Workplace Cold and Flu Season

As I see the signs for flu shots pop up around the city I am reminded that all too soon this year's cold and flu will be making the rounds. Soon in stores, restaurants, and businesses of all kinds, we will be greeted by the workers and guests alike with red noses and eyes and perhaps a nagging cough.  We all have that moment when we realize that we are in direct contact to an exposure to illness that we aren’t interested in contracting.

For business owners it can be more than an inconvenience.  Proactive employers work to minimize the impact that a prolonged cold and flu season can have on their businesses.  Later I will discuss how to minimize the impact and share some great free resources to help you.  First let’s look at some hard facts about cold and flu season in relation to the workplace. 

Entrepreneur.com did an article a while back providing numbers related to the cost cold and flu season has to business owners.  And based on these numbers the threat cold-and-flu season poses to companies isn’t anything to sneeze at!

“According to the Centers for Disease Control, the flu alone costs U.S. companies $10.4 billion in direct costs including hospitalizations and outpatient visits. The CDC also estimates up to one-fifth of the U.S. population will get the flu in a given flu season, and more than 200,000 Americans will be hospitalized with seasonal, flu-related complications.”

Many question the effectiveness of the flu vaccination so it should come as no surprise that the Washington Post reported in January of 2013 that only 35 percent of those who could be vaccinated were vaccinated for the 2012/2013 cold and flu season.

In the current economy where so… many are struggling financially, many employees are hesitant to take sick days. Staples Advantage, the business-to-business arm of office products retailer Staples Inc., found 65 percent of employees are coming to work sick. Only 80 percent are cleaning their work areas once a week or less, which makes any work area a potential hot zone for germs.

So as is true each year, employers will face one persistent bug after another beginning this fall and carrying through to the spring. Small businesses always suffer a harder hit with productivity losses due to seasonal illness. With a small workforce each employee is vital to the operation of the business each and every day. 

So what can you do?

Luckily the flu season is predictable, and there are simple things you can do that are not expensive.  The first place to begin is with strong policies, good management and a healthy dose of leadership regarding sickness in the workplace.  And the first questions would be… do you have a documented sick policy in place?  And does that policy include sick leave?

Here are 10 things both you and your employees can do to keep cold and flu from disrupting your workplace this year.

1. Encourage employee vaccinations. Encourage employees to get vaccinated but stop far short of requiring it.
2. Set an example. Don't contradict your own sick policies. If employees see the boss coming to work sick instead of staying home, they'll think they should do the same thing.
3. Wash your hands. Studies show hand washing is still one of the most effective ways to stop illness. Try posting humorous reminders about hand washing in the break rooms and restrooms.
4. Use your elbow. Who wants to shake the hand of someone who has just sneezed all over it? Teach employees to cough into their elbows instead.
5. Provide sanitizing products. Provide hand sanitizer, wipes, disinfecting sprays and towels for employees to clean their desks and keyboards a few times a week, if not daily.  Provide boxes of Kleenex as well.    
6. Tell sick employees to stay home. Do employees feel comfortable taking sick days when they're really sick? It's your job as a leader to make sure employees know they should stay home when they're contagious. After all you don’t want them to infect your customers or other staff members. 
7. Plan for seasonal increased sick days. Prepare telecommuting options for contagious employees. Most employees, if given the option, can work a little bit from home.
8. Promote personal space. "Social distancing" techniques such as refraining from handshakes and standing at least 3-feet apart can slow the spread of cold and flu during peak season. 
9. Go hands-free. Moving toward hands-free appliances such as automatic sinks, toilets, automatic soap, and paper towel dispensers could pay off down the line in saved sick days.
10. Vaccinate your children. Schools are germ factories. Your kids get sick, and then you get sick. Vaccines are a matter of parental debate, but the flu shot (or flu mist) is still the best bet for maintaining wellness at home.

I want to share some awesome free resources.  The first is Healthy Workplace Project.  This website, run by health products supplier Kimberly-Clark Worldwide Inc., educates employers and employees about germs in the workplace and how to reduce workplace absences due to illness.  There are even short videos you could share with your employees. Check out this resource for a great proactive wellness program to implement in your office today! 

Follow the link to a fantastic free “toolkit” from the Center for Disease Control (CDC).  This is another great tool for your business to start building a solid policy for your workplace sickness policy.
Make It Your Business To Fight The Flu: A Toolkit for Businesses and Employers

Happy employees = Happy employers!

And remember, little things employers do also can send a big message. For example, I read an article about an employer who sent a pizza to an employee who was out with a bad cold. This "get well" gesture may seem like an odd thing to do, but the employee definitely knew that his employers cared.  And this sent a positive message to the other employees as well. 

PAYROLL REVIEW

As we close out the 2^nd quarter of 2013 I wanted to share some common payroll mistakes that you should look for as you do your review before processing quarterlies and closing out any payroll quarter.  And even though we are slightly beyond mid-year it is still not too late for a mid-year checkup.  Many things caught now will save you much trouble between now and closing out 2013.

Many employers find that payroll can be not only a struggle but an area that causes them a great deal of stress. Employers found to be out of compliance often end up with large tax bills and penalties. Whether an employer does their own payroll or has someone do it for them, precautions should be taken to avoid some common mistakes.

1. Employees classified as independent contractors:

The IRS has strict guidelines on qualifications of the two types of workers. Taxes due, benefits eligibility and whether the worker is issued a W-2 or 1099 all hinge on this. If this is wrong it results in serious issues ultimately leading to penalties and fines.

2. Payroll Tax deadlines missed:

This mistake can bring serious penalties plus interest.  It’s important for an employer to know and understand what each payroll tax is and when each one is due.

3. Incorrect Payroll Tax Calculations:

It’s important to be sure that payroll tax calculations are correct. When using payroll software you must be sure that the payroll software has been updated with all current payroll updates. Also important to note: Employees can be set up incorrectly or current payroll hours, deductions, garnishments, etc. can be entered or setup and processed incorrectly. 

4. Garnishments:

Garnishments are always an unexpected issue that affects payroll processing.  Meeting and processing all of the guidelines and requirements of this legal document can be daunting. In addition calculations based on exempt and non exempt wages to determine the wages subject to garnishment can be easily confused. Employers failing to adhere to garnishment rules or to make garnishment payments on time are assessed fines.    

5. Inadequate Records:

The IRS has rules for what documents you must have on file related to your payroll.  But some employers don’t realize that the IRS also has rules on where certain employee forms must be kept, for example Form I-9.   While states and specific agencies vary, the one with longest term of retention is the automatic default.  The federal standard for retention of payroll and tax records, including time sheets, cancelled checks, and W-4 forms, is 7 years.

It is easy to see why many employers find payroll processing to be one of the largest headaches in their business.  This is why some choose to outsource their payroll headaches to someone else! 

There are payroll services that take on all of the responsibility of processing payroll for a business.  Some of these services will even assume the responsibility for correct payroll tax processing and payments accepting any fines or penalties for incorrect or untimely submissions, as long as the employer meets certain conditions that will allow the service to be unhindered in meeting payroll processing requirements. Most services will also process garnishments as part of your payroll.  

At Complete Business Solutions, in addition to accepting payroll processing responsibilities and processing garnishments, we make sure that our client’s employees are classified correctly and assist them in complying with all payroll and employee record keeping requirements.  And as an added bonus we do annual workplace posting compliance audits for our clients and provide them with a new Oregon All in One BOLI poster each January. 

If you need help with your payroll processing contact CBS today!

 

 

Teamwork and Porcupines

What do teamwork and porcupines have to do with each other?

A team-oriented environment can contribute to the overall success of your business. Be your business large or small, your goal should be to unify all of your staff to accomplish your business’ overall goals.  I want to share a very old fable that illustrates this point of view.

Fable of the Porcupine Family

It was the coldest winter ever in January that year. Many animals were dying. The porcupines realized that their situation was not good. So they decided to huddle together. By grouping together they would be covered, protected and stay warm. But it caused a curious problem. The quills of each porcupine began to wound the one next to them.

After awhile it was decided that it would be better to distance themselves. However, it was

too cold and one by one they began to die alone and frozen. So the remaining team of porcupines made a choice; either they accept the quills of their companions or succumb to death.

Wisely they each made the decision to huddle back together. Though it wasn't easy, they learned to make it work and meet their goal to survive the winter in warmth.
For employers, managers, and/or supervisors creating an overall sense of teamwork in your business, despite less than perfect people or circumstances, has been proven time and time again to bring success to all types of businesses and their leaders.  It really is true that a happy employee is a productive employee as well as an employee that is more invested in the success of your business.  And happy employees generally make for happier employers!   

Remember that nothing defeats team spirit more than pointing out someone’s weaknesses.  All truly successful teams are built on respect.  Negative remarks should be squashed as soon as they appear.  Respect your employees and they in turn will respect you.

And remember to recognize both your employee’s strengths and weaknesses and play to their strengths.  Set them up for success by assigning tasks to them that play to their strengths.  You will not only create a positive and productive environment but as an added bonus your business will also experience success. 

For HR, Payroll, Bookkeeping, or Accounting Solutions contact CBS         Visit our website http://complete-business-solutions.com/
or email us at clientcare@complete-business-solutions.com     

Virtual Service Providers

  
I once heard a Virtual Services Provider referred to as an office-manager-in-a-modem.  Of course I know some who refer to their VSP’s as a life saver or their personal stress reducer! 

Today there are many services that are provided virtually.  You can easily find providers services like; Payroll, Bookkeeping, Accounting, Human Resources as well as administrative assistant type duties such as editing or even creating word docs, spreadsheets, PowerPoint presentations and more.  In your local area you can even find virtual services that will help you maintain services at your facility such as landscaping, cleaning services etc.  Some business owners are just far too busy to be able to worry about taking care of all of the small details and yet they may not be able to afford a full time person

to take care of all of these different tasks for them.  But if they can find time to pick up the phone or to send an email, help is nearby!
 

I heard from one business owner recently, “I was ready to buy stock in a pain reliever company from all the headaches I was having.  It turns out what I needed was a Virtual Services Provider!  Skeptical at first, I signed on with a company…it was the best decision I made for my business in a long time, but more importantly it was the best gift I could have given myself!” 

Virtual service providers have a vested interest in your business.

The more they learn about your business, the more they can help you. They are self-employed business people, some which may have started their business to not only provide services themselves but also to employ others to provide services as well.  They are focused on developing a continuing business partnership with a client.  A good virtual service provider builds relationships with other experts so if they can’t offer you the service or expertise you need, they know someone who can.  And because their reputation is at stake you can trust that they will refer you to a reliable source.  In fact you may even find that they refer you and your business to others as well!  

 

Virtual service providers come in all shapes and sizes like IT outsourcing, marketing and sales, bookkeeping & tax services, and more.  When those resources are local it is even better.  You get Virtual Services with a personal touch from someone in your community!  So when it comes to outsourcing your tasks to a virtual services provider remember to shop local to get the best of both worlds! 

   
At CBS we offer affordable solutions to stressed out business owners in desperate need of help getting organized and creating room to breathe! 

Give CBS a call @541.220.0070 or email us at info@complete-business-solutions.com to see if we have a solution for you.  If we don’t, we probably know someone who does!   

 

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