I turned on the news last night and watched as picture after picture was displayed showing the aftermath of the violent storms and devastating tornados that made their way across Oklahoma.  It happens every year across our great nation.  Buildings are destroyed, people are killed, and families go from enjoying an evening meal together to figuring out where they will sleep after their homes have been demolished.  Having been through several severe storms myself including the tornado that hit Windsor, CO in May, 2008, I am reminded that it is important to have a plan in place to deal with natural disasters when they occur.  As a business, it is your responsibility to provide a safe environment for your employees at your location.  You can’t prevent a natural disaster, but your can prepare for how to respond when the need arises.  Here are 3 Keys to help you get started:

1.  Have a written emergency evacuation procedure that includes floor plans and indicate exit locations and fire extinguishers.  Communicate these procedures with your staff

2.  Have an emergency kit stocked and accessible in each building of your business.  Include in this kit, contact phone numbers for medical treatment facilities in your area

3.  Have a designated location for all staff members to report to immediately after an emergency is declared.  Keep a staff roster with emergency contact information in an easily accessible location and account for all individuals by roll call to ensure safety and well-being of all employees

For more tips and information on preparing for an emergency, please contact us at 303-466-7864 or Eugena.Bellamy@StaffScapes.com for a complimentary copy of our whitepaper on developing your Emergency Response Plan.

Apple™ promotes its new Apple iPad™ as the “best way to experience the web, e-mail, photos and video.  Hands Down.”  We agree.  We also think that StaffScapes is the “best way to handle your human resources needs.  Period.”  Hundreds of people count on us weekly to be their “partners to answer questions regarding Human Resources, employee relations, process payroll, assist with workers’ compensation and unemployment claims and much more”, said Jim Thibodeau, President of StaffScapes, Inc. 

From today through Labor Day, StaffScapes will be providing one Apple iPad™ to any person or company that refers a qualifying* new client and who begins services by September 6, 2010.  This promotion is open to any client, employee, friend, relative or business associate of StaffScapes, Inc. Some restrictions apply.  For rules and regulations, please contact StaffScapes, Inc.  303-466-7864 or info@StaffScapes.com.

*see rules and regulations for qualified requirements.

Let’s face it, litigation is a fact we all have to deal with.  And, if you are a business owner, chances are even greater that at some point in your career you will be directly impacted.  Lora Manternach, Benefits Administrator for StaffScapes, Inc. recently attended a legal updates seminar presented by Fisher & Phillips, LLP.  Here’s a few key statistics that they shared that you need to know:
 
1.    Lawsuits are up almost 400% over the past 20 years
2.    Most common target for lawsuits is private employers with 5-100 employees
3.    In federal court, 67% of all awards exceed $100,000 with the average compensatory damages awarded at almost $500,000

One large area of litigation centers around EEOC (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission) claims.  As expected, filings have increased and in fact set a record high of 95,402 in 2008.  This marked a 15.2 % increase from the year before.  The response is that the EEOC has become more aggressive aided by a $23 million dollar budget increase.  After hiring an additional 300 employees, the EEOC has collected $274 million, filed 290 “merit” lawsuits, focused additional attention to class actions and systemic violations and worked to change enforcement policies.

What’s the best way to mitigate potential claims?  We recommend establishing policies and procedures and/or making sure current handbooks are up to date.  Keeping consistent is key in how you deal with daily operational situations.  For further assistance, please contact StaffScapes, Inc. at 303-466-7864 or info@StaffScapes.com.

Did you know there is a new government program that will allow you to save for retirement?  The Retirement Savings Contributions Credit allows for up to a $1,000 credit for single individuals and $2,000 credit for married couples for contributions made to 401(k) or IRA programs during the 2010 tax year.  The plan is available for those workers who are 18 years of age or older and who meet the following income guidelines:

• Filers who are single or married filing separately, with adjusted gross income of $27,750 or less in 2010
• Filers who are the head of a household and have made less than $41,625 in 2010
• Filers who are married and filing a joint return and have a combined income of less than $55,500 in 2010

If you are eligible, here are some helpful tips for claiming your credit:

• If you use tax preparation software for your tax returns, you should use Form 1040A, Form 1040 or Form 1040NR. The credit is not available with Form 1040EZ.  Be sure to watch for and answer questions that refer to the saver’s credit, retirement savings contributions credit and/or credit for qualified retirement savings contributions.
• If you prepare your tax returns manually, you should complete Form 8880, Credit for Qualified Retirement Savings Contributions, to determine the credit rate and amount. Transfer the amount to the designated line on Form 1040A, Form 1040 or 1040NR.
• If you use the services of a professional tax preparer be sure to ask about the saver’s credit.

Additional online information can be found on the IRS website.

Recently, I was reading an article in the PEO Insider magazine by Christina Stovall, MBA, PHR regarding Workplace Violence.  Many statements which I will highlight throughout this post got me to thinking.  According to The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), approximately 2 million employees across the US experience workplace violence each year.  At first, that seemed like a big number. I know the news is filled daily with horrific stories, but millions, really? Then I got to thinking about all the cases that occur at your average small business that are not big enough for national news and realized it was possible.  Domestic disputes, arguments that turn violent, hostage situations, bullying, you name it.  In fact, a couple of years ago in my town, two business owners shot each other over a parking space.  I realized that the norm I am experiencing today is actually worse it seems than it used to be.  Stress levels are up, moods are declining, tempers are boiling to the surface faster and more and more people seem to be desensitized to judging comments or actions that can lead to many forms of devastating responses.  I think years of uncertainty, layoffs, financial concerns, lack of work and increased workloads are taking their toll.  In times like these, it seems some individuals are tested beyond what they can deal with when that final straw is broken.

So as owners and managers, what can we do to help prevent issues at our own place of business?  The following tips may help and I encourage you to share ideas that you may have as well.

• Be aware of changes in the moods of your staff.  Is anyone more stressed than usual?  Has anyone taken on a lot of extra work requiring even more hours of dedication to the job?
• Provide clear instructions to your employees regarding pending changes, their performance and any big developments that will have an impact.  Employees that know where they stand are generally able to better deal with change and typically will not react with violence.  But if they do not feel as if they have been treated fairly, their concerns have been addressed or that their feelings and comments have not been viewed as serious, they can quickly react with devastating results.
• Establish policies and procedures regarding workplace violence and ensure that each individual has been properly notified.
• Draft an emergency response plan and make sure that all staff members are well trained.
• Offer access to an EAP (Employee Assistance Program) for your employees to seek assistance on matters such as financial, family or health.  At StaffScapes we offer such a program to all of our clients and their employees. 
• Take complaints seriously and investigate claims completely.

No one can prevent every act of violence, but talking about the issues, having a plan in place and offering a support system will go a long way in assisting those that may need it and keeping violence out of the workplace. 

Every day we are faced with potential emergencies.  Car accidents on the interstate, tornadoes, fires, emergency health developments, etc.  As a business owner, it is your responsibility to provide a safe environment and plan for how to respond in a crisis.  Training your employees and making clear what the expectations are may just save a life should the situation arise.

As a recent example, the tornadoes that violently ripped through much of the south and east portions of the United States created many nightmares for those affected. We heard of one story that exemplifies the need for emergency preparedness.  On a small picturesque quiet little street, two businesses went about business as usual.  As part of their operations, one had a plan in place for what to do should an emergency occur and had conducted training for its employees.  The other owner had done nothing to prepare in advance.  Unfortunately, the results were as you can guess, disastrous.  When mother nature unleashed its wrath, the proprietor who planned ahead successfully gathered emergency supplies and staff together in the safest location of the building.  The second owner who had ignored safety preparedness experienced confusion and panic from their employees while trying to figure out how to respond during the emergency. 

What can you do to help prevent a bad situation from becoming worse? 
1. have a written emergency evacuation procedure that includes floor plans and indicate exit locations and fire extinguishers.  Communicate these procedures with your staff.
2. have an emergency kit stocked and accessible in each building of your business.  Include in this kit, contact phone numbers for medical treatment facilities in your area.
3. have a designated location for all staff members to report to immediately after an emergency is declared.  Keep a staff roster with emergency contact information in an easily accessible location and account for all individuals by roll call to ensure safety and well-being of all employees.
4. Appoint an employee as your safety manager if you do not already employ someone in this capacity.  Ensure that they review procedures and update deliverables at least once a year and as changes occur.
5. Stock bottled water and non-perishable food snack items in your emergency area.  This can help extend survival in the event you need it.

For more tips and information on preparing for and responding to an emergency, please contact us for a complimentary copy of our Emergency Response Plan whitepaper. 303-466-7864 or .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

If you are investigating contracting with a Professional Employer Organization (PEO) for your human resources and payroll processing needs, we encourage you to contact us at 303-466-7864 or info@StaffScapes.com. As a PEO, we are your local trusted advisor dedicated to helping you focus on your employees, increase your profits and protect your assets.  Recently, we read an article by Anthony Jernigan entitled The Perks of Professional Employer Organizations.  It is a fabulous overview on the differences between a PEO and a payroll processing firm.  The article details the services our industry provides and informs the reader as to the benefits of partnering with a PEO.  We encourage you to read this article and contact us if you have questions or would like to learn more about how you can benefit from working with a PEO and StaffScapes.

The decision has been made.  You have chosen to end the employment relationship between you and one of your employees.  You suspect that they have been stealing tips from the cash drawer and pocketing them as their own.  You are pretty sure the week’s haul amounts to $425.  Given the suspected amount qualifies as a felony, you want to deduct the stolen amount from their final check.  But wait, is that legal?  According to Colorado law, no matter how much suspicion or evidence you have, you can not arbitrarily deduct the amount from a final paycheck.  You must pay all earned wages due and seek restitution through a court of law.  The only exception is where an advanced deduction for loans, services, product, equipment or other previously agreed upon goods or service has been documented and planned for payroll deduction.  To learn more about final pay, advanced deductions and additional Human Resources assistance through StaffScapes, please call 303-466-7864 or email info@StaffScapes.com.

Are you planning on paying year end or Christmas bonuses?  Please keep in mind that there are a few tax implications when it comes to paying them out.  If you want to pay them on a separate check then the “supplemental tax” comes into play which is a 25% flat Federal tax in addition to Social Security, Medicare and any applicable supplemental state tax rates that would come out.  By adding the bonus to the employees check the normal tax rates would apply. If you have other questions or concerns please don’t hesitate to call StaffScapes at 303-466-7864. 

If you are an employer and have minimum wage earners on your payroll, now is the time to plan for the increase that will be mandated come January 1, 2012.  Colorado’s minimum wage will increase 28 cents from $7.36 per hour to $7.64 per hour as a result of a state law that links annual wage to cost-of-living fluctuations known as the CPI or Consumer Price Index.  With the wage increase, we have compiled a list of things you may need to do to update your procedures:

1. Update your required posters by printing a new Colorado Minimum Wage Order poster.  These posters should be released the last week of December by the Colorado Department of Labor.
2. Update your payroll records to reflect the required increase, effective January 1, 2012.
3. Adjust any calculation automation you may have in place to determine gross wages.
4. Update any timesheets submitted to your payroll department to determine wage payments.
5. Review records for any Garnishments being processed through payroll.  Update these calculations to ensure proper amount is being deducted and paid per order. 

We suggest that you begin preparing now for this update to make end of year and holiday planning much easier.  If these tasks and other Human Resources and Payroll needs have become a burden, please contact us at 303-466-7864 to learn more about how we can help you free up much needed time, increase profit and ensure your business is compliant and protected.

So you have decided to terminate an employee.  What is next?  In the state of Colorado once you have made that decision, you as a client of StaffScapes, since the accounting unit is offsite are required to have that employee’s check cut/processed within 24 hours of the termination unless it takes place on a Friday then you have until the following Monday.  What this means is StaffScapes will need their final hours and any other monies owed to them as soon as possible so that we can get the check cut.  Any deductions from final checks must have a completed deduction authorization signed by the employee.  Once the check is processed we will get it out into the mail either to your place of business or to the home address we have for the employee.  Per the Dept of Labor as long as the check is processed and post marked with in 24 hours of the termination you are compliant within their regulations.  Common misconception is that you can wait until the normal pay date to pay them and in some states that is true but not in Colorado. If an employee quits or resigns in Colorado the final pay is due on the next regular payday.