People First

First, conduct a needs assessment. You don’t wanna offer a benefit that no one is interested in. Next, know what’s going on in the industry. Work with a knowledgeable agent who can be creative with your benefit package. Communicate and be transparent. Let the employees know what you did and how you arrived at the...

I know I’ve experienced this in my office, and here’s what we’ve done as a team to help reduce stress and burnout. We support each other. We pitch in when we see a team member has reached the end of their wits. We’re realistic about what we can accomplish in a day, week, or month....

Is your leadership style the most effective? Well, it depends upon your team and your culture. Leaders need to be adaptable and flexible. It is important for the successful leader to assess the needs of the team and adjust accordingly. Leaders need to inspire and motivate their teams. They need to support and nurture the...

In this ever-changing work environment, employers are struggling with finding top talent. Here are a few suggestions that may be of help develop a strong employer brand. Streamline your recruiting processes, emphasize career growth and development, utilize employee referrals from your top talent in-house, develop a strong online presence, engage in talent, networking, offer meaningful...

Over the course of my years of HR experience, I found a few suggestions on how to keep employees engaged. Here are just a few. Set clear goals and expectations. Provide regular feedback and recognition. Provide opportunities for growth and development. Provide support. Involve employees in decision making when possible. Provide a flexible schedule to...

Here are just a few tips that I’ve found are helpful. First, set a clear vision and communicate it. Lead by example, establish diversity and inclusion policies. Promote diverse hiring practices, provide diversity training, foster open dialogue, celebrate differences, and create a supportive environment.

My accountant said I didn’t have enough taxes deducted from my paycheck. It could be that the W-4 was not completed correctly. Another more common reason is when a person works multiple jobs and receives multiple paychecks, each paycheck calculation is based on that pay being the only pay that person is receiving. When all...

One of the mistakes I’ve seen employers make when calculating overtime in a biweekly pay period is to look at the total of 80 hours rather than looking at each week of work separately. For example, if someone works 32 hours one week and 48 hours a second week, they will not pay overtime because...

Workers’ compensation premiums can be a confusing calculation to business owners. There are several factors that are considered while doing this calculation. First, each job is assigned a specific classification code. Each job code has a different rate and is determined by industry standards. Next, the total amount of payroll for each job code is...

We like to blame COVID for the lack of available workers. While it may have contributed, it is not the sole reason. With baby boomers dropping out of the workforce, there would’ve been a shortage, even if COVID never happened.