Keeping Politics out of the Workplace

The 2020 Presidential Election is proving to be one of the most divisive elections in modern history.  CNN, FOX News, MSNBC and most social media platforms continue this divide which sills over to the dinner table and into the workplace.  It will be difficult to eliminate opinions to be spoken in the workplace, but there are some things you can do to keep politics from lowering the morale in the workplace.

From a federal perspective, you cannot prohibit employees from discussing politics as it would infringe upon their right to free speech. However, there is a bit of a loophole in that conversations deemed detrimental to your company’s culture can be banned without it being viewed as infringement. Further, some states have their own rules about the right to free speech in the workplace and have made various attempts to regulate what can be discussed and under what circumstances.

One of the best ways to limit political chit-chat in the workplace is to prohibit employees from campaigning for particular candidates or parties, including passing out literature, promotional items, or anything else intended to show support or sway support for a candidate or candidates during regular work hours. If your employee manual has an existing non-solicitation policy, such as preventing workers from asking coworkers to buy Girl Scout cookies or support a fundraiser, you can tack political solicitation into that. However, you can’t prohibit them from soliciting during breaks or lunch hours, so be mindful that any policy update is worded accordingly.

These days, one of the easiest ways to show support for a candidate is to wear a t-shirt, hat, or even a snarky button declaring your affiliation, but this is actually one of the easiest ones to fix! Your employee handbook should already include a brief section on the dress code for the office and, if you haven’t already, it’s very simple to add a clause that states that clothing cannot bear slogans of any type. With regard to pins, you can ask employees not to wear them in the office, but there are a few exceptions: workers can wear them during non-work hours and they can also wear pins if they are political slogans associated with union representation. We should also note that this dress code policy must be acknowledged and enforced for all employees or else it could be viewed as discrimination.

While controlling the free speech of your employees is not allowed, you can control what they say about politics in reference to your company. A good, all-encompassing policy is to simply state that your company’s name cannot be used in any political activity without prior written approval. Further, while a little less cut and dry, you can request that employee participation in political activities does not reflect unfavorably on your company, such as asking that they not wear items with your company logo when campaigning or declare an affiliation with your company if being quoted in the media or for promotional purposes.

When the political debates are heating up, chances are so will the conversations! After a particular heated debate, pre-empt any issues by sending a quick reminder email to your staff to let them know that with the election in full swing, it is important to remember the company’s core principles and values, as well as their commitment to embrace the diversity of their peers and treat their co-workers with professionalism and respect. You can also reiterate that while conversations are not forbidden, HR will step in should they violate these policies and will be forced to take action.

At the end of the day, political discussions, while part of our current climate, are areas ripe for hurt feelings and even bullying and discrimination. Being proactive and letting employees know that while you value each employees’ opinions, it should not overshadow the respectful and collaborative corporate culture that employees have grown to know and love.

It is good to have a partner that is an expert in utilizing the most advance resources available today.  Questco is there to help you inspire your labor force through a plethora of HR Services such as: Payroll Services, Benefit Plans, Benefits Administration, HR Technology and Workers’ Comp & Safety Services.  Utilizing Questco’s vast experience, your company can thrive in today’s environment.

Charlie Reeves, Senior Business Development Manager, has decades of experience in Human Resource Solutions.  He is one of the most senior members at Questco and recognized for helping clients of all sizes save money, improve labor efficiency and provide the strongest support for HR Services.  As an entrepreneurs himself, he has lived the long days and sleepless nights on the road to success.  He brings the skill and scale to support you in the pursuit of your goals.  For more information on payroll services, benefit plans, benefits administration, HR technology, workers’ comp and safety services email Charlie.Reeves@questco.net or contact him directly at 936.521.5841.

Benefits of a Payroll System in Human Resource

Every company will have different departments like marketing, finance, information technology, research and development, human resources. Human Resources department is the crucial part of any organization because employees are considered as the real assets and also the HR department needs to look after the employee welfare and make the facilities easier.

With the increase in competition among business enterprises. Human Resources are considered to be the most important part of any company. It is said that if any company has a Human Resource then it will definitely have many advantages. This is the reason, why the importance of the HR Department is increasing day-by-day. With the continuous advancement in the latest technologies, the management of employees and their records have become tough to handle. To prevent this, many companies have linked their payroll system with the HR activities which is called as Payroll Management Software.

An HR Payroll Management Software is beneficial for any kind of business enterprise. Human Resource department performs various activities such as payroll processing, maintaining salary details of every employee in the organization, keeping track of deductions, loans, allowances, and bonuses. Human Resources department collectively works together to calculate the available leaves, encashment of leaves and loss of pay for all the employees and then process their salaries.

Companies can benefit from a Payroll System for a better future realizing the following results:

·         Easy to Process – HR Payroll Management System makes the tasks easier. As it requires very less input because it has software in which one has to feed all the information of employee to get the data of calculating wages, finding taxes, paying taxes to the government, financial records which also includes the bonuses, deductions and net pay. These records need to be maintained and recorded by the employer for future references or verification.

·         Performance Management – Performance management records the performance information of each and every employee. Hence, it helps the employers to get a clear view related to the performance and skills of their employees which further helps the management in scheduling training according to the needs and requirement of each employee. This type of employee performance review can be highly beneficial when it comes to planning and overall productivity improvement.

·         Optimized Process – HR Payroll System helps companies to reduce the number of employees who are manually working in the maintenance of the attendance, salary, working hours, income taxes etc... Frequently repeating the payroll tasks sometimes lead to boredom and results in the error. So, it is always advisable to optimize the process so that accurate information is available.

·         Accuracy – HR Management System help business enterprises to reduce or rather eliminate the errors in the process of payroll. Payroll process is used to get more accurate data. The inconsistency can be easily tackled. It will provide only appropriate and reliable payroll information which minimizes the inefficiency.

It is good to have a partner that is an expert in utilizing the most advance resources available today.  Questco is there to help you inspire your labor force through a plethora of HR Services such as: Payroll Services, Benefit Plans, Benefits Administration, HR Technology and Workers’ Comp & Safety Services.  Utilizing Questco’s vast experience, your company can thrive in today’s environment.

Charlie Reeves, Senior Business Development Manager, has decades of experience in Human Resource Solutions.  He is one of the most senior members at Questco and recognized for helping clients of all sizes save money, improve labor efficiency and provide the strongest support for HR Services.  As an entrepreneurs himself, he has lived the long days and sleepless nights on the road to success.  He brings the skill and scale to support you in the pursuit of your goals.  For more information on payroll services, benefit plans, benefits administration, HR technology, workers’ comp and safety services email Charlie.Reeves@questco.net or contact him directly at 936.521.5841.

Protecting your Employees will allow Innovation

Innovation is a must in today’s environment.  However, all too often companies will stifle the creativity of their employees out of fear.  Therefore, there are some things that a company can adhere to in order to get the best out of their team.

The best bosses are committed to letting their workers work.  Whether on creative tasks such as inventing new products or on routine things such as assembling computers, making McDonald’s burgers, or flying planes. They take pride in being human shields, absorbing or deflecting heat from inside and outside the company, doing all manner of boring and silly tasks, and battling idiots and slights that make life harder than necessary on their people.

As a manager or boss, protecting your team’s back is important.  You must try to resist your worst instincts.  Meetings are necessary at times; however, they can also be huge time wasters.  Often, many bosses set on self-glorification often run these meetings and it can cause a morale deficiency.

Arguments over ideas are productive and creative.  The best bosses allow for constructive battles enabling their team to feel safe to speak their minds.  This goes across the board all the way to the leaders.  Actually, good fights or battles will be built on mutual trust.

Some companies are implementing programs to reduce interruptions and distractions.  Good bosses also relieve people of burdensome organizational practices.  Unnecessary paperwork or processes should be limited.  Sometimes good bosses face senior leaders and powerful groups that cram bad ideas down everyone’s throat. When your people’s performance or well-being is threatened by idiocy from on high, you need to decide whether to comply or resist, depending on what will help them—and you—most. Sometimes the political costs of defiance are too high, and sometimes seemingly idiotic directives turn out to be useful.  That said, defiance can occasionally be the best strategy.

Good bosses focus their people’s effort on what matters most. When relatively trivial demands can’t be ignored, the best option is sometimes to do a quick, crummy job and move on to more-crucial issues.  Also, good bosses also protect their people from demeaning, overly demanding, and frustrating clients and customers.  In short, they will take the heat.  Good bosses shield their employees from distress and distraction in diverse ways, whether behind the scenes or publicly. They work day after day to enhance their self-awareness; stay in tune with followers’ worries, hot buttons, and quirks; and foster a climate of comfort and safety. They also learn to identify which battles their people consider crucial to fight, and which they see as unimportant. When bosses can’t protect people—for example, from layoffs, pay cuts, or tough assignments—the best ones convey compassion, do small things to allay fears, and find ways to blunt negative consequences. Operating in this way helps bolster your people’s performance and well-being. And a nice by-product is that they will have your back, too.

It is good to have a partner that is an expert in utilizing the most advance resources available today.  Questco is there to help you inspire your labor force through a plethora of HR Services such as: Payroll Services, Benefit Plans, Benefits Administration, HR Technology and Workers’ Comp & Safety Services.  Utilizing Questco’s vast experience, your company can thrive in today’s environment.

Charlie Reeves, Senior Business Development Manager, has decades of experience in Human Resource Solutions.  He is one of the most senior members at Questco and recognized for helping clients of all sizes save money, improve labor efficiency and provide the strongest support for HR Services.  As an entrepreneurs himself, he has lived the long days and sleepless nights on the road to success.  He brings the skill and scale to support you in the pursuit of your goals.  For more information on payroll services, benefit plans, benefits administration, HR technology, workers’ comp and safety services email Charlie.Reeves@questco.net or contact him directly at 936.521.5841.

Outsourcing HR can save you Time and Money while Allowing you to Grow your Business

The year 2020 is a time that many businesses would like to forget.  However, just because there have been many challenges and obstacles; leaders cannot just shut down.  The world must go on, and so does your business.

Administrative responsibilities can tax any company, but for smaller businesses in particular managing human resources can be a heavy burden. When you run a small company with limited time and resources, the last thing you want to do is divert your attention from the core business that's your bread and butter. Outsourcing human resources functions can reduce your administrative workload and free up your time so you can focus on your business objectives.

An HR outsourcing company can manage a whole range of human resources functions that you might otherwise outsource to multiple providers - these functions include everything from payroll processing and benefit plan management and administration to recruiting, training and more. With one provider to take responsibility for a range of HR functions, you'll not only spend less time on administration, but less time managing vendor relationships as well.

Outsourcing is a term that means different things to different companies and those who manage it.  The real value is only realized when employees internally are bought into the service and use these resources as they were designed to be utilized.  Because managing human resources efficiently and intelligently is critical to your company's success, it's vital to find a service provider who can offer the right mix of services.

Whether you want a bundled package or you prefer to pick and choose the services you need, it is important to identify which options are best for you.

It is good to have a partner that is an expert in utilizing the most advance resources available today.  Questco is there to help you inspire your labor force through a plethora of HR Services such as: Payroll Services, Benefit Plans, Benefits Administration, HR Technology and Workers’ Comp & Safety Services.  Utilizing Questco’s vast experience, your company can thrive in today’s environment.

Charlie Reeves, Senior Business Development Manager, has decades of experience in Human Resource Solutions.  He is one of the most senior members at Questco and recognized for helping clients of all sizes save money, improve labor efficiency and provide the strongest support for HR Services.  As an entrepreneurs himself, he has lived the long days and sleepless nights on the road to success.  He brings the skill and scale to support you in the pursuit of your goals.  For more information on payroll services, benefit plans, benefits administration, HR technology, workers’ comp and safety services email Charlie.Reeves@questco.net or contact him directly at 936.521.5841.

Ramping up your Workforce

COVID-19 has had a dramatic impact on businesses large and small.  Adaptation is a must for all operations to ensure they are safe and productive as possible.  As states are relaxing the stay-at-home restrictions, entering into a post-COVID-19 “new normal” will have companies visiting their readiness, new safety protocols, business continuity and more.

Clearly, the health and well-being of your people are the highest priority as you restart or ramp up your operation. You’ll need to review and implement new human resource policies, processes, procedures, and infrastructure in rapid response to changing circumstances and regulations.

Whether you’re restarting or ramping up your facility, start by considering the flow of people. This includes implementing new processes for entering and leaving the facility and for keeping people and workspaces clean throughout the day. Whenever and wherever people congregate, identify ways to change the flow to adhere to social distancing guidelines. Common areas and activities include entry and exit, time entry, meetings, and lunch breaks, all of which need to be reengineered. You may need to establish new shift schedules, work arrangements, or work zones that keep people separated. And all staff will need education and training on the procedures in order to keep themselves and their coworkers safe.

To safely operate in a COVID-19 environment, it will be critical to make your operating model compliant with new practices and requirements.  If your business has continued to operate, you’ll need to identify gaps in your existing processes, procedures, and infrastructure to determine the appropriate steps to address the potential vulnerabilities.  Roles will need to be define and modified as needed over time to ensure your workforce adheres to the new processes and to carry out escalation procedures in cases where they don’t.

It is good to have a partner that is an expert in utilizing the most advance resources available today.  Questco is there to help you inspire your labor force through a plethora of HR Services such as: Payroll Services, Benefit Plans, Benefits Administration, HR Technology and Workers’ Comp & Safety Services.  Utilizing Questco’s vast experience, your company can thrive in today’s environment.

Charlie Reeves, Senior Business Development Manager, has decades of experience in Human Resource Solutions.  He is one of the most senior members at Questco and recognized for helping clients of all sizes save money, improve labor efficiency and provide the strongest support for HR Services.  As an entrepreneurs himself, he has lived the long days and sleepless nights on the road to success.  He brings the skill and scale to support you in the pursuit of your goals.  For more information on payroll services, benefit plans, benefits administration, HR technology, workers’ comp and safety services email Charlie.Reeves@questco.net or contact him directly at 936.521.5841.

What to know Terminating an Employee during COVID

There are many articles giving advice on how to build up a workforce, manage teams remotely and even celebrate successes.  However, the coronavirus pandemic has created additional challenges around the difficult task of terminating employees.  Already a difficult situation, if handled poorly, termination can precipitate incidents that otherwise would be avoidable.

Any termination has the potential to amplify an employee’s sense of uncertainty, shock, and even hostility towards you and your organization especially if handled poorly.  The government reaction to the pandemic continues to stretch on and put the economy under pressure which many employees are experiencing these stresses.  Employees who are terminated might have feelings of betrayal, abandonment, or aggression and could even become stimulants for workplace violence in severe cases.

With this new reality as a backdrop, many organizations facing financial challenges arising from COVID-19 may be confronted with the terrible prospect of required reductions in force or even mass layoffs. The notification of termination – already a difficult and challenging task – is complicated by the fact that many employees are currently working remotely during social distancing lockdowns. While most agree that terminations are best handled in personal, face-to-face settings, such meetings are untenable during a world-wide pandemic with quarantine or “safer-at-home” practices in place.

The following are important things to know when a manager is faced with the difficult task of remotely parting ways with a team member:

1.       Be sure that both you and the employee know how to use the video teleconference platform?  The meeting will already be stressful enough, so complications in running a smooth meeting will cause you to lose control.

2.       Identify who will attend the video call.  It is always good to have two people participating in the meeting.  More than two is not recommended.  Usually it should be the Human Resource professional and the employee’s immediate supervisor.

3.       All materials including out-processing, severance pay, benefits and other documents should be organized and ready to be delivered to the employee before the call ends.

4.       Knowing where the employee is physically located is important in the event of a worst-case scenario of the employee spiraling out of control.

5.       Coordinate who all needs to be informed such as IT, Media Relations and Legal Counsel.

6.       Have an agenda, so you remain in complete control of the meeting.  Be sure to allow the employee to share their feelings.  Be firm, but compassionate.  Do not allow the employee to turn the script around, but allow them to express their emotion within reason to help part ways amicably. 

7.       Review the call with your counterpart to go over best practices of the meeting.

It is good to have a partner that is an expert in utilizing the most advance resources available today.  Questco is there to help you inspire your labor force through a plethora of HR Services such as: Payroll Services, Benefit Plans, Benefits Administration, HR Technology and Workers’ Comp & Safety Services.  Utilizing Questco’s vast experience, your company can thrive in today’s environment.

Charlie Reeves, Senior Business Development Manager, has decades of experience in Human Resource Solutions.  He is one of the most senior members at Questco and recognized for helping clients of all sizes save money, improve labor efficiency and provide the strongest support for HR Services.  As an entrepreneurs himself, he has lived the long days and sleepless nights on the road to success.  He brings the skill and scale to support you in the pursuit of your goals.  For more information on payroll services, benefit plans, benefits administration, HR technology, workers’ comp and safety services email Charlie.Reeves@questco.net or contact him directly at 936.521.5841.

Hiring in the Digital Age

It wasn’t really that long ago that online applications became the norm.  However, today, managers can make use of current technology that will ease the burden on the company as well as potential employees.

It is well documented that a company is only as good as its hires, and a great Human Resource team is the backbone of a successful company.  Hiring is a process that takes a lot of skill, effort and tie.  Finding the right or ideal candidate for the job involves looking at attitude, allowing for flexibility, encouraging diversity, and asking thoughtful questions. These and many other factors are involved in selecting the right candidate, but the downside of being thorough is that it can lead to the hiring process bogging down productivity.

Luckily, living in the digital age means that hiring managers can take advantage of technology to streamline their processes and make hiring faster and more efficient.  Sifting through hundreds of applications can take up a lot of time, so it’s beneficial for managers to make use of current technology and ease the burden on both the HR team and the applicant.

Digital Technology can be used to find the right people to fit your needs.  In addition, with a complete digital network, companies can reach more potential candidates than ever before.  Utilizing AI Assistance which can be used for talent engagement of potential candidates as well as automating communication and making coordination with applicants faster and easier.  An applicant tracking system will save your teams both time and money.  Social Media can be used to seek out candidates.

It is good to have a partner that is an expert in utilizing the most advance resources available today.  Questco is there to help you inspire your labor force through a plethora of HR Services such as: Payroll Services, Benefit Plans, Benefits Administration, HR Technology and Workers’ Comp & Safety Services.  Utilizing Questco’s vast experience, your company can thrive in today’s environment.

Charlie Reeves, Senior Business Development Manager, has decades of experience in Human Resource Solutions.  He is one of the most senior members at Questco and recognized for helping clients of all sizes save money, improve labor efficiency and provide the strongest support for HR Services.  As an entrepreneurs himself, he has lived the long days and sleepless nights on the road to success.  He brings the skill and scale to support you in the pursuit of your goals.  For more information on payroll services, benefit plans, benefits administration, HR technology, workers’ comp and safety services email Charlie.Reeves@questco.net or contact him directly at 936.521.5841.