So, Who REALLY Has Time for the People Issues?

By: Ron Guest
Co - Founder BottomlineHR

Probably the most disrespectful thing you can say to an employee is that you don’t have time to deal with their issues. This is a statement that cuts very deep – and it happens a lot. Managers may think they have valid reasons for this response; they may simply not have the physical time available, they may not know how to deal with the issue or they may not care to deal with it. Some typical issues are: training requests, time off requests, questions about decision making boundaries, business process questions or people policy questions such as vacation, pay raises, benefits, etc. Some infrequent questions could be around privacy and confidentiality, harassment claim procedures, maternity leave, jury duty leave, etc.
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Maximizing Employee Performance

By: Barry Chapman
Co - Founder BottomlineHR

Do you recognize this slogan? “Our product is steel. Our strength is people” Or, how about this old adage, “people are our most important asset”. As superficial as these words sound, they are absolutely true and the sooner businesses recognize this and start doing something about it, the better off they’ll be on many levels.

How is your company doing? Are people your most important asset? Find out by completing the checklist below. And, unless you’re completely satisfied with the results, you need to take action. That’s where we come in.
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From Independent Contractor to Employee

If your company uses the services of an independent contractor, at some point you should consider the following question: at what point does an independent contractor become an employee? A mischaracterization of the relationship can result in liability under numerous statutes. In order to ensure that the relationship is correctly classified, there are a number of characteristics that differentiate between an independent contractor compared to that of an employee.
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The Importance of Employee Background Checks

Employers have been held legally liable for the negligent actions of employees whose background was never verified. Nearly thirty percent of job applicants falsify or exaggerate information or credentials on their resume.

Were you aware that:

• Organizations lose 6% of annual revenue to fraud and abuse.
• Did you know that 33% of people lie about their education on their resumes?
• Fraud and abuse costs U.S. and Canadian organizations more than $400 billion annually.
• The average organization loses more than $9 per day per employee due to fraud and abuse.
(Courtesy of the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners)
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Retirement Plans in Smaller Companies

3 Reasons Why Smaller Organizations Should Consider a Group RRSP

1) Attract and retain key employees - A group retirement plan is among the most important aspects of the overall employee benefit program. A decent retirement program may determine which employees are attracted and retained, reducing training and development costs.

2) Increase productivity and loyalty - Employers can anticipate less absenteeism as employees spend less company time attending to personal financial matters. As well, many employees might leave their company if offered the same salary and a better retirement savings plan elsewhere.

3) Design Flexibility - The employer can control virtually all aspects of the plan, from eligibility to employer contributions
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