2009 is quickly coming to a close and many small business owners and executives like you are reflecting on the performance of the current year and already planning for 2010 and beyond. With the recent economic challenges and the myriad of employment law changes, businesses have been taking a much closer look at their existing workforce. As you assess new best practices to help advance the goals and success of your company, consider how strategic HR plays a key role.
There are three keys questions concerning strategic HR that must be addressed. They are:
- What is Strategic HR?
- Where Does Your Business Stand in Terms of Strategic HR?
- How Can You Apply Strategic HR to Your Small Business Environment?
To learn more about how the answers to these questions can help you implement a strategic HR program in your business, be sure to read the featured article by the HR pros at MyHRSupportCenter, A Little Strategic HR for Bigger Business Success. If you’re not yet signed up or would like a free trial of MyHRSupportCenter, contact Vision Payroll today.
During this flu season, especially with H1N1 in mind, many employers are concerned with how to properly prepare for potential pandemic illness debilitating their employees and their business. There are three important areas employers must consider when preparing their action plan for dealing with pandemic outbreaks at work.
You’ll learn much more about these three areas in this month’s HRCast, a recording provided by our team of HR Pros and available exclusively on MyHRSupportCenter.
Visit MyHRSupportCenter regularly not only for our HRCasts, but also to get late-breaking compliance alerts, best practices to implement, and HR tools to use every day. If you’re not yet signed up or would like a free trial of MyHRSupportCenter, contact Vision Payroll today.
The holiday season brings great opportunities to celebrate – Thanksgiving, New Year’s Day, and the company holiday party! While some companies have decided to forego company-sponsored festivities due to increasing liability and costs, your company can still host a great event if you consider the following tips:
- Assess the Liability
- Communicate Casual and Careful
- Promote Policies and Practices
- Prepare the Disaster Plan
- Take the Lead
To learn more about each of these areas, be sure to read the featured article by the HR pros at MyHRSupportCenter, 5 Tips to Playing It Safe when Planning Company Events. If you’re not yet signed up or would like a free trial of MyHRSupportCenter, contact Vision Payroll today.
The standard mileage rates for the use of automobiles beginning January 1, 2010 will be 50 cents per mile for business miles driven and 16.5 cents per mile driven for medical or moving purposes the Internal Revenue Service announced in Revenue Procedure 2009-54 and News Release IR-2009-111. The new rates are changed from 55 cents per mile for business travel, 24 cents per mile for moving and medical travel for 2009. The rate for miles driven in service of charitable organizations has remained the same at 14 cents per mile. Contact Vision Payroll if you have any questions on 2010 mileage rates.
In IR-2009-107, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced that interest rates for the first quarter of 2010 would remain unchanged from the fourth quarter. The rates are as follows:
- Four (4) percent for overpayments [three (3) percent in the case of a corporation];
- Four (4) percent for underpayments;
- Six (6) percent for large corporate underpayments; and
- One and one-half (1.5) percent for the portion of a corporate overpayment exceeding $10,000.
The IRS will publish the rates in Revenue Ruling 2009-37. Contact Vision Payroll if you have any questions on the first quarter rates.
Employee departures can drain time, energy, resources and morale if not done well. These resources will help you make sure that when you need to let employees go, the process is as smooth and effective as possible. Our Termination Quick Guide will help you institute effective practices and systems for your termination process. Learn the five top tips for managing the termination process and download a checklist to help you manage the flow from MyHRSupportCenter. In addition to these helpful tools, the Quick Guide also contains sections with forms, templates and guidelines, relevant articles, and relevant information.
To learn more be sure to login to MyHRSupportCenter, click Quick Guides, then Termination. If you’re not yet signed up or would like a free trial of MyHRSupportCenter, contact Vision Payroll today.
Regularly monitoring, evaluating and communicating employee performance is a crucial step for improving employee productivity. These resources will help you implement effective procedures and systems to manage your employees. Before your next round of performance reviews, our Performance Management Quick Guide will help you institute effective practices and systems for your review process. Learn the five top tips for managing the review process and download a checklist to help you manage the flow from MyHRSupportCenter. In addition to these helpful tools, the Quick Guide also contains sections with forms, templates and guidelines, relevant articles, and relevant information.
To learn more be sure to login to MyHRSupportCenter, click Quick Guides, then Performance Management. If you’re not yet signed up or would like a free trial of MyHRSupportCenter, contact Vision Payroll today.
The US Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has developed updated guidance for employers of all sizes to use as they develop or review and update plans to respond to 2009 H1N1 influenza season. Employers play a key role in protecting employees’ health and safety, as well as in limiting the negative impact of influenza outbreaks on the individual, the community, and the nation’s economy.
The HR Professionals at MyHRSupportCenter have developed a Pandemic Illness Guide that employers may review to help them prepare for the 2009-2010 H1N1 influenza season. Topics covered include the following:
- Planning for Fall and Winter Influenza Season
- Appropriate Response Strategies for Employers
- Preparedness and Response Recommendations
- Important Components of an Influenza Pandemic Plan
- Action Guide for Employers
To learn more be sure to login to MyHRSupportCenter, click Essentials, then Guides, and then search for H1N1. If you’re not yet signed up or would like a free trial of MyHRSupportCenter, contact Vision Payroll today.
In News Release IR-2009-091, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced the release of its new web-based IRS Retirement Plans Navigator to help small businesses find retirement plan information. The website offers assistance in the following areas:
Although some plans are meant to be maintained by an employer with little or no assistance, Vision Payroll strongly recommends the services of a qualified third-party administrator for employers maintaining more complex plans. Contact Vision Payroll if you need further information.
Advances in online technology have reinforced how the Internet has become an increasingly necessary and unavoidable recruitment tool for small companies to leverage. There are three important areas employers must consider when implementing successful on-line recruiting strategies: on-line recruiting, legal landmines, and employer action items.
You’ll learn much more about these three areas in this month’s HRCast, a recording provided by our team of HR Pros and available exclusively on MyHRSupportCenter.
- Learn the two popular and powerful on-line recruiting strategies.
- Get a list of questions to ask on-line candidates before bringing them in for an interview.
- Discover how to customize those questions to target your needs.
- Find out what you need to include in an on-line advertisement to make it effective.
- Learn to leverage social media networks to target high-quality job candidates.
- Find out points to keep in mind that could help you minimize legal problems during the recruiting process.
- Discover the policies and procedures you need in place to help your employees understand and avoid those legal issues.
Visit MyHRSupportCenter regularly not only for our HRCasts, but also to get late-breaking compliance alerts, best practices to implement, and HR tools to use every day. If you’re not yet signed up or would like a free trial of MyHRSupportCenter, contact Vision Payroll today.
Vision Payroll