Search Results for “employee benefits” – Empower HR https://empowerhr.com Smart, Trusty Sidekicks When You Need Kick A** HR Wed, 27 Mar 2024 15:09:59 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.5.2 https://empowerhr.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/cropped-emp-apple-touch-icon-32x32.png Search Results for “employee benefits” – Empower HR https://empowerhr.com 32 32 HR Consulting Unveiled: A Roadmap to Transform Your Business https://empowerhr.com/hr-consulting/ Wed, 27 Mar 2024 15:09:56 +0000 https://empowerhr.com/?p=6934 Highlights
  • HR consulting firms provide specialized guidance and support for businesses in multiple areas, from strategic planning to performance management.
  • By leveraging the expertise of a dedicated HR consultant, companies can gain fresh insights and accelerate their business transformation.
  • At EmPower HR, we understand your business’s unique needs and create personalized strategies to drive your success. Contact us to get started!

Every business faces unique HR challenges. From navigating compliance to managing employee relations, the to-do list is endless and time is always running out. That’s where HR consulting steps in, offering expertise and insights to transform organizational structures and cultivate a thriving workplace environment.

A human resource consulting firm can cover a lot of ground, such as crafting effective recruitment strategies, implementing diversity initiatives in the workplace, or designing a stellar onboarding process.

Read on to learn how HR consulting can elevate your business and provide a tailored plan to address your current challenges.

Let’s jump right in!

Find Out How to Transform Your Business with HR Consultancy

Understanding the Power of HR Consulting

First thing first: What is HR consulting? Short for Human Resources Consulting, HR consulting refers to a specialized service provided by professionals or firms with expertise in various aspects of HR management.

An HR consultant provides strategic advice, support, and customized solutions to companies seeking to improve their workforce management practices and increase employee engagement.

Here are some of the many areas where HR consulting can help companies:

  • Strategic planning
  • Recruitment and selection
  • Employee engagement
  • Performance management
  • Training and development
  • HR compliance
  • Diversity and inclusion

By leveraging the expertise of HR consulting, you can unlock the true power of your workforce, creating a competitive advantage and paving the way for success.

Strategic Steps for Business Transformation

Transforming your business through HR consulting involves strategic planning and implementation. Here are some key steps to guide your business transformation journey:

  • Know your starting point. Assess your current HR practices, policies, and procedures. Identify areas of strength and areas that need improvement.
  • Define your goals. Clearly define your business objectives and goals. Determine how HR initiatives can support these objectives, whether it’s improving employee retention, increasing diversity, enhancing performance, or achieving compliance.
  • Involve key stakeholders in your transformation. This includes senior leadership, department heads, and employees. Seek input, gather feedback, and ensure alignment with your business priorities.
  • Work with HR consultants to develop customized solutions tailored to your business needs and goals. This may involve designing strategic recruitment plans, implementing performance management systems, or establishing diversity and inclusion initiatives.
  • Implement effective change management strategies. To ensure a smooth adoption of the new HR practices, make sure to communicate openly with employees about the reasons for change, provide training and support, and address any concerns.
  • Embrace a culture of continuous improvement. Regularly monitor and evaluate your HR initiatives. Ask your employees for feedback, track key performance metrics, and make adjustments along the way.
  • Measure the impact of your HR transformation efforts. A few key business metrics to keep in mind are employee satisfaction, retention rates, productivity, and profitability. Use data-driven insights to assess the effectiveness of your strategies and make informed decisions.
  • Remain adaptable and flexible. Continuously reassess your HR strategies and adjust as necessary to stay competitive and responsive to evolving needs, market dynamics, and trends.

The Role of HR Consulting Partnerships

Engaging in a partnership with an HR consulting firm can boost your business transformation efforts in various ways.

These are some of the benefits of working with an HR consultancy firm:

  • Specialized expertise: HR consulting firms bring specific industry knowledge to the table. By partnering with these professionals, you gain access to a diverse team with experience in various HR domains, including recruitment, talent management, and compliance.
  • Objective perspective: External HR consultants offer an objective perspective on your organization’s HR challenges and opportunities. They can identify blind spots, uncover hidden inefficiencies, and offer fresh insights that you may not be aware of.
  • Tailored solutions: Rather than offering fixed solutions, HR consulting partnerships work closely with your team to understand your organizational culture, challenges, and objectives, and craft customized solutions that align with your strategic priorities.
  • Resource optimization: Instead of hiring full-time HR staff or overburdening your existing employees with additional responsibilities, you can tap into the specialized skills and resources of consulting partners on an as-needed basis.
  • Risk mitigation: HR consulting partnerships help mitigate risks associated with HR initiatives, such as legal compliance issues, regulatory changes, and reputational risks. Consultants are always up-to-date with industry trends and emerging regulations, providing proactive guidance and support to ensure your business remains compliant and resilient.
  • Accelerated results: HR consulting partnerships can accelerate the pace of business transformation by providing access to best practices, proven methodologies, and efficient implementation processes. Consultants bring a wealth of experience and industry insights, helping you avoid common pitfalls and achieve results more quickly.
Discover All the Benefits of Partnering with an HR Consulting Firm

Conclusion: Embrace Transformation with HR Consulting

HR consulting can go a long way in unlocking the full potential of your business and helping you navigate HR challenges, from compliance to employee engagement.

Looking for a personalized approach to HR? At EmPower HR, we take the time to fully understand your unique goals and challenges and provide dedicated HR consulting services. We believe that having a solid foundation is the key to long-term success, so we focus on ensuring your HR strategies align with your goals and values.

Let’s get your business ready for sustained growth! Contact us to learn how an HR consultant can help.


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Payroll Security: Everything You Need to Know https://empowerhr.com/payroll-security/ Wed, 31 Jan 2024 19:44:15 +0000 https://empowerhr.com/?p=6887 Highlights
  • Protecting confidential payroll data is key to preventing fraud and potential data breaches.
  • Payroll security strategies involve implementing access control systems and training employees in security best practices.
  • At EmPower HR, we provide payroll and other HR management solutions to make your business safer and more efficient. Contact us to get started!

Payroll processing involves dealing with a trove of sensitive employee information. To keep confidential data safe and prevent fraud and potential data breaches, companies need to have an efficient payroll security strategy in place.

Yes, we know this can be a complex topic, so we’ve put together a guide with everything you need to know about payroll security. Read on to learn why you need to protect your payroll data, the most common types of payroll fraud, and practical steps to strengthen your payroll systems.

Let’s dive in!

What Is Payroll Security?

Payroll security involves all the processes that a business implements to safeguard the integrity, confidentiality, and availability of payroll data.

When paying salaries and managing employee benefits, companies get access to all kinds of personal information from their employees. This involves names, social security numbers, salaries, addresses, and bank account details. What’s more, they also handle data regarding bonuses, taxes, hours worked, and holidays.

So, payroll security is about ensuring that all this sensitive information is safe to:

  • Protect employees 
  • Maintain compliance with regulations
  • Prevent unauthorized access or fraud

Why Does a Payroll System Need Security?

Payroll systems deal with two critical assets: employees’ salaries and other highly sensitive information. So, it’s not hard to imagine why they need to be protected.

Payroll security breaches can have a very negative impact on your business, from serious financial losses to damaging your brand’s reputation.

In 2023, the global average cost of a data breach was $4.45M

IBM

Here are some of the main reasons why your payroll system needs to have strong security measures in place:

  • To keep sensitive information confidential. Unauthorized access to payroll information could lead to identity theft, financial fraud, or other malicious activities.
  • To prevent fraud. Payroll systems deal with financial transactions. Security measures help you avoid fraudulent activities, such as creating fake employees, altering salary figures, or redirecting funds.
  • To stay compliant. There are several laws and regulations that protect employee data as well as financial information. Non-compliance could have legal consequences for your business, such as penalties and costly fines.
  • To maintain trust. Employees trust you to handle their personal and financial information with care. A breach of payroll security can undermine this trust and hurt your company.
  • To protect your business against cyber threats. Ransomware, phishing attacks, malware… your business is exposed to all kinds of digital risks and your payroll system needs to be protected.

The Common Types of Payroll Fraud

Payroll fraud occurs when someone illicitly manipulates payroll processes to gain financial benefits. This can take various forms, here are some of the most common:

  • Ghost employees: It happens when fictitious individuals who don’t work for the company are added to its payroll system. The fraudster may create false identities or use the details of former employees.
  • Time theft: Employees may manipulate timesheets, such as adding more hours worked or submitting fraudulent overtime claims.
  • Salary fraud: Employees or administrators may manipulate salary figures, either by increasing their own pay or altering the salaries of colleagues.
  • Employer Fraud: Employers may engage in fraud by misclassifying employees as independent contractors, underreporting payroll figures, or misrepresenting the nature of a worker’s duties to lower insurance premiums.
  • Tax fraud: This includes underreporting income, falsely claiming tax credits, or manipulating tax withholding information.
  • Workers’ Compensation fraud: Submitting fictitious or exaggerated injury or illness claims to obtain compensation benefits, as well as claiming that an injury occurred at work when it didn’t.
Follow These 7 Tips to Keep Your Payroll Data Secure

Who Is Leaking Payroll Information?

While payroll fraud often happens internally, payroll information leaks can also involve external actors. According to Verizon’s 2023 Data Breach Investigations Report…

“74% of all breaches include the human element, with people being involved either via Error, Privilege Misuse, Use of stolen credentials or Social Engineering.”

Potential sources of leaks may include:

a – External Hackers

No matter the size of your business, this is the most frequent cause of payroll information leaks. Following Verizon’s report…

83% of breaches involve external actors and nearly all of them are financially driven

External hackers may gain unauthorized access to a company’s payroll systems or take advantage of vulnerabilities in the network to steal payroll information. Also, through social engineering, they can manipulate or trick employees into disclosing sensitive information, including payroll details.

b – Internal Employees

Employees might leak payroll information accidentally, by sending sensitive data to the wrong recipients, leaving documents in public areas, or misplacing physical records. They can also fall victim to phishing attacks.

Finally, disgruntled employees may intentionally leak payroll information as a form of sabotage.

c – Third-Party Service Providers

Leaks may occur if your business outsources its payroll processing to a third-party service provider and the provider’s security measures are inadequate.

7 Tips to Protect Payroll Data

Now that you are aware of the main risks and threats that your business is exposed to, it’s time to see how to keep your data safe!

Here are 7 tips to improve the security of your payroll data:

1 – Implement Access Controls

Limit access to payroll systems and data to authorized personnel only. By implementing role-based access controls, you can ensure that employees have the minimum level of access necessary for their job responsibilities.

Make sure to regularly review and update access permissions.

2 – Encrypt Sensitive Data

Use encryption to protect sensitive payroll data both in transit and at rest. This guarantees that, even if unauthorized individuals gain access to your payroll data, it remains unreadable without the proper decryption keys.

3 – Regularly Update Software and Security Patches

Keep payroll software, operating systems, and security applications up to date with the latest patches and updates. That way, you can decrease vulnerabilities that could be exploited by hackers.

4 – Conduct Regular Audits and Monitoring

Perform regular audits of your payroll data and processes to identify any unusual activities or discrepancies. You should also implement monitoring systems that can detect and alert people to suspicious behavior, providing an early warning of potential security issues.

5 – Train Employees on Security Best Practices

Provide security awareness training to your employees, emphasizing the importance of safeguarding payroll data. Train them to recognize phishing attempts, use strong passwords, and follow secure data handling practices.

6 – Secure Physical Access to Data

If your payroll data is stored in physical form, such as paper documents or hard drives, ensure that physical access is restricted. Implement secure storage facilities, use locked cabinets, and establish procedures for keeping sensitive documents safe.

7 – Establish a Disaster Recovery Plan

Develop and regularly test a disaster recovery plan to ensure that your payroll processes can continue in the event of data loss or system failures.

Finally, back up your payroll data regularly, and store backups in a secure offsite location.

EmPower HR: Payroll With a Personal Touch

Processing payroll involves great attention to detail and handling sensitive employee information. There are just too many tasks to do and little room for error. But what if you could take that weight off your shoulders?

Outsourcing payroll and other HR functions to a trusted partner gives you peace of mind and more time to focus on the strategic side of your business.

At EmPower HR we provide payroll administration services that actually feel like having an in-house payroll specialist. We ensure that all your employees are paid correctly and on time, while keeping your payroll data safe and fully compliant.

Why to Choose EmPower HR for Payroll Administration

We know that managing payroll requires responsible and trustworthy partners. Here are a few reasons to choose EmPower HR:

  • Have a payroll specialist available for you, without the associated costs of hiring one on-site.
  • Amazing customer service. We are proud of the connections we build with clients and specialize in solving problems.
  • Get customized solutions adapted to your business’ specific payroll needs and your sector’s regulations and standards.

Payroll Security Conclusions

Regardless of the size of your business, you need to have payroll security processes in place to ensure your most sensitive data is protected.

By keeping your payroll system safe, you can minimize the risk of fraudulent activities and protect against hackers or other digital threats.

At EmPower HR, we provide a full suite of payroll and HR services to help businesses manage administrative tasks more efficiently, while staying up to date with compliance and security requirements.

Contact us to improve your payroll process with a team of specialists by your side!


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PEO Services: A Guide to Grow Your Company https://empowerhr.com/peo-services/ Mon, 22 Jan 2024 16:55:17 +0000 https://empowerhr.com/?p=6879 Highlights
  • PEO services allow small and medium-sized businesses to outsource time-consuming HR tasks.
  • By partnering with a PEO, businesses can have more time to focus on strategic initiatives and negotiate competitive benefits for their employees.
  • EmPower HR supports small businesses by managing payroll, compliance, benefits administration, and more HR administrative tasks. Contact us to get started!

You are in business for a reason. You have big goals and a solid purpose. But somehow along the way, the endless administrative tasks have distracted you from the things that can move the needle and grow your company. PEO services can get you back on track by taking charge of time-consuming tasks like processing payroll or handling employee benefits.

Partnering with a Professional Employer Organization (PEO) can offer exciting benefits, especially if you are a small business with few employees and a tight budget.

Read on to find out the advantages of hiring PEO services and how they can set your business on the path to success.

Let’s jump right in!

What are PEO Services

As we mentioned, PEO stands for Professional Employer Organization. By hiring PEO services, companies can outsource some of their most time-consuming HR tasks to a strategic partner, allowing them to be more efficient and have more time to focus on HR activities that drive business growth.

“Companies that partner with a PEO develop 7 to 9% faster and are 50% less likely to fail.”

— McBassi and Associates

When you hire a PEO, both companies engage in a co-employment agreement, which means you share certain responsibilities.

The PEO takes on the role of the administrative employer, handling crucial aspects such as payroll, taxes, compliance, and managing employee benefits. This allows your business to concentrate on what truly matters — managing the core business, determining fair compensation levels, and overseeing the daily tasks and performance of your employees.

Differences Between PEO Services

Generally, most PEOs cover the following HR areas:

  • Payroll processing and taxes
  • Employee benefits administration
  • Risk management & compliance

However, some PEOs may offer additional services, like talent acquisition and recruiting to help you find top talent and bring them on board.

PEOs can also differentiate themselves by specializing in specific industries or operating in certain geographic areas.

EmPower HR serves over 400 small businesses in diverse sectors like non-profit, hospitality, technology, professional services, and more.

Finally, some PEOs are designed to suit the needs of global enterprises and can serve as Employers of Record (EOR). These PEOs take on the responsibilities of a local employer, ensuring that businesses can hire employees across borders in a compliant manner.

What PEO Services Don’t Include

It’s important to debunk the myth that PEOs are meant to replace your internal HR team. On the contrary, PEOs work alongside your team, offering support and sharing their expertise to navigate through challenging HR situations.

But just to clear up some doubts, these are the things that PEO services don’t include:

  • Managing employees’ day-to-day activities. The role of PEOs is to support you in HR management. But tasks such as employee supervision, task assignment, and performance evaluations are still your responsibility.
  • Designing training programs and opportunities for development. Although PEOs may offer some training resources, they do not assume the responsibility of creating and executing extensive employee training or development initiatives for your employees.
  • Creating an onboarding program for new hires. While PEOs handle all things compliance and can help you out with the necessary paperwork, the rest of the onboarding process depends on you. Onboarding is so much more than administrative tasks, so keep it in mind to provide a stellar experience for your new employees.
Learn How PEO Services Can Make Your Small Business More Efficient

PEO Services Benefits

Does your HR team feel trapped in a never-ending loop of administrative tasks, such as payroll, compliance, and benefits? It’s time to set them free! Joining forces with a PEO can bring numerous benefits to your small business:

1. Say Goodbye to Administrative HR Tasks

PEOs take the tiresome aspects of HR off your plate, from processing payroll and calculating taxes to negotiating competitive employee benefits.

Instead, your small HR team will now have more time to focus on nurturing an inclusive workplace and coming up with initiatives to keep your employees happy and motivated.

2. Reduce Payroll Errors and Ensure Compliance

Payroll is a sensitive topic that your business needs to get right. If not, you risk dealing with frustrated employees, financial losses, and unfair compensation claims.

By leveraging the specialized knowledge and advanced software of a PEO, you can minimize errors in payroll processing and guarantee that all your employees receive their payments accurately and on time.

3. Gain Access to Competitive Benefits Packages at an Affordable Price

Fortune 500-level benefits seem beyond the reach of small businesses, right? Well, it doesn’t have to be that way.

Offering competitive benefits has a decisive impact on your employee brand and can be a strategic way of keeping top talent by your side.

By partnering with a Professional Employer Organization, businesses can tap into a vast network of clients and gain access to competitive employee benefits that otherwise would be impossible to assume.

These benefits include not only health insurance but also retirement plans and various other perks.

4. Delegate Compliance to an Expert Team

Keeping up with constantly evolving employment laws and regulations across federal, state, and local levels can be quite daunting. That’s where PEO services come in.

PEOs specialize in HR compliance and can provide invaluable assistance to your business. By helping you understand and meet legal requirements, they minimize the risk of penalties and lawsuits, keeping your business (and your employees) on the safe side.

Partner with EmPower HR for PEO Services and Get to the Reason You’re in Business

There is only a limited number of hours a day to work on your business — and your HR administrative tasks shouldn’t take them all!

At EmPower HR we help companies grow by allowing them to focus on the things they can do best while handling complex HR tasks for them.

Benefits of EmPower HR’s PEO Services

Why choose EmPower HR as your partner for PEO services? Here are three reasons you should consider:

  • We go beyond customer service — we genuinely care about your business success and are always available to answer your questions or help you solve any HR challenge you may have.
  • We specialize in small businesses and offer customized solutions based on your specific needs.
  • On top of all the PEO services, we also provide HR consulting services to support your strategic HR planning and help you grow your business!

PEO Services Final Ideas

PEO services can alleviate the burden of administrative HR tasks, like payroll processing, compliance requests, and managing employee benefits. By allowing an external provider to handle these time-consuming HR activities, your team can have more time to spend on revenue-generating strategies and keeping a thriving workplace.

At EmPower HR we offer PEO services for small businesses across a variety of industries, giving you access to customized solutions based on your business HR needs.

Contact us to learn how we can help your business grow, by taking care of your administrative workload!


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9 HR Best Practices for Small Businesses [2024] https://empowerhr.com/hr-best-practices-for-small-businesses/ Mon, 22 Jan 2024 16:26:39 +0000 https://empowerhr.com/?p=6867 A lot has changed in the workplace since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. From the rise of remote work to an increased focus on healthcare benefits, HR professionals in small businesses face the need to redefine their strategies to attract and retain talent and reevaluate HR best practices to keep up.

But what is the best way to address evolving employee expectations? This post outlines 9 HR best practices that small business owners should tackle this year.

What Are HR Best Practices? (And Why They Matter)

HR best practices are the guiding principles that businesses keep in mind when managing their relationship with employees.

They set the groundwork for fostering a positive workplace culture, while improving operational efficiency, and ensuring compliance with evolving regulations.

No matter the size of your business or who oversees your HR efforts, you should set some time aside to discuss HR best practices and define how to bring them into the workplace.

9 HR Best Practices to Follow this Year

1. Get High-Quality Talent on Board

In such a competitive landscape, small businesses might find it harder to attract top talent than larger organizations.

To bridge this gap, you need to adopt a strategic and proactive approach that resonates with potential candidates.

Here are three actionable tips to discover top-tier candidates — and get them to say YES!

  • Leverage local networks. Tap into your local communities and networks to identify talent. Building relationships with local universities, attending community events, or participating in industry-specific gatherings can give you access to a pool of skilled professionals who are already connected to the area.
  • Highlight company culture. Emphasizing your business’ unique culture and values in job ads and recruiting materials can attract candidates looking for more meaningful and impactful work experience.
  • Build a strong online presence. Refresh your company website and be active on social media. Potential candidates often research companies online before applying, so be sure to make a good impression.

2. Design a Memorable Onboarding Experience

Onboarding is much more than paperwork and basic orientation. In fact, research shows that companies with a solid onboarding program see 50% greater employee retention and 62% greater productivity than those who don’t implement one.

Effective onboarding is about making new hires feel supported and integrated into your company culture.

Here’s how to improve your onboarding process:

  • Create a 30-60-90-day plan for your new hires. Provide clear expectations and set realistic goals right from the start. Be sure to include regular check-ins to follow up on their progress.
  • Let your best employees be part of the training process. Encourage employees to have an active role when someone joins the team: this not only speeds up the new hire’s learning curve but can also foster supportive relationships.

3. Invest in Training: If your Employees Grow, You Grow

When you invest in training, you invite employees to develop their skills, keep them motivated, and encourage them to do their best work.

Having a solid training program also gives you a competitive edge and helps you stay ahead of the curve with new trends and technologies.

Even if you are a small business with a limited budget, there are creative and cost-effective ways to implement training programs to improve your employees’ skills and contribute to your business growth.

A few ideas to plan your training strategy for the year ahead:

  • Provide diverse learning options, from e-learning courses to mentorship programs.
  • Emphasize soft skills training, enhancing communication, customer service, and leadership abilities.
  • Are you growing fast? Align training initiatives with your strategic goals and train employees in the skills they’ll need in the near future.

4. Embrace Regular and Constructive Employee Feedback

Providing regular feedback contributes to a healthy work environment. But employee feedback is not just about evaluating performance and showing employees what to improve — it’s also about encouraging open, honest communication.

Keep this in mind for your performance evaluation conversations:

  • Be solution oriented. Your goal is to help employees grow and improve their performance. Keep your feedback actionable and focus on the future.
  • Recognize and reward employee contributions, motivating outstanding work.
  • Promote a culture of continuous feedback rather than limiting it to annual reviews.

5. Stay Up to Date on Labor Laws & Regulations

Staying compliant is a critical responsibility, regardless of the size of your business. It involves staying on top of the latest regulations related to data protection, employment laws, health and safety, corporation taxes, and industry-specific regulations, among other areas.

Understanding this amount of information might be overwhelming, but it’s key to avoid costly fines and penalties.

Here’s how to navigate compliance nowadays:

  • Use HR compliance management software to stay up to date with compliance requirements, get access to real-time reporting and analytics, and ensure you are ready for audits.
  • Consider partnering with a Professional Employer Organization (PEO). A PEO helps you handle compliance and minimize risks while providing expert assistance and support. Check out our compliance services at EmPower HR to learn how we can get you covered.

6. Foster Team Building and Employee Engagement

If finding top talent is a challenge, keeping your workforce actively engaged is an even bigger one. In small businesses, a close-knit team is crucial for success. Research shows that teams with high engagement levels were able to reduce absenteeism by 81% and boost profitability by 23%, among other benefits.

How to promote engagement among employees?

  • Organize regular team-building activities to strengthen relationships. From a team lunch at the office to an off-site team-building day, there are plenty of options to allow workers to share some quality time together, stay motivated, and encourage collaboration.
  • Define specific strategies to keep remote and hybrid workers engaged. Recent studies have shown that remote and hybrid workplaces have an eroding connection to the purpose and mission of the organization. To address this, schedule meaningful conversations on a weekly basis, encourage open communication channels, and provide remote-specific professional development opportunities.

7. Encourage Flexible Work Schedules

Flexible work schedules allow for a more harmonious work-life balance and contribute to improved job satisfaction and productivity.

There are different models you can implement, such as remote work, flextime, or compressed workweeks. Choosing the right model for your business will depend on your workforce’s preferences and needs, as well as your goals and priorities.

If you are implementing flexible work models this year, you can consider:

  • Allowing employees to set flexible working hours to fit family needs and responsibilities.
  • Emphasizing results over rigid working hours, focusing on productivity. To prevent burnout, it’s important to set realistic expectations and performance goals beforehand.
  • Implementing technology solutions that facilitate remote work and collaboration.

8. Prioritize Mental Health and Well-being

After the pandemic, mental health has taken center stage among HR best practices. Recognizing and prioritizing the mental health and well-being of your employees is the key to an open and supportive work environment.

Creating a healthy workplace has a positive impact on productivity and employee satisfaction. Employees are taking it seriously: research from the American Psychological Association indicates that 81% of workers will be looking for places that support mental health when looking for job opportunities in the future.

How can you promote a healthy and supportive work environment?

  • Encourage open conversations about mental health in the workplace. Foster an environment where employees feel supported and heard. Break the stigma around mental health and empower employees to talk about their feelings and challenges.
  • Implement mental health awareness programs. Introduce initiatives that raise awareness about mental health and provide resources for support. This could include workshops, webinars, or seminars led by mental health professionals, addressing topics such as stress management, work-life balance, and resilience.
  • Provide Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs): Implementing Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) can be a valuable resource for employees facing personal or professional challenges. These programs typically offer confidential counseling services, mental health assessments, and referrals to external resources.

9. Craft an Employee Handbook for Clarity and Consistency

Creating a comprehensive employee handbook is a fundamental step to make sure that employees understand your business policies.

An employee handbook is a vital document that outlines company policies, procedures, and expectations, promoting clarity and consistency across the organization.

Consider this when crafting your employee handbook:

  • Tailor policies to your culture. Customize your handbook to reflect the unique values and culture of your small business, ensuring that policies resonate with your team.
  • Communicate clearly. Use plain language to articulate policies, making them easily understandable for all employees. Foster an open-door policy for questions or clarifications.
  • Regular updates. Keep the handbook dynamic by updating it regularly to align with evolving company policies and compliance requirements.

HR Best Practices Final Thoughts

HR best practices help you navigate the challenges of the modern workplace while preparing your organization for success.

However, we know that staying on top of all the responsibilities of being an employer can be overwhelming. At EmPower HR, we serve more than 400 small businesses across many industries, taking the heavy work off their plates so they can focus on what matters most.

From handling HR administration and payroll to providing employee benefits, we can be your dedicated HR partner. Contact us to learn how we can elevate your business with HR best practices!


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CCPA https://empowerhr.com/ccpa/ Tue, 10 Oct 2023 13:22:13 +0000 https://reverent-payne.67-225-176-108.plesk.page/?page_id=2000

PRIVACY NOTICE FOR CALIFORNIA CONSUMERS ONLY

This PRIVACY NOTICE FOR CALIFORNIA CONSUMERS supplements the information contained in the Privacy Statement of the Vensure Employer Services family of companies (collectively, “we,” “us,” or “our”) and applies solely to California consumers (“consumers” or “you”), effective January 1, 2020. We adopt this notice to comply with the California Consumer Privacy Act of 2018, as amended (“CCPA”) and other applicable California privacy laws. Any terms defined in the CCPA have the same meaning when used in this notice. For purposes of this notice, a “third party” is an entity that is not a wholly-owned or majority-owned and controlled subsidiary of the Vensure Employer Services family of companies.

Information We Collect

We collect information that identifies, relates to, describes, references, is capable of being associated with, or could reasonably be linked, directly or indirectly, with a particular consumer (“personal information”).

WE COLLECT THE FOLLOWING CATEGORIES OF PERSONAL INFORMATION AS INDICATED BELOW:

CATEGORY

EXAMPLES

COLLECTED?

A. Identifiers

A real name, alias, postal address, unique personal identifier, online identifier, Internet Protocol address, email address, account name, Social Security number, driver’s license number, passport number, or other similar identifiers.

YES

B. Personal information categories listed in the California Customer Records statute (Cal. Civ. Code § 1798.80(e)

A name, signature, Social Security number, physical characteristics or description, address, telephone number, passport number, driver’s license or state identification card number, insurance policy number, education, employment, employment history, bank account number, credit card number, debit card number, or any other financial information, medical information, or health insurance information. Some personal information included in this category may overlap with other categories.

YES

C. Protected classification characteristics under California or federal law

Age (40 years or older), race, color, ancestry, national origin, citizenship, religion or creed, marital status, medical condition, physical or mental disability, sex (including gender, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy or childbirth, and related medical conditions), sexual orientation, veteran or military status, and genetic information (including familial genetic information).

YES

D. Commercial information

Records of personal property, products or services purchased, obtained, or considered, or other purchasing or consuming histories or tendencies.

YES

E. Biometric information

Genetic, physiological, behavioral, and biological characteristics, or activity patterns used to extract a template or other identifier or identifying information, such as fingerprints.

YES

F. Internet or other similar network activity

Browsing history, search history, information on a consumer’s interaction with a website, application, or advertisement.

YES

G. Geolocation data

Physical location or movements.

YES

H. Sensory data

Audio, electronic, visual, thermal, olfactory, or similar information.

YES

I. Professional or employment-related information

Current or past job history or performance evaluations.

YES

J. Non-public education information (per the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (20 U.S.C. Section 1232g, 34 C.F.R. Part 99))

Education records directly related to a student maintained by an educational institution or party acting on its behalf, such as grades, transcripts, class lists, student schedules, student identification codes, student financial information, or student disciplinary records.

YES

K. Inferences drawn from other personal information

Profile reflecting a person’s preferences, characteristics, psychological trends, predispositions, behavior, attitudes, intelligence, abilities, and aptitudes.

YES

PERSONAL INFORMATION DOES NOT INCLUDE:
  • Publicly available information from government records

  • De-identified or aggregated consumer information

  • Information excluded from the CCPA’s scope, like:

    • health or medical information covered by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) and the California Confidentiality of Medical Information Act (CMIA) or clinical trial data.
    • personal information covered by certain sector-specific privacy laws, including the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLBA) or California Financial Information Privacy Act (FIPA), and the Driver’s Privacy Protection Act of 1994.
WE OBTAIN THE CATEGORIES OF PERSONAL INFORMATION LISTED ABOVE FROM THE FOLLOWING CATEGORIES OF SOURCES:
  • Directly from our clients, prospects, or employees. For example, from documents that our clients provide to us related to the services for which they engage us.

  • Indirectly from our clients, prospects, or their employees. For example, through information we collect from our clients in the course of providing services to them.

  • Directly and indirectly from activity on our website (www.vensure.com) or other portals. For example, from submissions through our website or website usage details collected automatically.

  • From third parties that interact with us in connection with the services we provide. For example, from government agencies when we verify data associated with payroll processing and withholding tax payments.

We may also collect personal information about you from other categories of sources, such as: our affiliates; our other clients; public and publicly available sources; our third-party referral partners, vendors, data suppliers, and service providers; partners with which we offer co-branded services or engage in joint event or marketing activities; social networks; news outlets and related media; and organizations with which you are employed or affiliated.

Use of Personal Information

WE MAY USE OR DISCLOSE THE PERSONAL INFORMATION WE COLLECT FOR ONE OR MORE OF THE FOLLOWING BUSINESS PURPOSES:
  • To fulfill or meet the reason for which the information is provided. For example, if you provide us with personal information in order for us to prepare a tax return, we will use that information to prepare the return and submit it to the applicable taxing authorities.

  • To provide you with information, products, or services that you request from us.

  • To provide you with email alerts, event registrations, and other notices concerning our products or services, or events or news, that may be of interest to you.

  • To operate, manage, and maintain our business.

  • To accomplish our business purposes and objectives.

  • To communicate with you.

  • To carry out our obligations and enforce our rights arising from any contracts entered into between you and us, including for billing and collections.

  • To improve our website and present its contents to you.

  • For testing, research, analysis, and service offering development.

  • For vendor management purposes.

  • As necessary or appropriate to protect the rights, property, or safety of us, our clients, or others.

  • To respond to law enforcement requests and as required by applicable law, court order, or governmental regulations.

  • As described to you when collecting your personal information or as otherwise set forth in the CCPA.

  • To evaluate or conduct a merger, divestiture, restructuring, reorganization, dissolution, or other sale or transfer of some or all of our assets, whether as a going concern or as part of bankruptcy, liquidation, or similar proceeding, in which personal information

  • held by us is among the assets transferred.

We will not collect additional categories of personal information or use the personal information we collected for materially different, unrelated, or incompatible purposes without providing you notice.

Sharing Personal Information

WE DO NOT, AND WILL NOT, SELL YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION.

We may share your personal information within the Vensure Employer Services family of companies to provide services to you or in an effort to assess your needs and how we can help fulfill those needs.

We may disclose your personal information to a third party for a business purpose. When we disclose personal information for a business purpose, we require the recipient to keep that personal information confidential and secure, to not disclose that personal information to others, and to not use it for any purpose except performing the services related to the business purpose.

IN THE PRECEDING TWELVE (12) MONTHS, WE HAVE DISCLOSED THE FOLLOWING CATEGORIES OF PERSONAL INFORMATION FOR A BUSINESS

Category A: Identifiers

Category B: California Customer Records Personal Information Categories

Category C: Protected Classification Characteristics Under California or Federal Law

Category D: Commercial Information

Category E: Biometric Information

Category F: Internet or Other Electronic Network Activity Information

Category G: Geolocation Data

Category I: Professional or Employment-Related Information

Category K: Inferences Drawn from Other Personal Information

WE DISCLOSE YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION FOR A BUSINESS PURPOSE TO OUR AFFILIATES AND/OR TO ONE OR MORE OF THE FOLLOWING CATEGORIES OF THIRD PARTIES:
  • Third-party service providers.

  • Administrators authorized by your organization.

  • Licensors or third-party applications (if you access a third-party application on our services through a license agreement with a licensor).

  • Other parties where required by law or to protect our rights.

  • Third parties to whom you or your agents authorize us to disclose your personal information in connection with products or services we provide to you.

In the preceding twelve (12) months, we have not sold any personal information to third parties within the scope of the application of the CCPA.

Your Rights and Choices

The CCPA provides California consumers with specific rights regarding their personal information. This section describes your CCPA rights and explains how to exercise those rights.

ACCESS TO SPECIFIC INFORMATION AND DATA PORTABILITY RIGHTS

You have the right to request that we disclose certain information to you about our collection and use of your personal information over the past twelve (12) months.

ONCE WE RECEIVE AND CONFIRM YOUR VERIFIABLE CONSUMER REQUEST, WE WILL DISCLOSE TO YOU:
  • The categories of personal information we collected about you.

  • The categories of sources for the personal information we collected about you.

  • Our business or commercial purpose for collecting or sharing that personal information.

  • The affiliates with whom we shared your personal information.

  • The categories of third parties with whom we share that personal information.

  • The specific pieces of personal information we collected about you (also called a data portability request).

  • If we disclosed your personal information to a third party for a business purpose, separate lists identifying the personal information categories that each category of recipient obtained.

DELETION REQUEST RIGHTS

You have the right to request that we delete any of your personal information that we collected from you and retained, subject to certain exceptions. Once we receive and confirm your verifiable consumer request, we will delete (and direct our service providers to delete) your personal information from our records, unless an exception applies.

WE MAY DENY YOUR DELETION REQUEST IF RETAINING THE INFORMATION IS NECESSARY FOR US OR OUR SERVICE PROVIDERS TO:
  • Complete the transaction for which we collected the personal information, provide a product or service that you requested, take actions reasonably anticipated within the context of our ongoing business relationship with you, or otherwise perform our contract with you.

  • Detect security incidents, protect against malicious, deceptive, fraudulent, or illegal activity, or prosecute those responsible for such activities.

  • Exercise free speech, ensure the right of another consumer to exercise their free speech rights, or exercise another right provided for by law.

  • Comply with the California Electronic Communications Privacy Act (Cal. Penal Code § 1546 seq.).

  • Enable solely internal uses that are reasonably aligned with consumer expectations based on your relationship with us.

  • Comply with a legal obligation.

  • Make other internal and lawful uses of that information that are compatible with the context in which you provided it.

EXERCISING ACCESS, DATA PORTABILITY, AND DELETION RIGHTS

Only you or a person registered with the California Secretary of State that you authorize to act on your behalf may make a verifiable consumer request related to your personal information.

YOU MAY ONLY MAKE A VERIFIABLE CONSUMER REQUEST FOR ACCESS OR DATA PORTABILITY TWICE WITHIN A TWELVE (12) - MONTH PERIOD. THE VERIFIABLE CONSUMER REQUEST MUST:
  • Provide sufficient information that allows us to reasonably verify you are the person about whom we collected personal information or that you are an authorized representative of a person about whom we collected personal information.

  • Describe your request with sufficient detail that allows us to properly understand, evaluate, and respond to it.

We cannot respond to your request or provide you with personal information if we cannot verify your identity or authority to make the request and confirm the personal information relates to you. Making a verifiable consumer request does not require you to create an account with us. We will only use personal information provided in a verifiable consumer request to verify the requestor’s identity or authority to make the request.

RESPONSE TIMING AND FORMAT

We endeavor to respond to a verifiable consumer request within forty-five (45) days of its receipt. If we require more time (up to ninety (90) days), we will inform you of the reason and extension period in writing. We will deliver our written response by mail or electronically, at your option. Any disclosures we provide will only cover the twelve (12) – month period preceding the verifiable consumer request’s receipt. The response we provide will also explain the reasons we cannot comply with a request, if applicable. For data portability requests, we will select a format to provide your personal information that is readily usable and should allow you to transmit the information from one entity to another without hindrance.

We do not charge a fee to process or respond to your verifiable consumer request unless it is excessive, repetitive, or manifestly unfounded. If we determine that the request warrants a fee, we will tell you why we made that decision and provide you with a cost estimate before completing your request.

Nondiscrimination

We will not discriminate against you for exercising any of your CCPA rights.

UNLESS PERMITTED BY THE CCPA, WE WILL NOT:
  • Deny you products or services.

  • Charge you different prices or rates for products or services, including through granting discounts or other benefits, or imposing penalties.

  • Provide you a different level or quality of products or services.

  • Suggest that you may receive a different price or rate for products or services or a different level or quality of products or services.

How to Make a Request

You may make a request for the disclosures or deletion described above by contacting us using one of the methods described below methods.

You may be required to submit proof of your identity for these requests to be processed as a verifiable consumer request. We may not be able to comply with your request ifwe are unable to confirm your identity or to connect the information you submit in your request with personal information in our possession. You may designate an authorized agent to make a request on your behalf subject to proof of identity and authorization.

We will respond to your request consistent with the CCPA, which does not apply to certain information, such as information made available from government records, certain data subject to the (FCRA), (GLBA) and certain other laws, and where its application is preempted by, or in conflict with, federal law or the United States or the California Constitution.

We collect information that identifies, relates to, describes, references, is capable of being associated with, or could reasonably be linked, directly or indirectly, with a particular consumer (“personal information”).

Changes to Our Privacy Notice

At a minimum, this notice will be reviewed and updated on an annual basis. We reserve the right to amend this notice at our discretion and at any time. Any changes will be posted on this page with an updated revision date.

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Case Study Wexford Capital Partners https://empowerhr.com/case-study-wexford-capital-partners/ Mon, 09 Oct 2023 21:08:02 +0000 https://reverent-payne.67-225-176-108.plesk.page/?page_id=1987

Building Consistent Processes Drives Business Growth AFor Private Equity Firm

Wexford Capital Partners, LLC is a private investment firm focused on bringing their experience and relationships to businesses to create value for both the existing shareholders and their network of investors.

While actively seeking lower middle market industrial, consumer, and financial services opportunities, they needed HR help to navigate ownership transition challenges.

INDUSTRY

Private Equity

COMPANY SIZE

30 Employees

LOCATION

Chicago, IL

Challenge

Wexford Capital Partners goal was to bring multiple new entities into their portfolio but they lacked consistent processes in payroll administration, benefits administration, and other human resource practices. Without the foundational HR infrastructure in place, Wexford Capital Partners portfolio company managers had no guidance or consistent procedures to follow, putting each entity at risk.

They needed an HR partner. Aside from their lack of infrastructure, we identified gaps in recruitment efforts. There were no recruiting processes or tools and all new employee onboarding was done via paper with no documented acquisition strategy.

Steps

After analyzing Wexford Capital Partners current practices, we proposed implementing processes to provide structure. Understanding the gaps in policies, tools and efforts determined what HR practices would best benefit the business. To build new and improved infrastructure, we:

New Employee Handbook

We started from scratch in order to create a document that could be applied across all portfolio companies. This process allowed us to build two new policies from the ground up – a brand new PTO policy and unique background check procedures. Creating an employee handbook helped the company create and maintain important policies across their acquired entities.

Implemented Compliance Checks

Compliance is key to any operation. We implemented compliance checks to make sure all entities and acquisitions were checking the boxes. These include multistate employers met specific liabilities, state paid leave laws, minimum wage, FLSA audit, and reclassifications.

Established Benefit Plans

To maintain compliance with medical plans based on state laws, we established company benefit plans. A variety of plan options are offered to both entities and employees. Our guidance allowed for an efficient and seamless open enrollment process.

Improved Onboarding Processes

Our first focus was a new Applicant Tracking System to help streamline an acquisition strategy for portfolio companies. After that, the EmPower HR team created a consistent and customized process for each company’s onboarding. Having the same “playbook” will allow all entities to follow the same process while having streamlined onboarding and orientation with an easy-to-access paperless system.

Streamlined Acquisition Processes

For the onboarding process of acquisitions, we needed to ensure all entities had consistent practices. This was a sensitive process that needed to foster unique cultures and preferences. But back office processes needed to be the same, no matter the company size. Our enhanced processes gave Wexford Capital Partners the ability to manage companies of all varieties.

The Results

Since partnering with EmPower HR, Wexford Capital Partners has added multiple entities. Thanks to consistent procedures, the company was able to set itself up to accommodate new company acquisitions, and they plan to continue to grow.

Before working with EmPower HR, all new employee onboarding was done via paper. With a documented acquisition strategy, management was able to save time and focus on what really matters: driving the company’s success.

With defined, repeatable processes across its portfolio of companies, Wexford Capital is well-positioned to continue its plans for significant growth.

Ensuring Consistency Across Entities

While the company growth was exciting, it was essential for Wexford Captial not to lose sight of established practices. The company faced a unique challenge: the companies under their portfolio ranged from startups to more mature businesses. Each had different needs, and Wexford Capital needed consistent HR infrastructure to handle its existing portfolio and its vision to grow.

As a multi-state entity, the private equity firm faced compliance challenges such as complex liabilities, varying state paid leave laws, minimum wage, FLSA audits, and more. We implemented compliance checks to make sure all entities and acquisitions were checking the boxes.

Working together, we made sure to establish consistent processes so that each entity is set up for success. With these new initiatives, there will be fewer conflicts, compliance risks, and confused employees.

HR That Puts People First

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Case Study Hunt Club https://empowerhr.com/case-study-hunt-club/ Mon, 09 Oct 2023 20:44:54 +0000 https://reverent-payne.67-225-176-108.plesk.page/?page_id=1972

How HR Processes Helped A Recruiting Firm Reach New Heights

Hunt Club is a Chicago-based boutique recruiting firm that uses crowdsourcing technology to find companies with the best passive talent and reward people for making connections that lead to hires.

Hunt Club came to Empower HR to navigate through their growth and streamline processes. They needed to establish efficient HR initiatives to save time and keep compliant.

INDUSTRY

Recruitment Technology

COMPANY SIZE

200 Employees

LOCATION

Chicago, IL

Challenge

While Hunt Club specializes in staffing all-star teams for other companies, they lost sight of their own human resource practices. The owners were left trying to keep up with HR-specific questions and onboarding practices, instead of driving the company’s growth.

As the company grew, it didn’t have the time to create and implement HR policies like its employee handbook, PTO tracking, benefits, payroll, and more. Hunt Club recognized that they needed help. Their HR processes lacked structure and efficiency; HR was taking up too much time.

Steps

At EmPower HR, we specialize in managing HR processes. For Hunt Club, we were able to create a consistent, scalable approach to the company’s growth. Our expert team guided the internal Hunt Club teams through implementing action plans to streamline their most important needs. To establish efficient processes, we:

New Employee Handbook

EmPower HR crafted a customized handbook for all Hunt Club employees. The new handbook included organizational policies making it consistent with all federal and local laws. Professionalizing the handbook was the first line of defense against all employment-related litigation.

PTO Tracking Automation

EmPower HR’s team of experts implemented an efficient PTO tracking system that fully automated the process, easing the burden on management to manually keep track of time. This allowed employees and management to control PTO with the click of a button.

Benefits Administration Guidance

EmPower HR gives Hunt Club peace of mind in all facets of benefits administration. Our team of benefits professionals continually ensures that they are in compliance as it relates to their benefit offerings. EmPower HR also delivers a seamless open enrollment process, taking the administrative burden off the employer’s plate and fulfilling each employee’s needs.

Resolved Employment Issues

EmPower HR assisted Hunt Club in the Unemployment Insurance claim process by providing consultations and walkthroughs with our in-house employment attorneys. We address issues as they arise, reducing any further escalation.

Navigated Growth

EmPower HR’s employee care team was able to acknowledge all Hunt Club’s employees’ questions and concerns regarding Human Resources, onboarding, benefits, payroll, etc. This allows Hunt Club’s leaders to focus on what matters.

Ensured Payroll Compliance

EmPower HR’s payroll team seamlessly processed Hunt Club’s payroll in line with in-state and out-of-state compliance-related issues.

The Results

The EmPower HR team did a deep dive into Hunt Club’s internal HR processes and found multiple areas that needed to be improved. HR policies either weren’t in place or weren’t consistent, which was a potential compliance risk. Plus, benefits and payroll were being handled internally, which created unnecessary work for higher-ups and confusion for out-of-state employees.
A PTO tracking system, benefits administration, and payroll compliance overhaul saved the Hunt Club time and money.

The EmPower HR team eliminated another compliance risk by updating the employee handbook, which lacked professionalism and key compliance-related sections. With EmPower HR’s expert support, Hunt Club was able to enhance the organization, setting them up to grow the business and increase revenue.

HR Strategies Driving Business Growth

Since partnering with EmPower HR, Hunt Club’s leaders were able to focus on scaling the business. By having the time to focus on the business, the company was able to achieve remarkable growth.

Without adding the necessary infrastructure that EmPower HR has provided, Hunt Club would have faced significant compliance and efficiency challenges.

HR That Puts People First

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Case Study Infinite Care https://empowerhr.com/case-study-infinite-care/ Mon, 09 Oct 2023 20:17:02 +0000 https://reverent-payne.67-225-176-108.plesk.page/?page_id=1950

How Unifying HR Structures Ensured A Smooth Merger For Infinite Care

A US-based private equity firm, which invests in middle market opportunities, acquired the largest Infinite Care chain located in Denver, Colorado.

When the company came to EmPower HR, they had six clinics that provided family medicine, urgent care, and occupational therapy. Their workforce was made up of 150 employees and the corporate office support team had 25 employees.

Infinite Care came to Empower HR when they recognized their ​​Chief Operating Officer was wearing too many hats and was inundated with human resources and employment-related tasks. That was a problem. The COO needed time back in the day to drive business growth. Infinite Care’s goals were to triple in size (to 15-20 clinics) and become a destination workplace able to attract and retain the best talent.

INDUSTRY

Healthcare / Rehabilitation

COMPANY SIZE

175 Employees

LOCATION

Denver, CO

Challenge

The Denver chain and the private equity firm faced challenges during the acquisition. When it came to payroll administration, the firm did not have the proper level of HR-related services required for the company’s size. The two companies realized during their merger that they needed to establish processes, stay compliant, and attract the necessary talent to expand the business and achieve their goals.

Steps

After analyzing the acquisition hiccups, we proposed clarifying their current practices and creating a simple, more effective process. As they planned for growth, it was essential for us to make sure they were set up for success. We were their go-to HR consultant to ensure compliance and efficiency. To improve their HR practices, we:

Established Processes

The Denver chain had a spider-web of vendors for payroll, benefits administration, and commercial insurance. Each had different contacts and systems. Confusing processes made even simple transactions seem complicated.

Partnering with EmPower HR enabled the Denver chain with one point of contact for HR, payroll, and benefits administration along with access to our first-class cloud-based platform creating a simple, efficient system.

Ensured Employer Compliance

Due to their lack of compliance with the Affordable Care Act (ACA), we dove deeper to make sure compliance in every area was met. As EmPower HR contractually shares in the employment liability, we have provided HR infrastructure for the Denver chain that has ensured employer compliance in accordance with all Department of Labor requirements, such as FLSA, ACA, OSHA, etc.

EmPower HR Consulting Services

During this acquisition, our consultants were able to remedy prior issues. The EmPower HR Service Delivery Team in conjunction with the Senior HR Consultant laid the proper HR foundation and strategy for the 200 employee company to be set up for success moving forward.

The Results

As the two companies – Infinite Care and the parent private equity firm – were coming together, they needed to merge their HR processes to fully support both companies cohesively. First, we needed to establish which company was handling what when it came to HR services. Then, we focused on compliance since they were not in accordance with the Affordable Care Act (ACA). We also understood their goal of growth and recognized their need to attract top talent in order to triple in size.

Through these initiatives, HR processes have harmoniously unified. Creating a streamlined process while ensuring compliance and planning for growth helped prepare the Denver chain to achieve its goal to continuously expand.

Creating A Strong HR Foundation

In order to grow, there must be a strong foundation in place. For Infinite Care, we made sure any road bumps were smoothed out in order for this acquisition to come together.

We understood Infinite Care’s growth goals and the need to meet compliance requirements and establish efficient processes.

HR That Puts People First

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Case Study Shamrock Electric Company https://empowerhr.com/case-study-shamrock-electric-company/ Mon, 09 Oct 2023 15:59:49 +0000 https://reverent-payne.67-225-176-108.plesk.page/?page_id=1928

How An Engagement Strategy Supercharged Productivity For Shamrock Electric Company

Shamrock Electric Company is a full-service electrical contracting firm committed to serving the neighborhoods of Chicago.

They came to EmPower HR with a need to professionalize their overall HR functions through strategic initiatives that provide their employees with the best working experience possible.

INDUSTRY

Electrical Contractors

COMPANY SIZE

45 Employees

LOCATION

Chicago, IL

Challenge

Shamrock Electric Co. needed support in all foundational HR areas including building a brand-new employee handbook, creating a performance management process focused on employee development that fits their culture and people, and implementing a full employee engagement strategy.

The client was looking for ways to improve their overall performance management process without it feeling too “old school” or rigid. Their main goal was to improve overall employee satisfaction and retain their best employees. Employee development and job satisfaction were the top priority.

Steps

The strategy was built through anonymous engagement surveys, focus groups, and stay interviews to better address the needs of their employees with an emphasis on employee satisfaction and retention.

Since the project began, we have accomplished several significant HR initiatives that have improved the overall HR health of the business with the main goal being to improve overall employee satisfaction. Our strategy included a:

Brand-New Employee Handbook

Our first initiative was building an employee handbook from the ground up. Using EmPower HR’s compliant base employee handbook and multiple client documents, we created a single manual centralizing their policies in one easy-to-read document.

Performance Management

We led Shamrock Electric Co. to become a choice employer by revamping their perks and benefits, communication, and professional development of employees. Following a survey to gauge employee engagement, we reviewed the results to help identify the current strengths and areas of opportunity for the business to focus on.

Employee Engagement Strategy

EmPower HR supported the business in executing an anonymous employee engagement survey to better understand the level of engagement of their employees. We consulted the business in reviewing their overall strategy and updated the tools they use to evaluate employee performance.

The Results

Through these initiatives, HR processes for the Purple Rose Theatre Company were streamlined.

Through these initiatives, we have been able to help them move the needle on these key HR areas in the employee life cycle in support of their mission to provide high-quality services to their long-term partners and customers.

Through consultation and guidance, the EmPower HR team helped the client develop a full action plan to address the results of a company-wide job satisfaction survey. This included communication plans, focus groups, and other key deliverables including timelines for action. By training their current and future leaders on how to have effective coaching conversations with their employees, we were able to initiate strategies to increase employee engagement and retention.

Streamlined Success With HR Strategies

Shamrock Electric Co. came to EmPower HR with two main goals: to increase employee job satisfaction and retain their top talent. The EmPower HR team helped create a new employee handbook that helped to lay out company goals so employees could be engaged in the company’s vision.

An employee satisfaction survey helped the client see the need to implement employee training and development programs. These efforts to train their employees into future leaders and give them the necessary tools to grow helped to achieve better job satisfaction.

HR That Puts People First

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Privacy Policy https://empowerhr.com/privacy-policy/ Wed, 23 Aug 2023 20:03:36 +0000 https://reverent-payne.67-225-176-108.plesk.page/?page_id=85

Privacy

This Privacy Statement describes how Empower HR and our subsidiaries and affiliates collect, use, share and protect business, financial, and personal information. This statement applies to all information collected or submitted on this website and mobile applications (“Site”). This notice is available on the homepage of this Site and at every login page where personally identifiable information may be requested. Your privacy, and the privacy of the information provided, is important to us. We use reasonable care to protect your data from loss, misuse, unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration and untimely destruction. We do not grant access to personal information about you except as otherwise set forth herein. We do not share or sell personal information collected on the site with any third parties for their own marketing purposes. At times, we will provide you with links to other websites. We encourage our users to be aware when they leave our site, and to read the privacy statements of every website that collects personally identifiable information.

INFORMATION COLLECTION AND USE

WHAT INFORMATION IS COLLECTED

We limit the collection of personal information to the information that we need to administer and improve the Site, to provide our products and services (“Services”) to our customers, and to fulfill any legal and regulatory requirements.

The categories of personal information that we collect may include, but are not limited to:

  • Contact information to allow us to communicate with you
  • Employer information, including financial and bank account information, to provide the Services
  • Employee information, including social security number, date of birth, financial, bank account, biometric, geolocation, medical and beneficiary information, to provide the Services
  • Credit, debit, or cash/payment card information if used, such as for billing
  • Credit or debt history regarding your creditworthiness or credit history
  • Employment history and application information that can be used to determine eligibility for a job opening via our recruiting module

HOW PERSONAL INFORMATION IS COLLECTED

We use the information provided on the Site to perform the Services you request. We limit the collection of personal customer information that we need to:

  • Facilitate customer requested Services, transactions, investments, distributions and benefits
  • Provide superior service to our customers
  • Comply with legal, reporting and regulatory requirements
  • Administer and improve our websites
  • Detect fraud or theft to protect our business and client information
  • Contact you with information on Services, new Services or products, or upcoming events
  • Facilitate applicant tracking and recruitment

HOW AGGREGATED, NON-PERSONAL INFORMATION IS USED

We may collect general, non-personal, statistical information about the users of the Site and our services in order to determine information regarding the use of our Site and general information about our customers. We may also group this information to provide general aggregated data. The aggregated data will not personally identify any customers or visitors to the Site.

HOW COOKIES ARE USED

A “cookie” is a piece of data that our Site may provide to your browser while you are at our Site. The information stored in a cookie is used for user convenience purposes, such as reducing repetitive messages, tracking helper tool versions, and retaining user display preferences. If a user rejects the cookie, they will be able to browse the Site but will be unable to use our online application.

Empower HR may use third-party service providers to use cookies, web beacons, and similar technologies to collect or receive information from our website and elsewhere on the internet and use that information to provide measurement services and target ads. You can opt-out of this information tracking using a web browser that supports Do Not Track functionality.

CHILDREN UNDER 13 YEARS OF AGE

This site is not intended for children under 13 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13 years of age. All dependent data needed for benefits enrollment is customarily provided by the employee/guardian and kept secure as indicated in this Statement.

YOUR CALIFORNIA PRIVACY RIGHTS

Under California Civil Code 1798, California residents with an established business relationship can request information about sharing their personal information with third parties for the third parties’ direct marketing purposes. If you are a California resident and would like more information, please contact your service provider.

California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA)

PARTIES WITH WHOM INFORMATION MAY BE SHARED

Information is shared to facilitate the Services needed in order to properly and efficiently handle duties related to your account. We may share information with:

  • Government agencies to fulfill legal, reporting and regulatory requirements
  • Attorneys, accountants and auditors
  • Credit reporting agencies to supply vendor references on client’s behalf
  • Our employees, affiliated companies, subsidiaries, agents and third party service vendors to perform Services related to your account, to offer additional Services, perform analysis to determine qualification to receive future services or collect amounts due.
  • Banking and brokerage firms to complete payroll processing and securities transactions
  • Credit bureaus and similar organizations, law enforcement or government officials. We reserve the right to release information if we are required to do so by law or if, in our business judgment, such disclosure is reasonably necessary to comply with legal process, in a fraud investigation, an audit or examination.

HOW TO ACCESS AND CORRECT YOUR INFORMATION

Keeping your information accurate and up-to-date is very important. You can review or correct your account information by contacting a customer service representative. If you have an account at the Site, you can make changes to your account information after you login to the Site from your PC or wireless device and using the online tools. Note that some information changes may be done by or have to be done through your employer.

CHANGES TO THIS PRIVACY STATEMENT

This statement may be revised from time to time due to legislative changes, changes in technology or our privacy practices or new uses of customer information not previously disclosed in this Statement. Revisions are effective upon posting and your continued use of this Site will indicate your acceptance of those changes. Please refer to this Statement regularly.

If you have any comments, concerns or questions about this Privacy Statement, please contact your service provider.

Effective date: March 21, 2019

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