| p>When you are stating a new business, or even if | | | | regulations. They can also assist with hiring, firing, |
| you have been in business for some time, one of the | | | | employee evaluation and variety of administrative |
| easiest things to overlook is human resources. When | | | | functions. Your human resource person can also act |
| your business is small, you might have a nice | | | | as a liaison with your employees when there are |
| family-type atmosphere. You may be spending more | | | | issues. |
| time at work than you are at home. It is easy to forget | | | | A second option is use a professional employer |
| that people are your employees not your family. | | | | organization or PEO. The PEO serves as the HR |
| Taking human resources for granted can be one of | | | | department for your business. They can provide all the |
| the most costly things you can ever do in your | | | | administrative services that a regular HR department |
| business. The rules governing employees are complex | | | | would provide, but they also provide other services |
| and strict. More often than not, in a legal dispute, the | | | | such as payroll and employer tax assistance. Because |
| court is more likely to take the side of the employee, | | | | the PEO functions as a group, they can also provide |
| particularly when good documentation is not available. | | | | benefits such as healthcare and dental and sometimes |
| There are things you can do, however, to keep you | | | | at a significantly lower cost. But perhaps the biggest |
| and your business out of trouble. | | | | advantage to outsourcing your human resources is |
| First, never forget that this is a business and you have | | | | helping to eliminate many of the employer liability risks. |
| a business relationship with the people that work for | | | | Since PEOs are a one-stop shop, you can also be |
| you. That doesn't mean you can't have fun or that you | | | | sure of complete coordination of your human |
| have to run the business with an iron fist or that you | | | | resources and payroll. PEOs can be a little pricey, |
| have to be paranoid about your employees. It does, | | | | particularly for small businesses with less than 10 |
| however, mean that you need to be sure that you are | | | | employees, but they can definitely alleviate a lot of the |
| following all the regulations, both federal and state. It | | | | stress surrounding human resources. |
| also means that you need to make sure that you | | | | Whatever option you use to handle your human |
| have good procedures in place to document problems | | | | resource needs, don't take shortcuts. The legal fees |
| or issues. | | | | from one employee lawsuit can devastate a business, |
| How can you protect your employees, your business | | | | even if you ultimately win. Remember that your |
| and yourself? There is no one right answer, but there | | | | employees are your most important resource. Take |
| are several options. The first option is to hire a human | | | | good care of them and they will take good care of |
| resource person. This person can take on the | | | | your business. |
| responsibility of insuring that you are complaint with all | | | | |