Ascentis Blog

Information to help HR and payroll managers, recruiters, and compliance officers become more effective.

Tag Archives: hr tips

SWOT Away your Labor Issues

When you put together your annual business plan, you probably do a Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) analysis to determine how your company is different from your competition and what actions will keep your business going and growing. But, the biggest threat to your business may be the one thing to which you are paying the least attention.

Based on recent regulatory and court activity, wage and hour litigation is the single greatest threat to your continued business success according to this article on compensationcafe.com.  Misclassification, wage theft and other issues require as much attention from businesses as product, pricing and promotion.

Wage and hour litigation is expensive – costing companies up to double and triple damages plus fines plus attorneys fees. While income from operations usually comes in incrementally, wage and hour settlement payouts are a large sum hit on the bottom line. This can not only devastate an organization it can bankrupt it, affecting every single member of that company.

So, how much attention are you paying to your employment practices? Have you performed a SWOT analysis? What are your strengths? Your weaknesses? Where do you have opportunities? What issues pose the greatest threat?

Conducting a compliance audit is a great opportunity to identify and eliminate your unwritten employment policies and practices. Research best practices through discussions with human resources professionals and your legal counsel and make a plan to implement them.

Stay informed about the latest in HR and payroll news, trends, best practices and evolving legislation. Sign up for the monthly Ascentis HR, Benefits and Payroll News.

Taking the Headache Out Of a Corporate Tax Audit

In November of 2009 the IRS announced the Employment Tax National Research Project (ET NRP), which is the first study of its kind in 25 years related to payroll and employment tax issues.  The IRS plans to randomly audit up to 6,000 companies in the next three years, with a direct focus on employment tax, worker classification, officer compensation, benefits and expense reimbursement.  The IRS has already sent out of first batch of alert letters, letting companies know that they have been selected for an audit. This short video from Pillsbury, a national full-service law firm, briefly outlines for its clients some of the major issues involved.

If your business has been audited by the IRS, you’re not alone.  According to IRS statistics, anywhere from .38% to 14.55% of businesses are audited annually (see data grid below). The government’s exact method for choosing who is audited remains a well-kept secret. However, the IRS boldly warned in a 2007 report that some business types are more likely to be audited than others. The IRS report states that “While large corporate audits are down slightly, we have increased our focus on mid-market those with assets between $10 million and $50 million dollars.”  See specific IRS service and enforcement tables here. Into what category does your business fall, and how likely are you to be audited?  What’s your worst fear in an audit? Are you prepared for it?

The burden of proof during an audit lies with you, the business owner, and the depth of records required by the IRS can be time-consuming and onerous at best.  AllBusiness.com posted an aptly titled article, “To Hell and Back: Different Types of Tax Audits”, which documents the extensive information that the IRS requires during a business audit. The IRS provides their auditors with specific guidelines to follow during a business audit that is industry specific. Do you know what your potential future auditor may ask of you? Become more prepared and look for your guide here.

Don’t be another IRS statistic

Audits are costly. The expense to your business will be massive, and the strain on your valuable employees even more so. Regardless of the kind of audit you may experience, it’s always helpful to have the information you need at your fingertips. Ascentis online payroll and HR software (HRIS) offers robust core functionality that supports the electronic documentation of most, if not all, employment and payroll related data you will need during an audit. Ascentis integrated systems include standard and customized reporting engines so HR and payroll teams can provide the specific and detailed data that audits often require.

Learn more

For more information, or to request a product demo, fill out this short form and let’s talk about how we can help your HR and payroll teams be more accelerated, efficient and compliant. Subscribe to our monthly newsletter, the Ascentis HR, Benefits and Payroll News, and stay on top of industry news, best practices and always-evolving legislation. Follow Ascentis on Twitter and “Like us” on Facebook to receive great HR, payroll and business tips.

Is March Madness taking over your office?

March Madness is here and so is the gambling. Office pools are harmless and fun; they bring the employees together and give a common thread for conversations. Or do they? Harmless fun or not, it is still time consuming gambling.

Office pools are still illegal in some states. Make sure to do your due diligence and verify the legality of an office pool. Then if it is legal in your state, a company-wide policy stating what is and isn’t acceptable is a good way clear up any confusion.

Millions of people will participate in office pools this year. Now imagine how many of them will do their bracket or research for their picks at home…not many. The idea of a reprimand, loss of productivity, or dealing with addiction does not seem to bother too many workers; but bringing employees together within the company can balance out the loss of productivity for a lot of companies. In fact, distraction could be great for the employees in this current economy.

Have fun with your brackets!

For more information on office pools, check out these articles:

SHRM – March Madness Nightmare and Office Pools: Do the Super Bowl and Other Major Events Affect Work?

Green, Green, Green!

Happy St. Patrick’ Day to all!!  What better day would there be to talk about going green than St. Patrick ’s Day!  Some of us will celebrate in different ways.  Some will wear their lucky green socks.  Others will break out their favorite kelly green shirts…yet others will be drinking their favorite green beer!  Although St. Patrick’s Day is definitely about going green…it shouldn’t just be once a year.  Here are some recommendations that you can use to help your company go green all year long:

  • Use a power strip that senses when appliances are off and cuts draining energy use.
  • Encourage employees to walk/bike/bus to work.  Create a transportation benefit!
  • Offer employees large water coolers rather than bottled water.
  • Simple, Recycle!
  • Recycle electronics, don’t throw them away.
  • Allow telecommuting (when possible)
  • Buy office supplies that are made of recycled goods
  • Use real mugs, plates, silverware, etc. rather than plastic
  • Once a week have a green day (no printing, no driving to lunch, etc)
  • Company cars?  Think hybrid
  • Create a carbon offset program, plant trees or plants for each piece of electronics in your office
  • Buy office supplies from local companies
  • Need to have giveaways?  How about reusable shopping bags?  Travel mugs?
  • Use rechargeable batteries
  • Email billing statements/invoices
  • Put a brick in the back of the toilet (less water flushed)
  • Give up paper towels in the kitchen
  • Have plants.  They recycle the air!
  • Give up rubber bands
  • Think before you print!  Use printers that print on both sides
  • Switch to a laptop instead of using a desktop computer and cut three-quarters off your electrical use. Turn off the laptop at the end of the day

Be safe and enjoy your St. Patrick’s Day!

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