions.

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A professional employer organization (PEO) and administrative service organization (ASO) are organizations that provide services for your human resources, payroll and employee needs. Providers vary in size and stature, but should all specifically focus on your company’s and employees’ needs. They are a team of qualified human resource personnel, who take on many tasks specifically designed to increase in-house efficiency. A PEO/ASO even can take care of workers’ compensation and other important time consuming tasks. By outsourcing these responsibilities to an external organization, your company could save a large sum of money.

1. Simplify The Hiring Process

A PEO/ASO will save your company money by speeding up your application process. Most small companies do not have a dedicated human resource staff to evaluate new employees. This causes current staff members to evaluate new employees, a situation that is less than ideal. The current staff member will be less adept at judging new applicants than qualified human resource personnel. Also using current staff members to evaluate new employees will divert them from their daily tasks. A PEO/ASO doesn’t actually tell you which employees to hire, but will save time by refusing any applicants that don’t meet your minimum requirements. A PEO/ASO will take on the front end of your hiring process and help bring qualified personnel to your door.

2. The Best Deals In Workers’ Compensation

Another great way a PEO/ASO will save money is through workers’ compensation insurance. If you are running a relatively low risk business, you may not need to worry much in this area. However, if you are running a high risk business, like construction, then a PEO/ASO may be a huge benefit to your organization. PEO/ASO’s can save costs on workers’ compensation insurance. They can provide this because of two reasons; they are providing insurance at high volumes and may get better rates, and they often have a working relationship with carriers, medical providers, and claims departments.

3. Employee Benefit Administration

PEO/ASO’s are organizations that will manage the complex world of employee benefit administration from the simple functions of collecting the necessary premiums to remit monthly payments to the carrier, to monthly invoice auditing and billing reconciliations. Most importantly, COBRA administration has gotten substantially more complex with the passing of the Stimulus Package making complying with regulations even more difficult. Having an outside organization for these issues will save a considerable amount of time (and likely money).

4. Say Goodbye To Payroll Processing

Another way a PEO/ASO can save your staff time is by taking care of payroll and administration services. PEO/ASO’s can prepare and deliver payroll to your employees, as well as, take into account the necessary taxes. These taxes include Social Security, Medicare, FIT, SIT, FUTA, SUI and others. Your PEO/ASO can manage vacation and sick time accruals as well. Moreover, your PEO/ASO prepares and files all of your quarterly and annual reports, FICA, FUTA, and SUTA, W-2s, etc., freeing up more time for your employees to focus on their core responsibilities.

5. Outsource HR – The Easy Way to Resolve Disputes

By outsourcing employee issues such as compensation, payroll, unemployment claims and other problems you will save yourself a ton of headaches. Furthermore, by adding a third party that can help in any disputes between an employer and the employee, you will be providing an easy way to resolve any issues out of house. Not having to deal with these kinds of issues in-house is enough of an incentive for many companies to use a PEO/ASO.

These are five great reasons a PEO/ASO could save your company a substantial amount of money. By outsourcing many tasks to another organization, you will be decreasing your liability, as well as, the amount of on-site employees you have in your business, reducing labor costs. Not every PEO/ASO is the same for the best fit for your company. Click on the link below to learn important details you will want to know before hiring a PEO/ASO.

Go here for more on PEO and ASO services.

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Payroll Taxes & Employment Compliance

http://www.HCSCanDo.com Small Businesses in Scottsdale, Phoenix, Mesa & Chandler, Arizona may not know that they are in violation of employment compliance and payroll taxes.  Arizona radio host, John Adams tells how he owed $50,000 due to being out of compliance. Don’t let this happen to you.

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At the Bargain Zone, a freight surplus store in Lee’s Summit, office manager Jeff LeMasters was clear about cell phone and Internet rules for employees:

No personal calls, no texting, while on the store floor. And employees had to sign a contract that said they’d be terminated for personal use of the Internet while working.

But LeMasters wasn’t clear about what to do when “someone called and told us we needed to take a look” at what an employee wrote on Facebook.

The employee “was basically trashing us online,” LeMasters found. The comments included profanity and derogatory things about the work and the owners.

“We had no way to know if that could have a negative impact on our business, but we knew we didn’t want it out there,” LeMasters said.

The world of Facebook, MySpace and YouTube postings is giving employers headaches. Often, employers like LeMasters are exploring on a case-by-case basis what rights they have to police employees’ blogs and social networking pages.

LeMasters and business partner Randy Benton quickly learned they had no constitutional right to fight the worker’s postings, but they did have a clear course because some of the Internet use had occurred at the store.

“We didn’t fire the employee because of what was said,” LeMaster said. “We fired the employee because the time spent online was in violation of the signed work contract.”

Usually, though, there isn’t such a bright line to guide employers.

“There’s always a tension between employee privacy rights and the rights of the employer to protect the company image and, sometimes, co-workers,” said Joseph Clees, a lawyer with the Ogletree Deakins Nash Smoak & Stewart law firm.

Get the whole story go to: http://www.kansascity.com/105/story/1241136.html

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Matthew Creek with Clear Mind Consulting provides custom-built, onsite, productivity design & Coaching for individuals and groups.

Sonia Graham with Maximum Business Advantage enables your business to achieve substantial revenue growth through the development, implementation and continuous improvement of systems and processes.

Maretyn Arnold with Productivity Architects uses an integrative approact to information technology to help businesses work more productively and effectively.

Friday, June 19, 8:15AM to 10:00AM

Register here: http://ping.fm/mvYty

Human Capital Strategies www.hcscando.com
1 N. Macdonald  (lower level)
Mesa, AZ 85201 US

For more information, contact Christine Nichols @ 480-962-1580 ext. 208 or christine.nichols@hcscando.com

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One of our goals at Human Capital Strategies is to ensure compliance and reduce the liability of our clients.  Human Capital Strategies is pleased to invite you to our conference focusing on Employee Benefits and how it benefits you as the Employer.  The Speakers you will get to meet and hear from are: 

Brian Evans, Strategic Benefits Consultants (SBC)

Brian’s combination of experience & knowledge has brought a powerful insight to their group of clients. 

Tupper Jones, Prepaid Legal

Tupper Jones is a Group Security Specialist with Pre-Paid Legal Services, Inc., a company that provides valuable legal and identity theft services to companies and their employees. 

Perry Buckman, Wachovia Securities 

Perry, First Vice-President with Wachovia Securities, and his team offer extensive personal and professional experience in investment planning which proves to be beneficial to both employees and employers.

Dale Orr, Aflac

Dale brings 15 years of expierence and his extensive knowledge in the insurance industry.  Aflac benefits employers through their ability to customize solutions that enhances benefit programs.    

Please join us on:

WHEN:           Friday, May 15, 2009

TIME:             8:15 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.

WHERE:         Human Capital Strategies (www.hcscando.com)

                        1 N. Macdonald, Mesa AZ  85201

RSVP:             480-962-1580 ext. 208 or

email christine.nichols@hcscando.com

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