HR Shield

Victims of domestic violence and abuse are everywhere, yet we often inadvertently overlook or excuse our suspicions, especially when the suspected victim denies any such case.  Do you suspect that an employee of your workplace is a victim?

Join us for our two-part HR Shield series as we review the employee warning signs of domestic violence, and an appropriate action plan for employers.

Domestic abuse is not always physical; often it’s psychological, which can make identifying various warning signs much more difficult. As an HR Professional or employer, you have the responsibility of protecting your employees within their workplace.  You may never know what goes on behind closed doors, but if you suspect domestic violence, your best course of action is to ACT.

If one employee is in a dangerous relationship, it could quickly escalate to a much larger problem, for not only your employee, but your entire team.  In extreme situations, an employee’s abusive spouse could eventually show up at the workplace.

Employee Warning Signs:

• The employee seems afraid or anxious around their partner… perhaps you have had a chance to meet their partner at a company outing, or they have stopped by the workplace on occasion.
• Frequent check-ins at the office. Is your employee’s spouse constantly calling the office, or is your employee taking short breaks to “check-in” all of the time?
• The employee has mentioned their spouse’s temper, or jealousy.
• The employee has unexplained injuries.
• Frequent sick days/ or last minute call-ins.
• Suspicious wardrobe choices. For example, long sleeves or turtlenecks in the warmer months.
• A sudden change in confidence.
• Never wanting to participate in or attend employee outings or workplace festivities.
• Exhibiting depression or anxiety.

These are just some telltale signs and symptoms of emotional abuse and domestic violence. If you witness any warning signs of abuse surrounding an employee, take them very seriously. Next week we will be reviewing an employer’s action plan.

For immediate advice, please contact an HR Shield Advisor.

Additional Resources: National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-SAFE (7233)

Last week we discussed the common warning signs of domestic abuse victims. If you suspect an employee of being abused, below is a recommended course of action.

DO:

• Express concern and ask if something is wrong
• Listen
• Offer help through contacting your Employee Assistance Program (EAP) or a local shelter/counseling center.
• Notify the police if threatening messages are received at the office, or the  employee’s spouse poses a threat to your workplace

DO NOT:

• Wait for the employee to come to you
• Judge
• Pressure the employee for an explanation or answer
• Threaten the employee’s position
• Give advice

If your employee does not want to share information with you, you are still obligate

We recommend that you immediately contact an HR Advisor or your local domestic violence hotline/help center before taking action on your own.  As an employer, you are not in a position to provide direct help, or offer advice on their specific situation. You should always do the best you can in getting them the help they need, and ensuring that your workplace remains safe for ALL employees, not just the victim.

Calling all business owners in Georgia, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Tennessee:

New E-Verify laws will go into effect in the upcoming year, some in just 6 weeks on January 1, 2013.

• Georgia: Companies employing more than 10 persons must register for E-Verify by July 1, 2012.
• North Carolina: Companies employing more than 100 persons must be registered for and using the E-Verify system on January 1, 2013.
• Pennsylvania: State contractors and sub-contractors must register for E-Verify beginning January 1, 2013 – but only if the project is greater than $25,000.
• Tennessee: Companies employing more than 5 persons must register and begin using E-Verify by January 1st.

Form I-9 has always been mandatory, whereas E-Verify has traditionally been voluntary for most businesses. With recent I-9 law updates, businesses within the abovementioned 4 states will need to collect an employee’s Social Security number and E-Verify all candidates before employing.

As a reminder, with HR Shield, you get instant access to all the information, training, forms and expert advice you need to keep employees safe, stay compliant and protect your bottom line. We’ll help you identify exactly which regulations you need to satisfy and what you need to do to stay compliant across the board including:

• Workers Comp
• Discrimination
• Sexual Harassment
• Fair Labor Standards Act
• I-9 compliance (and now E-Verify!)
• Overtime Exemption (Job Classification)
• Record Keeping Laws

Sign up now online, call (877) 636-9525 or contact us for more information regarding hiring and E-Verify.

Most companies state clearly in their policies that gambling is not permitted at the worksite, and up until the past few years or so, gambling remained a relatively private matter. Online access to gambling has enabled employees to gamble on the job… literally, if their employee handbook forbids it, they gamble their jobs, not just their money.

So, what do you do if you catch an employee gambling on the job? First off, the employer should always confirm that their practice of uncovering the employee’s gambling habits were compliant and not an invasion of privacy. If you were monitoring the employee’s computer use, does your existing policy state that work computers are employer property and therefore monitored? Did the employee receive a copy of your company’s policy when they were hired?

Before approaching the employee it is recommended that you consult with a licensedHR professional to ensure you have met all compliance standards.  You’ll likely need to issue and document a warning or violation to this employee, unless the situation is severe enough for employee termination.

Assuming the issue is to be handled with an employee warning or violation, your next concern is the employee as an individual. As an employer, you should ensure the well-being of all employees in order to continually support a healthy working environment. The person you have just issued a warning to may in fact have a gambling problem.

Companies need access to resources in order to issue effective responses to workplace problems, and HR Shield can help, from providing helpful resources to individuals with gambling addictions, to developing and enforcing clear company policies.

Gambling in the workplace negatively affects everyone. It results in productivity loss for both the employer and the employee and can cause disruptions in any major area of life: psychological, physical, social and vocational.

For additional resources, visit the National Council on Problem Gambling or Gamblers Anonymous.  To immediately speak with an HR Advisor, contact HR Shield at (877) 636-9525.

“For entrepreneurs — especially those just starting out — businesses succeed as much as they fail. I’ve seen this time and again as a mentor and entrepreneur. But statistics also suggest that the failure rate for new startups within the first five years is as high as 50 percent.

Of course, real entrepreneurs treat business failure as a milestone on the road to success. They count on learning from their mistakes, and use the experience to move to the next idea. But why not learn from the mistakes of others, without all the pain and suffering?

Here is my list of 10 top startup failure causes — and how to avoid them:

1. No written plan. Don’t believe the myth that a business plan isn’t worth the effort. The discipline of writing down a plan is the best way to make sure you actually understand how to transform your idea into a business.

2. Slim or no revenue model. Even a non-profit has to generate revenue (or donations) to offset operating costs. If your product is free, or you lose money on every sale, it’s hard to make it up in volume. You may have the solution to world hunger, but if your customers have no money, your business won’t last long.

Related: 8 Tips for Finding Foucs and Nixing Distractions

3. Limited business opportunities. Not every good idea can become a blockbuster business. Just because you passionately believe that your product or service is great, and everyone needs it, doesn’t mean that everyone will buy it. There is no substitute for market research, written by domain experts, to supplement your informal poll of friends and family.

4. Can’t execute. When young entrepreneurs come to me with that “million dollar idea,” I have to tell them that an idea alone is really worth nothing. It’s all about the execution. If you’re not comfortable making hard decisions and taking risks, you won’t do well in this role.

5. Too much competition. Having no competitors is a red flag — it may mean there’s no market — but finding ten or more with a simple Google search means your area of interest may be a crowded. Remember, sleeping giants can wake up. So, don’t assume that Microsoft or Procter & Gamble are too big and slow for you to worry about.

Related: How to Craft a Business Plan That’ll Turn Investors’ Heads

6. No intellectual property. If you expect to seek investors, or you expect to have a sustainable competitive advantage against giants in your industry, you need to register for patents, trademarks and copyrights, as well as enlist non-compete and non-disclosure agreements to protect trade secrets. Intellectual property is also often the largest element of early-stage company valuations for professional investors.

7. An inexperienced team. In reality, investors fund people, not ideas. They look for people with real experience in the business domain of the startup, and people with real experience running a startup. If this is your first time around, find a partner who has “been there and done that” to balance your passion and bring experience to the team.

8. Underestimating resource requirements. A major resource is cash funding, but other resources, such as industry contacts and access to marketing channels may be more important for certain products. Having too much cash, not managed wisely, can be just as devastating as too little cash. Don’t quit your day job until new revenue is flowing.

Related: How to Know When It’s Time to Walk Away

9. Not enough marketing. Having a slick word-of-mouth marketing strategy isn’t enough to make your product and brand visible in the relentless onslaught of new media out there today. Even viral marketing costs real money and time. Without effective and innovative marketing across the range of media, you won’t have customers — or a business.

10. Giving in too early. In my experience, the most common cause of startup failure is the entrepreneur just gets tired, gives up and shuts down the company. Despite setbacks, many successful entrepreneurs like Steve Jobs and Thomas Edison kept slugging away on their vision until they found success.

What was the best tip you’ve learned from others’ mistakes? Let us know in the comments section below.

Read more stories about: Business, Business plans, Failure, Starting a business, Startup basics

This story originally appeared on Young Entrepreneur

We live in a very digital world, and it’s often too easy to get distracted by the many means of communication surrounding us. Sometimes the urge to check the status of something irrelevant to work is just unbearable.

This past year Salary.com surveyed 3200 professionals about their distractions at work and 64 percent said they visit non-work related websites every day during their working hours. As an employer, where do you draw the line? 21 percent of the professionals surveyed said they spend 2-5 hours per week on these sites.

Many of us don’t want to play “bad cop” and police every move our employee is making on the clock. Larger companies often monitor employee internet use through their IT department, and internet policies should be specifically outlined within each employee handbook, but for the smaller business without an official IT department or an internal HR team to review policies, cracking down can be difficult.

HR Shield recommends a two-step quick and easy approach:

First, schedule a meeting to address all employees without singling out any one department or employee. Review your current employee handbook and all policies surrounding internet use. (If you do not currently have an employee handbook, contact HR Shield today, our memberships include free employee handbook creation). Let this meeting serve as a “free warning” and a reminder of why it’s important to the Company to work more effectively and efficiently.

Offer Tips For Focusing (some suggestions below):

• Work in time blocks. If you find yourself being pulled in a dozen directions, it is better to segment your work into small manageable pieces. Select time frames and deadlines to accomplish certain tasks.
• Reward yourself for accomplishing the task at hand. It may not be against the company policy to visit Facebook or check your personal email account – but don’t do so until your work is complete.
• Write out a daily task list for the day. Believe it or not, there’s a small sense of reward in crossing off each item for the day.
• Go incognito. Too many distractions? Sign off messenger, close down your email, and put your phone on silent for an hour or two.
• Do not check personal email or messages in the morning – saving them for the afternoon will allow you to focus on work for the morning and not get distracted by replies or ongoing threads.

Gauge the effectiveness over several weeks. If the workplace still appears to be suffering from workplace distractions, employee performance reviews and documentation of incidents may be necessary.

Questions about employee handbooks, workplace distractions, performance reviews or the monitoring of internet use? Contact an HR Shield Advisor today for more information!  Call (877) 636-9525.

You may have recently noticed on the top right corner of Form I-9 that its expiration is near! All U.S. employers must complete and retain a Form I-9 for each individual they hire for employment in the United States. This includes citizens and noncitizens, and is mandated by the U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) or USCIS.

What do you do?! Where do you find the new form?!

At this time, and until further notice, business owners are instructed to continue using the Form I-9 currently available on the forms section of http://www.uscis.gov. This form should continue to be used even after the expiration date of August 31, 2012 has passed.

USCIS will provide updated information about the new version of the Form I-9 as it becomes available, and business owners can subscribe to I-9 Central to receive Form I-9 updates. Once the form is available, it is the employer’s responsibility to file the new form with each new employee.

HR Shield will also be updating its members when this new form is made available. HR Shield makes hiring employees easier with job interview tips, employee compensation advice, and HR compliance management including I-9 employment eligibility verification.

Get on board andsign up now online, or call (877) 636-9525  for more information.

August 13th, 2012

As a manager or supervisor, you need to be the one who delivers the message. It is not fair for an employee to catch wind of the situation from workplace rumors or be left in the dark surrounding a situation that involves them.  Although you may be experiencing a tremendous amount of guilt or remorse, making sure that you treat the employee as compassionately as possible will help make this situation a bit easier (for both you and the employee).

Here are some additional tips to ease the situation and keep the meeting on track and focused:

1. Prepare: Select a meeting time and private place in advance. Know the message you are delivering, including date of lay-off and employee responsibilities leading up to that date.
2. If you do not feel prepared, contact your HR Advisor for consultation and preparation. A second opinion only takes a few minutes, and may save you some heartache and frustration.
3. When sitting down with the employee, get right to the point. An employee may or may not know they are being laid off, but there is no reason to lengthen the bad news.
4. Recognize all of the employee’s hard work and contributions to the company. Let them know they are a valued employee.
5. Explain the reason that your company needs to lay-off employee(s).
6. Listen carefully to the employee’s reaction/response. Be empathetic and kind – but do not act defensive or apologetic – the meeting must remain professional and to the point.
7. DO NOT give the employee false hope of future opportunities. Even if there is a chance of re-hiring in the future, do not address this situation unless an opportunity can immediately be acted upon or the employee can apply for another position/location.
8. DO NOT mention other employees being laid-off if there are others that you need to meet with or have already met with.
9. Give the employee their lay-off letter (tune in next week for employee lay-off templates).
10. Let the employee know that both you and HR are available to make this transition as painless as possible.

After the lay-off or lay-offs are completed, it is management’s responsibility to clarify with other employees what has happened and why. Restate the need for change and encourage open communication so that no remaining employees feel anxious on the job.

HR Shield is skilled at consulting and preparing management teams, HR professionals, and supervisors for the abovementioned lay-off situations. Please contact us today if you need assistance.

Make your employee hiring process work for you with quick access to the top 10 job interview questions, employee compensation tips and more.

Hiring employees involves a long list of important details that, if not handled properly, lead to poor performance and leave you at risk for major fines and potential lawsuits. Offering fair, competitive employee compensation to attract top talent. Asking the right job interview questions to efficiently screen your pool of candidates and find the perfect fit. Implementing effective non-disclosure agreements. Introducing new hires into your organization in a way that forms a solid foundation for a successful, and profitable, working relationship. Did you know that IRS audits find 90% of employers guilty of misclassification leading to average fines of $65,000?

Studies show formal onboarding systems lead to employees who are more satisfied with their job, perform better and stay longer. You can count on HR Shield’s comprehensive online library and expert team to make sure you have all the help you need throughout the entire employee hiring process. From orientation and training to new-hire forms and employee compensation tips, you’ll find it all right here.

Letting employees go is one of the toughest tasks you face as a business owner or HR Manager. Not only does it stir up unpleasant emotions, it can potentially open you up for all sorts of costly fines and lawsuits if not handled according to federal and state guidelines. The average wrongful termination settlement is $1,000,000! Plus, what about critical aspects such as managing COBRA questions, exit interviews and severance packages? With HR Shield, you can rest easy knowing that all the forms you need, plus personalized advice from seasoned professionals, is just a mouse click or phone call away.

Sometimes it’s what you don’t say during an evaluation that makes all the difference.

Getty

Dear Jeff,

I started my business a year ago, and I have two employees. I have completed their (and my) first performance evaluations. I think I know what to do. Can you tell me what not to do when I go over their evaluations with them?

—Name withheld by request

Continue reading on Inc.com

For US Employers and HR Professionals, religion in the workplace is often one the most difficult areas of HR to navigate. Paying attention toyour actions (or lack thereof) surrounding an employee’s religious beliefs is important, not only to promote a diverse and cultural workplace, but to abide by EEOC (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission) standards.

Even in a workplace that promotes acceptance, diversity, and community, conflict can still occur. Did you know that as an employer you are expected to reasonably accommodate the religious practices of each employee under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of l964 (“Title VII”)? Title VII prohibits employers  from discriminating against employees (or candidates) when hiring, firing, and providing other terms and conditions of employment.

Here are some more details surrounding Title VII:

• Employers may not treat employees more or less favorably because of their religious background.
• Employers cannot require employees to participate in a religious activity as a condition of employment.
• Employers must reasonably accommodate each employee’s religious practices or holidays unless doing so would impose an undue hardship on the employer.
• Employers must take steps to prevent religious harassment in the workplace.

Employers who violate Title VII, or other standards outlined by the EEOC, risk costly lawsuits. Are you aware of all employee rights under the laws of the EEOC? Employers are required to post notices to all employees advising them of their rights under the EEOC as well as their right to be free from retaliation.

If you have questions about religion in the workplace, Title VII, or the EEOC, please feel free to contact us today. HR Shield Advisors stay up-to-date on changing regulations, and while it’s not a ‘Get Out of Jail Free Card,’ it’s the fastest, surest way to keep your employees safe and avoid getting hit with unexpected lawsuits or penalties. We’re just a phone call away at (877) 636-9525.

You know you’re in love when you can’t fall asleep  because reality is finally better than your dreams. ~ Dr. Seuss~

The one and only Ryan DeJong and his beautiful fiance  will be tying the knot this weekend in Cape Cod and all of us at  HR Shield, FIRM Consulting and PEO Advantage wanted to be among the first to not only congratulate them, but wish them only the best for their future together.

Feel free to join us in congratulating them on FIRM Consulting’s Facebook fanpage.

Things are always changing and you need to make sure that you’re following best practices and state and federal regulations to be sure to avoid costly accusations and claims.

For HR support, sign up now online, or call (877) 636-9525 for more information!

You can find us Online:With HR Shield, members gain access to necessary forms, and are able to give our HR advisors a call any time they have a question. We’re here to help with the these headache, and more!

Twitter: @Hr_Shield

Facebook: /HRShield

Pinterest: /HRShield

YouTube: /TheHRShield

Google+

Streamline your human resources administration with HR management best practicesfrom HR Shield. Call and meet your HR Advisor (877) 636-9525, or contact us for more information.

I’ve often fantasized about hurling my laptop over Niagara Falls, then grilling a fresh salmon to celebrate my sensory liberation. I’d become a Maker. I’d build a sailboat to circle the globe. I’d live off the sea, fending off killer whales and Somali pirates. I’m not alone in yearning to resuscitate my flabby Tweeting muscles. As I’ve written before, there’s plenty of evidence that people who make a tangible product, use their senses, and help others are happier than mere office dwellers. But let’s face it, Microsoft won’t pay you to conquer the Amazon or extract salmon roe. Offices are where the work is. Which explains why I’m here — with you — writing about making things instead of weatherproofing my pirate-repelling catapult. But there is a glimmer of hope for us Clickers, Copy/Pasters, Conference-Callers, and Collators. In this digital office world, happiness can — and must — be simulated.

Continue reading

Originally posted on our Human Resources blog

The mass shooting that occurred overnight at a Colorado movie theatre presents numerous questions, many of which will go unanswered until further investigation. Could this have been prevented? Were there any warning signs? Could people have exited the building more quickly, leading them to safety?

When tragedy strikes, there is little to no time to think.  This presents a challenge to both employers and employees when trying to gain control of utter chaos. Not only are you responsible for yourself, but there is an obligation to protect your employees and patrons as well.

We remind all business owners and managers that while there is truly no way to prepare for an event so devastating, being aware of your surroundings and best safety practices is crucial if an emergency should strike.

If an emergency strikes while you are at the worksite:

• Immediately dial 911. Even if you are unsure of the extent of the emergency, call for help and let emergency responders know of the situation.  A few minutes will make a big difference in how quickly help can arrive.
• Know ALL possible exits in the building. This should be reviewed with ALL employees and repeated each time a new person is hired. If you are a retail operation, exits should be clearly marked and illuminated for patrons.
• Do not waste time. Do not waste time gathering your belongings or trying to determine the severity of the situation. Exit the building as quickly as possible.
• If exits are blocked, return to your workplace. If exits are blocked, return to your workplace and hang an article of clothing or something similar out of the nearest window. If there is a fire, shut your door, and seal it off as best as possible to avoid smoke inhalation.  The article of clothing will inform emergency personnel you are inside.
• Shelter-in-Place for Workplace Violence/Shooting.  If your place of employment is under attack and an exit is not near, HIDE in the safest area. Shelter-in-place refers to finding the smallest area and taking refuge there. If there is a window nearby, you can also hang an article of clothing out the window, to let outsiders know you are trapped inside. Avoid overcrowding by selecting numerous hiding areas for each employee/person. DO NOT confront the perpetrator.
• Know who to report to. Once you are outside of the building, and have reached safety, check in. Let your supervisor know you are okay. Every workplace should have a “check-in” protocol with certain employees or managers designated to take headcounts. This will help emergency personnel determine if there is anyone left in the building, and who.
• DO NOT pull fire alarm, if the threat is outside of the workplace.  If your office or place of employment receives a threat via phone, letter, or email, do not pull the fire alarm. The fire alarm will disable all elevators, which may be crucial to exiting the building more quickly. Calmly inform everyone that they need to exit the building immediately.

Proactively creating an emergency plan specific to your place of employment will let all employees know of the aforementioned best safety practices. More importantly, delegating responsibilities amongst employees, outlining the chain of command, and determining the safety check-in points outside of your building (all found within a company’s emergency plan) will prove itself valuable in the event of an emergency.

The responsibility of creating a formal emergency plan often falls within the HR department. For companies without HR staff, it is the business owner’s responsibility. For additional questions or concerns surrounding workplace safety and your company’s emergency plan, please contact us.  HR Shield is skilled at aiding companies in creating custom emergency plans and can help promote overall workplace safety within your organization.

HR Shield sends its greatest condolences to victims and their families affected by last night’s Colorado shooting, and we are hoping for the quick recovery of all those injured.

by Tony Schwartz  |   8:01 AM July 11, 2012

We had hired a new senior executive. Soon after settling in, he began to share his concerns with me. He was doing so, he assured me, only because he loved working for us, and he was looking out for the wellbeing of the company. He reported to me, and at first, I appreciated his input.

Early on, he focused on small things, such as pointing out that he thought someone had spent more money than was warranted on a particular project. Then, he remarked on a couple of people who weren’t arriving at work on time. Later, he questioned whether we needed such a senior person in a given job, and couldn’t we get someone at a lower level to do the same job and save money?

Over time, he let me know he felt people were taking advantage of me. They didn’t appreciate how good they had it. I needed to be tougher.

I began to feel more anxious and suspicious, and others on our team seemed more tense. The buoyant, productive atmosphere that had characterized our culture for years, even in tough times, began to seep away.

Read more HERE

Perhaps you’re an HR manager new to hiring personnel, or a business owner trying to navigate the world of compliance when it comes to wage and hours. You’ve likely come across the terms “exempt” and “non-exempt,” as they are required by the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA)… but do you know exactly what they mean?

The FLSA requires that employers classify employees as either exempt or non-exempt. FLSA rules and regulations apply to non-exempt employees.  They do not apply to exempt employees.  What are the differences?

Wages:

Minimum wage, overtime, and other rights/regulations that fall under FLSA are not applicable to employees who are “exempt.” Exempt employees must receive a salary rather than an hourly wage for their position in order to be classified as “exempt.” 

Since non-exempt employees are not exempt from the FLSA requirements, employers must pay non-exempt employees the federal minimum wage for each hour worked. They must also be paid overtime for hours worked beyond 40 hours each work week.

How does this effect taxes? 

There is no difference between the way that exempt and non-exempt employees are taxed. All pay earned, is “earned income” and therefore can be taxed. Although employees will fall into different tax brackets depending on how much income is earned, the same regulations surrounding taxes apply to each group.

Is that all?

That’s not all. Laws and regulations surrounding HR can be extremely complex, and in this case determining on your own whether or not to classify your employee as exempt or non-exempt can lead to implications down the line, including benefits, workers’ rights, and unemployment. A second opinion is always a good idea!

For newcomers to the HR world, or business owners simply in need of more support, HR Shield provides instant access to an extensive online library of forms, templates and training tools on everything from job interview tips to compliance.

When you need more one-on-one support, a quick call to your HR Advisor is all it takes to tap into our team of licensed experts—each with a minimum of ten years HR experience coupled with extensive hiring expertise.

Hiring soon? Need help with documentation? Contact us! 

Join us each week as we review just one of the 25 reasons that HR Shield ROCKS!

Reason # 6- HR Forms and Templates to Maintain a Compliant HR Department

HR Shield offers a host of policy and form templates for the most common HR-related functions/processes. Simply select the desired template and download. This is a free library that is only available to HR Shield members. Don’t see a form you need?  Just let us know and we will create it for you!

HR Shield is offering a one-time FREE 30-day no-risk trial membership to companies interested in protecting themselves from wrongful termination suits, discrimination and FLSA issues. That’s right, you get 30 days access at no cost, and if you are satisfied (we know you’ll love it) you can continue with a month-to-month membership for only $49.99 a month.  That’s less than $2.00 a day!

Note:  The Risk Free Trial is available to new customers ONLY.  Current Members are NOT ELIGIBLE for the Risk Free Trial.

Here’s how it works:

Request your free one month membership to HR Shield by calling 1-877-636-9525 now and we’ll email you a user name and password that gives you instant access to HR Shield. There you’ll find a collection of forms and training resources for your entire management team. You’ll also have immediate access to your dedicated HR Advisor for 30 days.

It’s that simple.

Call today and start enjoying email and phone support from a fully licensed HR professional who is dedicated to helping protect your business!

As a business owner or executive, you need to establish what’s expected overall in the form of a policy manual. Once employees are given the ‘rules of the road’ for their specific job titles, performance must be measured throughout the duration of the employee’s career.

Employee performance reviews not only iron out the kinks in the workplace, but also help employees improve for the future. Reviewing the positives is important as well as reviewing the negatives surrounding an employee’s performance, but you must do so in a manner that is not a personal attack upon the employee. And most importantly, you must not deliver the review in such a 

1. Schedule Reviews Often: Once a year employee performance reviews do not allow employees to stay on track. Quarterly reviews are much more effective when it comes to measuring an employee’s performance, success, and room for improvement. Also, as working environments change, so may an employee’s job responsibilities. What’s relevant to a good employee performance review today may not be relevant in a few months.
2. Be Honest: We know it’s hard to deliver negative news, but the truth is much better than leading an employee to believe they are doing everything right. An honest assessment will uncover job performance areas an employee may not know they are performing poorly in. It will also give employees a benchmark, and room for improvement.
3. Prepare: Give some thought to how you are going to deliver the employee performance review. Will you start with positives, or negatives? And have you given any thought to how much they have or have not improved since the last review? Create an outline for your review so that strengths and areas in need of improvement can be addressed independently.
4. Be Specific: Nothing is worse than a vague, 5-10 minute review that seems more like homework than a genuine attempt at improving performance. Most employees work very hard for their employers, and a concise, respectful and honest review should be conducted.
5. Ask About the Future: Where does your employee want to be next year? What about 5 years down the line? This is an important question to ask during an employee performance review because it’s very relevant. How is he or she performing today, and what is it going to take to reach their career goals? Let them know, so that they can work on it, and you can support them. 

Employee reviews can be difficult to deliver. To increase the effectiveness and efficiency of HR related tasks, many companies rely on HR shield. We deliver an employee performance management system that really works, including employee handbook templates, employee reviews and all the HR advice you need.

Call today to learn more about HR Shield’s employee performance reviews at (877) 636-9525 or contact us online.

As if employee (existing employee) management isn’t a full time job in itself, try managing the fake ones! Every day as HR Managers or Business Owners we dedicate time, money and effort towards managing “everything HR” for our employees – payroll, sick days, vacation time, benefits, hiring, firing, compliance, workplace safety, training… the list goes on!   

We do everything in our power to keep our workplace in compliance, so who would have thought a claim could be filed by a fake employee- someone you’ve never even met. The larger companies are, the more HR-related tasks there are. Even with an HR Manager on staff, errors in human resources administration can be quite costly.

Just a few weeks ago in the Tampa Bay Times, we read about Industrial Engineering and Development, an employer in the Tampa Bay area who received a lawsuit claiming they owed unpaid overtime to an employee- an employee the company did not know!

Industrial Engineering and Development checked their records and found that the complainant had been on their payroll for $8 per hour for several months in 2007 and 2009, and was paid a total of $21,218.

While the complainant did not get away with this lawsuit in this particular situation, and may even face criminal charges for faking their employment, this is a perfect example of how certain aspects of HR can be overlooked when you are focusing on the more revenue-generating activities of the company. According to labor lawyers, unpaid overtime is a widespread common abuse, and can sometimes be more expensive to fight than to simply pay off – some companies feel pressured to settle even when they know the employee is in the wrong.

The expert team at HR Shield provides the perfect alternative to outsourced HR services and can contribute to keeping your HR administration organized. HR Shield clients streamline human resources administration with HR management best practices from our team and with a little bit of support, you can focus more strongly on certain aspects of HR.  In the event of a claim, HR Shield member reap the benefits of discounted labor attorney servicestoo.

Call and meet your HR Advisor today (877) 636-9525, or contact us for more information.

Posted in Employees | No Comments

Join us each week as we review just one of the 25 reasons that HR Shield ROCKS!

Reason # 5- Member discounts on labor attorney services

HR Shield has partnered with labor and employment law experts.  The attorneys are nationally recognized, highly recommended and affordable should you need legal advice or representation.  Our partnership ensures that not only are we providing you with the best advice, but clients of HR Shield receive discounts on services provided by these firms.

HR Shield is offering a one-time FREE 30-day no-risk trial membership to companies interested in protecting themselves from wrongful termination suits, discrimination and FLSA issues. That’s right, you get 30 days access at no cost, and if you are satisfied (we know you’ll love it) you can continue with a month-to-month membership for only $49.99 a month.  That’s less than $2.00 a day!

Note:  The Risk Free Trial is available to new customers ONLY.  Current Members are NOT ELIGIBLE for the Risk Free Trial.

Here’s how it works:

Request your free one month membership to HR Shield by calling 1-877-636-9525 now and we’ll email you a user name and password that gives you instant access to HR Shield. There you’ll find a collection of forms and training resources for your entire management team. You’ll also have immediate access to your dedicated HR Advisor for 30 days.

It’s that simple.

Call today and start enjoying email and phone support from a fully licensed HR professional who is dedicated to helping protect your business!

Posted in 25 Reasons HR Shield Rocks | No Comments

You want to inspire your employees to greatness? Use these simple tips to increase performance and morale.

Flickr/lululemon athletica

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Many industries require workers to have specific training and/or knowledge before performing their job function. When companies employ remote workers or have numerous locations, virtual classrooms become especially popular as an efficient way of delivering information or training. Virtual classrooms can also be used to update employees on HR-related topics or conduct seminars surrounding new policies or standards.

Keeping every employee awake in a virtual classroom is a challenge, especially when it comes to specific training – How do you know if they are paying attention? Here are 3 tips to ensure success for your employee classroom session.

1. Be Prepared and Organized: Practice or review the virtual seminar beforehand and think of any possible questions that may arise. Be prepared to answer.  Identify the purpose and content of the virtual classroom to your employees before beginning, and enlist the help of an IT professional if you should need assistance delivering the content.
2. Engage: It’s important to provide your employees with things to do other than just listening.  Build interactive tasks and questions into the session that require responses from all participants. Through “Quiz Managers” and other software available you can even create polls and quizzes that are good for revision, assessment, and reinforcing your message. Through polls, you can display how many people got the answer right, and wrong, without revealing the individual. Think outside the box to get your “students” engaged!
3. Take your Own Notes: At the very least, your virtual classroom will always serve as a learning experience for YOU. Always take your own notes so that you can be committed to improving the delivery of employee lessons or information in the future. If there are questions, polls, chat text or any type of interactions, make sure you save them for reference.

With HR Shield, creating effective training or educational content for your employees couldn’t be easier. You’re just a few mouse clicks away from everything you need to create a complete employee performance management system.

HR Shield members are also free to access our comprehensive gallery of training videos that cover every aspect of HR.  When virtual classrooms or seminars are not effective enough for your employees or specific safety compliance requires hands-on/in-person demonstrations, HR Shield can also offer assistance with on-site training.

Call today to learn about the HR Shield membership options at (877) 636-9525 or contact us for more information.

Posted in Best Practices

A cheer came up from the crowd. We were at the Inner Harbor on a recent overcast afternoon, when daredevil Nik Wallendabegan his walk along the high wire.

Nik, 33, is CEO of Wallenda Inc. His company produces thrills. I had a chance to talk to him earlier that day.

Nik said he was here to recreate his great-grandfather’s 1973 tightrope walk across the harbor. It was a promotion for the new Ripley’s Believe It or Not museum, set to open in June.

Like many of his family, Nik is in the Guinness Book of World Records. The Flying Wallendas have been performing internationally for seven generations over 200 years. Nik said it was in his blood, “as far as the performance part.”

What about the business part?

“In the business world, you have to look farther out,” he said. “I enjoy the challenges of the business world as much as I do performing and the challenges on the wire.”

For example, at his next stop on June 15, Nik plans to walk over Niagara Falls. It took a long battle to change laws in the U.S. and Canada, but Nik ultimately got his way. His reward will be three hours of live TV coverage worldwide.

Nik attributes his success to a mentor at age 15, who taught him the value of setting goals. “Make sure they are not easily achievable,” he said. “They must be goals that you are going to have to work for.”

The goal at hand was to walk on a cable from Harborplace to a 100-foot-tall crane mounted on a floating barge. Without safety equipment.

If you were there, you know there were a couple of tense moments. Nik came close to losing his balance early in the walk, as his pole dipped all the way to one side — but he corrected himself.

A few minutes later, approaching the crane, Nik was about 90 feet above the barge, when he tripped. Somehow he steadied himself by hooking his shin around the cable. He took a deep breath, and finished the walk.

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