Prepare for Disaster by Safeguarding Important Records

With the recent events in Oklahoma, which in my mind is more specifically a series of tragedies, I couldn’t help but think not only of the families whose homes were destroyed but also of the business owners whose businesses were destroyed or damaged.  The terrible

devastation they have experienced through multiple incidents covering entire areas is nearly unfathomable for those who have not lived through something of that nature.  Many wonder where you begin to pick up those pieces to move forward.

Here in the Pacific Northwest we are fortunate to not have “Hurricane or Tornado Season” to worry about but we do have and will have our fair share of natural disasters that sometimes come in the form of a freak funnel cloud or more often flooding or strong wind storms among other things, and we must include disasters like fire.  I felt this was a good time for a reminder that individuals and businesses should safeguard themselves against any and all disasters by taking a few simple steps.  The IRS suggests the following steps to protect our important information.

Create a Backup Set of Records Electronically

Business owners and individuals should keep a set of backup records in a safe place. The backup should be stored away from the original set.

Keeping a backup set of records –– including, for example, bank statements, tax returns, insurance policies, etc. –– is easier now that many financial institutions provide statements and documents electronically, and much financial information is available on the Internet. Even if the original records are provided only on paper, they can be scanned into an electronic format. With documents in electronic form, taxpayers can download them to a backup storage device, like an external hard drive, or burn them to a CD or DVD.

Document Valuables

Another step a taxpayer can take to prepare for disaster is to photograph or videotape the contents of his or her home, especially items of higher value. The IRS has a disaster loss workbook, Publication 584, which can help taxpayers compile a room-by-room list of belongings.

A photographic record can help an individual prove the market value of items for insurance and casualty loss claims. Photos should be stored with a friend or family member who lives outside the area.

 
Update Emergency Plans

Emergency plans should be reviewed annually. Personal and business situations change

Emergency Preparedness

over time as do preparedness needs. When employers hire new employees or when a company or organization changes functions, plans should be updated accordingly and employees should be informed of the changes.

I certainly wish that this type of preparation wasn’t needed.  But in the event that a natural disaster strikes not only individuals need to have access to their important information,  it is crucial for a business to get up and running as soon as possible to get employees back to work.  Just think how important it is, in an area that has seen a natural event devastate their town, for the community to see the representation of life moving forward by having open businesses and jobs to go to.

Follow the example of the Boy Scouts and “Be Prepared”. 

Information and Solutions from Complete Business Solutions.



 

E-Verify

What is E-Verify and why should an employer use it?

Recently I received a call from a client with what she told me would be an abbreviated version of a long story... related to why she had social security number changes for two of their employees.  This was a tale I wanted to share since it is something that is pretty common in today's workplace and should be a great concern to employers. 

 

The two employees in question (who happened to be brother and sister) requested a meeting with the office manager of the company.  At the meeting they explained to her that their parent's had brought them to the country when they were just babies and they had recently discovered that they were not legal citizens and that the social security numbers they had been using were not theirs.  Just as I have heard in other cases the office manager could not tell the difference between their false social security cards and a true social security card.  And as we all know U.S. law requires companies to employ only individuals who may legally work in the United States – either U.S. citizens, or foreign citizens who have the necessary authorization.  Since the office manager had taken the steps she was required to collecting identification and filling out I-9's she was not quite sure how she would have correctly verified their eligibility to work in the US. 

 

Right here I will say that for many companies that would have been the end of the discussion.  In this case the management of the company stepped up to sponsor these two employees who had exemplary work records.  The company contacted their own attorneys to help them navigate the process and in the end it was a happy ending with new social security numbers issued to them in their own names.

 

How could the office manager avoid this in the future since she processed all of the new hires internally herself?  I asked her if she knew about E-Verify which she didn't.  Although the program was announced publicly in 2007 it has only been since 2012 when they expanded the program nationwide that it began gaining more press and popularity so many people have yet to learn about it.  Let me share some information about this program with you.   

 

Some employers may say that they use the Social Security Number Verification Service... this is good because at least they were attempting to correctly verify the eligibility of their employee.  But...

 

How is E-Verify different from the Social Security Number Verification Service?

E-Verify confirms the employment eligibility of newly hired employees. The Social Security Administration’s program verifies that a name matches a Social Security number (SSN). A person in the United States may have a valid SSN but not be authorized to work in the United States.  Further checking for employment eligibility can sometimes reveal that there are issues with the name and social security number. 

 

What you should know about E-Verify

E-Verify is an Internet-based system that allows businesses to determine the eligibility of their employees to work in the United States. E-Verify is fast, free and easy to use – and it’s the best way employers can ensure a legal workforce.

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has been hard at work on E-Verify and is constantly improving the system to better serve users. 

As part of our CBS payroll services we offer new hire processing as part of the service which includes processing new hires through the E-Verify system... in this case this particular company had waived those services because they had always taken care of this internally and saw no reason to outsource these services.  When you are wearing many hats in your job it is difficult to stay on top of all of the changes in workplace laws and tools available to help you do your job effectively.  It is our priority to provide our clients with solutions that make running their business easier. 

If you would like more information about our payroll services or our other services visit our website.  But if you know you will continue to process your new hires internally visit the following E-Verify links to learn more. 

To learn more click here to see WHAT'S NEW.

Do you have questions about E-Verify?  

E-Verify Q & A   

 





NEW UPDATED I – 9 RELEASED

The USCIS released the updated Form I-9 on March 8^th.  After May 7, 2013, all employers must use the revised Form I-9 for each new employee hired in the United States.  The revised Form I-9 has several new features, including new fields and a new format to reduce errors. The instructions to the form also more clearly describe the information employees and employers must provide in each section. 

 As a business owner and employer are you confused by state and federal compliance regulations?  Here are 5 steps to get you started on the path to compliance

 

6 Steps Your Business Achieving Federal & State Compliance

HR compliance is a process. It's a way of assuring that laws and policies are understood and followed in the workplace. This means you must know the laws and develop appropriate policies in relation to these laws.

1. Educate yourself. HR laws change constantly. You must stay up-to-date on current laws, so you can establish appropriate policies and communicate them to your employees.  Make sure you are meeting the required workplace posting requirements. 
   
2. Get good advice. If you can't hire an HR person full-time, contract with an outsourced HR consultant service.  If you have employees you need HR expertise for your business.   

3. Create workplace policies and regularly update it. Start with basic workplace conduct policies and expand over time to an employee handbook and HR and safety policies.   
       
4. Train your employees. Build employee awareness of expected behaviors. Your workplace conduct policies shouldn't be something your employees keep at the bottom of their drawers. Update policies as things change, and provide periodic retraining on important issues, such as safety or sexual harassment.
       
5. Open your ears. Listen to your employees and managers, and listen to your internal and external experts. Together they can, help you get to the root of your compliance risks, manage those risks, and heighten your awareness about how your company operates in relation to these issues.  This step can be a great tool for creating more efficiency in the workplace.

Complete Business Solutions has years of experience and expertise with a variety of services to support your business. 

                                Contact us today to find out how we can help you!         

 For more information or help with your HR or your payroll contact CBS by visiting our website http://complete-business-solutions.com/ or email us at clientcare@complete-business-solutions.com