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.

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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.

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?

• 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!

Through a notice in the February 4, 2010 FEDERAL REGISTER, the Department’s Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) announces the availability of the Model Employer CHIP Notice. The notice provides the “form and content of notice” as well as the “timing and delivery of the notice” while outlining the requirements for addition of state-specific information.

To quickly generate and send this (or any future) notices to your employees, use the Employee Correspondence Wizard (ECW) in Ascentis HR.  Create your notice or use the template provided by the Department of Labor here for the Model Employer CHIP notice. Once your notice has been built, open ECW from Employee Manager and create a new correspondence batch. By walking through the ECW you can print or email the notice to all employees you select. Lastly, select to attach the notice to each employee’s record through the ECW as a note. Now your work with this notice is done!

For detailed instructions on using the ECW see the “Employee Correspondence Wizard” section of the Help documentation included in Ascentis HR.

The boundaries between personal and professional have become increasingly blurred due to the growing prevalence of internet-based social media, including Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn and Twitter. While social media outlets may be excellent platforms for employees to network and promote their employer’s business, a myriad of problems may result from an employee’s improper or unlawful use of a company’s name, reputation or confidential information while using such social media.

If an employee uses an employer’s name or a company e-mail address to communicate with or otherwise use social media, a third-party may be led to believe that the employee is speaking or writing on behalf of the company. A third-party may think that the employee is acting in an official capacity with authority to bind the employer, or that certain views espoused by the employee are also the views of the company.

For this reason and others, the FTC has implemented rules effective Dec. 1, 2009, regulating the use of testimonials in advertising. Under these rules an employer may be held responsible for employee maintained blogs or other employee postings about the employer’s products and services. In an effort to avoid these problems, a social media policy may direct employees in such situations to use a disclaimer explicitly stating that his or her views are not those of the employer.

Read about additional factors that should be considered when implementing a social media policy — such as employment duty conflicts, confidentiality, intellectual property, performance feedback, workplace privacy and the employer’s right to monitor — by subscribing to the HR, Benefits & Payroll News, a free monthly news bulletin that features industry news, trends and best practices for HR and payroll professionals.

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We all get those emails from colleagues – the short, quick answers. They return half a sentence in response to our question from a month ago.  Now you have to go back and read the full e-mail string to be able to decipher the meaning of the answer and figure out what that abbreviated sentence is supposed to indicate. If your goal is to save time this year, help those around you save some of their time when reading your e-mails.  A short, precise answer is much easier to read then a cryptic, abbreviated response.

12. Find 10 ways to reduce your costs

“What a great idea … like we haven’t already done that.” In the current economy we have all been looking at ways to cut costs. Sometimes some fresh eyes can really help. Ask the receptionist if she has an idea or call on contracts that have been running with vendors for awhile. You might be due for a price reduction; most vendors are not going to alert you to that fact. Stop printing out documents for files; this could save substantial money overtime. Rather than printing e-mails from employees, attach them to their files in your HRIS/HRMS or payroll software.  Don’t have the ability? Go back and read resolution #1, and make life easier for you and your team!  Creating a paperless, or near paperless, office could save your company substantial money and time.

Remember to keep checking back, we are full of ideas!

Download the full list here

Start every day the same and end every day the same. Giving some predictability to a hectic day could be the difference between a great hair day and bald spots. Try to maintain these newly established routines, but don’t beat yourself up if you have to skip a part of your new routine.  Flexibility in goal setting is important. A positive attitude and support will make it much easier to try again the next day.

10. Set aside one time slot for reading e-mails or news

How long has that magazine been on your desk?  You know the one (or two or 10) that have kept that corner from gathering dust. You want to read it, you keep saying you will, but who has time to sit and read? Make the time! If you don’t do it now, you probably won’t do it tomorrow.  Set aside a part of your day or week and reward yourself with downtime to read the articles, journals or Web sites.  At the end of the week, before starting your weekend, read an article or two; at the beginning of the week over coffee read an article or two. Just make a space in your schedule. It is already there, but you will have to claim it.

Download the full list here!

Do something nice and it will come back to you.  Send a thank you card from your team to that department that always chips in to get notices ready for employees. Bring in potted plants for the dark IT department.  Be creative, make them smile and they will share those smiles.  A workplace should be somewhere that employees enjoy being, not dread. 

8. Take a vacation

Who has time for a vacation? We all do! A vacation is supposed to be time for YOU, time to refresh and rest your mind, body and soul. Recharge and get yourself back.  A vacation doesn’t have to be spent in Paris, but it can be!  Spend some time at home, organize that back room that has been driving you crazy, explore the local farmers’ markets or just grab a book and curl up on the couch.  Remember, time to do what you want to do is a vacation.

Download the full list here!

Taking five or 10 minutes at the beginning and the end of the week to plan is a wonderful thing.  Not only are you slowing down for a couple of minutes, but you are organizing! What are your goals for the upcoming week? What did you accomplish this week?  (This is where you should stop and reflect, smile, and feel good about getting something down in the middle of the zoo.)  What do you need and want to accomplish next week? Now at the beginning of the following week, go back over this list. Has anything changed? A lot of times priorities look different after a day or two.  Update the list if need be and start your week. You have already accomplished something very important!

6. Create a wellness program

A wellness program sounds complicated and fancy, but it doesn’t have to be. If it is in the budget, then help employees get gym memberships. If it isn’t, then create other ways to support healthy living. A healthy, happy employee is much less likely to call in sick and much more fun to work with. Some ideas that can be implemented at very little cost include:

Create a weight loss group – employees weigh in each week, set goals, maybe give a reward at the end of a set amount of time;

Coordinate monthly hikes – on a weekend set up a hike, have employees invite family along or even take off early from the office on Friday and walk to a nearby park;

Stop filling the fridge or vending machines with sugar – look at healthier options, use sparkling waters or natural sodas, supply fruit and gum, rather than candy bars;

Call a local healthy restaurant – have a chef come in and talk to your employees about ordering healthier options when they go out. This will drive business to the restaurant and show the employees that you care about their well being.

Download the full list here!

Easier said than done, but start scrutinizing your daily, weekly and monthly tasks. Is there a way to be more efficient?  Will a new HRIS/HRMS create less work and open up more time for more important things, such as strategic planning? The market has numerous different solutions, so start searching.  SaaS (Software-as-a-Service) could help you get a new solution approved quicker by offering low monthly maintenance fees rather than a large budgetary commitment. How about using a task manager? There are many applications for your phone to remind you to get to work or stay organized.  Be creative (and/or pushy)!

4. Delegate

Every company has someone that can do more, but won’t tell you that. Is it time for a job description inventory?  Have all employees write up their job descriptions in detail. This is a great way to accomplish two tasks.  1, Get updated job descriptions, and 2, Finding those people that are spending their day shredding (a.k.a. web surfing).  Great! Now you have someone that can do some filing or some additional data entry.  If you have an HRIS/HRMS that uses role-based profiles, give them access to the areas that they need.  You have just created an assistant!

Download the full list here!