Employee Records

Maintaining accurate employee records and legal compliance is critical for all employers. Failure to do so can result in hefty penalties, as demonstrated by a Texas company that failed to maintain accurate time and payroll accounts and did not properly pay employees for overtime hours worked. As a result, the company must pay $579,910 in back overtime wages. 

Management 2000, an Indiana PEO, provides the human resources help employers need to develop effective payroll policies. For more information about all the human resource management services Management 2000 can provide, call (317) 549-2000 or visit www.management2000.com.

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) protects individuals with a physical or mental disability that affects a major life activity. This is true even if the condition is not visibly apparent or is in remission. This is evidenced by a recent federal court ruling in Indiana that an employee was covered by the ADA even though the employee’s cancer was in remission at the time of the adverse employment action. 

Management 2000, a Professional Employer Organization in Indiana, constantly monitors federal and state laws and regulations related to human resources administration. With this information, the HR professionals at Management 2000 provide the human resources help employers need for compliance. Whether the issue is legal compliance, documentation and record retention, discipline, or training, employers can count on Management 2000 for accurate, timely advice.  For more information call Management 2000 at (317) 549-2000 or visit www.management2000.com.

• Payroll and employee benefits administration. Management 2000’s employee benefits advisors can make sure companies comply with employment laws regulating payroll and benefits, such as the Fair Labor Standards Act and the Employee Retirement Income Security Act.

• Recruiting and retention. The HR professionals at Management 2000 can manage recruiting and retention efforts to ensure success as well as compliance with federal, state and local laws.

• Policy development. Management 2000 can develop the human resource policies and procedures needed for internal control and guidance, again in compliance with employment laws prohibiting discriminatory labor practices.

• Recordkeeping and compliance. Management 2000 can help make sure companies comply with employee record retention requirements. 

For more information about the many ways Management 2000 can help your company, call (317) 549-2000 or visit www.management2000.com.

September 30 is the deadline for employers to file EEO-1 reports.  In general, employers with 100 or more employees, or those with 50 or more employees and at least $50,000.00 in government contracts must file this annual report. Proper record keeping throughout the year is essential in order to complete this report accurately.  

The HR Department at Management 2000, a Professional Employer Organization, prepares EEO-1 reports for clients subject to this requirement.  In addition, Management 2000’s HR professionals provide HR support throughout the year to ensure proper maintenance of employee records.  For more information about all the human resource management services provided by Management 2000, call (317-549-2000 or visit www.management2000.com

Small business owners often find it difficult to keep up with the various laws and regulations governing employment practices.  Hiring, payment of wages, promotions, maintaining employee records and rest/meal breaks are but a few of the issues impacted by state and/or federal laws. Compliance is time consuming, but non-compliance can be financially devastating.  

Management 2000, a Professional Employer Organization, has the HR management tools to identify applicable state and federal laws and develop appropriate human resource policies for its clients. This is just one of the many ways the HR professionals at Management 2000 provide HR support and resolve human resource issues.

For more information about the HR services Management 2000 provides, call (317) 549-2000 or log on to www.management2000.com.

The economic downturn has driven employers' unemployment insurance costs to record levels. The good news is that employers can control these costs by maintaining sound HR procedures. This includes an effective selection process to avoid hiring poor performers or bad matches who often become ex-employees entitled to unemployment benefits.

Management 2000, a Professional Employer Organization in Indiana, has the HR professionals who can help employers minimize unemployment costs. With extensive knowledge and HR management tools, Management 2000’s HR Department develops effective hiring and retention strategies for its client companies. Call (317) 549-2000 or visit www.management2000.com for more information.   

• Pre-managed care design that increases deductibles and replacing co-pays with co-insurnance. 
• Drugs costs cooled by expansion of generic drug portfolio. High volume drugs such as Lipitor patents expire in 2011.
• COBRA costs expected to level off.  (side note: Congress has introduced an extension of the subsidy, legislation (S. 3548), that would reinstate through 11/30/2010).

• Hospitals and Physicians move costs from Medicare to private payers/employers. This will be the top reason for higher costs.
• Care-provider consolidation.  Private practices will decrease while groups emerge.
• 2011 Stimulus funds will launch electronic hospital records implementations to  avoid 2015 Medicare penalties. This will be a billion dollar invest in to technology.  

Beginning in June, 2011, the Social Security Administration will begin changing the way nine-digit numbers are issued for Social Security cards. 

The numbers will be chosen randomly and the first three digits will no longer designate where a Social Security card is issued. Card numbers can start with 8 in the first position, and the number 7, previously a special designation for railroad retirees and for recipients who obtain a card while abroad, will also be used to start a regularly-issued Social Security number. No card will start with 9, and the combination 666, which often has Satanic connotations, will not be allowed.

This new numbering system is supposed to last for 30 years before running into any problems.

Management 2000, a Professional Employer Organization with offices in Indianapolis, Indiana and Dayton Ohio, constantly monitors federal and state laws and regulations related to human resources administration. With this information, the HR professionals at Management 2000 provide the human resources help employers need for compliance. Whether the issue is legal compliance, documentation and record retention, discipline, or training, employers can count on Management 2000 for accurate, timely advice. Contact Management 2000 at (317) 549-2000 or at www.management2000.com for more information.

Cell phones continue to be a popular means of communication. However, if employees use a cell phone while driving and are involved in an accident, their employers could be liable for significant legal damages. Courts have already imposed huge judgments against drivers allegedly distracted by cell phone conversations, and research shows that texting involves an even greater danger.  This issue is so significant that the U.S. Department of Transportation recently enacted a law prohibiting the use of cell phones (voice or text) by drivers operating a commercial motor vehicle. The penalties are severe, and affect both the driver and employer. 

Employers can help protect against this threat by implementing policies specifically prohibiting cell phone use (voice or text) while employees are driving on company business. Management 2000, a Professional Employer Organization with offices in Indianapolis, Indiana and Dayton Ohio, has the HR management tools to develop such policies and provide advice on implementation and enforcement. Whether the issue is legal compliance, documentation and record retention, discipline, or training, employers can count on Management 2000 for effective human resources help.

Payroll errors can be costly. Last month, a petroleum company in New Jersey entered into a settlement agreement under which it will pay $4 million in overtime pay, damages, interest, and penalties to more than 700 current and former employees. According to the Department of Labor, the company and its owner failed to pay employees time and one-half the regular hourly rate for time worked in excess of 40 hours a week and failed to keep accurate time and payroll records for approximately seven years. 

Employers cannot afford to have ineffective payroll policies. Management 2000, an Indiana PEO, provides payroll services for small businesses as well as HR and employee benefits administration. With help from Management 2000, employers can rest assured that payroll and other human resource issues are properly managed. 

Every company whose employees have E-mail access should include E-mail use in its human resources policies. This policy should include the employer’s right to monitor E-mails, be signed by the employee, and retained in individual employee records. Additional tips employers should consider are including E-mails in document retention programs, limiting information in E-mails to facts rather than exaggerations, speculations and insults, and having in-person conversations to discuss sensitive situations. 

Management 2000, a PEO with offices in Indianapolis, Indiana and Dayton, Ohio understands the need for effective human resource policies. The experienced HR professionals at Management 2000 provide the HR support employers need to develop an HR strategy that addresses E-mail use and other human resource issues.

• An introduction to managers, human resource personnel, supervisors and co-workers
• A tour of the facility
• An introduction to the job and its duties, including health and safety issues,Human Resource Issues and any Human Resource Forms left to fill out.

Employers often wonder what human resource policies they should implement.  The topics range from discipline, to employee medical benefits, to how long they should retain employee records.  Developing these policies can be a time consuming, difficult task, especially for small employers who are busy running their business.  Without these policies, however, employers can face problems such as poor productivity, low employee morale, and even costly legal issues. 

Management 2000, a Professional Employer Organization with offices in Indianapolis, Indiana and Dayton, Ohio, understands this dilemma. The human resource professionals in Management 2000’s HR Department have the knowledge and tools to help employers develop effective human resource policies and procedures to fit individual needs.  With HR support from Management 2000, employers can focus on the important task of making their business successful.  

While many people think of OSHA – the Occupational Safety and Health Act – as governing hazardous materials and dangerous occupations, virtually every employer has responsibilities under the Act. The General Duty Clause required employers to ensure that their workplaces are free from recognized hazards. In addition, many companies with more than ten employees are required to post the “OSHA 300 Log,” a form used by employers to record worker injuries and illnesses, on an annual basis.

Safety compliance can be time-consuming, especially for small business owners. The HR Department at Management 2000, an Indiana Professional Employer Organization, has safety professionals experienced in OSHA compliance and training. Through its human resources consulting services, Management 2000 can help employers develop policies and procedures to address safety, as well as other human resource administration issues.

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) now prohibits texting by drivers of commercial vehicles such as large trucks, buses and vans. Covered drivers who text while driving commercial vehicles may be subject to civil or criminal penalties of up to $2,750. 

The DOT took this step, in part, based on research showing that drivers who send and receive text messages take their eyes off the road for an average of 4.6 seconds out of every 6 seconds while texting. At 55 miles per hour, this means that the driver is traveling the length of a football field, including the end zones, without looking at the road.

This prohibition is effective immediately, and employers should take the following steps to comply:

·        Implement a policy

·        Train and educate employees on the policy’s application

·        Distribute the written policy to each employee

·        Require each employee to sign an acknowledgment of the policy, stating that he or she received, read and agreed to comply with the policy

Management 2000, a Professional Employer Organization in Indiana, constantly monitors federal and state laws and regulations that affect employers. With this information, it can provide the human resources help employers need to manage and direct their workforce. Whether the issue is legal compliance, documentation and record retention, discipline, performance, or training, employers can count on Management 2000  for accurate, timely advice along with it's complete human resource information system. 

With few exceptions, companies today rely heavily on computers and a variety of software in their day-to-day operations. Everything from inventory, to sales records, to customer and employee information is managed and stored on computers. Even if protected from outside intrusion, this information is usually accessible by many employees. Without specific policies and procedures to protect this information from employee misuse, employers can suffer tremendous financial loss. In a recent Ninth Circuit case, a company lost a lawsuit against a former employee who had transferred a substantial amount of confidential company information to his home computer for use in his personal business. The court ruled in favor of the former employee primarily because the company had no policies restricting use of company information.   

Management 2000 has a staff of human resources professionals experienced in developing and implementing HR procedures and policies, including those related to electronic communications. With human resources help from Management 2000, employers can better protect their valuable company information.    

One of the ways employers can help avoid making poor hiring decisions is to conduct background checks on candidates they are considering for hire. Employers must be cautious, however, since relying on background check information, particularly criminal history information, can result in a disproportionate screening out of minorities and other protected groups. As a general rule, a record of arrest (which is not by itself evidence of criminal guilt) should not be the sole reason for rejecting a candidate. Other factors to be considered when reviewing an applicant’s (or employee’s) criminal history record include:   

• The length of time since a conviction
• The nature of the crime
• The relationship between the job to be performed and the crime committed
• The number of convictions
• Rehabilitation efforts
• Subsequent employment history

Employers often do not have the time or the resources to properly analyze background check information. Employers can, however, rely on Management 2000, a Professional Employer Organization, for guidance in this area. The professionals in Management 2000’s HR Department are experienced in reviewing and analyzing background check information to help ensure appropriate and legal hiring decisions.