TrendHR Receives "The Dallas 100"

Nov., 2009 - Trend Personnel Services, Inc. receives the prestigious Dallas Business Journal’s “The Dallas 100”. This is a special honor given by SMU’s Cox School of Business for being one of the top 100 fastest-growing private companies in North Texas.

SHRM Reports Job Security Today's Most Important Job Satisfaction Factor

Employees at all levels in all industries are fearful of losing their jobs and being unable to find other work quickly. SHRM reports that 65% of employees identified job security as "very important" in determining job satisfaction. Benefits are another important aspect of employee job satisfaction at 60%. Compensation was rated the third most important aspect at 57%. SHRM does report some positive economic signs during this last quarter - a more stable financial sector; a slowing job-loss rate; a slight rise in consumer confidence; and indications that hiring is beginning again in some sectors.

Expect Spike in Unemployment Taxes in 2010

Employers should expect their unemployment insurance taxes to rise significantly this year. The increase in layoffs is exhausting state trust funds. States are borrowing from the federal government to pay state unemployment benefits as state funds are depleted. Many states are spreading the repayments over a number of years.

Don't Terminate...Yet

Managers always "want to get it over with" once they've decided they want to fire someone. That's no surprise, but HR can't let it happen. Step back and assess the whole picture before acting.

Yesterday we covered the critical termination policy issues that you must address. Today, again courtesy of BLR's SmartPolicies® program, we'll look at key questions you must answer before terminating an employee.

Documentation. Do you have the records you need to show a legitimate business reason for the termination?

Treatment in relation to others. Does it look as if you're out to "get" this employee?

Discrimination. Is there a possibility that discrimination (sex, age, race, religion, workers' compensation, disability, national origin, marital status, garnishment, leave status, polygraph, etc.) could have been a factor in the decision to terminate?

Unfair treatment. Will the employee soon vest in any bonus, retirement benefit, or other benefit?

Retaliation. Has the employee recently filed a claim or made a complaint about safety, wages, harassment, etc.?

Adequate notice. Will the employee be surprised? (Unless the reason for termination is a sudden single act, the employee should be aware of performance or behavior problems.)

If you answer any of the above questions in the affirmative, step back and satisfy yourself that going ahead with the termination is the best course.

Investigation. Did you investigate to find out what really happened?

Policy. Did you follow your policy?

Opportunity to explain. If you are terminating the employee for cause, have you provided the employee an opportunity to correct the behavior or to explain the behavior?

Consistency. Is this action consistent with the action that has been taken in the past in similar circumstances?

If you answer no to any of the above questions, you may want to reconsider the decision to terminate.

What Alternatives Are Available?

Finally, it's important to ask (because the jury will want to know), did you consider alternatives? Naturally, there are many clear-cut cases where termination is the only alternative. There are, however, other possibilities to consider. For example:

Reassignment
Further training
Counseling

OK, that's 2 days worth of termination policy tips. Now, how about 50 or so other policies that should be written or updated? It's easy to let it slide, but you can't backburner work on your policies—they're your only hope for consistent and compliant management that avoids lawsuits.

Fortunately, BLR's editors have done most of the work for you in their extraordinary program called SmartPolicies.

SmartPolicies’ expert authors have already worked through the critical issues on some 100 policy topics (just as they did for termination), and have prewritten the policies for you.

In all, SmartPolicies contains some 350 policies, arranged alphabetically from Absenteeism and Blogging to Cell Phone Safety, Voice Mail, and Workers' Compensation. What's more, the CD format makes these policies easily customizable. Just add your company specifics or use as is.

Just as important, as regulations and court decisions clarify your responsibilities on workplace issues, the policies are updated—or new ones are added—as needed every quarter, as a standard part of the program.

SmartPolicies is available to HR Daily Advisor subscribers on a 30-day evaluation basis at no cost or risk ... even for return postage. If you'd like to have a look at it, let us know and we'll be happy to arrange it.

Terminations—Without Good Policies, a Lawsuit Jungle

Terminations—where the rubber meets the road in HR. The most angst, the most tears (or screams), and the most lawsuits. Your terminations policy is critical. Want a peace of mind for worker compensation? Visit TrendHR Website
Today, courtesy of BLR's SmartPolicies® program, we'll review the key elements your policy should cover.

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Compensation, Benefits, and Financial Issues

Severance pay. What are your guidelines (e.g., how many years of service to obtain certain levels of severance)? Are there any situations in which severance will not be granted?

Unemployment Compensation. Do you have required procedures or paperwork?

Sick leave/vacation pay/PTO. Does a terminating employee receive pay in lieu of unused time?

Health/Life Insurance. When does insurance terminate? What opportunities exist to continue coverage? How about COBRA coverage?

Compensation. What rules govern final paychecks? What will be the status of bonus payments and commissions? Stock options, etc.?

Repayment of debt. What provisions will cover repayment of loans or advances, or other outstanding debts?

Pensions/401(k), and other retirement plans. What are the rules for payouts? What options are there for transfer of funds, etc.?

Perquisites. What policies and procedures govern the return or purchase of company cars? What will happen with club or gym memberships?

Termination Definitions and Procedures
Type of termination. What constitutes "voluntary" and "involuntary" termination? Examples of voluntary terminations might include written resignations, job abandonment, extended absences without the proper notification, retirement, refusal of a transfer after a job elimination, failure to report for light duty, failure to report status during a leave of absence, and failure to return after a leave of absence. Examples of involuntary terminations might include permanent layoffs, discharge for cause, death, and disability.

Notice. If an employee decides to resign voluntarily, how much advance notice must he or she give? Must this be in writing?

Dismissal procedures and responsibilities. Who makes final decisions about terminations? Who must approve? Who must be notified, when and how? What other procedures must be followed and by whom (supervisor, manager, decision maker, HR, payroll, security)?

Special responsibilities, offices. If the person terminating held certain positions or was authorized for certain tasks, be sure to remove the terminated person and appoint someone new.

For example, if this person was authorized to do banking, eliminate the person from the signature cards and appoint someone new. Or, if this person has password access to certain important websites, say customer sites or vendor sites, get the password and change it.

Security. What will security's role be? The working situations and attitudes of certain terminating employees may suggest that special procedures should be used. For example, if the person has access to sensitive information or critical computer systems, the company may want to block the person's access. In some cases, such procedures might be required, for example, for people with unescorted access to nuclear facilities.

Company Property. Whose responsibility will it be to ensure that the employee returns all company property, drawings, tools, reference data, uniforms, ID cards, credit cards, keys, etc.? Computers, Blackberry®, and other electronic equipment?

Layoff notice. If callbacks are possible, what are the procedures and order of callback?

Restoration of Length of Service. When former employees return from layoff or other status, will they be restored to their former status?
Source from: http://hrdailyadvisor.blr.com/archive/2009/11/30/HR_Policies_Procedures_Termination_Firing_Layoff.aspx?source=HAC&effort=7

Employers are working hard to review their hiring records with TrendHR's help.

WASHINGTON - U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Assistant Secretary John Morton today (11- 19-09) announced the issuance of Notices of Inspection (NOIs) to 1,000 employers across the country associated with critical infrastructure-alerting business owners that ICE will audit their hiring records to determine compliance with employment eligibility verification laws.
"ICE is focused on finding and penalizing employers who believe they can unfairly get ahead by cultivating illegal workplaces," said Assistant Secretary Morton. "We are increasing criminal and civil enforcement of immigrationrelated employment laws and imposing smart, tough employer sanctions to even the playing field for employers who play by the rules."
Please review the government’s I-9 Guide for Employers on http://www.trendhr.com/ - REVISED GUIDE TO COMPLETING THE I-9. You may also visit the Department of Labor’s link at http://www.dol.gov/Compliance/Guide/aw.htm or contact TrendHR for more information or questions at 214-553-5505.

Generation Y - The Generation Born In the 1980s and 1990s

What are they looking for in an employer and what motivates them to work hard?

Much of the workforce today is composed of younger professionals in their twenties and thirties. The expectations and motivations for Generation Y are much different than what employers are use to from Generation X.

Entry level Generation Y workers expect and want the following when seeking employment with companies:

1. Fun work environments with opportunities to travel
2. Ability to work on wide ranges of projects to learn more and stay motivated
3. Company paid training to learn and develop new skills for future growth opportunities
4. Flexible work schedules allowing for work/family/friend balance
5. Competitive salary and benefits package

Employers need to be able to understand Generation Y workers and keep them motivated to stay and grow with their company. Here are some tips on how to motivate younger workers:

1. Generation Y workers realize that today’s trend is for workers to only stay with companies for about 5 years before moving on to another opportunity with a different company.

MOTIVATION TIP: Help them acquire skills that make them more marketable because the opportunity to learn more skills at your company will motivate them to want to stay.

2. Generation Y workers are generally more likely to want to work independently and have the ability to alter processes or procedures to fit their strengths.

MOTIVATION TIP: Give young workers clearly defined goals and the ability and freedom for them to achieve the goals in their own way.

3. Generation Y workers want and expect a lot of feedback as they work on assignments and projects.

MOTIVATION TIP: Provide constant informal feedback.

4. Generation Y workers are typically computer savvy and have the ability to link together data to solve problems.

MOTIVATION TIP: Give young workers access to various types of data and resources.

You can read more HR newshere

 

Adapted from "Understanding Y: Learn how to recruit Generation Y workers and how to make them stay" by Christine Luporter, on the WomenConnect webiste.

Federal Update for Equal Employment Opportunity Law

On October 23, the EEOC released the revised “Equal Employment Opportunity is the Law” poster, updated with the new Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA). Visit HR News for more detail. This EEOC posting change is mandatory for all covered employers. All federal posters need to be replaced.
The new law is effective November 21, 2009.
Our clients may find this form under Miscellaneous Forms by November 16, 2009.
Thank you for complying with this mandatory federal law posting change. Please contact TrendHR if you have any questions at 214-553-5505.
You can download the form here.

Growing PEO Industry Continues to Raise Its Standards

With 400 member-companies operating in 50 states, the National Association of Professional Employer Organizations (NAPEO) has successfully fostered the growth and development of the PEO industry. As this $68 billion industry has gained momentum, operational requirements and standards have risen as well. Industry leaders realize that it is critical to provide assurance to a client that a PEO has the necessary competencies, financial resources, and ethical standards to perform at the highest level. For CPAs, understanding the evolving PEO regulatory landscape and the various levels of certification is important, especially as more middle-market companies are gravitating toward human resources outsourcing (HRO) relationships.
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Benefits within Reach: How an HRO Can Cost-Effectively Offer You Sophisticated Services

When it's time to slash HR costs, many businesses begin thinking about using an HRO (human resources outsourcer), a third-party provider of common HR services such as payroll automation and benefits administration. Yet an HRO can also offer high-end services, such as employee support desks and self-service systems, that large companies typically use to enhance efficiency and productivity as well as lower costs. Here's a look at how HROs can cost-effectively provide your business with sophisticated services that you thought were unaffordable:
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Trend Receives USCA Award

Trend Personnel Services, Inc. Receives 2009 Dallas Award

U.S. Commerce Association’s Award Plaque Honors the Achievement

WASHINGTON D.C., June 8, 2009 -- Trend Personnel Services, Inc. has been selected for the 2009 Dallas Award in the Temporary Help Employment Contractors category by the U.S. Commerce Association (USCA).

The USCA "Best of Local Business" Award Program recognizes outstanding local businesses throughout the country. Each year, the USCA identifies companies that they believe have achieved exceptional marketing success in their local community and business category. These are local companies that enhance the positive image of small business through service to their customers and community.

Various sources of information were gathered and analyzed to choose the winners in each category. The 2009 USCA Award Program focused on quality, not quantity. Winners are determined based on the information gathered both internally by the USCA and data provided by third parties.

About U.S. Commerce Association (USCA)

U.S. Commerce Association (USCA) is a Washington D.C. based organization funded by local businesses operating in towns, large and small, across America. The purpose of USCA is to promote local business through public relations, marketing and advertising.

The USCA was established to recognize the best of local businesses in their community. Our organization works exclusively with local business owners, trade groups, professional associations, chambers of commerce and other business advertising and marketing groups. Our mission is to be an advocate for small and medium size businesses and business entrepreneurs across America.

For more information, visit our website: TrendHR Services

TrendHR achieves the prestigious Inc 5000 award for the THIRD straight year in 2009!

Rockwall based TrendHR has, for the third year in a row, been named one of the fastest growing businesses in the United States for 2009, according to Inc. 5000 magazine. TrendHR ranks 1,977 out of the top 5,000 in the United States. TrendHR also ranks 74th out of the top 100 businesses in Dallas-Ft Worth-Arlington, and 64th out of the top 100 Human Resources Companies in the United States.
Founded in 1997 by President and CEO DW Bobst, TrendHR specializes in all HR functions for small to medium-sized businesses including: HR consulting, payroll, workers compensation insurance, 401k benefits and employee benefits including health, dental, vision, short and long term disability, and life plans. TrendHR has grown 161.8% over the last four years and has expanded to include six locations across the DFW Metroplex. “Strategic partnerships with our clients, a commitment to excellence, and an unwavering focus to save businesses time and money have attributed to our success as a company” states Jon Bailey, Director of Sales and Marketing.
For more information visit www.inc.com/inc5000/ or Trend’s website at www.trendhr.com
Contact Information: Jon Bailey 469-402-1541