It’s time to turn my attention toward executing the business plan I’ve been working on for the past 12 months. Hey everybody, welcome to the FINAL episode of SmallBiz Brainiac! Yes… I’m ending this podcast. That’s hard for me to say, actually. This has been a labor of love for me and I’ve learned so much from doing this. It was a bit scary starting…

Empower your Managers to make their own hiring and firing decisions. Who in your organization should be responsible for recruiting, interviewing and hiring candidates? Who should be responsible for carrying out the unenviable task of letting employees go, regardless of whether it is for performance, behavior, or just downsizing? I’m a firm believer…

It doesn’t matter if you are guilty or not, an employment discrimination claim is going to cost you. EPLI stands for Employment Practices Liability Insurance. The free report available on our website, smallbizbrainiac.com, called “8 Steps to Lowering Your Employer Liability”, is all about buying EPLI insurance. The very process of preparing the com…

Total compensation statements show employees how much you’re actually investing in them. Today I want to talk to you about your employees total compensation. No, total compensation is not simply the employees annual salary. It is more than that. It refers to the total cost of employing an individual. Why is this important? I believe this to be impo…

The city of Minneapolis has bought into the voodoo economic theory that they can regulate the labor market and bend it to their will. Even if you don’t have employees in Minneapolis, you need to stay on top of all the local HR laws because they are a sign of things to come. Especially if you live in a city that is governed by Democrats. The city of…

A Big challenge with remote employees is communication. Some managers fall victim to the “out of sight, out of mind” syndrome. Having remote employees away from your main or corporate office is nothing new. With today’s technology however, it has become increasingly more prevalent. Businesses are no longer forced to look in their local market for p…

Nine million people lost their jobs in the Great Recession, and over 150,000 businesses shutdown. Create a plan for dealing with it before it happens again. I’ve spent 3 episodes teaching you what a recession is and what economic indicators you should be watching to signal danger. I’ve tried convincing you that we’re on the verge of another one, an…

If you don’t take HR seriously, no one else in your company will either. I know you are serious about your business. You’re serious about the work that you do to service your clients. Are you carrying this seriousness over to your own employees? You want, and frankly need, your employees to be your biggest asset and not become your biggest liabilit…

Yahoo Finance reported in 2016 that 93% of the entire stock market move since 2008 was caused by Federal Reserve policy. In parts 1 and 2 we learned that a recession is a significant decline in economic activity spread across the economy, lasting more than a few months. We also learned there’s NOT a consensus among economists about how to calculate…

Even though Form I-9 revisions seem insignificant, failure to comply can result in fines. Today we’re going to focus on some changes that have recently been made to the Employment Eligibility Verification Form I-9 by the U.S Citizenship and Immigration Services. Overview of Form I-9: The Form I-9 has been in use since 1986 for the purpose of verify…

The Federal Reserve has injected over $4.5 trillion into the economy to speed up the recovery from the Great Recession of 2008. In Part 1 we learned a recession is a significant decline in economic activity spread across the economy, lasting more than a few months. We also learned there isn’t a standard formula you can apply……

Updating employee name changes with the Social Security Administration is priority number one. Today we’re going to go over what is involved for your HR and payroll team when an employee decides to change their name. Why on earth would someone change their name? Well, there are a variety of reasons why a name change could occur.……

A recession is defined as a significant decline in economic activity spread across the economy, lasting more than a few months. Were you in the workforce back in 2008? Chances are you were. Do you remember the impact the “Great Recession” had on your business? I sure do. We lost over 30% of our clients within a few……

How do I maintain a safe work environment now that recreational marijuana is legal in my state? Legalization of marijuana for recreational purposes is trending upward with more and more states opting to legalize the drug even though marijuana is still considered illegal at the federal level. Regardless of how you view the use of……

“Furthermore, many colleges and universities fail to help students graduate with the skills necessary to secure high paying jobs in today’s workforce.” Are you confused about the differences between an apprenticeship and an internship? An apprenticeship is an on-the-job training program which includes job related instruction, typically provided in …

The number of employers using social media to screen candidates is at an all-time high. Today I wanted to go over a type of pre-employment screening that is becoming increasingly more popular as time goes on. Pre-employment screenings, or background checks are nothing new. In fact, we have discussed background checks before on this show.……

OSHA says a post accident drug testing policy which deters and discourages employees from reporting a claim is illegal. In part 1, I introduced you to the 3 new provisions in OSHA’s recordkeeping rule that took effect on January 1, 2017. On this episode we’ll learn more details about the provision that prohibits you from retaliating against your em…

Penalties for violating the Fair Work Week law range from $500 to $2,500 per occurrence depending on severity. Back in 2016, Seattle passed their Secure Scheduling Law. This law actually takes effect on July 1, 2017. You can hear more about the Seattle Secure Scheduling Law by going to our website, www.smallbizbrainiac.com and pulling up episode……

OSHA calls this new power an “important new tool” to ensure employers maintain accurate records. Effective January 1, 2017, OSHA’s new Recordkeeping rule took effect. There are two main parts to the new rule. I told you about the Recording and Reporting part in episode 89 on December 6, 2016, but I didn’t cover the……

Davis Bacon Act – Just another stupid federal law with major unintended consequences like pricing out smaller contractors and taxpayers overpaying for services. Today I wanted to discuss certified payroll and how it differs from your normal everyday payroll practices. First of all, what is meant by certified payroll? Generally speaking, certified p…

There are over 10 million employees working in positions that involve two or more companies, so the re-defining the term joint-employer is a major deal. I’m super excited to bring you today’s episode because we had a win. How Laws Are Made Without Congress: But first, I want to ask and answer the question; How do……

The certification focuses on employers that have the ability to effect change in their industry or region. Undocumented Immigrants: Undocumented immigrants gaining employment in the United States has been a headache for the U.S. government for decades. In 1986 the Immigration Reform and Control Act led to the creation of the Form I-9 which required…

Puerto Rico’s year end “Christmas” bonus and paid breaks for nursing mothers. In episode 124 and 126 we we covered several of Puerto Rico’s labor laws including the employment contract, the probationary period, just cause terminations, mandatory severance pay, minimum wage, overtime, the statutory meal period and paid vacation and sick leave. On to…

Mandatory paid sick leave comes at the expense of paid vacation time or other wages. Last week I discussed the Washington D.C. Paid Leave Law with you. Today I wanted to continue on with the mandatory paid leave topic as it continues to be a hot item across the United States. Again, we have covered…By Thomas Rock Lindsay : HR

Under Puerto Rico labor laws it’s illegal for you to terminate a grandfathered employee so you can benefit from the lower vacation accrual rates and higher qualification standards. In episode 124, part 1, we learned about the employment contract, the probationary period, just cause terminations, mandatory severance pay, and the minimum wage. On tod…

Employers will fund the paid leave program through a payroll tax on all Washington D.C. wages. We’ve talked about mandatory paid leave laws in a couple of past episodes as this seems to be a hot issue around the country over the last couple of years. Laws are starting to take effect in many states…By Thomas Rock Lindsay : HR

Under Puerto Rico’s labor laws you may only terminate an employee for just cause, unless you terminate them during the statutory probation period. Although Puerto Rico is a U.S. Territory, and travel to and from the island does not require a passport, it’s a very unique place… very different from the rest of the United……

Possessing only one or two of these personality types will leave you with an incomplete business. Today’s episode is inspired by the book The E-Myth Revisited by Michael Gerber. If you have not read this book yet I highly recommend it. Regardless of where you are at in your career, whether you are a budding entrepreneur or……

You have to provide “consideration” in exchange for your employee’s waiver of their rights to sue. I was talking to a friend this weekend and she told me about a recent employee termination experience. Her employee didn’t show up for work one day so so she called her. The employee said she didn’t want to work……

In order to be a great leader you have to make some tough decisions. Hey everyone, welcome to episode 121, 5 Steps To Becoming a Better Leader. I’m your host, Robert Attridge and this is the podcast that delivers employer intelligence two days each week in a short 7 to 10 minute episode. My co-host, Thomas……

Avoid these costly mistakes when completing forms W-4 and I-9. After you hire a new employee you have to get them setup in you HR and payroll system (or systems), before their first paycheck. This onboarding process requires the collection of information and the completion of certain government forms. Automated onboarding systems make this process …

When hire your first employee you officially become a tax collector. Do you know who handles your payroll? Of course you know the name of the person or company that handles it, but how well do you really know them? I bring this up because far too often I see stories like this one that…By Thomas Rock Lindsay : HR

If enacted, the bill would require all U.S. employers to participate in E-Verify within one year of enactment of this Act. Did you know that prior to 1986, employers were not required to verify an individuals employment eligibility status? The Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA) of 1986 required employers to examine documentation from each ne…

Several states have enacted wage theft prevention laws over the past few years. Wage theft can occur when employees are not paid according to existing wage and hour laws. There are many examples out there of wage theft by employers who may fail to pay at least the minimum wage, or fail to pay overtime……

New York increased their minimum salary requirement for the administrative employee overtime exemption, effective December 31, 2016. In this episode we’ll learn about a New York State Department of Labor rule change effecting all employers in the Empire state. I also want to let you know about a challenge to the City of Philadelphia’s Wage……

As a talent hoarder, not only are you hurting your employee’s opportunity for growth, you may be harming the businesses’ future potential. Are you a hoarder? I’m not talking about one of those people who collects so much “stuff” that you can barely get in the front door. I’m talking about hoarding people? If so,……

In 2014 alone, 2,630 workers suffered from heat illness and 18 died. It’s almost summer and temperatures are on the rise. So, this is the perfect time to start planning to protect your employees from heat related illness and injury. This subject that is often overlooked, and it’s not just a summertime issue. Employees are……

Reduce the likelihood of employee theft with improved hiring practices. While driving back from Vegas I was thinking about some possible topics for the show and I recalled a news article that I had tweeted out a week or so ago. I’m always looking for new news that relates to business, HR and payroll issues……

An important unemployment insurance rule change on March 31, 2017. On episode 109, Robert Attridge taught us some basic aspects of the state unemployment insurance system and how you can manage your cost. I’m going to say UI for unemployment insurance, going forward. The UI system is a mandatory federal and state run system for paying income replac…

States generally have reciprocity agreements with neighboring states…but not New York. Many businesses have, or will have at some point in their existence, a situation where one or more of their employees live in one state, but work in another state. When it comes time to pay these employees, things can get a little confusing……

If I was the candidate and had a few interviews lined up, and one of them sent me a pre interview guide, I would look at that employer a lot more favorably. In part 1, on episode 107, we learned how to prepare for the interview and in part 2 on episode 108 we learned how…By Thomas Rock Lindsay : HR

Far too often employers just ignore unemployment insurance claims and don’t provide a response to the agent handling the case. Today I wanted to talk about managing unemployment insurance claims and how this often overlooked aspect of your business can cost you big time down the road if it is ignored. Keeping control of your labor……

Asking the right interview questions will dramatically improve the effectiveness and you’ll look like a pro! In the last episode we learned about the preparation phase of the interview and on this episode we’ll learn about coming up with the interview questions. One thing I forgot to mention on the last episode is you should call……

Prepare so you don’t screw up the interview and scare away a great employee. Practice makes perfect, right? So how are you supposed to become an expert interviewer? It’s not like you’re hiring someone every day, or week, or even month for that matter. It’s hard to become a professional interviewer when you don’t have the opportunity……

A new breed of state equal pay laws have been passed, and now Puerto Rico has joined the likes of California, New York, Maryland, and Massachusetts. Labor Transformation & Flexibility Act: The Commonwealth of Puerto Rico passed a major labor law reform bill earlier this year called the Labor Transformation & Flexibility Act. There were……

Seven states do not allow for a tip credit. If you are in the restaurant or hospitality industries, or one of the many other service industries out there then you are well aware that a portion of your employees pay comes from tips, a.k.a., gratuities. Hopefully you are also aware that there is a provision……

Telemedicine services are changing the way healthcare is delivered…. and that’s a good thing! In episode 97, Kris Hansberger mentioned telemedicine as a way to improve your group health plan. She also shared a valuable tip on how to use telemedicine in concert with your supplemental accident policy to maximize your benefits. Let’s say you have……

Back to two shows a week every Tuesday and Thursday – by popular demand! I want to thank everyone who participated in the survey and provided their valuable opinion on the show. We had surprising results. The response was amazing! And the overwhelming majority of respondents prefer the old 7 to 10 minute format. So….. we’re going……

Politicians can’t simply pass new laws and create prosperity, higher wages or better benefits. Mandatory sick leave is sweeping the nation. Currently there is no federal law requiring private employers to provide paid sick leave for their employees….unless you work on government contracts. However, many States and Cities have passed laws requiring …

We need your feedback! We’d like you to take a quick survey. It will only take you a few minutes. Today’s episode is special. It’s just me today. There’s no Robert, and no panel expert. Instead, we want to tell you how you can win a $100 Amazon gift card and a copy of the amazing book Dotcom…By Thomas Rock Lindsay : HR