Get Proactive About HR Compliance

Anyone who owns or manages a business with employees must be proactive about HR compliance. Your clients need to understand what compliance entails so they can stay on top of this area in their organizations.

Compliance concerns

HR compliance is comprised of a number of areas — including (but not limited to) these:

• Records retention — Retention of employee files and records is required by law, both during employment and after termination. Retention also includes employing the correct procedures for handling protected, personally-identifiable personnel information.

• I-9 forms — I-9 forms are used to verify an employee’s identity and his or her eligibility to be employed in the U.S.

• Anti-discrimination — Anti-discrimination compliance can entail following a number of federal laws enforced by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), such as the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA), Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, and the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA).

• Safety — Safety compliance includes not only Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulations but also state compliance and any specific industry regulations that apply to your client’s business.

• Benefits — Benefits compliance involves compliance with federal laws, such as the Affordable Care Act (ACA), as well as relevant state laws that specify the benefits employers must provide to certain classes of employees.

• Wage and hour/worker classification — Compliance with worker classification laws requires employers to correctly classify all employees as exempt versus non-exempt and as full-time, part-time, or independent contractors. Worker classification compliance is monitored by both the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL).

• Federal employment regulations — In addition to the previous areas, businesses must comply with federal regulations that affect various areas of HR, such as paid time off, termination procedures, and federally protected benefits. Just a few of these regulations include ACA, the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA), and the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA).

That’s a long list! For someone who isn’t an HR professional, the complexities of HR compliance can be overwhelming and difficult to navigate. And the consequences of non-compliance can be severe: potentially huge fines and costly litigation that could devastate a business.

HR Complete simplifies HR compliance

HR compliance doesn’t have to be complicated — when you have experienced guidance from an HR professional who’s dedicated to your organization. A new service from HRAnswerLink — HR Complete — lets you offer this enhanced level of HR support to your clients at an affordable price.

HR Complete is a proactive HR consulting service that takes the complexity and stress out of HR. With HR Complete, your clients will work with their own dedicated HR Pro who provides ongoing support. Your clients work directly with their HR Pro for everything from quick questions to hands-on help with complex HR matters, such as compliance. In addition to HR Pro services, your clients will also benefit from HR Complete features such as these:

• Unlimited support — For quick questions or sudden crises, your clients will have unlimited support from our entire team of HR Professionals.

• HR Navigator — This all-in-one HR compliance workbook keeps all of your clients’ HR paperwork organized and in one place.

• Custom handbooks and job descriptions — Your clients’ dedicated HR Pro will work with them to create and maintain custom handbooks, checklists, offer letters, custom job descriptions, and other HR documents — all tailored to their specific needs.

• HR Concierge — With HR Concierge, your clients can chat live with our HR team to help them assess their urgent HR needs and point them to the right resources easily and efficiently.

With HR Complete, law compliance is only the first step. Our highly qualified HR Pros will work with each client to create customized solutions such as salary research and commission structures, employee engagement surveys, performance management tools, and staffing plans. These strategic projects will help your clients improve their HR function and meet their goals of making their company a great place to work while improving their bottom line.

HR Complete enables your clients to be proactive about HR — and the often-complex world of HR compliance. Helping your clients ensure compliance with the various HR laws and regulations protects their business and their bottom line.

[cta]Have questions about HR Complete? Contact Alicia Ness in the Client Experience Department — she’ll be happy to tell you more about it![/cta]