5 Common HR Mistakes You Can Avoid

Human resources is a complex and multifaceted position. Mistakes can easily happen, however, some human resource mistakes are more common than others. To help your business run smoothly here are five common HR mistake you can avoid.

5 Common HR Mistakes You Can Avoid

1. Not Keeping Documents and Contracts

One error that results in wasted time and money is missing records and/or contracts from your business’s human resources system. Auditors will commonly find appraisal notes, contracts of employment, disciplinary warnings, employment authorizations, and visas missing within human resources systems. To avoid this mistake, check all records to ensure that all required documents are present.

2. Failing to On-Board New Staff Members

When your business gains a new staff member, it is imperative that you issue an employment contract immediately. Employment contracts are how necessary details are obtained by your employee. Without an agreement, your new employee is not informed of company policy, and this can lead to disputes. The contract is a signed document that lists the terms of the employment relationship. 

3. Not Training Employees

Failing to train your employees properly is a short-sighted and negligent way businesses fail their staff members as well as themselves. Proper training includes everything from initialing harassment guidelines to managerial training. Failing to train your employees will open the door to potential lawsuits for not providing essential training.

4. Not Document Conversations

Often human resource personnel and managers fail to follow the appropriate processes. This includes failing to document important conversations requiring disciplinary action. Businesses are legally obligated to adhere to legislative frameworks. If these are not followed your business is at risk of legal action. Documentation often stops issues from going further, but without the proper document, claims are usually awarded in the employee’s favor.

5. Not Resolving Long-Standing Issues

Probably the biggest mistake human resources or business owner can make is failing to solve long-standing performance issues. The impact of inadequate staff performance is significant in a business and will affect the performance of diligent staff members.

Speak with the individual or group one-on-one and apply sound reasoning along with a solution. If you are unaware of the performance of your staff check your businesses performance review process and be sure to assign regular follow-ups.

Correctly File ACA Reports to Ensure Compliance

In addition to the mistake listed above businesses continue to struggle with ACA compliance. While we can’t help you with your daily HR tasks, we can help you with your ACA reporting and compliance. ACAWise is your one-stop destination for ACA reporting and compliance. Our real-time tracking feature allows you to track employee benefits data to ensure your employees are eligible for coverage and keep your business compliant with ACA regulations.

Please comment, like, and share this blog with colleagues working in human resources and help them avoid these common HR mistakes.

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4 Major Ways the GDPR Will Affect American Businesses

In less than six months Europe will undergo the biggest change in data protection rules and regulations ever. The European General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) will be enforced starting May 2018. So how will the GDPR affect American businesses?

What is the GDPR?

This new legislation will ensure that the personal data of EU citizens is protected. This will include how the data is collected, stored, processed and disposed of. 

How Will the GDPR Affect American Businesses?

The GDPR will apply to companies within the EU and all companies worldwide that market goods and services to EU citizens. This new regulation will apply to businesses no matter their size.

Additionally, companies that control or process personal data relating to any EU citizen or monitors EU citizen must also comply with GDPR. Which is why it is imperative for all companies to prepare for the implementation of the GDPR. For certain companies, it will be mandatory to employ a data protection officer or DPRo to oversee compliance.

4 Ways the GDPR Matters to American Companies

1. Consent:
Consent must be made clear, and inactivity does not constitute consent under Article 4. “Consent is defined as “any freely given, specific, informed, and unambiguous indication of his or her wishes by which the data subject, either by statement or by a clear affirmative action, signifies agreement to personal data relating to them being processed.”

2. Territorial Reach:
Companies outside of the EU what offer goods and services to EU citizens or monitor behaviors must remain compliant with GDPR rules.

3. Privacy Design:
Companies within the US must prove that they protect the data of EU citizens from sign-up to delivery.

4. Data Protection:
Be sure to fully understand the GDPR before deciding if your business does or does not need to employ a data protection officer.

While you prepare your business for GDPR ACAWise will continue to be your one-stop destination for keeping your business ACA compliant. Please comment, like, and share this informative blog with those who will be affected by GDPR.

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Thanksgiving is Not a Day But a Frame of Mind

                     

Thanksgiving is Not a Day But a Frame of Mind

Happy Thanksgiving from ACAWise! You might be on your way to spend the day feasting with your friends and family. Before you start chowing down take a moment to say ‘thank you’ to all of those who have helped you along your journey this year. Thanksgiving is not a day but a frame of mind!

Remember to say thank you to your team, staff, and all of those people who work hard year round making your business successful. Show gratitude to your friends and family this holiday season; surprise them by taking extra time off work to spend more quality time together.

Appreciation is recognizing the qualities and/or actions of a person and being grateful for all that they do. Share gratitude to all of the supportive people in your life!

We are thankful for each of you this year! ACAWise would like to say thank you for choosing us for your ACA compliance and reporting needs! We look forward to working together again this year!

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Encourage Employee Relations and Boost Team Spirit

In the past, HR professionals handled more of the administrative duties, but today most of these functions are performed by computers and technology. Most employers place a greater importance on diplomacy, relationship building, and teamwork. To encourage these things, here are five tips to encourage employee relations and boost team spirit.

Encourage Employee Relations and Boost Team Spirit

Team Player

If your staff lacks team spirit it can lead to conflicts, pull your staffs focus in different directions, and undermine your business's efforts. When you are hiring a new staff member look for those who will work as a team player. Especially look for individuals who acknowledge the value of teamwork and have experience being a contributing team member.

Defining Teamwork

Your staff members may have a different interpretation of what it means to work as a team or being a team player. So explain what teamwork means for your specific company and describe what kind of behavior you are expected from them. This needs to be understood by everyone, and you should remind them frequently.

Reward Teamwork

Encourage employee relations and boost team spirit by giving awards and prizes to those working as a team. Try appraising your team's work and attitudes each month. Explain why the team or individual deserves the award and explain team behavior. This will help to reinforce the value of teamwork.

Staff Members Unite

Assigning teams for a company competition is a great way to build camaraderie among your staff. Include as many people as possible and encourage everyone to participate. Football, fun quizzes, bowling, and softball, are great team building activities to consider.

Find the Bad Egg

There is always that one guy. For those experienced HR professionals they know exactly whom I am talking about. The person that does not work as a team player and is becoming increasingly disruptive and spreads negative vibes. They are dragging the team down, and you must make an effort to identify these elements quickly. Either get them to perform as a team member or move them. If you must do that later do it fast, so they do not spread their negativity and influence your team.

When your team is working and supporting each other, you can achieve greatness, boost profits, and place your company ahead of your competition. It is the holidays so tensions are extra high which is why you must not lose focus and let your team fall apart.

One way to remain focus on your employee is to take advantage of ACAWise and it compliance advantages. We offer an all-inclusive full-service ACA generation and e-filing software. Now instead of worrying about your ACA compliance, you can focus on your team!

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Human Resources Skills You Will Need For The Future

The role of human resources personnel is expanding beyond its traditional focus faster than ever before. To understand the human resources skills you will need for the future you must understand HR’s traditional focus.

Human Resources Skills You Will Need For The Future

Traditional Focus on Human Resources

In the past HR personnel handled more of the transactional administrative duties; today most of these are performed by computers and technology. Administrative skills are still listed in job descriptions as skills employers desire in an HR professional. However, employers currently place a greater importance on commercial awareness, diplomacy, and relationship building.

In the past, human resources were more focused on technical elements such as hiring and firing. Today the role is seen more as a strategic partner in business with significant influence over the growth of the company. They must also have the ability to support and understand relations between colleagues and different departments.

The Future of Human Resources

Technology is continuing to automate so many different aspects of our daily lives, especially in the workplace. In the future, one critical human resources skill will be data collection and analysis. They must master collecting relevant employee data and employing it in the workplace. To create better employee training, find more suitable applicants, retaining employees, and gaining better management insights.

Also as computers progress, it will be increasingly more important for HR personnel to stay tech-savvy and up to date with the latest technology. Thankfully most modern systems are designed explicitly for more user-friendly.

One significant advantage of these software programs is the ease of use and capabilities. ACAWise which offers all-inclusive full-service ACA generation and e-filing. Now instead of worrying about your ACA compliance, you can focus on your team and what is truly important.

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Probably the most challenging aspects of holiday management at least for HR professionals are employees wanting the same day off. However, this situation can be prevented by having a clear holiday request policy. Learn how to solve multiple holiday request for the same date.

How to Solve Multiple Holiday Request for the Same Date

Holiday Request Policy

To not offend your employees you must be consistent and approach the situation with fairness with a policy and process for communicating requests. Additionally, this method and system must be well known and understood by your staff before the holiday season. However, even with all of this preparation, your managers must be brave enough to turn down holiday requests when the date requested disrupts daily business functionality.

With tax time just around the corner, it is important to monitor your employee's’ working hours despite the holiday season. Use ACAWise to track hours, project penalty estimations, forecasts insights, employee state and easily generate ACA reports.

Negotiate Peace

Even with clear holiday policies and the confidence to refuse unreasonable requests you are not out of the woods yet. You will find employees up in arms against each other in personal disputes especially as the days get closer to Christmas.

To help encourage camaraderie among your employees, you will want to spend some time working on employee relations and company culture. Team building exercises are a great way to help employees understand each other, especially those who are very different from themselves.

While you are working to negotiate peace between your employee it is important to remain compliant with federal ACA regulations. ACAWise uses state-of-the-art flexible data capture to interpret your ACA information. Find your employee's eligibility and affordability quickly and save yourself time and money.

Keep Everyone in the Loop

Avoid holiday disputes by keeping everyone involved and in the loop. Confusion and misinformation can happen when requests were declined unfairly, or manager disagrees on the approval of another manager. One way to avoid this kind of disputes is by assigning a holiday approver that is first submitted to a manager the department before receiving final approval.

Tread carefully, because this suggestion can turn ugly rather quickly. If holiday requests are not passed along and immediately addressed they can be missed place or worst causing miserable employers.

It is a Wonderful Time of the Year

Just being honest this time of year can be a significant thorn in an HR professional's side. However, when you prepare in advance and keep everyone informed it can be made a little more comfortable. Try using these helpful tips and suggestions to avoid disruption within your workforce.

ACAWise is your one-stop destination for keeping up with hours in order to determine your employee's eligibility for benefits. It is important to not lose focus during the holiday season because year-end reporting is right around the corner. Please comment, like, and share this informative blog with those who understand the pain of HR holiday management.

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How to Handle Employee Holiday Requests in Style

Let’s be honest managing holiday requests can be a thorn in HR’s side. However, with a little preparation, you will be rewarded with happier employees and fewer disruptions to your team. Learn how to handle employee holiday requests in style before it is too late.

How to Handle Employee Holiday Requests in Style

Communicating Annual Leave

One of the most common problems with annual leave is finding out how many days your employees are entitled to. This luckily is easy enough. If an employee is salary or works full time, they are entitled to a minimum of 5.6 weeks paid leave.

However, this is not the biggest issue with annual leave. HR will find in many cases that their employees feel their annual leave is unfair.

Some of these reasons may include:

• Misunderstanding of their entitlements
• Certain roles deserve more than minimum entitlement

Tips and Advice for HR Entitlements:

1. Attractive Holiday Plans
Company-wise your entitlement plans need to be attractive to your employees. For a bare minimum the company must comply with laws and regulations but by offering extras will go a long way with the happiness of your employees. Consider offering public or bank holidays as extras instead of including them with employee entitlements.

2. Fair Treatment of All
Another way to avoid disgruntled employees is to award entitlement fairly. Everyone should be treated the same, and there should be no favoritism involved when it comes to annual leave. Granting additional benefits to a select group of employees will only lead to disruptions within your team.

Consider increasing entitlement across the board as an alternative that will encourage loyalty among your employees.

3. Increase Understanding
This point can not be stressed enough. Make sure your holiday pay and entitlement program is clearly understood by all of your employees and easily accessed. The worst thing you can do is appear to be hiding something.

The holiday season can be hectic for everyone especially those in human resources, but when you prepare you can keep your employees focused and productive. Try using this helpful tips and suggestions to help avoid any disruptions within your workforce. Please comment, like, and share this informative blog for those who understand the pains of HR holiday management.

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