| Listing Date | Article Link | Article Review / Excerpt | Reader Comments |
| 5/17/2013 | NAPEO Announces Ad Initiative Source: StaffMarket | The National Association of Professional Employer Organizations expands the PEO message. NAPEO recently release a new slogan, “Keep Calm and Call a PEO”. The advertising is shown with the image of the British crown. The ad copy appears to be a take off from a campaign in Britain at the beginning of World War II that was meant to keep up the spirits of the British population who feared invasion. Watch a video about the origin of the “Keep Calm” campaign. Given the situation facing many small and medium sized business today, the campaign slogan appears very appropriate for the times.  |  Post the first comment about: NAPEO Announces Ad Initiative |
| 5/2/2013 | Workers Comp Pricing Gets Harder Source: CFO.com | CFO article about increases in work comp insurance costs and what larger companies are doing to keep costs down. The examples of how companies are take lots of first dollar risk and implementing safety and claims management practices is important for companies to understand. However these are large companies like Red Robin that can afford to have dedicated staff to implement these changes. Many small companies do not have the expertise or the knowledge to implement these kinds of strategies and therefore are getting hit the hardest with rate increases and in some bad cases are finding it difficult to get any WC coverage. Even Professional Employer Organizations or PEOs are being challenged to underwrite many of these small accounts. | Post the first comment about: Workers Comp Pricing Gets Harder |
| 5/1/2013 | Merit Resources Acquired Source: Iowa Network Services | Merit Resources an Iowa based PEO has been acquired by a telecom company named Iowa Network Services. The information release indicates that the senior management team at Merit Resources will remain in place. Merit has been a longtime PEO presence with clients primarily located in Iowa. Merit has been based in Des Moines, IA since 1989 and is the largest PEO in the state. Today, Merit provides valuable HR solutions to more than 400 clients and 11,000 worksite employees across 40 states. | Post the first comment about: Merit Resources Acquired |
| 4/29/2013 | NFIB Survey - Many Top Business Concerns Addressed by PEOs Source: StaffMarket | The National Federation Of Indepedent Businesses survey conducted in August 2012 ranks top business concerns. PEOs help with 14 out of 75 main areas. | Latest Comment: - 5/3/2013 Good article Read All 1 Comments about: NFIB Survey - Many Top Business Concerns Addressed by PEOs |
| 4/25/2013 | Obama 2014 Budget Proposal - Impact for Employers Source: StaffMarket | President Obama's proposed budget for 2014 has impact for small businesses President Barack Obama has sent the US Congress his proposed budget for 2014 and it has some significant impacts and opportunities for small employers. Whether these provisions actually become law remains to be seen, however, HR and business managers of small and medium sized companies need to be aware of what may be coming down the road. Business owners should review the highlights listed below and start planning now for how these items may impact their companies and what processes will need to be implemented or revised in order to ensure regulatory compliance. Companies using a PEO should review the items below and discuss them with their PEO HR advisor to understand how their PEO will be addressing these items on the client’s behalf. | Post the first comment about: Obama 2014 Budget Proposal - Impact for Employers |
| 2/6/2013 | PPACA Burdens for Businesses Source: StaffMarket | The impacts of PPACA, or Obamacare is now starting to be understood for business owners and managers. The impacts on the productivity of the economy is estimated at 127 million man hours. For the last several years, many business owners have been ignoring the impacts of the PPACA on their businesses. It will never survive the Supreme Court challenge... oops. It will be overturned by Romney after he wins the election... oops again. Now the political drama appears to be over for the moment and business owners and managers are starting to assess what is really required to meet the terms of the new laws. While every business has unique individual circumstances, the overall impact on businesses in the USA are now starting to be tallied. Congressmen John Kline, chairman of the Education and Workforce Committee today unveiled the ObamaCare burden tracker. The tool attempts to estimate JUST the administrative time spent for business to adhere to the terms of the law. | Post the first comment about: PPACA Burdens for Businesses |
| 1/14/2013 | Compass Investment Partners Acquires CoAdvantage Resources Source: CIP Capital | Co-Advantage Resources of Orlando, Florida has been acquired by Compass Investment Partners. Financing for the purchase was through Madison Capital Funding LLC (New York Life), TIAA Cref and Fifth Street Finance. CoAdvantage Resources is a leading Professional Employer Organization (PEO) that offers small and mid-sized businesses a comprehensive package of outsourced human resources solutions enabling them to reduce their administrative burden, ensure compliance with employer regulations, and gain access to affordable employee benefits. The Company integrates payroll and tax processing, employee benefit plan administration, risk management, government compliance and other human resources services into a single vendor solution that is extremely efficient and effective. | Post the first comment about: Compass Investment Partners Acquires CoAdvantage Resources |
| 12/13/2012 | Aetna CEO: Some Health Insurance Premiums Will Double Source: Bloomberg | Aetna CEO Mark Bertolini tells analysts that the Affordable Health Care Act (PPACA) will cause small group health insurance and individual policy premiums costs to skyrocket The CEO of the national third largest health insurance company predicts that the costs from banning discrimination for per-sexiting health insurnace underwriting will drive costs to nearly double current rates. "Those taxes will make coverage more expensive for insurers, as will other provisions such as a ban on discriminating against people with pre-existing medical conditions, Bertolini said. Premiums are likely to increase 25 percent to 50 percent on average in the small-group and individual markets, he said, citing projections by his Hartford, Connecticut-based company. " | Post the first comment about: Aetna CEO: Some Health Insurance Premiums Will Double |
| 11/9/2012 | Health Insurance for Business Owners under ACA – Which way to turn? Source: StaffMarket | The exit of insurance agents and advisors leaves business with less guidance while health plan costs and regulatory impacts soar. PEOs see an opportunity. While business across the USA struggle to access the impact of the ACA laws on their company health plans and their employees, the traditional pool of people to help them figure it all out is going away. Many employers are now becoming aware of the reality that the November 2012 defeat of Mitt Romney all but guaranteed that the ACA is here to stay. Business owners who had deferred planning on their health insurance options are now under the gun to understand their options for themselves and their employees. The implementation schedule for the ACA is already underway and for business owners and managers, important compliance issues and decisions must be made. Company Sponsored Health Plans Decisions - More Complex and More Significant For small and mid-sized businesses the complexity of making decisions about how to handle their health insurance plans or whether to offer one at all, just got much more complicated. For every business there is a unique set of factors that will influence their health insurance plan decision.
This is just a start on the complicated analysis required for business owners who want to maintain legal compliance with ACA and still provide and affordable plan for their staff. Get more detail on navigating the ACA. | Post the first comment about: Health Insurance for Business Owners under ACA – Which way to turn? |
| 10/30/2012 | Time off to vote - Voting laws by state Source: StaffMarket | Review voting laws for all US states Employees and employers need to know the rules for their state. | Post the first comment about: Time off to vote - Voting laws by state |
| 10/23/2012 | Employee Health Coverage Reporting Changes affect PEOs and PEO clients in 2013 Source: StaffMarket | Affordable Care Act requires 2012 W2 information to include value of employer sponsored health coverage Effective for federal W2s for the calendar year 2012 (issued in early 2013), companies and employees working with a Professional Employer Organization will notice that the value of employer sponsored health coverage is now included on the employees W2. The value of the coverage will be shown in W2 form Box 12 with code DD.  | Post the first comment about: Employee Health Coverage Reporting Changes affect PEOs and PEO clients in 2013 |
| 10/18/2012 | Payroll Tax Increase Coming for 2013 Source: StaffMarket | Employee FICA Tax Reverts to 6.2% starting January 1, 2013
After two years (2011 and 2012) of being reduced from 6.2% to 4.2%, the employee FICA payroll tax on employment wages is set to revert back to 6.2% effective the start of 2013. The current maximum wage base for the calculation is 110,100 for 2012 and is set to rise to 113,700 for 2013. According to the Wall Street Journal, there does not appear to be any political motivation from either the Republicans or Democrats to extend the FICA reductions in to 2013 so right now it appears that the tax will revert back on January 1, 2013. It is estimated that the reduction has cost the US government $120 billion per year for the last two years and the reduction saves the average family $933 each year. As of today, with two presidential debates completed and tax policy being a major discussion items between the candidates there has been no mention of this tax increase that will impact all working Americans very shortly. For the average working American earning $50,000 per year this is will mean an additional $1,000 per year tax hike just for social security taxes. The FICA matching tax amounts for employers will remain unchanged since it was never part of the temporary tax cut. | Post the first comment about: Payroll Tax Increase Coming for 2013 |
| 10/9/2012 | Manager - Worker Romances: Not a Good Idea Source: StaffMarket | Employers who allow managers and subordinates to become involved romantically face significant financial risks Given that many people spend as much or more time at work as anywhere else, and the fact that women have entered the workforce in mass in the last 30 years, well it is only natural that humans will do what humans do. And that is where the trouble can begin when one of them has supervisory authority over the other. Why does it matter? Well if you think that what happens between consenting adults is no one else’s business and that it is not your concern as an employer, then you could be making an expensive mistake.  | Post the first comment about: Manager - Worker Romances: Not a Good Idea |
| 9/14/2012 | SOI - Strategic Outsourcing Inc. Purchased by Trinet Source: StaffMarket | SOI - A PEO headquartered in North Carolina and longtime presence in the Southeast United States has been purchased by Trinet. Strategic Outsourcing Inc. known as SOI and one of the nations largest Professional Employer Organizations (PEO) has been purchased by Trinet. According to information from SOI, they process over $2.5 billion in payroll for over 62,000 worksite employees. SOI was founded by Steven Mariano the late 1990s and was later sold to Union Planters Bank which later became Regions Bank. Executives at SOI included CEO Carl Guidice, President Gil Aleman, Sales EVP Eldridge Bravo and COO Anthony Dannon. Mr. Danon was formerly the VP of finance at Staff Leasing, Inc. a publically traded PEO that later became Gevity and was later taken private when purchased by Trinet. SOI has headquarters in Charlotte, North Carolina. Trinet may now become the nation’s largest PEO at 104,000 worksite employees following the spring acquisition of Accord HR in Oklahoma City Oklahoma. According to information from Alphastaff, SOI had 2.9% of the PEO market in 2010 and Trinet had 1.9% of the PEO market. | Post the first comment about: SOI - Strategic Outsourcing Inc. Purchased by Trinet |
| 8/13/2012 | Illinois Clarifies Job Credits for PEO clients Source: State of Illinois | The state of Illinois recently extended the Small Business Jobs Creation Tax Credit program to run through the end of June 2016. PEOs were also included in the program extension. First, we extended the program to run from July 1, 2012 to June 30, 2016. The other new piece to this program is that PEO’s (Professional Employer Organizations) would be able to receive a tax credit based on their working relationship with an eligible business. | Post the first comment about: Illinois Clarifies Job Credits for PEO clients |
| 7/27/2012 | Florida Amends Unemployment Compensation Rules for Employee Leasing Companies Source: StaffMarket | The state of Florida now allows PEOs to elect to use either a master experience unemployment rate or the individual UI rate of each of their clients. Once declared, the method cannot be changed and applies to all of the PEO's existing clients and future clients. Florida has adopted changes to the way employee leasing companies (also known as Professional Employer Organizations or PEOs) may pay and report contributions for state unemployment taxes. With the new rules, employee leasing companies in Florida are allowed to make a one-time election to use the unemployment rate (for non-internal employees) of each individual client rather than a single rate established for the whole employee leasing company. Under the client level election, the unemployment claims and tax payments may now be done using the tax identification number of the employee leasing client rather than the tax ID of the PEO. | Post the first comment about: Florida Amends Unemployment Compensation Rules for Employee Leasing Companies |
| 7/24/2012 | Small Firms Turn to Professional Employer Organizations Source: WorkForce.com | Article discusses the reasons many entrepreneurs hire a PEO. Savings on health insurance are also reviewed. "The only downside is the administrative costs, but I more than make up for it in what I pay for health care insurance," said Wald, whose firm covers 80 percent of its workers' health insurance costs in addition to paying an administrative fee of $100 a month per employee. "I would bear an extra $80,000 in health insurance costs if I switched out of the PEO." | Post the first comment about: Small Firms Turn to Professional Employer Organizations |
| 7/13/2012 | Criminal Background Checks for Job Applicants Source: StaffMarket | Background checks create a mine field of risks and fines for employers. In May of 2012, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission released guidelines for employers regarding the consideration of arrest and conviction records when make a hiring determination. With high unemployment in the United States and the increasingly large number of citizens who have had run-ins with the police, it is almost inevitable that employers will be forced to review their stance on asking about arrests and convictions during the application and hiring process.According to the National Employment Law Project one if four U.S. adults, over 65 million people, have an arrest or conviction that shows up on a standard criminal background check. The NELP report, “65 Million Need Not Apply”, released in March 2011 documents that both and large employers routinely deny employment opportunities to people with any blemish on a criminal background check in direct violation of Title VII. In 2010, RadioShack and their client Choice Point (their background check provider) were heavily fined by the EEOC. The report notes that “ChoicePoint, which accounts for an estimated 20 percent of the U.S. background check industry conducting more than 10 million annually, played an integral role in designing and implementing RadioShack’s unlawful practices. It created an online application system that automatically dismissed anyone who self-disclosed a criminal record history. ChoicePoint also conducted background checks for RadioShack that reported sealed and dismissed convictions, in violation of state law.” The increase in legal actions highlights the widespread non-compliance of employers with federal law, and the growing interest in pursuing legal actions against employers, staffing firms, and background check companies for unlawfully excluding people with criminal records from work. To avoid the wrath of the EEOC and mitigate the legal risk of discriminatory suits regarding section VII violations, all employers need to use care when using background checks for job applicants. Employers who automatically ask all applicants about arrests and then automatically deny employment to those with records will be in violation of the law and may be exposed to significant fines from the EEOC in addition to civil and class action lawsuits. | Post the first comment about: Criminal Background Checks for Job Applicants |
| 7/9/2012 | Hawaii PEOs Convince Governor to Revise Bonding Requirement Source: Maui News | With support from the Maui Chamber of Commerce, PEOs and employment agencies in Hawaii convinced the governor to veto Senate bill 2424 related to Professional Employer Organizations. The vetoed bill proposed raising the bonding requirement to $500K and up to $1M for larger firms. Act 129 passed in 2010 and is current law. It includes a performance bond requirement of $250,000 for professional employer organizations (deemed by the state to include smaller employment agencies who did not feel they came under this law). This bond amount is higher than all but one state with a bond requirement and created an insurmountable challenge for many employment agencies statewide. Insurance agents and businesses seeking these bonds report that all of the major bonding companies in Hawaii do not want to issue these bonds to employment agencies. The time, hurdles and added costs are huge. In fact, to get such a bond, these small businesses would have to leave cash reserves in the amount equal to the required bond amount untouched. Unable to get a bond in Hawaii, many firms are not compliant with the current law - a law passed without talking to the affected industry and without solving a real problem back in 2010. To date, despite contacting multiple state offices, we have not heard of a single case where consumers needed to be protected to justify the writing of this law. | Post the first comment about: Hawaii PEOs Convince Governor to Revise Bonding Requirement |
| 7/5/2012 | State of Pennsylvania enacts PEO Legislation Source: State of Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania governor Tom Corbett has approved comprehensive legislation (House Bill 1055) for Professional Employer Organizations operating in that state. The bill includes many recommendations of the National Association of Professional Employer Organizations (NAPEO) and the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC). | Post the first comment about: State of Pennsylvania enacts PEO Legislation |
| 7/4/2012 | Tough Health Care Choices for Georgia Businesses Source: Atlanta Journal and Constitution | Business owners in Georgia comments on the impact on their companyies from rising health insurance costs and the supreme court ruling on The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA). One business owner notes the health insurance savings for her staff when her company joined a PEO Julie Haley, chief executive of an information technology company in Alpharetta called Edge Solutions, says she paid exorbitant insurance rates to cover employees when she started her company in 2008, and she knew she had to make a change a year later when her premiums shot up 33 percent. "We're lucky we stayed in business," Haley said. She switched to a professional employer organization that insures her company's 25 employees that is cheaper but that also includes human resources services that Haley doesn't need. She hopes the health insurance exchanges set up by the overhaul will lead to lower insurance costs. "The people who are afraid are the misinformed who have been listening to too much fear-mongering," she said. "You can't keep growing jobs here with the rising cost of healthcare. Our premiums are so expensive now because we are paying for people without health insurance." Haley said she thinks her costs will drop enough starting in 2014, when many of the changes take effect, that she'll be able to hire more employees. | Post the first comment about: Tough Health Care Choices for Georgia Businesses |
| 6/25/2012 | Michigan clarifies UI / SUTA rates of PEO and new Clients Source: State of Michigan | Governor amends existing legislation to modify the "look-back" period for determining the Unemployment Insurance rates for clients joining and leaving a PEO. | Post the first comment about: Michigan clarifies UI / SUTA rates of PEO and new Clients |
| 6/25/2012 | Your Company Cell Phone Policy Source: StaffMarket | Uh, Company Cell Phone Policy. You do have one, right? In December 2011, the National Transportation Safety Board called for a nationwide ban on the use of cell phones and text messaging devices while driving. With the increasing reliance of employees on mobile communications this ban would have a major impact on employers. Increasingly employees are using mobile devices to stay connected with their work while out of the office. Conversations with clients, prospects and home office staff may be conducted while behind the wheel and doing company business. Many devices now enable full email and web browsing as well as standard texting. Many employers encourage employees to multi-task at the office, but should they be doing that when behind the wheel? According to the NTSB report over 3000 driving fatalities where reported in 2011 involving distracted drivers. A Virginia Tech Transportation Institute study of commercial drivers found that a safety-critical event is 163 times more likely if a driver is texting, e-mailing or accessing the Internet.
| Post the first comment about: Your Company Cell Phone Policy |
| 6/22/2012 | Michigan PEO Licensing Deadline Nears Source: StaffMarket | Recent Michigan legislation requires Professional Employer Organizations to apply for a license and pay a registration fee. The state of Michigan recently enacted legislation regulating all Professional Employer Organizations (PEO) in the state. All PEOs with clients in the state must submit an application and pay a fee to the state by July 1, 2012. The Michigan bureau of Commercial Services (BC) has indicated that licenses will be issued by issues by September of 2012 and no PEO may operate in Michigan after that date without first obtaining a license. | Post the first comment about: Michigan PEO Licensing Deadline Nears |
| 6/20/2012 | Top 10 Tips for Small Businesses Source: Water Well Journal | People management skills are critical for small businesses. Top 10 tips for success. By outsourcing some or all of their employee related tasks such as payroll, benefits, health care, recruitment and retention, small business owners can focus on what they do best. They can improve productivity and also save some money. According to the SBA, business owners spend from 7% to 25% of their time handling employee related tasks. Consider using a human resource outsourcer—also known as a Professional Employer Organization “PEO”, or an administrative service organization “ASO”. The primary advantage of outsourcing, as opposed to hiring or designating someone in-house, is the expertise these companies bring. Instead of hiring one generalist, you get dozens of HR related experts. | Post the first comment about: Top 10 Tips for Small Businesses |
| 6/19/2012 | Barrett Business Services Ownership Changes Source: Seattle Times | Washington state based PEO buys out interest of former CEO's estate. The widow of Barrett Business Services former CEO, William Sheretz, has sold her equity interest back to the company for $59.72 million. Board members agreed to buy out her stake after her failed attempt to appoint her own group of company directors. Barrett Business Services is a Professional Employer operating in the Pacific Northwest area of the USA. | Post the first comment about: Barrett Business Services Ownership Changes |
| 6/8/2012 | Tennessee Passes PEO Legislation Source: StaffMarket | The state of Tennessee has passed Senate Bill 2633 that regulates Professional Employer Organizations operating in Tennessee. The Tennessee State Senate has passed Senate Bill 2633 that codifies the requirements for PEOs with clients in Tennessee. The new legislation contains provisions for Professional Employer Organizations in TN and clarifies the rights and responsibilities of both PEO and their clients. PEOs operating in Tennessee will now be required to provide audited financial statements to the state, proof of workers' compensation policy validity and proof of adequate working capital (or appropriate bond). | Post the first comment about: Tennessee Passes PEO Legislation |
| 5/24/2012 | Oklahoma Based Accord HR Acquired by Trinet Source: StaffMarket | Well known Oklahoma based PEO sells to Trinet On April 26, 2012 San Leandro, CA based Trinet announced the acquisition of Oklahoma City based AccordHR. Both companies are privately held and terms of the sale were not disclosed. Oklahoma based AccordHR was founded in 1992 by Dale Hageman and grew to be one of the largest PEOs in Oklahoma. In 1995, AccordHR joined forces with John Jones in Tampa, Florida where a separate PEO was established (Accord of Florida) with Mr. Jones acting as president. According to the State of Florida, Accord HR has twelve active operating companies in Florida. In Oklahoma, Accord Human Resources has thirteen operating companies. | Latest Comment: - 9/8/2012 Trinet, Accord and SOI all in Read All 2 Comments about: Oklahoma Based Accord HR Acquired by Trinet |
| 5/22/2012 | PEO Industry Members Promote Small Business Efficiency Act (SBEA) Source: StaffMarket | PEO Industry Members Promote Small Business Efficiency Act (SBEA). PEO industry leadership group goes to capital hill seeking favorable legislation. Members of the National Association of Professional Employer Organizations (NAPEO) met in Washington DC this week for the annual NAPEO legislative leadership conference. While attending the conference many PEO executives also took the opportunity to meet with various legislators and staff regarding their promotion of the Small Business Efficiency Act (SBEA). The bill is known as H.R. 2466 in the House of Representatives and S. 1908 in the Senate with sponsorship provided by representatives Mike Thompson (D-CA) and Kevin Brady (R-TX) in the house and Bill Nelson (D-FL) and Charles Grassley (R-IA) in the Senate. | Post the first comment about: PEO Industry Members Promote Small Business Efficiency Act (SBEA) |
| 5/16/2012 | Is your business leaking money? Source: Business 2 Community | Good information about how business owners can put costs under the microscope and how outsourcing to a PEO can help. Obviously, any given business may vary from this list, depending on its operating model and industry. However, it's worthwhile to consider, not just how you can cut costs in these major categories, but how you can restructure them to be more appropriate for you. For example, a Professional Employer Organization (PEO) can save small businesses huge amounts of payroll, tax and benefits-related costs, while still giving workers similar compensation packages. | Post the first comment about: Is your business leaking money? |
| 1/17/2012 | Administrative Concepts Sells PEO Operation Source: StaffMarket | Administrative Concepts (ACC) a long time PEO in Florida has sold its operation to Progressive Employer Management Company (PEMCO) a Professional Employer Organization located in Sarasota Florida. January 15, 2012 Administrative Concepts (ACC) a long time PEO in Florida has sold its operation to Progressive Employer Management Company (PEMCO) a Professional Employer Organization located in Sarasota Florida. ACC was founded in 1995 by George Bushong and his wife Sarah Peel. Mr. Bushong has had a long time involvement with the employee leasing industry and was part of the original group that created Staff Leasing in Bradenton, Florida in the early 1980s. Mr. Bushong helped maneuver his company, ACC, through the tumultuous period of workers’ compensation insurance in 2001 by starting his own workers' compensation carrier, Southern Eagle Insurance. Creating the insurance company allowed ACC to offer their employee leasing clients workers' compensation insurance when many traditional work comp carriers would not write policies to any employee leasing companies. The strategy helped ACC grow during a time period when many other employee leasing companies were being forced to close their doors. The effectiveness of that strategy came to an abrupt end when Southern Eagle Insurance Company was forced in to receivership by the Florida Chief Financial Officer, Jeff Atwater on December 16, 2011. Any former clients of ACC who have outstanding workers' compensation claims prior to the merger with PEMCO should review information located at the Florida Division of Rehabilitation and Liquidation about how Southern Eagle Insurance claims will be paid. With the entry of the liquidation order, the Florida Workers' Compensation Insurance Guaranty Association (FWCIGA) was activated to help pay claims for workers' compensation policies. | Post the first comment about: Administrative Concepts Sells PEO Operation |
| 1/6/2012 | Employee Leasing Solutions Sold Source: StaffMarket | One of the founders of the employee leasing industry, William Mullis has sold his company, Employee Leasing Solutions to a new employee leasing company named Workforce Business Services. January 6, 2012. One of the founders of the employee leasing industry, William Mullis has sold his company, Employee Leasing Solutions to a new employee leasing company named Workforce Business Services. According to information on the ELS website, Robert Kelly a long time business partner and executive at ELS has purchased the interest of Mr. Mullis. Terms of the sale were not disclosed. | Post the first comment about: Employee Leasing Solutions Sold |
| 12/8/2011 | Eight US States Increase Minimum Wage Rates for 2012 Source: StaffMarket | Eight US States have new minimum wage rates for 2012. Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Montana, Ohio, Oregon, Vermont and Washington have new minimum wage rates effective January 1, 2012. | Post the first comment about: Eight US States Increase Minimum Wage Rates for 2012 |
| 12/5/2011 | Chiropractors Explore Alternate Staffing Arrangements Source: Chiropractic Economics | Article discusses the challenges faced by medical organizations when staffing to meet their business needs. Contract labor, staffing companies and Professional Employer Organizations offer options that come with differing employer responsibilities. Today, many professional practices and businesses need help managing increasingly complex employee-related matters such as health benefits, workers’ compensation claims, payroll, payroll tax compliance, and unemployment insurance claims. They often contract with a professional employer organization (PEO) to assume those responsibilities and provide human resources management. This allows the business owner to concentrate on the operational and revenue-producing side of his or her operations. | Post the first comment about: Chiropractors Explore Alternate Staffing Arrangements |
| 11/21/2011 | Senate Bill seeks to clarify tax treatment for PEOs Source: StaffMarket | US Senator Chuck Grassley introduces senate bill SB 1908 that seeks to clarify tax treatment for Professional Employer Organizations (PEOs). November 18, 2011 US Senators Chuck Grassley and Bill Nelson have co-sponsored legislation that would amend the IRS tax code to clarify the tax treatment for companies operating as professional employer organizations. The PEO industry has long sought clarification from congress on the tax implications for PEOs. This clarification has important ramifications for PEOs and their clients. | Post the first comment about: Senate Bill seeks to clarify tax treatment for PEOs |
| 11/16/2011 | NAPEO Names New President and CEO - Pat Cleary Source: StaffMarket | The National Association of Professional Employer Organizations (NAPEO) names new President and CEO. After nearly a year of searching for a new president and CEO for NAPEO (the national association of professional employer organizations) Pat Cleary has been named to the position. The former NAPEO president and CEO with the organization resigned on December 31, 2011 after serving in that role for 15 years. Joe Cole served as the interim CEO. | Post the first comment about: NAPEO Names New President and CEO - Pat Cleary |
| 11/9/2011 | Pennsylvania Senate moves on PEO legislation Source: StaffMarket | The Pennsylvania senate has scheduled SB 1069 that regulates Professional Employer Organization activities in the state. The PA senate has scheduled SB 1069 that addresses the operating rules for Professional Employer Organizations (PEOs) doing business in Pennsylvania. The PA house has already passed a similar bill, HB 1055. Details include a requirement for PEOs in the state to provide audited financial statements to the state and to meet a working capital or bonding requirement. Read the bill here: | Post the first comment about: Pennsylvania Senate moves on PEO legislation |
| 9/28/2011 | Health Care Reform for Small Employers - Calculating Full Time Workers Source: Employers Association of New Jersey | Health care reform set to take effect in 2014 requires employers with 50 or more full time workers to provide health insurance premiums for their employees or face penalties. But determining how to calculate the 50 employees threshold can be tricky for companies that have a season workforce of have a large number of part time employees. This article explains. The issue is complicated because hourly workers are included in the arithmetic employers must use to determine whether or not they have 50 "full-time equivalent" workers. The law defines a full-timer as an employee who works at least 30 hours a week, or 130 hours per month. But for hourly workers, the employer totals all the hours they work in a month, and then divides by 120 to arrive at the number of full-time equivalents, who are then added to the full-time work force. | Post the first comment about: Health Care Reform for Small Employers - Calculating Full Time Workers |
| 9/28/2011 | Georgia Employers Must Hire Lawyers to Answer Garnishments Source: Fisher and Phillips LLP | Georgia companies that handle their own payroll and HR now must hire legal counsel to answer garnishments. This could be another good reason for companies to outsource payroll and HR administration to a PEO. Many Georgia companies have been accustomed to having their internal payroll and HR staff answer and implement garnishment actions. It now appears that the Georgia supreme court has ruled that these companies and their staff are engaged in the unlicensed practice of law. The Georgia Committee on the Unauthorized Practice of Law opined that although citizens have a constitutional right to self representation, businesses are required to be represented by a licensed attorney in legal proceedings, including garnishment actions. | Post the first comment about: Georgia Employers Must Hire Lawyers to Answer Garnishments |
| 9/26/2011 | Obama "Jobs" Bill - Businesses Could Be Sued For Bias Against Unemployed Source: StaffMarket | President Barack Obama's latest "jobs" bill provides a provision that allows business owners to be sued for not hiring someone because they are unemployed. President Barack Obama’s latest "jobs" bill provides a provision that allows business owners to be sued for not hiring someone because they are unemployed. The bill makes it "an unlawful employment practice" if a business with 15 or more employees refused to hire a person because of the individual’s status as unemployed. Job applicants who are not hired could sue for damages. Under the proposal the unemployed would be entitled to the same protections as if an employer discriminated against the applicant on the basis of a person's sex, race, religion or national origin. Lawsuits for employment discrimination increase during a sluggish economy. In the fiscal year 2010, job bias charges filed with the employment commission increased 20 percent from 2007 and reached a record of nearly 100,000. | Latest Comment: - 10/5/2011 Jobs bill Read All 1 Comments about: Obama "Jobs" Bill - Businesses Could Be Sued For Bias Against Unemployed |
| 9/23/2011 | Employer / Contractor Misclassification - IRS Offers Companies Penalty Relief Source: StaffMarket | The IRS has created a new program that offers companies a reduced penalty for incorrectly treating workers as 1099 independent contractors rather than employees. On September 21, 2011 the IRS announced a new program designed to reduce penalties for companies who have historically classified workers and independent contractors (ICs) rather than employees. Dubbed the “Voluntary Classification Settlement Program” (VECP) the program offers companies relief from penalties and some back payroll taxes that could be assessed if the company was audited by the Department of Labor and found to be incorrectly classifying workers as ICs when the company should have been treating the workers as employees. Under the new IRS initiative, called the Voluntary Worker Classification Settlement Program, firms will owe 10% of employment taxes liability for reclassified workers in the most recent tax year, with no interest or penalties due. In addition, the company must have consistently treated workers in the past as non-employees and filed 1099s for all ICs for the previous three years. Under the new provisions, companies who come in from the cold and enter the program will not be subject to employee classification employment audit for prior years. | Post the first comment about: Employer / Contractor Misclassification - IRS Offers Companies Penalty Relief |
| 8/31/2011 | Florida Workers Comp Rates on the Rise Source: St. Augustine Record | NCCI has submitted a proposal to Florida State regulators to increase workers’ compensation insurance rates by 8.9 percent. After changes were made to the system in 2003 that capped claim amounts and set limits on attorney fees in 2003, rates in Florida dropped until 2011 when rates were increased overall 7.8 percent. From the 2003 peak, work comp rates in Florida have dropped nearly 65 percent. | Post the first comment about: Florida Workers Comp Rates on the Rise |
| 8/31/2011 | Is a PEO Right For Your Company? Source: US Chamber of Commerce | This article, authored by the new CEO of NAPEO, provides a brief introduction to the benefits for companies of hiring a Professional Employer Organization or PEO. Article Comments from StaffMarket: This article is a great starting point for business owners and managers to use when starting to investigate the viability of using a PEO for their company. Companies with up to 500 employees often find that the overhead associated with hiring a dedicated internal staff to perform the long list of employer related duties is not cost effective compared to outsourcing to a PEO. Every PEO has economies of scale and expert staff ready to handle issues related to: HR administration and risk management, insurance plan management, workers compensation claims administration, unemployment administration, payroll, etc. The reality is the most small businesses who do things “in-house” do it poorly at a higher cost than using a PEO. For business considering hiring a PEO, the things to consider is a bit more expansive than listed here. StaffMarket.com has a PEO and Employee Leasing buyers guide that may be helpful. In addition, understanding each PEO's pricing can be a challenge, so having an independent advisor or CPA review each PEO proposal is also a good idea. As with any business arrangement, having a clear understanding of what services and fees are included and not included makes for a good long term relationship. After advising thousands of clients on how to target and evaluate PEO and employee leasing solutions for their company, we concur that the hiring a PEO can be the best decision many businesses can make. Finding the right PEO makes the difference. | Post the first comment about: Is a PEO Right For Your Company? |
| 8/31/2011 | Perils of Plan Enrollment Miscommunication Source: Idaho Business Review | An excavating company in Idaho pays $150K for messing up health insurance enrollment and payroll premium deductions for an employee. While most of the story here is focused on payroll errors, the real story is that the company’s HR department did not understand the terms of the own health insurance plan enrollment. As a consequence, and new employee who completed the enrollment paperwork did not get on the plan in time and then had subsequent medical bills. The court here rules that the company (not the insurance company) was liable for all the medical bills and attorney fees and court costs. Ouch. Of course is the company had hired a PEO to handle their HR functions, the error probably would have been avoided, and in any case, the PEO would be held financially responsible… not the client company. Shifting risk is an important value of the hiring a PEO. | Post the first comment about: Perils of Plan Enrollment Miscommunication |
| 7/19/2011 | Staff Leasing Signed by Texas Governor Source: Insurance Journal | Texas has implemented measures that require Professional Employer Organizations to provide workers' compensation loss runs for their PEO clients when requested. Several PEOs in Texas have joined forces with independent insurance agents to promote the new rules. While most PEOs would ultimately provide the information, some would not. HB 625 "simply corrects that situation and makes it clear that if you are outside or inside a PEO, if you’re an employer, you have access to that loss information," VanDelinder said. He added that PEO professional organizations were in favor of standardizing the requirements and were instrumental in drafting some of the language in the bill. | Post the first comment about: Staff Leasing Signed by Texas Governor |
| 7/13/2011 | House Bill 2466 Moves Forward for PEOs Source: US House of Representatives | Known as the Small Busienss Efficiency Act, House Bill 2466 has been introduced in congress. Enactment of the bill will solidify the Professional Employer Organization business service model with regards to legalities for successor and predecessor employer status with the IRS for calculating employee wage bases for tax calculations for FICA and FUTA. Wage bases for state unemployment tax standings are expected to follow the national legislation standard. In addition the legislation established a certification program to be established by the Secretary of the Treasury. This certification for PEOs will be a requirement for PEOs who intend to claim the advantages of the legislation. | Latest Comment: - 7/15/2011 HB 2466 :: PEO Service Model f Read All 1 Comments about: House Bill 2466 Moves Forward for PEOs |
| 7/11/2011 | Michigan Delays PEO Licensing Requirement Source: StaffMarket | Michigan delays PEO licensing requirements until September 2012 Legislation has been enacted in Michigan that delays the implementation of the PEO licensing requirement until September 1, 2012. Given the December 2010 enactment of the initial PEO law, the December 31, 2011, licensing deadline, and the reconfiguration of the key regulatory agency, it was determined that delaying the licensing requirement would give the state and NAPEO time necessary to ensure effective implementation. The licensing requirement was contained in Senate Bill 1037 of 2010 (Public Act 370), which provides increased operational certainty for PEOs operating in Michigan. The new PEO statutory provisions include significant portions of the NAPEO model act. It provides a statutory framework for reasonable regulatory standards by clarifying the PEO relationship and protecting PEOs from undue liabilities. It is anticipated to become effective on September 1, 2012. | Post the first comment about: Michigan Delays PEO Licensing Requirement |
| 6/1/2011 | Nevada moves to clarify working capital requirements for PEOs and employee leasing companies. Source: State of Nevada | PEOs must demonstrate adequate working capital for all days of the year. PEOs in operation less than a year must present financial statements reviewed by a CPA. | Post the first comment about: Nevada moves to clarify working capital requirements for PEOs and employee leasing companies. |
| 5/17/2011 | Streamlining HR: Use a PEO Source: Wall Street Journal | A brief introduction to the advantages to business owners of hiring a PEO. This article offers a starting point for evaluating PEO solutions; however other significant factors are involved with targeting the best PEO for a particular company. Workers’ compensation insurance is a significant expense for many companies in manufacturing and construction. Each PEO has certain risk for work comp they can or cannot accept. For white collar companies this is not such a concern. Also, many states require PEO licensing. HR services vary widely in the PEO industry. Some PEO clients have high demands for HR services like employee recruitment and unemployment claims management where others… not so much. Finally access to health insurance plans is a major driver for many PEO clients and each PEO has access to different carriers, plans and pricing. The PEO industry (over 700 PEOS) is a diverse lot of companies and all of these factors and more should be considered when evaluating PEO options. | Latest Comment: - 6/10/2011 WSJ could have used some bette Read All 2 Comments about: Streamlining HR: Use a PEO |
| 5/16/2011 | Outsourcing Payroll and Insurance with a PEO Source: Journal of Light Construction | Article discusses the advantages builders and contractors can gain by hiring a PEO. Most PEOs offer a menu of employee benefit packages - including medical and dental insurance and retirement plans - that can be customized to meet the needs of client companies. "We have 6 employees, but because we offer health insurance and a 401(k), we seem like a much larger company," says John Price. "It makes it easier to attract good people, because no one else in town provides those things." Price has found that his company's PEO provided employee benefit package is cheaper than it would have been if he'd purchased it directly, partly because PEOs - which may have tens of thousands of employees - can benefit from economies of scale not available to small businesses. | Post the first comment about: Outsourcing Payroll and Insurance with a PEO |
| 5/10/2011 | LRA Global HR, a PEO affiliated with Staffing Concepts International (SCI) has acquired the assets of Innovation HR Source: StaffMarket | LRA Global HR, a PEO affiliated with Staffing Concepts International (SCI) has acquired the assets of May 6, 2011 A press release recently announced that Innovation HR has sold its clients to LRA Global HR. LRA Global HR director of operations Anurag Dandiya noted in the release that the newly acquired clients will be serviced from the Orlando Florida office of LRA Global HR. Innovation of Vero Beach Florida has operated as a PEO in Florida and was formerly associated with another PEO in Vero Beach known as At Your Service or The AYS Group. AYS was originally established in 1996 and was owned and managed by Deborah Segal. AYS changed their name to Innovation HR, Inc in 2007. | Post the first comment about: LRA Global HR, a PEO affiliated with Staffing Concepts International (SCI) has acquired the assets of Innovation HR |
| 5/5/2011 | Advice For New Employers Source: The Journal Record | Article discusses what new business owners needs to consider when they start hiring employees. Having even one employee means you have to start complying with government regulations. And more laws will apply to you if you keep hiring. Yu’ll need to pay employment taxes and file tax forms with the government. You’ll need to have each employee complete I-9 forms, which document that your staffers are authorized to work in the U.S. If you have 15 or more workers, you’ll need to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act. | Post the first comment about: Advice For New Employers |
| 4/27/2011 | Advantec Acquired by Oasis Outsourcing Source: StaffMarket | Professional Employer Organization- Advantec HR Acquired by Oasis Outsourcing. April 2011 According to several PEO industry sources, the assets of Tampa, Florida based Advantec HR have been acquired by Boca Raton, Florida based, Oasis Outsourcing. Both companies are privately held. No details of the transaction have been released. | Post the first comment about: Advantec Acquired by Oasis Outsourcing |
| 3/8/2011 | Astra HR Acquired by Xcel HR Source: StaffMarket | In February 2011 Astra HR a PEO based in Maryland was acquired by Massachusetts based Xcel HR. Xcel HR continued its growth through acquisition in 2011 with the acquisition of Astra HR, a PEO based in Maryland. The acquisition propels Xcel HR PEO services to over 9000 worksite employees and increases the coverage of Xcel HR throughout the Northeastern United States. In addition, the Xcel HR ASO division serves another 8000 employees. Press releases from Xcel HR indicated that they cover 47 states in the US although their traditional strengths remain DC, Virginia, Maryland, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Indiana, Alabama and New York. Xcel HR is privately held and terms of the acquisition have not been disclosed. | Post the first comment about: Astra HR Acquired by Xcel HR |
| 3/7/2011 | State of Nevada works to clarify fully insurance health plans of PEOs Source: State of Nevada | Nevada assembly bill AB74 will clarify rules for PEOs acting as sponsors for fully insured health plans. See section 128 starting on page 92 of linked document. | Post the first comment about: State of Nevada works to clarify fully insurance health plans of PEOs |
| 3/7/2011 | South Carolina introduces legislation that clarifies incentives for PEO clients. Source: State of South Carolina | Under SC H3675 clients of PEOs will still be eligible for economic incentives meant for direct employers. For purposes of determining an incentive or business preference program based on employment, a covered employee is considered an employee solely of the client, not the licensee. Notwithstanding that the professional employer organization is the W-2 reporting employer, the client is entitled to the benefit of or continue to qualify for an incentive, business preference program, or other benefit arising from the employment of covered employees. | Post the first comment about: South Carolina introduces legislation that clarifies incentives for PEO clients. |
| 2/28/2011 | Administaff to change company name to Insperity Source: StaffMarket | Prospective clients confusion with staffing services prompts Administaff to change company name to Insperity. According to an article in the Houston Business Journal, Administaff will change its name to Insperity. In addition the company will modify it’s logo and change it’s tag line from “Small business is good for America. Administaff is good for small business.® to “inspiring business performance” During a conference call with investors and analysts, Paul Savardi, CEO explained that many prospective businesses clients assumed that the company was involved with temporary staffing rather than operating as a Professional Employer Organization (PEO). According to Savardi, this confusion makes it difficult for Administaff sales staff to get an appointment with prospect clients. In a similar move in 2001, Staff Leasing Inc., a PEO in Florida, changed its name to Gevity HR. A year later Gevity HR dropped the “HR” and became Gevity. Similar rational drove the change to indentify the company’s services as distinct from the “staffing” industry. Gevity was taken private is now a part of Trinet Inc.. Staff Leasing and Administaff both went public in 1997. | Post the first comment about: Administaff to change company name to Insperity |
| 2/25/2011 | State of New Hampshire affirms rules for PEOs with large employer health plans Source: State of New Hampshire | The bill affirms the ability of employee leasing company to sponsor health insurance plans and defines time periods for PEOs to report initial and terminating clients to the NH Department of Labor. | Post the first comment about: State of New Hampshire affirms rules for PEOs with large employer health plans |
| 2/22/2011 | Venture Capital Firms Encourage HR Outsourcing to PEOs Source: StaffMarket | Hiring a PEO demonstrates to Venture Capital firms that a start up company is serious about maintaining company focus. So your fledgling company is ready to grow. You have a great product, strong sales growth and a business plan to dominate your market. The only thing you need now is funding to make it happen. So you may be considering venture capital to fund your expansion. If you have made the decision to consider funding from a VC firm, and you want their investment, then you must understand the criteria they will use to make their decision about whether to invest in your company. Volumes have been written about this subject of getting noticed by VC firms and how to get funding, but there is one aspect you may not have considered: Demonstrating your focus. | Post the first comment about: Venture Capital Firms Encourage HR Outsourcing to PEOs |
| 1/27/2011 | State of New York issues new wage and hour rules for employers in the hospitality industry Source: State of New York | The new law sets minimum wage rates and the maximum tip credit. Among other provisions, the law forbids employers from appropriating any tips. | Post the first comment about: State of New York issues new wage and hour rules for employers in the hospitality industry |
| 1/27/2011 | ADP Reports Improved PEO Financial Results Source: Nothing But Buzz | ADP reported that revenue from their PEO services division increased 15% and also reported improved client retention. PEO service revenues increased 15%, all organic to $358.2 million from $298.5 million in the last year quarter primarily due to the higher benefits pass through revenues. Professional Employer Organization (PEO) revenues include the impact of payroll wages and payroll taxes. Client revenue retention was higher by 50 basis points from the expected growth of 50 basis points while pays per control increased 2% from the expected growth of 1%. | Post the first comment about: ADP Reports Improved PEO Financial Results |
| 1/26/2011 | When Should Entrepreneurs consider using a Professional Employer Organization - PEO? Source: StaffMarket | Entrepreneurs and start up companies are hiring PEOs to handle employee administration. How to know if your start up company should hire employees or create contractor (1099) relationships. If the answer to this question is no, then you have no need to consider hiring a PEO. You can close this webpage because the rest of the article does not apply to you. However if your company will have employees, you have a whole set of responsibilities that your company needs to address. Starting and growing a successful company is tough. The internet is full of advice and people trying to make a buck by selling you their magic formula for business success. I do not need to list examples… you probably know most of them. Of course every start up needs to have a target market researched and be able to identify the business opportunity and bring product or services that are economically feasible to those target customers. If you are one of the few, lucky and smart, your business will get to the stage where it has a viable product with paying customers. | Post the first comment about: When Should Entrepreneurs consider using a Professional Employer Organization - PEO? |
| 1/14/2011 | Is it time to Outsource Human Resources? Source: Entrepreneur Magazine | Article discusses the types and sizes of companies that can best benefit from hiring a PEO. Of course finding the right PEO for your company is of paramount importance. StaffMarket.com offers the most efficient way for companies to target the best PEO for their needs and obtain competitive pricing from multiple PEOs. | Post the first comment about: Is it time to Outsource Human Resources? |
| 1/13/2011 | AES Human Resources in Pensacola sends clients to Simple HR in Destin Source: StaffMarket | AES Human Resources in Pensacola, Florida ceases operations and sends clients to Simple HR in Destin, Florida. AES Human Resources Solutions in Pensacola, Florida has announced plans to cease operations as of January 31, 2011. In a letter to AES clients, AES President and owner Donald Moore noted that the “BP oil spill put an enormous strain on our operations” and that their claim for damages to BP had been denied. AES was also known as Allstates Employer Services. | Post the first comment about: AES Human Resources in Pensacola sends clients to Simple HR in Destin |
| 1/12/2011 | Florida Governor Rick Scott mandates E-Verify system use for all state agencies. Source: State of Florida | Florida's new governor Rick Scott has signed Executive Order 11-02 that requires all Florida state agencies to use the E-Verify system to ensure that hires are authorized to work in the USA. Also included was a provision that all future state contracts contain a provision requiring all state contractors to use the E-Verify sytems as well. | Post the first comment about: Florida Governor Rick Scott mandates E-Verify system use for all state agencies. |
| 1/12/2011 | Illinois State Senate Changes Work Comp Reporting Rules for PEOs Source: State of Illinois | The state of Illinois has proposed an amendment to senate bill SB1066 that requires PEOs to provide all clients with an insurance coverage document that specifies its rights and obligations under the PEOs master policy and includes the date of the start and termination of the policy coverage. For purposes of this subsection, "Professional Employer Organization" or "PEO" means an entity or group of entities that provides the services of its workers to its client or clients through an arrangement for a fee pursuant to an agreement, written or otherwise. "Professional Employer 11 Organization" or "PEO" also includes an employee leasing company or other similarly administered arrangement. Any workers' compensation insurance policy issued to a PEO shall at a minimum provide the following information to the Commission or any entity designated by the Commission regarding each policy issued to the PEO: (1) Each client company of the PEO listed as additional named insured. (2) Information schedules attached to the master identify each individual company's name, FEIN, and job location. (3) A certificate of insurance coverage document issued to each client company specifying its rights and obligations under the master policy that clearly establishes both the identity and status of the client, as well as the dates of inception and termination of coverage, if applicable. | Post the first comment about: Illinois State Senate Changes Work Comp Reporting Rules for PEOs |
| 1/12/2011 | Colordao Business Roundtable Discusses Business Issues and Solutions Source: North Colorado Business Report | Employer Solutions Group director outlines Health Insurance and Human Resources issues facing small businesses in 2011. Jessica Hergenberger explains the impacts of Health Care reform, helath care plan grandfathering and new enforcement efforts by the Department of Labor and OSHA. HERGENRETER: So the first thing that I think a lot of employers are really struggling with right now is whether to grandfather or not to grandfather. If you had a health plan in place before March 23, 2010, that became your plan; and if you didn't want to make any changes to it and you wanted to keep it, then all of a sudden, you could call it a grandfathered plan. But to keep this grandfathered plan, you couldn't make any significant changes to it. So why would someone stay grandfathered? The biggest effect working right now is on small to midsized employers who have a benefit plan that gives greater benefit to highly compensated employees - we call them management carve-outs. For example, the top five executives, they want to pay a hundred percent of their premiums and their family's premiums, but for the rest of the employees, they only pay 50 percent or maybe they don't offer it at all. During grandfathering, you can't make significant changes in your plan in terms of benefits, pensions. If you do, and you don't offer it to all your employees, you're going to pay a $100 tax per employee per day. I don't think it's inhibiting people from hiring, but I think it's freaking them out from offering health care. In conversations, it's been so bad for the last couple of years anyway because of rate increases that they're saying, 'I don't know where to go with this one.' It's very directed for the consumer, to the employee. There's some information for small businesses, but there's not a comprehensive solution say, 'OK, I've got 25 employees. This is what my plan is doing. What do I have to do this year? What do I have to do the next year?' It's hard to get somebody to bring you through the whole life cycle. Everybody has their fingers in it. Health and Human Services. IRS has a piece of regulation. And the Department of Labor. If you have a full-time person to do the regulations, who do you start talking to first? And we're waiting for interim final regs. Is there anything good in it? There's a small business tax credit. If you have 24 or fewer full-time employees whose average compensation is less than $50,000, you can get a tax credit of 35 percent of the employer's portion of the premium. But it's a degrading tax credit. So for every employee over 10 and every wage over $25,000, the tax credit starts to go away. We have a nonprofit here in Northern Colorado. The average person makes $37,000 a year. They're not high income earners, and they have 27 employees. By the time we did the math, which took us almost two hours, their tax credit was zero. The important part here is - by the time we did the math. We do all their HR and payroll, so we have really good data. How many employers really have that kind of data? They don't. So if you have 10 employees and everybody is making about $27,000 a year, yeah, those aren't people who have health care. We're trying to incent them to get the health-care plans, but even at 35 percent of the tax credit, it's not helping. Because everyone was talking about health-care reform, the HIRE act got passed unnoticed. But essentially, most people benefited from the HIRE act, because if you hire employees that haven't been working for 60 days then you didn't have to pay the employer FICA match this year. And if you retained them for 52 weeks, you got an additional tax credit. That is a tax benefit that employers could really use. The other benefit that we have to talk through is the cafeteria plan. In a cafeteria plan, you have a plan in which you have 100 or fewer employees, you could say, I'm going to give you 400 bucks a month, and you guys go buy your benefits with it. That's really a cool way to do it, and people really get engaged in that, and you see your participation go up. But it used to be, you'd have a whole lot of documentation and things like that, and they passed the cafeteria plan health-care reform. That's a benefit. You know, in 2012, we'll have to report, on their W-2s, employees' cost of health care. The government wants to know what that is. So again, for people who outsource this stuff, it's easier, because hopefully, their provider is tracking these things. For the small employer who is writing payroll in QuickBooks, are they tracking that? I don't know. I think it's going to cost them time, money and energy, and I think the penalties are frustrating, because there's not a lot of recourse in how you do it. | Latest Comment: - 11/23/2011 fasfsad Read All 2 Comments about: Colordao Business Roundtable Discusses Business Issues and Solutions |
| 1/7/2011 | State Unemployment Insurance taxes on the rise. Source: StaffMarket | State Unemployment Insurance costs to businesses will be escalating in 2011 and beyond. Business owners need to consider strategies that help contain SUTA costs. PEOs can offer a service that helps business owners contain these costs and make their business more profitable while improving their workforce. As of December 2010, 26 states have Unemployment Insurance funds that are insolvent and are borrowing money from the federal government. Current state borrowing to cover UI payments is over $30 billion. See this website to see if your state UI funds is in trouble: Unemployment Insurance Tracker. As politicians keep extending unemployment benefits the situation continues to get worse. In fact many UI funds have not even paid off loans from the borrowing done in the late 1970s. This means is that UI funds in 2011 and beyond will be forced to raise the SUTA taxes charged to business throughout the USA. Remember that UI costs are paid by businesses. Nearly every company will be forced to pay higher State Unemployment Taxes, even if they have never laid-off anyone. Every company needs to take steps to minimize the coming impact of higher SUTA expenses. | Post the first comment about: State Unemployment Insurance taxes on the rise. |
| 12/20/2010 | PEO versus an ASO
Which is a better solution for your company: PEO or ASO? Source: StaffMarket | This brief article explains the differences between these outsourcing models, and how they might benefit your company. As a client advocate in the PEO industry, I often get asked the question, “What is the difference between a PEO and an ASO, and what makes sense for my company?” First of all, to understand this, we must take a look at the acronyms. PEO stands for Professional Employer Organization, and ASO stands for Administrative Services Only. Basically, a PEO is a comprehensive vendor that will handle the four core aspects of outsourcing: Human Resources, Benefits Administration, Payroll Administration and Workers Compensation. In a true PEO or “co-employment” arrangement, there is a transfer of liability. Your employees actually move to the FEIN number of the PEO. | Post the first comment about: PEO versus an ASO Which is a better solution for your company: PEO or ASO? |
| 12/10/2010 | Are You an Excellent Employer? Source: Abulatory Surgery Center Review | Are your employees helping or hindering your company growt? Article discusses four risk factors employers should look out for. For these businesses, access to a great HR team can make a big difference. The solution is referred to as a "professional employer organization" (PEO) arrangement (PEO). Human resource management and administration is such a wide ranging field and so large that it is impossible for a single person to have all the knowledge and skills necessary to meet the day-to-day needs of your organization. Your organization needs a support "team," but your budget may only be able to handle a single person. Hiring a PEO company can improve the overall efficiency and profitability of your organization. Just as you have a strategy for controlling supply costs and capital structuring, there is a very real need to implement a "people strategy" — developing, communicating and enforcing the standards and culture you want to instill in your company. | Post the first comment about: Are You an Excellent Employer? |
| 12/10/2010 | Pass the PEOs Please Source: Traverse City Record-Eagle | A business consultant describes his experience using various PEOs and the cost savings for business. As with most important longer-term decisions, it pays to investigate and compare costs and employee features of PEOs. When evaluating a PEO, Jodi Barnett, director of operations at Priority Employee Solutions, a Michigan-based PEO with national coverage, suggests that companies consider how flexible and accommodating the provider can be to tailor a program that can meet their needs. She also points out "the cost stabilization of utilizing a PEO allows companies to consider offering enriched employee benefits that can help retain and attract top performers." While it may seem a bit different to have someone else manage your workers' payroll and benefits issues for you, it can truly pay dividends for your company and your staff. | Post the first comment about: Pass the PEOs Please |
| 12/7/2010 | Increases in unemployment insurance rate could impact small businesses. Source: Deseret News | This article focuses on the impacts of
Unemployment Insurance and SUTA tax increases that are looming in Utah for 2011. Existing businesses as well as start ups will be affected. At a time where everyone is looking for ways to stimulate the economy and stimulate jobs, for (DWS) to raise (rates) ... it could cause significant concerns for small businesses going forward, said Aaron Call, regional vice president for G&A Partners — a professional employer organization that provides human resource outsourcing to small businesses. | Post the first comment about: Increases in unemployment insurance rate could impact small businesses. |
| 11/30/2010 | Administaff releases survey results showing business owners remain cautious. Source: Northern Colorado Business Review | Fear of tax increases and increased costs associated with government expansion were cited as major reasons for caution. For the longer-term, the top responses were very close with 69 percent saying they were either very concerned or had elevated concerns about potential tax increases, 67 percent listing government expansion and the effect on business, 66 percent designating the economy and 65 percent citing the federal deficit and the total national debt. When asked about their pipelines for new business for the balance of 2010, 38 percent of survey respondents said that they expect a sales increase; 43 percent predicted it will stay the same; 12 percent anticipated decreasing sales; and 7 percent were unsure. | Post the first comment about: Administaff releases survey results showing business owners remain cautious. |
| 11/30/2010 | How a PEO Can Benefit Professional Associations Source: StaffMarket | This article explains how a Professional Employer Organization can help industry associations. A significant reason many companies join or belong to an industry association is to take advantage of additional products and services that may not be available to the general public. Those can include everything from industry specific vendor discounts, to continuing education credits/certifications or even legislative lobbying to benefit your industry as a whole. One section of these services can include payroll administration, insurance products and Human Resources. Let’s take a look at how a PEO can help the membership director add valuable benefits to the current membership base. | Post the first comment about: How a PEO Can Benefit Professional Associations |
| 11/29/2010 | Does Your Company Need Employment Practices Liability Insurance - EPLI? Source: StaffMarket | What is Employment Practices Liability Insurance (EPLI) and how can joining a PEO help business implement HR practices that improve the workplace and reduce legal exposure. EPLI is intended to cover companies from lawsuit claims from employees for a violation their legal rights as employees. This may include claims for sexual discrimination, sexual harassment, wrongful termination, age discrimination, or other legal employment areas. Note that EPLI is distinct from other kinds of business insurance such as D&O (Directors and Officers) and E&O (Errors and Omissions). D&O insurance is commonly associated with publically traded companies where directors and officers have a fiduciary obligation to act in the best interests of shareholders. E&O insurance is designed to cover damages from third parties (clients and others) who may claim to be harmed by the faulty advice or actions (or lack of advice or actions) of a person in the company. It may be referred to as Malpractice Insurance or Professional Liability insurance. | Post the first comment about: Does Your Company Need Employment Practices Liability Insurance - EPLI? |
| 11/4/2010 | Is It Time to Outsource Your HR? Source: MSN | Article discusses some things to consider when hiring a PEO. Some PEOs won’t work with companies that have fewer than 10 employees. "Once a company gets very big, then it is easier to have an in-house HR department,” says Janis Sweeney, owner of National Employee Management Resources, a PEO. The sweet spot for a PEO, she says, is between 16 and 80 people. The composition of your workforce is also important. Companies that only offer insurance to a few key executives wouldn’t benefit from PEOs. | Post the first comment about: Is It Time to Outsource Your HR? |
| 10/15/2010 | Florida Workers' Comp Rates Going Back Up in Florida Source: Florida Restaurant Association | Florida Insurance commissioner Kevin McCarty signes off on a proposed rate hike of 7.8% for January 2011 Rates in Florida had been generally falling since lawmakers made a host of changes in 2003 -- including putting limits on attorney fees in workers' compensation cases. “The rate increase that has been justified would still give Florida the lowest rates in the Southeast, and likely keep us in the top 10 states nationally for most affordable workers’ compensation insurance,” said McCarty in a statement. “The NCCI’s prior seven annual filings represent the largest consecutive cumulative decrease in rates in our state’s history.” McCarty added that even with the latest proposed hike that rates have fallen a total of 61.9 percent since 2003. | Latest Comment: - 11/19/2010 Florida rates going up, but Ca Read All 1 Comments about: Florida Workers' Comp Rates Going Back Up in Florida |
| 10/12/2010 | Hawaii PEO makes market inroads Source: Honolulu Star Advertiser | Former resort executive makes career change and enters the PEO industry. After spending the bulk of his career in the cyclical hospitality and real estate industries, Delaney decided to join Meichtry last year in starting up a professional employer organization (PEO) and marketing company called The Hawaii Group. The company's four brands -- HiHR, HiAccounting, HiEmployment and HiMRK -- cater to about 120 businesses and their 1,300 employees. The family of companies, which has grown in just one year to become the isles' third-largest PEO behind Altres and ProService Hawaii, offers outsourcing, human resources and health benefits administration, payroll, accounting, workers' compensation, risk management, business insurance and marketing. | Post the first comment about: Hawaii PEO makes market inroads |
| 10/4/2010 | Telecommuting to maintain talent Source: Tampa Bay Business Journal | NAPEO implements policies that enable telecommuting. We didn’t want to lose an extremely productive and great worker,” said Milan P. Yager, executive director of Alexandria, Va.-based NAPEO, which represents professional employer organizations that help manage human resources for some 300,000 employees nationwide, many of them in small businesses. | Post the first comment about: Telecommuting to maintain talent |
| 9/22/2010 | Big Changes to your Health Insurance Source: CNN Money | Some changes to health insurance rules take affect tomorrow. Here is what you need to know. Small business impact: The changes that kick in on Sept. 23 also apply to small businesses with 50 employees or more that already offered insurance coverage prior to reform. Companies that didn't offer coverage pre-reform and have no more than 25 workers will be given incentives such as tax credits and grants to encourage them to offer insurance coverage, said Dorothy Miraglia, director of benefits with AlphaStaff, a firm that manages employee benefits programs for small businesses | Post the first comment about: Big Changes to your Health Insurance |
| 9/10/2010 | Michigan Schools Contract Out More Than Ever Source: Mackinac Center For Public Policy | Michigan school systems are increasing contracting out and using employee leasing services to save money for all kinds of non-instructional services. Pension costs are a financial drain on school districts. Districts must pay about 19 percent of payroll to support retirement benefits of public school employees. This is one reason why contracting out with employee leasing services for noninstructional services is attractive to districts. The companies usually offer retirement savings benefits through 401(k) plans, which can save the district up to 10 percent. Employee leasing agencies accounted for three of the new food service contracts, seven of the transportation contracts, and seven of the custodial service contracts. | Post the first comment about: Michigan Schools Contract Out More Than Ever |
| 8/28/2010 | Arts Groups Strive to Balance Art and Finances Source: Dayton Daily News | Using a PEO saved a theater company 17% on their health insurance costs. Executive Director Kevin Moore said one-time increases in foundation support helped cushion a 14 percent drop in corporate support, a 12 percent dip in individual gifts and other grant losses. To cope, the company froze all salaries last season, the staff took a one-week unpaid furlough, and health insurance costs were reduced 17 percent by joining a PEO (professional employer organization). | Post the first comment about: Arts Groups Strive to Balance Art and Finances |
| 8/15/2010 | University of Louisville Nucleus Hires a PEO Source: The Lane Report | University of Louisville Kentucky created an economic development entity called Nucleus to leverage the innovations in Life Sciences into the marketplace. Nucleus recognized the value provided by a Professional Employer Organization and has partnered with a PEO to provide their startup with a full suite of HR services. UofL Nucleus has also developed relationships with a number of entities to provide services needed by start-up companies. For instance, UofL Nucleus has entered into a contract with a professional employer organization (PEO) that can provide the full compendium of benefits to a start-up company, including healthcare benefits, as if the small company was a large employer. The PEO also offers back-of-the-office type services such as employment manuals and legal services. | Post the first comment about: University of Louisville Nucleus Hires a PEO |
| 8/11/2010 | Should You Outsource your HR? Source: Fast Casual | A tax advisor in the restaurant and hospitality industry provides some guidance for business owners about outsourcing their Human Resource tasks by engaging a Professional Employer Organization. One area of outsourcing that is becoming increasingly popular is the human resources administration function, through the use of a professional employer organization, or PEO. Sometimes referred to as an employee leasing company, a PEO enables you to outsource the human resource management functions, including payroll, employee benefits, record keeping, and workers compensation coverage. However, before deciding to outsource that important function, the restaurant owner must fully consider the benefits and risks of such an arrangement. | Post the first comment about: Should You Outsource your HR? |
| 8/7/2010 | More Profitable Than Ever Source: Architectural Record | A New York City architecture and engineering firm gets serious about cutting costs and discovers a PEO can provide cost effective solutions for reducing HR and insurance costs. We started by looking at our insurance and benefits," says Carpenter. "As a small firm, we simply didn't have enough people to get good health-insurance rates. We joined a professional employer organization (PEO). It takes care of payroll, benefits, and insurance." One of the advantages for both the firm and employees (who are technically coemployed by the Meltzer/Mandl and ADP) is that they can receive health insurance at far less cost than they could as a small group. Costs for both the employees and the firm, which pays half of the employees' health-insurance costs, have gone down by half. "Our employees are able to get much better insurance than we could offer them." The PEO also carries the firm's workers' compensation insurance, which in the past had been a major expense. | Post the first comment about: More Profitable Than Ever |
| 8/5/2010 | The Healing Game Source: Colorado Biz | A PEO executive warns against playing games with employees to circumvent health reform rules for companies with over 50 employees. And larger businesses are creating ways to reap the under-50 rewards, Regalado said. "People are getting very clever about it," he said, referring to talk of firing and hiring back staff. For instance: Maybe a 70-employee company will fire 25 staff members and hire the workers back through an employment staffing company or a Professional Employer Organization, he said. Between the fact that legitimate PEOs "don't play that game," and that the government is sure to rapidly respond to such ploys, Greg Hammond advises scheming businesses to reconsider. The hire-and-fire ploy has been played out before with COBRA, the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act, which requires companies of 20 or more to offer extended health care coverage in certain circumstances. A provision was written into the Internal Revenue Code to prevent such circumvention. "That doesn't work. Those employees are still working for you," said Hammond, the chief legal officer for TriNet, a large PEO. | Post the first comment about: The Healing Game |
| 6/21/2010 | Health Insurance Renewal Decisions - Plan "grandfathering" Complicates Things Source: StaffMarket | With the new health care rules, companies that keep their existing health plans will be exempt from some of the legal requirements, such as providing yearly physical exams and other benefits that may add up to higher costs starting in 2014. Companies forfeit "grandfathered" status if they change their health plans.
| Latest Comment: - 8/4/2010 Some Comment Read All 1 Comments about: Health Insurance Renewal Decisions - Plan "grandfathering" Complicates Things |
| 5/26/2010 | Hawaii Passes PEO Legislation Source: StaffMarket | In May of 2010 the State of Hawaii passed legislation - SB1062 that impacts PEOs operating in Hawaii | Post the first comment about: Hawaii Passes PEO Legislation |
| 5/20/2010 | Health Care Law will limit job growth Source: Cape Cod Times | Massachusetts business owners and CPAs discuss impacts of state and federal health care credits and laws on their business plans. It's hard to say how these time-consuming new calculations and credits will affect job creation, with the possible exception of government workers and accountants. Fifteen years ago, the average number of employees in a small business was 17; now it's 10. But recently, a "Cape Cod Commission" effect has come into play with more businesses choosing to stay at nine employees to avoid triggering all these expenses, reporting and paperwork, and simply leasing workers if more help is needed. It's worth noting that many employee leasing companies simply choose to pay the penalty rather than try to comply with the government reporting requirements. | Post the first comment about: Health Care Law will limit job growth |
| 5/16/2010 | Employers At Risk For Discrimination Suits Source: The Oklahoman | Article discusses the changing landscape of state and federal employment laws for businesses in Oklahoma. Violation of the law's intact provisions can have dire consequences, said Sandi Ransom, director of human resources at Accord Human Resources, an Oklahoma City-based company that provides businesses nationwide with outsourced HR solutions. "You could be convicted of a felony for driving a truck (of undocumented workers) to a work site, or even driving a friend to lunch," Ransom said. | Latest Comment: - 5/25/2010 Accord PEO Read All 1 Comments about: Employers At Risk For Discrimination Suits |
| 4/18/2010 | Capitol Hill Efforts Support PEOs on Health Care Reform Act Source: StaffMarket | Questions surrounding the impact of the Health Care Reform Act on Professional Employer Organizations (PEOs) and PEO clients took a positive step on March 30, 2010 when Senator Nelson of Florida discussed the value provided by PEOs to small business throughout the USA and the intent of the legislation to not penalize employers from joining a PEO and thus exposing themselves to the regulatory demands of larger employers. | Post the first comment about: Capitol Hill Efforts Support PEOs on Health Care Reform Act |
| 3/26/2010 | Why a $14 per hour Employee Costs $20 Source: CNN | Article discusses the "soft costs" that go with hiring an employee. One of the companies discussed understands these costs and outsources their HR to a PEO. "Our entire existence revolves around two numbers: revenue and payroll," Garland said of Sharp Details, in Dulles, Va., which he launched out of his car trunk in 1991. Payroll for 60 workers accounts for around 70% of his firm's operating costs.Garland outsources his entire human resource department. Joe Sherrier, director of human resources for Employment Enterprises -- the company that manages Garland's HR -- said that as a general rule, business owners should to expect an employee to cost an additional 25% to 30% on top of base salary each year. | Post the first comment about: Why a $14 per hour Employee Costs $20 |
| 3/14/2010 | Wisconsin PEO Legislation Source: State of Wisconsin | The State of Wisconsin has moved to revise the regulatory requirements for Professional Employer Organizations operating in the state. After approval, the new rules allow PEOs with less than 50 worksite employees to register with the state as "small operations" and removes the requirement of the PEO to provide financial statements to the department. In addition the state will maintain and publish a list of all PEO and PEGs (2 or more PEOs). Other provisions specify that all state taxes, assessments or benefits required by the state must be paid by the PEO client. This bill provides that the employees of a PEO or PEG who are providing services for the client will also be considered the employees of the client for the purposes of determining the value of any tax credits or economic development incentives that may be provided by a local governmental unit to a client who provides employment. | Latest Comment: - 3/26/2010 Wisconsin PEO Read All 1 Comments about: Wisconsin PEO Legislation |
| 3/12/2010 | Nebraska PEO Legislation Source: StaffMarket | Nebraska moves forward with PEO legislation. | Post the first comment about: Nebraska PEO Legislation |
| 3/5/2010 | Background Checking - Burden of Proof is coming Source: WorkForce | Employers who use background check information as criteria for hiring decisions may be forced to demonstrate relevance for the job. New EEOC regulations demanding an evidence-based approach to screening may help hone more effective hiring practices and provide a safe harbor from negligent-hiring lawsuits. The criminal screening process now in place at many companies may be an expedient method for culling candidates, but employers with hiring bars may soon have to rely more on proven methods for mitigating risk: job-specific hiring policies, proper supervision and effective performance management. | Latest Comment: - 3/4/2010 Background Checks and Burden o Read All 1 Comments about: Background Checking - Burden of Proof is coming |
| 1/28/2010 | State of Ohio moves forward with PEO Legislation Source: State of Ohio | The State of Ohio has moved forward to consider legislation regarding the operation of Professional Employer Organizations operating in Ohio. Included in the bill are provisions for PEOs to be the employer of record for Unemployment Insurance and to use subaccounts for client level tracking. Also included were provisions for benefit plan sponsorships and clarification of workers' compensation classifications. (1) A professional employer organization shall not be liable for the acts, errors, and omissions of a client employer or a shared employee when those acts, errors, and omissions occur under the direction and control of the client employer. (2) A client employer shall not be liable for the acts, errors, and omissions of a professional employer organization or a shared employee when those acts, errors, and omissions occur under the direction and control of the professional employer organization. (D) Nothing in divisions (B) and (C) of this section shall be construed to limit any liability or obligation specifically agreed to in the professional employer organization agreement. | Post the first comment about: State of Ohio moves forward with PEO Legislation |
| 1/21/2010 | State of New Hampshire changes stance on PEO Sponsored Group Health Insurance Plans Source: State of New Hampshire | The State of NH insurance commissioner has changed his stance on the authorization of PEOs to offer clients in New Hampshire access to their group health plans. | Post the first comment about: State of New Hampshire changes stance on PEO Sponsored Group Health Insurance Plans |
| 1/19/2010 | State of Nebraska introduces PEO legislation Source: State of Nebraska | Some issues remain for Nebraska legislators to review prior to approval of this PEO legislation. | Post the first comment about: State of Nebraska introduces PEO legislation |
| 1/5/2010 | Pennsylvania Courts decide a PEO is not a Help Supply Service Source: Commonwealth of Pennsylvania | All Staffing Inc. has prevailed against a lawsuit brought by the Pennsylvania Department of Revenues that sought to declare the PEO arrangement a Help Supply Company. The PA DOR was claiming that the PEO was a Help Supply Company and therefore should have been collecting and remitting sales taxes to the state. The suit attempted to recover these taxes and penalties in the amount of over $217,000. On appeal the PEO won the case by demonstrating that a PEO does not supply employees and does not supply employees and has no pool of available workers. This in an important court victory for PEOs and clients in Pennsylvania. | Post the first comment about: Pennsylvania Courts decide a PEO is not a Help Supply Service |
| 12/28/2009 | Florida moves to amend UI reporting for Employee Leasing Companies Source: State Of Florida | The State of Florida Senate bill S1062 will require employee leasing companies and Professional Employer Organizations to report employment related data on their clients to the Labor Market Statistics Center within the Agency for Workforce Innovation on a quarterly basis. The motivation for the collection of this information is more accurate information about the employment in various industries and a better understanding of the impacts on the state unemployment insurance compensation funding contributions. "Employee leasing company" means an employing unit that has a valid and active license under chapter 468 and that maintains the records required by s. 443.171(5) and, in addition, is responsible for producing quarterly reports concerning the clients of the employee leasing company and the internal staff of the employee leasing company. | Post the first comment about: Florida moves to amend UI reporting for Employee Leasing Companies |
| 11/18/2009 | TriNet Reports Strong Third Quarter 2009 Revenue Source: Bradenton Herald | TriNet reports that revenues doubled since the acquisition of Bradenton based Gevity in the summner of 2009. TriNet has added 350 small business clients since it acquired Gevity. Of those, 212 clients were recruited in the third quarter. TriNet’s client base is now about 8,000 small businesses, which have a combined 130,000 employees. | Latest Comment: - 11/18/2009 Why have revenues only doubled Read All 1 Comments about: TriNet Reports Strong Third Quarter 2009 Revenue |
| 11/18/2009 | Florida Employers Face Large Increase in Unemployment Taxes Source: Tampa Bay Times | Florida's high and climbing rate of claims for unemployment insurance has caused the state Department of Revenue to increase the minimum and maximum rates for employers must pay for SUTA. In addition to the rate schedule changes, the state is increasing the wage base used to calculate the tax, increasing it from $7,000 to $8,500 dollars for every Florida employee. In Florida SUTA taxes are paid wholly by the employer. Get the 2010 Florida SUTA tax rates facts sheet. Notices of businesses' individual rates will be distributed in November and December, effective for wages paid on or after Jan. 1. The increases are needed to replenish the state's trust fund used to pay unemployment insurance benefits. Under state law, if the fund falls below 4 percent of the total taxable payroll in the most recent fiscal year, it automatically triggers an adjustment in unemployment tax rates. | Latest Comment: - 11/18/2009 This is just wrong Read All 1 Comments about: Florida Employers Face Large Increase in Unemployment Taxes |
| 11/17/2009 | Frank Crum Signs Deal with Tampa Bay Lightning Source: Tampabay.com | Longtime Lightning fan Frank Crum increases sponsorship and human resources services to the Tampa Bay Lightning hockey team. As part of the contract announced Tuesday, FrankCrum will provide other services to the Lightning such as employment tax expertise and unemployment claims management. It also will be the team's exclusive provider of staffing services. | Latest Comment: - 11/18/2009 Nice! Read All 1 Comments about: Frank Crum Signs Deal with Tampa Bay Lightning |
| 11/3/2009 | North Carolina Work Comp Premiums to drop 9.6% Source: Charlotte Business Journal | The State of North Carolina has negotiated a deal with the NC rate bureau that will lower overall work comp premiums for NC companies by $100 million. | Post the first comment about: North Carolina Work Comp Premiums to drop 9.6% |
| 11/2/2009 | State of Texas Proposes Updates to Staff Leasing Regulations Source: State of Texas | Texas is considering amending the law regarding employee leasing companies requirements for "net worth" of the PEO to "working capital" among other changes. Proposed rule 72.40 details the proof of net worth requirements for staff leasing services companies, which are set out in general terms in the statute and which are critical for ensuring the performance of the companies’ obligations to their clients and assigned employees. The proposed rules explain the options for demonstrating net worth that are available to staff leasing services companies. They detail the general requirements that are applicable to all options and the specific requirements that accompany each option. | Post the first comment about: State of Texas Proposes Updates to Staff Leasing Regulations |
| 10/29/2009 | Alphastaff Acquires Selective HR Solutions Source: PR Inside | Selective HR Solutions of Sarasota, Florida has been acquired by Alphastaff Inc of Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. Selective HR Solutions has been part of Selective Insurance with Headquarters on Branchville, New Jersey. According to the press release an estimated 20K worksite employees of Selective HR will be affected by the acquisition and the number of client companies affected was not disclosed. Selective HR has been marketed through their network of Selective insurance agents and the acquisition is being billed as a way for Alphastaff to expand their agent network as well as increase their client count. Alphastaff has committed to maintaining Selective HR's pricing with the affected clients, however the transition planning for clients to move from Selective HR's payroll and PEO platforms to Alphastaff was not disclosed. Starkman noted that a key factor in the deal was the vast potential to increase sales by offering AlphaStaff’s robust product and commission structure to Selective Insurance’s over 900 agents. AlphaStaff will be the only PEO partnering with the insurance subsidiaries of Selective Insurance Group, Inc. for workers compensation insurance pursuant to the terms of the agreement. | Post the first comment about: Alphastaff Acquires Selective HR Solutions |
| 10/2/2009 | Vetting E-Verify Source: QDR Magazine | Problems for employers are discussed when social security numbers provided by employees do not match the IRS records and what E-Verify means for employers. Also of concern for quick-service analysts are the added time, cost, and security liabilities E-Verify might bring. Elizabeth Murray is vice president of human resources and chief legal officer for professional employer organization Modern Business Associates. Several of her clients are quick-service owners seeking help in setting up E-Verify for their businesses. Murray says making E-Verify mandatory could place a technological and financial burden on many quick-service businesses that they are not prepared to handle. “A quick-service restaurant that does not have the needed equipment and space, or that does not have back-office support, could find compliance with E-Verify to be difficult and potentially costly,” Murray says. | Post the first comment about: Vetting E-Verify |
| 9/29/2009 | Colorado Amends UI Laws Regarding Employee Leasing Source: Commerce Clearing House | Brief on SUTA rules for PEO and employee leasing companies in Colorado. The Act now requires employee leasing companies to notify the Division as to whether the company elects to report and pay unemployment insurance taxes as the employing unit or whether it elects to report taxes attributable to employees under the respective accounts and rates for each work site employer. Employee leasing companies electing to report and pay unemployment insurance taxes as the employing unit under its own unemployment accounts and tax rates are permitted to change the election one time after the initial election by notifying the Division no later than the end of the current calendar quarter. An employee leasing company's election to pay unemployment taxes under the respective unemployment accounts and tax rates of the work site employer is final and may not be reversed. | Post the first comment about: Colorado Amends UI Laws Regarding Employee Leasing |
| 9/29/2009 | Employee Leasing Rules Eased in New Hampshire Source: New Hampshire Business Review | New law allows PEO Client Service Agreements to specify which party is responsbile for violations of state labor laws. New Hampshire PEO clients should check their CSA for definition of liability. The new law also allows leasing companies to get two workers' compensation carriers, which should give them more flexibility in which occupations to place their workers. The bill does require leasing companies to file audited financial statements with the state. | Post the first comment about: Employee Leasing Rules Eased in New Hampshire |
| 9/28/2009 | Employee Engagement and Transparency Key For HR Professionals Source: The Business Ledger - Chicago | Review by HR experts of the coming changes in the areas of employment laws affecting small and medium sized businesses. Also discusses a new business survey that states that over a three year period the number of businesses that used outsourcing to deal with regulatory compliance has increased from 46 percent to 70 percent. Progressive legislation has created a host of new laws that have complicated the work of HR professionals, said Ross I. Molho, partner in the Wheaton law firm of Clingen, Callow & McLean. “We have a tougher Americans with Disabilities Act and new FMLA regulations,” he said. We have proposals before congress for Paid Family Leave Act. We’ve got something called the Healthy Families Act, which provides for seven paid sick days from employers with 15 employees or more. “The Working Families Flexibility Act includes a statutory right for employees to request a change of schedule. There are various vigorous immigration and customs enforcement laws. Finally we have the Arbitration and Fairness Acts which, for those of you who draft employment contracts, might preclude you from arbitrating in employment disputes. | Post the first comment about: Employee Engagement and Transparency Key For HR Professionals |
| 9/20/2009 | Ohio Moves Forward With Legislative Clarity for PEOs Source: State of Ohio | Ohio clarifies the ability of PEO clients to retain all applicable tax credits. For purposes of determining tax credits and other economic incentives that are provided by this state or any political subdivision and based on employment, shared employees under a professional employer organization agreement shall be considered employees solely of the client employer. A client employer shall be entitled to the benefit of any tax credit, economic incentive, or similar benefit arising as the result of the client employer's employment of shared employees. If the grant or amount of any tax credit, economic incentive, or other benefit is based on number of employees, each client employer shall be treated as employing only those shared employees coemployed by the client employer. Shared employees working for other client employers of the professional employer organization shall not be counted as employees for that purpose. | Post the first comment about: Ohio Moves Forward With Legislative Clarity for PEOs |
| 8/8/2009 | PEOs: Recession Proof? Source: Bradenton Herald | Article discusses the business environment for several Florida based PEOs. “Small business leaders have learned that the best strategy to navigate a turbulent economy is to devote their finite resources to what they do best and outsource the rest,” said Burton M. Goldfield, president and chief executive officer of TriNet. “These products give them a customized HR solution that will boost their productivity and profitability.” | Latest Comment: - 8/8/2009 Recession and PEOs Read All 1 Comments about: PEOs: Recession Proof? |
| 7/21/2009 | PEOs Focus on employees so you can focus on members Source: ASAE | The CEO of the National Association of Dental Plans discusses the benefits they have gained by using a Professional Employer Organization. However, small associations often have difficulty finding and maintaining good health coverage at affordable rates. Through the coemployment relationship established with a PEO, an association's risk is pooled with other businesses to create stability in coverage and cost. NADP's 2009 rate increase for health coverage is less than two thirds the average rate increase for the Dallas area. PEOs also provide 401(k)s, flexible spending accounts, disability and life insurance, and a host of other benefits that you can tailor to suit your environment. | Post the first comment about: PEOs Focus on employees so you can focus on members |
| 7/7/2009 | North Carolina House Insurance Committee Endorses PEO Amendment Source: North Carolina Legislature | The North Carolina House Insurance Committee has endorsed an amendment that would allow PEOs to continue to sponsor self-funded insurance plans. In the wake of the demise of the Castleton Group, the North Carolina department of Insurance sought regulatory changes that require PEOs operating in NC to post a $500K bond and eliminated the ability of PEO to offer self-funded insurance plans. Efforts to change the prohibition on self funded plans is underway, however the new additional PEO bonding requirement appears to be a new requirement in North Carolina that will stand. A BILL TO BE ENTITLED - AN ACT TO AMEND THE NORTH CAROLINA PROFESSIONAL EMPLOYER ORGANIZATION ACT CONCERNING BONDING PROVISIONS AND MAINTENANCE OF EMPLOYEE BENEFITS, AND TO CLARIFY THE APPLICATION OF TAX CREDITS AND OTHER INCENTIVES TO PROFESSIONAL EMPLOYER ORGANIZATIONS. | Post the first comment about: North Carolina House Insurance Committee Endorses PEO Amendment |
| 7/2/2009 | Arizona Senate to review workers' compensation coverage options for PEOs and PEO clients. Source: State of Arizona | Already passed by the Arizona house, HB 2087 allows PEOs to offer either master policy coverage or individual policies to PEO clients. Insurers will be required to report loss experience at the client level. If a professional employer agreement does not provide for the professional employer organization to purchase workers' compensation for covered employees, the client is responsible to purchase a client based policy for all employees, including the covered employees.If the professional employer agreement provides for the professional employer organization to purchase the workers’ compensation for covered employees pursuant to section 23-562, the professional employer organization shall fulfill the responsibility through an individual policy, a master policy or multiple coordinated policies obtained from a carrier or carriers licensed to do business in this state. | Post the first comment about: Arizona Senate to review workers' compensation coverage options for PEOs and PEO clients. |
| 7/1/2009 | ICE Steps up I9 Audits Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement | The US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is increasing the number of businesses being audited for I9 verification. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is launching a bold, new audit initiative today by issuing Notices of Inspection (NOIs) to 652 businesses nationwide - which is more than ICE issued throughout all of last fiscal year. | Post the first comment about: ICE Steps up I9 Audits |
| 6/10/2009 | Ohio legislature considers amendments to PEO laws Source: State of Ohio | The state of Ohio moves to enact legislation that establishes financial capacities and clarify the rights of PEOs and their client companies. A financial statement required under division (B)(7) of this section for initial registration shall be the most recent financial statement of the professional employer organization or professional employer organization group of which the professional employer organization is a member and shall not be older than thirteen months. For each registration renewal, the professional employer organization shall file the required financial statement within one hundred eighty days after the end of the professional employer organization's or professional employer organization group's fiscal year. A professional employer organization may apply to the administrator for an extension beyond that time if the professional employer organization provides the administrator with a letter from the professional employer organization's auditor stating the reason for delay and the anticipated completion date. | Post the first comment about: Ohio legislature considers amendments to PEO laws |
| 6/5/2009 | Florida puts new reporting requirements on Professional Employer Organizations. Source: State of Florida | Florida passes "Accurate Employment Statistics Enhancement Act" to require PEO and Employee Leasing companies to submit client level detail information to the state government for use in unemployment compensation data analysis. Known as Florida House bill HB641 and Senate bill SB1062. The bill amends the definition of “employee leasing company” in s. 443.036(18), F.S., to include a statement that requires employee leasing companies to produce quarterly reports concerning their clients and internal staff. The new definition will require employee leasing companies to “produce quarterly reports concerning the clients of the employee leasing company and the internal staff of the employee leasing company.” Quarterly reports will provide AWI with more timely and accurate labor market statistics. | Latest Comment: - 6/9/2009 What about client names? Read All 1 Comments about: Florida puts new reporting requirements on Professional Employer Organizations. |
| 6/3/2009 | State of Nevada approves PEO legislation Source: State of Nevada | The state of Nevada has approved significant enhancements to PEO legislation. New provisions ensure PEOs have flexibility for providing clients with workers' compensation insurance coverage and ensures uniform financial standards for the PEO industry. AN ACT relating to employee leasing companies; authorizing the Administrator of the Division of Industrial Relations of the Department of Business and Industry to adopt regulations relating to a third party that may act on behalf of an employee leasing company; providing various means for an employee leasing company and its clients to provide workers’ compensation coverage; requiring employee leasing companies to pay an annual registration fee; requiring employee leasing companies to submit certain audited financial statements; providing the means by which an employee of an employee leasing company may notify a supervisor of an injury for the purposes of industrial insurance; and providing other matters properly relating thereto. | Latest Comment: - 6/11/2009 PEO Legislation Read All 1 Comments about: State of Nevada approves PEO legislation |
| 5/29/2009 | State of Texas upgrades PEO legislation Source: State of Texas | The State of Texas has modified the Texas PEO statutes to include new definitions for PEO working capital requirements as well as ensure PEO clients are defined as the eligible parties for other employer based tax credits. PEOs renewing their licenses and seeking new licenses to operate in Texas will need to be compliant with the provision effective December 31, 2011. C.S.H.B. 2249 strengthens financial standards for staff leasing services companies, establishes a superior standard for determining a staff leasing services company's liquidity, creates maximum efficiencies at TDLR for the staff leasing services company licensing process, and allows a staff leasing services company to use an approved assurance organization to act on its behalf in complying with licensing requirements. The bill clarifies that nothing in a staff leasing services arrangement affects the ability of a client company to qualify for tax credits or other economic incentives. The bill requires a staff leasing services company to provide employment information required for the administration of any tax credit, grant, or economic incentive that is based on employment. | Post the first comment about: State of Texas upgrades PEO legislation |
| 5/29/2009 | Nebraska moves forward with PEO legislation Source: State of Nebraska | Nebraska moves forward with proposed PEO legislation and will consider the bill (LB570) as early as January 2010. Unless otherwise expressly agreed by the professional employer organization and the client in a professional employer agreement, the client retains the exclusive right to direct and control the covered employees as is necessary to conduct the client’s business, to discharge any of the client’s fiduciary responsibilities, or to comply with any licensure requirements applicable to the client or to the covered employees. | Post the first comment about: Nebraska moves forward with PEO legislation |
| 5/7/2009 | The Coming of Zerocare Source: American Thinker | A Florida doctor discusses the ramifications of nationalized health care. Throughout this, there will be an encouragement to expand primary care while restricting access to anything sophisticated or expensive. Primary and preventative care as forms of cost savings are myths, as frankly these are of little use in an aging population. We spend one third of our budget now on individuals who are in the last three months of their life with terminal incurable illness. The government has a vested interest in having the end of life take place at an earlier date once their productive years are over and they become a negative financial entity on the books for healthcare, Social Security and nursing homes. | Post the first comment about: The Coming of Zerocare |
| 5/6/2009 | North Carolina Senate moves to amend PEO regulations Source: State of North Carolina | The North Carolina Senate has approved an amendment to the state regulations for PEOs to be licensed in the state. The act - Senate Bill S1029 stipulates that all PEOs licensed prior to October 1, 2008 must post a $100,000 surety bond. PEOs licensed after this date must post a bond equal to five percent of the prior years total sages, benefits, work comp premiums and UI contributions up to a max $500,000. | Post the first comment about: North Carolina Senate moves to amend PEO regulations |
| 4/28/2009 | PEOs Ease Human Resource Concerns for Small Business Source: Nebraska Cattleman | Nebraska feedlot owners and managers discover the advantages of using a PEO. In the case of the feedlot, the frequency and severity of workmen’s comp issues is much higher than in urban companies, as feedlot cowboys grapple with getting potloads of finished cattle into loading chutes, and ranch cowboys tangle with disagreeable cows at weaning time. Accordingly, aside from HR services, ag-related PEOs provide guidance for improving workplace safety and managing workers’ compensation claims. | Post the first comment about: PEOs Ease Human Resource Concerns for Small Business |
| 4/17/2009 | New Hampshire Employee Leasing Law May Change Source: State of New Hampshire | Audit requirements for employee leasing companies in New Hampshire may be improved if senate passed legislation is approved. An employee leasing company may meet its obligation to provide workers’ compensation insurance coverage for leased employees through 2 carriers, provided that each client company’s leased employees shall be covered by only one carrier and that such coverage shall clearly delineate such client company employees by client company name and federal identification number. | Latest Comment: - 4/20/2009 NH law Read All 1 Comments about: New Hampshire Employee Leasing Law May Change |
| 4/1/2009 | Avoiding Court During a Recession Source: Risk Management Magazine | Good advice for avoiding lawsuits for unfair employment termination. According to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), 2007 had the highest number of incoming private sector discrimination charge filings since 2002, along with the largest annual increase since the early 1990s. All this combined with the expected onslaught of age-bias lawsuits from baby boomers means that risk managers must work harder than ever to avoid employment-related lawsuits during the current recession. | Latest Comment: - 6/19/2009 Termination Read All 1 Comments about: Avoiding Court During a Recession |
| 3/17/2009 | Texas makes correct call to reject SUTA - UI strings Source: Texas Public Policy | Texas governor Rick Perry rejects federal unemployment insurance assistance because of long term burdens for Texas businesses. This article explores the rationale behind the governor's decision. The fallacy promoted by advocates of these eligibility changes is that the federal funds will "pay" for several years of the expanded benefits. In fact, those dollars will be used immediately to partially shore up the UI trust fund, and employers will foot the cost of the expanded benefits from Day One. There are better options to address the projected trust fund deficit that control the level of taxes paid by Texas employers and preserve Texas' ability to manage our unemployment system as we see fit. | Post the first comment about: Texas makes correct call to reject SUTA - UI strings |
| 3/14/2009 | Gevity - Trinet Merger Acquisition Source: StaffMarket News | General Atlantic Partners engineers taking Gevity private through Trinet merger. | Post the first comment about: Gevity - Trinet Merger Acquisition |
| 3/9/2009 | Verifying Green Cards Not So Easy Source: Long Island Business News | New York company gets caught in grey area when applicants provide bogus work credentials. We’re clearly moving toward more oversight,” said Dawn Davidson Drantch, director of employee relations and counsel a professional employer organization providing human resources services. Mitchell Zwaik, an immigration attorney based in Bohemia, said, “The move is toward enforcement of the rules more than toward changing the rules. The basic principle hasn’t changed.” Employers must complete I-9 forms within three days of hiring, obtaining documents showing identification and right to work. But employers have traditionally filed and forgotten these documents. | Post the first comment about: Verifying Green Cards Not So Easy |
| 3/2/2009 | Some companies find savings in outsourced HR services Source: Jacksonville Business Journal | PEOs can offer hard and soft dollar savings for small businesses. The added pressures of a harsh economic climate that has forced many businesses to lay off workers and do more with less have provided little relief. But professional employer organizations, which are essentially outsourced human resources, are flourishing in this climate by offering small businesses the chance to outsource their headaches and save money at the same time. | Post the first comment about: Some companies find savings in outsourced HR services |
| 3/1/2009 | MetLife Releases Annual Study of Employee Benefit Trends Source: Met Life | Study demonstrates the value of employee benefit programs to their client companies. | Post the first comment about: MetLife Releases Annual Study of Employee Benefit Trends |
| 2/25/2009 | Mass Layoffs in January 2009 Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics | The BLS reports on the industries reporting the highest number of mass layoffs initial claims in January 2009. Professional Employer Organizations report 11,345 initial claims for January 2009. | Post the first comment about: Mass Layoffs in January 2009 |
| 2/17/2009 | ADP TotalSource Financial Results Source: Seeking Alpha | ADP Reports 2008 fourth quarter financial results By segment, Employer Services (ES) revenue grew 6% to $1.64 billion with 3% growth in the U.S. payroll and tax filing business and 10% growth in beyond payroll revenue. Year–to-date client retention declined 0.5 percentage points. The dollar value of new business sales declined 13% for ES and Professional Employer Organization (PEO) Services due to price sensitivity and the increased number of companies going out of business. PEO Services revenue grew 14% to $285.4 million and Dealer Services revenue decreased 1% to $342.7 million. | Latest Comment: - 2/17/2009 Dollar Value? Read All 1 Comments about: ADP TotalSource Financial Results |
| 1/29/2009 | Workers' Comp Rates to Rise in Florida Source: South Florida Business Journal | Florida Workers' Compensation rates will be going up as a result of a recent Florida supreme court ruling that disallows a rate schedule for lawyers. Florida Insurance Commissioner Kevin McCarty is expected to approve a 6.4 percent increase in Florida's workers' compensation insurance rates on April 1. | Latest Comment: - 2/17/2009 Just great - not Read All 1 Comments about: Workers' Comp Rates to Rise in Florida |
| 1/28/2009 | OSHA 300 Log Posting Requirement Source: US Department of Labor | All employers are reminded that workplace posting of OSHA 300 logs must be audited and completed by February 1. You must post a copy of the annual summary in each establishment in a conspicuous place or places where notices to employees are customarily posted. You must ensure that the posted annual summary is not altered, defaced or covered by other material. | Latest Comment: - 1/18/2011 Five Thoughts on Being a Succe Read All 1 Comments about: OSHA 300 Log Posting Requirement |
| 1/27/2009 | New I9 effective February 2 2009 Source: US Citizenship and Immigration Service | All employers must transition to the new I9 form after February 2 2009. | Post the first comment about: New I9 effective February 2 2009 |
| 1/15/2009 | Nebraska PEO Legislation Introduced Source: State of Nebraska | The Legislature finds: That professional employer organizations provide a valuable service to commerce and the citizens of this state by increasing the opportunities of employers to develop cost-effective methods of satisfying their personnel requirements and providing employees with access to certain employment benefits which might otherwise not be available to them; That professional employer organizations operating in this state should be regulated by the Department of Labor; and That any allocation of the employer duties and responsibilities pursuant to the Professional Employer Organization Registration Act will preserve all rights to which covered employees would be entitled under a traditional employment relationship. | Post the first comment about: Nebraska PEO Legislation Introduced |
| 1/15/2009 | Wyoming PEO Legislation Source: State of Wyoming | Each professional employer organization operating within this state as of July 1, 2009 shall complete its initial registration not later than one hundred eighty days after July 1, 2009. The initial registration shall be valid until one hundred eighty (180) days from the end of the professional employer organization's first fiscal year end that is more than one (1) year after July 1, 2009. Each professional employer organization not operating within this state as of July 1, 2009 shall complete its initial registration prior to commencement of operations within this state. | Post the first comment about: Wyoming PEO Legislation |
| 1/14/2009 | North Dakota Debates removing PEO Financial Requirements Source: State of North Dakota | The state of North Dakota proposed amending existing legislation that requires professional employer organizations to provide audited financial statements as a condition of obtaining a license to operate in the state. Industry representatives are opposing the measure and it has been tabled until a subcommittee returns to the legislature with its findings. A person may not provide, advertise, or otherwise hold itself out as providing professional employer services, unless the person is licensed under this chapter. A person engaged in the business of providing professional employer services shall obtain a license regardless of its use of the term or conducting business as a "professional employer organization", "staff leasing company", "registered staff leasing company", "employee leasing company", "administrative employer", or any other name. | Post the first comment about: North Dakota Debates removing PEO Financial Requirements |
| 1/9/2009 | State of Colorado moves forward with Employee Leasing Legislation Source: State of Colorado | The Colorado department of Labor and Employment moves to implement PEO and employee leasing regulations for the first quarter of 2009. Each employee leasing company shall pay wages and collect, report, and pay all payroll-related taxes from its own accounts for all covered employees. each employee leasing company shall pay unemployment compensation insurance taxes and provide, maintain, and secure all records and documents required of work-site employers under the unemployment insurance laws of this state for covered employees. For unemployment reporting purposes, each employee leasing company is the only employing unit for covered employees and shall have the responsibility for unemployment compensation insurance as required of an employer pursuant to the "Colorado employment security act", articles 70 to 82 of this title. | Post the first comment about: State of Colorado moves forward with Employee Leasing Legislation |
| 1/8/2009 | State of North Carolina sets PEO bond requirements Source: State of North Carolina | Renewal application still must meet the $100K bond requirements. | Latest Comment: - 5/24/2010 PEO SURETY BOND Read All 1 Comments about: State of North Carolina sets PEO bond requirements |
| 12/2/2008 | Ohio Amends UI Regulations Source: Commerce Clearing House | Ohio defines terms for SUTA - state unemployment taxes for clients using an employee leasing company. Employee leasing. The term “unrelated third party client” is now defined as an entity unrelated to, or not sharing common ownership, management or control with, an employee leasing company, and to which individuals are provided by the employee leasing company to perform services on a permanent basis. | Latest Comment: - 12/8/2008 Peo That focuses on the medica Read All 1 Comments about: Ohio Amends UI Regulations |
| 11/21/2008 | Employers Hurt by Swollen Health Care Costs Source: Long Island Business News | The drastic rise in the costs for employer for health insurance is fueling demand for Health Savings Accounts or HSAs Another option is an HSA, in which dollars are allocated to employees, who can roll the accounts over every year and take them with them when they leave. I have a host of clients that uses HRAs, and a host of clients that uses HSAs,” Bradley said. “Some companies prefer HRAs because they are not as cumbersome to set up, and they retain the funds, rather than returning them to employees.” But others favor the HSA for the effect it has on employees. “It encourages them to become better consumers of health care, since they’re spending their own money,” Bradley said. For instance, “if the money is coming out of their own pocket, consumers might ask doctors if they really need all three tests, or if they really need 100 pills instead of 50,” said Lou Basso, president of The Alcott Group, a Farmingdale-based professional employer organization and provider of human resources services. | Latest Comment: - 11/24/2008 Remember the major medical pla Read All 1 Comments about: Employers Hurt by Swollen Health Care Costs |
| 11/17/2008 | Florida - NCCI Proposes 18.6% Workers Comp Rate Hike Source: Palm Beach Post | Although workers' compensation rates are expected to drop in January 2009, NCCI has proposed to hike rates shortly thereafter beginning in March and another hike later in 2009. The schedule, a key part of the 2002 workers comp reform, capped attorneys fees that had helped make Florida's rates among the highest in the nation. Since the legislative overhaul, rates have fallen by 60 percent, and Florida is now among the lowest states in terms of workers comp rates. A representative of the Florida Chamber of Commerce said small businesses cannot tolerate an increase, and he charged trial lawyers with getting a "bailout'' as the result of the Supreme Court decision. | Latest Comment: - 11/24/2008 Related Link Read All 2 Comments about: Florida - NCCI Proposes 18.6% Workers Comp Rate Hike |
| 11/13/2008 | California State Fund files for 8.9% workers’ comp increase Source: San Francisco Business Times | Since dropping by 63% since 2003, work comp rates in California are now on the rise, with state fund jacking rates up 8.9% for 2009. Since increases in workers’ compensation premium rates typically hit some lines of business harder than others, the steepest increases are likely to affect businesses in areas such as construction, manufacturing, transportation and retail, which are already struggling due to the rapidly weakening U.S. and California economies. | Latest Comment: - 11/19/2008 Is this Good or Bad News? Read All 1 Comments about: California State Fund files for 8.9% workers’ comp increase |
| 11/6/2008 | Department of Justice Provides Additional No-Match Guidance Source: StaffMarket | The Department of Justice (DOJ) has issued new guidance confirming that an employer using the safe harbor provisions of the new Department of Homeland Security (DHS) no-match rule when letters or notices that a worker’s Social Security number does not match existing records, will not be potentially guilty of discrimination. New rules from the DOJ help employers meet the letter of the law for hiring and avoid discrimination charges. | Post the first comment about: Department of Justice Provides Additional No-Match Guidance |
| 10/29/2008 | Get Ready to Relearn the Americans with Diabilities Act Source: Law.com | Beginning January 1, 2009, employers must comply with the ADAAA - Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act. Since originally passed (ADA) in 1990, judicial decisions have limited the scope of coverage originally intended by congress. The ADAAA legislatively broadens the responsibility and liabilities for employers. All employers need to review the new rules and ensure they are ready to be compliant. Consequently, in the new world of the ADAAA, employers should keep records of accommodations requests made and accommodations denied or provided, along with some evidentiary back-up for the decisions made. Further, consider refresher training of human resources professionals and line managers about the ADA's requirements about the interactive process and reasonable accommodations. The ADA is about to change. Your company's managers need to be ready. | Post the first comment about: Get Ready to Relearn the Americans with Diabilities Act |
| 10/2/2008 | HR 7103 Introduced to Congress - tax treatment and reporting of wages paid by professional employer
organizations. Source: PEO Legislation Introduced to Congress | Also known as the small business efficiency act. A certified professional employer organization entering into a service contract with a customer with respect to a work site employee shall be treated as a successor employer and the customer shall be treated as a predecessor employer during the term of such service contract. | Post the first comment about: HR 7103 Introduced to Congress - tax treatment and reporting of wages paid by professional employer organizations. |
| 10/1/2008 | Administaff Announces Results of Business Survey and Compensation Data Source: Business Wire | Survey of small and medium sized businesses show more caution for 2009. The economy was listed by 81.5 percent of business owners as their biggest concern for 2009 versus 45.8 percent last year. More than 60 percent listed controlling costs as a leading concern, compared to 53.3 percent in Nov. 2007. Rising health care costs were another concern for 43.1 percent of respondents, a slight decrease from 44.6 percent in 2007. Retaining their most valued employees ranked fourth by 31.2 percent of those polled, and 28.9 percent of respondents listed hiring the right people. | Latest Comment: - 11/14/2008 What about product pricing? Read All 1 Comments about: Administaff Announces Results of Business Survey and Compensation Data |
| 9/9/2008 | Colorado amends law for employee leasing companies Source: CCH | Colorado lawmakers formally define the co-employment relationship. The law now defines the term “co-employer” as an employee leasing company or work-site employer. The term “co-employment relationship” is defined as one intended to be ongoing, rather than temporary or project specific, and where the rights and obligations of the employer have been allocated between the co-employers by an employee leasing contract. In addition, the employee leasing company and work-site employer are entitled to enforce only the employer rights and obligations allocated to them under the contract. The work-site employer also may enforce any right and perform any obligation not specifically allocated to the employee leasing company by the contract. The terms “covered employee” and “work-site employee” mean an individual who is in an employment relationship with an employee leasing company and work-site employer and has received notice of the co-employment. | Post the first comment about: Colorado amends law for employee leasing companies |
| 9/2/2008 | Payroll Issues - Knowing when to ask for help Source: Nevada Business Journal | Article reviews the ever-changing complexities of doing payroll correctly and maintaining legislative compliance.
Similarly, more companies are outsourcing to professional employer organizations (PEOs), which provide payroll, workers compensation, human resources and employee benefits administration. However, unlike a BPO, PEOs assume employer risks for their clients via co-employment. The PEO becomes the employer of record for tax and insurance purposes. This industry has evolved to where you can go from being the employer into a PEO relationship and not ever have to worry about or know these rules because the PEO handles it as a co-employer. | Post the first comment about: Payroll Issues - Knowing when to ask for help |
| 9/2/2008 | Fast Growing PEOs crucial for small businesses Source: Chicago Business Ledger | Why some Chicago businesses have partnered with a PEO for HR Outsourcing services. The process usually involves one HR professional within a PEO who is designated as a representative for a small stable of clients. When employees in any client company have HR-related questions or problems, they can directly call their representative to get the issue resolved. The value proposition for client companies is that a PEO saves time and labor costs associated with payroll and the administration of benefit plans. In addition, the client company may also be able to offer a better overall package of benefits, which is attractive to more skilled employees.This is especially helpful considering the current state of the economy. When businesses aren’t as profitable, the staff is usually the one of the first costs to be cut, said Lisa Callaway, vice president of the Management Association of Illinois, in Downers Grove. | Post the first comment about: Fast Growing PEOs crucial for small businesses |
| 7/21/2008 | Cutting the risk to Workers and the bottom line Source: NJ Biz Journal | Article discusses the cost to employers for work related injuries and reviews OSHA tool that calculates the cost of additional sales needed to make up for impact to workers' compensation costs. The average direct cost of a workers' compensation claim is between $5,000 and $7,000 among the clients of Gevity HR Inc a Bradenton Florida based Professional Employer Organization with and office in Edison, according to Chris Davis the firm's vice president of finance insurance. Most injuries occur when employees are doing manual labor such as lifting heavy objects. | Post the first comment about: Cutting the risk to Workers and the bottom line |
| 7/15/2008 | State of Connecticut releases new legislation for Professional Employer Organizations Source: State of Connecticut | Connecticut establishes rules for PEOs who operate in the state including registration with the state. Professional employer organization" means any person engaged in the business of providing professional employer services, regardless of whether such person uses the term or conducts business as a professional employer organization, staff leasing company, registered staff leasing company, employee leasing company, administrative employer or any other name. | Post the first comment about: State of Connecticut releases new legislation for Professional Employer Organizations |
| 6/10/2008 | Contractors must verify employees' legal status Source: El Paso Times | Effective June 10, 2008 all contractors and others who do business with the federal government must us the E-Verify system to verify an applicants right to work. Pat Villalobos, president and owner of Barnhart/Taylor, which provides engineering, heating and ventilation, bids on government contracts and has worked on various projects at Fort Bliss. "When it comes to my employees, I keep up with their documents," Villalobos said. "When they come work for me, I ask them for their documents, especially if they're going to be on government property. "The E-Verify system is very user-friendly," she added. "When I use employee leasing companies, the leasing companies verify (in advance) the legal status of the workers they send me. Anyone who is not ready for this will hinder their recruiting efforts, and (immigration authorities) can conduct an audit at any time." | Post the first comment about: Contractors must verify employees' legal status |
| 5/28/2008 | State of Colorado passes PEO and Employee Leasing Legislation Source: State of Colorado | Colorado passes legislation that clarifies the rights and responsibilities of companies when hiring a professional employer organization. PEO and employee leasing arrangements have recognized legal status in Colorado. EACH EMPLOYEE LEASING COMPANY SHALL PAY WAGES AND COLLECT, REPORT, AND PAY ALL PAYROLL-RELATED TAXES FROM ITS OWN ACCOUNTS FOR ALL COVERED EMPLOYEES. EACH EMPLOYEE LEASING COMPANY SHALL PAY UNEMPLOYMENT COMPENSATION INSURANCE TAXES AND PROVIDE, MAINTAIN, AND SECURE ALL RECORDS AND DOCUMENTS REQUIRED OF WORK-SITE EMPLOYERS UNDER THE UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE LAWS OF THIS STATE FOR COVERED EMPLOYEES. FOR UNEMPLOYMENT REPORTING PURPOSES, EACH EMPLOYEE LEASING COMPANY IS THE ONLY EMPLOYING UNIT FOR COVERED EMPLOYEES AND SHALL HAVE the responsibility for unemployment compensation insurance as required of an employer pursuant to the "Colorado Employment Security Act", articles 70 to 82 of this title. | Post the first comment about: State of Colorado passes PEO and Employee Leasing Legislation |
| 5/23/2008 | CoAdvantage Resources Acquires Gevity ASO Clients Source: StaffMarket | Article about the CoAdvantage - Gevity deal. Gevity’s foray into the ASO marketplace was the brainchild of former CEO Erik Vonk who departed the company in October 2007. Mr. Vonk led the drive to acquire HRAmerica for $10M in February of 2007. At the time HRAmerica was acquired by Gevity it had 75 clients with 16,000 worksite employees. | Latest Comment: - 8/26/2010 Marina Malina Read All 2 Comments about: CoAdvantage Resources Acquires Gevity ASO Clients |
| 5/20/2008 | Most Small Business Owners Optimistic Source: Jacksonville Business Journal | Administaff survey claims that small business owners are optimistic about growth in the coming year. Nearly 78 percent of owners and managers of small businesses say their companies will meet or surpass growth expectations this year, according to a national survey. The Business Confidence Survey by Administaff found more than 26 percent of employers plan to increase salaries this year, while 50 percent will maintain current wage levels. Sixty-four percent said they expect overtime to remain about the same. The business confidence survey was conducted this month via Administaff Inc.'s database of more than 6,000 small and mid-sized businesses. | Latest Comment: - 6/2/2008 New Sales VP Read All 2 Comments about: Most Small Business Owners Optimistic |
| 5/18/2008 | Tampa Bay Companies Persevere Source: Tampabay.com | Brief article about the strengh of Tampa Bay PEOs and employee leasing companies. Bradenton's Bealls defies the national retail chains because it knows the Florida market well. And Clearwater's Frank Crum and Holiday's Southeast Personnel Leasing are big parts of an employee leasing industry that's become densely packed in this part of Florida. | Post the first comment about: Tampa Bay Companies Persevere |
| 5/16/2008 | Businesses Benefit From Training Source: BLR | ADP TotalSource president discusses using a PEO to help implement training programs that reduce employee turnover and employer liability costs. An alternative to in-house training programs is to work with a Professional Employee Organization (PEO). PEOs provide small- and mid-size businesses with full-service human-resource management and payroll services. A major benefit of a PEO relationship is the access to experts it provides its clients. PEOs are available to help employers through employment related situations. Mark Benjamin is the president of ADP TotalSource, the Professional Employer Organization of Automatic Data Processing, Inc. | Post the first comment about: Businesses Benefit From Training |
| 5/15/2008 | Worklife Financial Plans Growth Source: Oakland Business Review | Worklife Financial Plans PEO Growth Through Acquisitions. WorkLife Financial Co. provides financial administration services such as payroll, tax compliance, risk management and succession planning. The company was formed in April by CEO Steve Groulx using outside investment and by acquiring a Dallas-based professional employer organization and restructuring his own company, formerly known as Strategic Business Solutions. | Post the first comment about: Worklife Financial Plans Growth |
| 5/15/2008 | The Risk of Using Independent Contractors Source: New York Law Journal | Misclassification penalties of independent contractors get more attention from the IRS and state agencies.
The use of a responsible employee leasing organization is a practical and viable alternative that allows 1099ers to continue to provide services to the company, yet it substantially minimizes a company's exposure to liability under the tax, employee benefits and labor laws. This alternative can dramatically reduce a company's risk of liability and substantially diminish the likelihood of a lawsuit or an audit by a governmental agency. Unlike payrolling companies, an employee leasing organization is a third-party employer. Some or all of the company's 1099ers (as well as its long-term temps, project employees, per diems and consultants) can be hired as employees of the leasing organization, which withholds taxes; makes Social Security, Medicare and unemployment payments; pays Workers' Compensation premiums; and may also provide basic medical and dental benefits and offer participation in a 401(k) plan maintained by the leasing organization. | Post the first comment about: The Risk of Using Independent Contractors |
| 5/5/2008 | Connecticut Advances Legislation for PEOs. Source: StaffMarket | Connecticut house bill 5113 is advanced for PEOs and Professional Employer Organizations. Coemployment relationship" means an ongoing relationship, rather than a temporary or project-specific relationship, in which the rights, duties and obligations of an employer are allocated between a professional employer organization and a client pursuant to a professional employer agreement as provided in sections 2 to 6, inclusive, of this act; | Post the first comment about: Connecticut Advances Legislation for PEOs. |
| 4/10/2008 | California Flexible Work Week Defeated Despite Support from California Chamber of Commerce Source: Calfornia Chamber of Commerce | Party line vote kills employer flexibility in California. Benoit´s bill was sponsored by the California Chamber of Commerce and received a wide array of support from California´s business community, with more than 43 local Chambers signing on as co-sponsors of AB 2127. | Latest Comment: - 4/16/2008 Too bad Read All 1 Comments about: California Flexible Work Week Defeated Despite Support from California Chamber of Commerce |
| 4/7/2008 | Valued insurance far from assured with small companies Source: Rockford Illinois Star | How small companies are creating health insurance options for their employees through self-funded plans or by joining a Professional Employer Organization. To find the right plan, Muldowney turned the research over to Savant’s business manager, Scott Kaiser, who put together several options to choose from.Many companies, though, don’t have the luxury of one staffer with the time and expertise to find the right plan. That’s when they can turn to Staff Management Inc. of Rockford or Miller Buettner Employee Benefits & Communications of Winnebago.Staff Management, started more than 20 years ago by John and Fran Morrissey, is a human resources outsourcing firm. If you own a small company and would like to concentrate on the core business while leaving such tasks as payroll management, 401(k) management and health care to an outside firm, you would hire Staff Management. In this model, your employees become its employees, with the health-insurance plan it has purchased for the more than 1,000 employees under its coverage. | Post the first comment about: Valued insurance far from assured with small companies |
| 4/1/2008 | Take Cover Source: Financial Planning | How Raymond James uses a PEO to access benefit programs for their groups of independent contractors. LPL Financial struggled for years to structure a health insurance program that would keep the distinctions clear, says Sal Zambito, senior vice president for business development. The broker-dealer put its legal counsel to work on the problem and last fall unveiled a group healthcare option that is administered and marketed by a third party. Advisors are guaranteed coverage from the carrier Trustmark, and LPL contributes nothing toward their premiums. Zambito says LPL considered a professional employer organization model like MyBackOffice uses, but chose the group plan for its competitive rates and ease of use. LPL's health insurance is a standalone option, unlike RJFS's offering. "The feedback has been exceptional," Zambito says. After the plan was announced last fall, 1,250 of LPL's 11,000 advisors enrolled. Prospective advisors visiting LPL are excited to learn health insurance would be available to them if they join the broker-dealer, he adds. | Post the first comment about: Take Cover |
| 3/19/2008 | Professional Employer Organizations can help small companies cut costs Source: San Francisco Chronical | Article covers the basics of how small companies benefit from a PEO. Although sometimes aligned with temporary employment agencies and staff leasing firms, the organization provides a much different type of service. Unlike a temp agency, your employees are intended to be permanent and not moved around to a variety of jobs. In terms of staff leasing, you are not just leasing any employee, you're leasing your own employee. Everything is the same, except that your employee receives paychecks and benefits from an outside firm. The employees still work for you, but all their taxes, benefits and insurance are handled by an outside source. | Post the first comment about: Professional Employer Organizations can help small companies cut costs |
| 3/10/2008 | Starbucks and Convergys part ways Source: Daily News and Analysis | Outsourcing and Offshoring are often confused. Starbucks ditches offshoring arrangement with Convergys. Cincinnati, Ohio-based Convergys has call centre and back office operations in Gurgaon, Mumbai and Bangalore among other cities in India. The company recently said in an analyst meet that the deal termination would have no effect on its 2008 or 2009 revenue or income targets for this unit. In July last year, Convergys said it will provide HR administration and payroll services for Starbucks’ partners in the US and Canada, along with benefits services for Starbucks’ partners in Canada. | Post the first comment about: Starbucks and Convergys part ways |
| 2/15/2008 | St. Pete Times Commentary on Employee Leasing is misguided Source: StaffMarket | Jim Hamilton, president of StaffMarket Services replies to St. Pete Times editor about E-Verify compliance and employee leasing. | Post the first comment about: St. Pete Times Commentary on Employee Leasing is misguided |
| 2/15/2008 | DOL proposes changes to FMLA rules for PEOs Source: StaffMarket | On February 11, 2008, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) published a proposed major overhaul of its FMLA regulations, including a specific amendment to the joint employer coverage regulation that will address PEO arrangements and clarifies the differences between staffing arrangements and Professional Employer Organizations. | Post the first comment about: DOL proposes changes to FMLA rules for PEOs |
| 2/14/2008 | Entrepreneur.com magazine article about PEOs is misguided Source: StaffMarket | StaffMarket president Jim Hamilton replies to Entrepreneur.com business advisor. Most PEOs also offer an ASO product and many ASO offer a PEO product. Whether a PEO or ASO makes more sense for you company depends on your current insurance, HR and administrative service needs. Companies should look at both options depending on their situation. | Latest Comment: - 7/27/2008 I agree with the article Read All 1 Comments about: Entrepreneur.com magazine article about PEOs is misguided |
| 2/13/2008 | Employee Leasing Companies May Become Singularly Liable for Wages Based Taxes Source: StaffMarket | Bush 2009 budget contains provisions that affect tax liabilities for employer wages Standards for holding employee leasing companies solely liable for such taxes would also be provided for employment tax returns required to be filed for wages paid | Post the first comment about: Employee Leasing Companies May Become Singularly Liable for Wages Based Taxes |
| 2/12/2008 | Gevity Changes Leadership Source: Workforce Management | Article discusses changes in leadership and strategy at Gevity and their return to core PEO services. Based in Bradenton, Florida, Gevity started out as a professional employer organization aimed at small businesses. A PEO serves as a co-employer of the client companies’ employees and takes over a wide range of human resources functions, including payroll, health insurance and workers’ compensation. The company sought to expand into the HR outsourcing business, in which clients could outsource certain services like payroll to Gevity without a co-employment relationship and without having Gevity provide health and workers’ compensation coverage. The HR outsourcing business was seen as a way for Gevity to attract larger businesses that were able to contract for health and workers’ compensation coverage on their own but still sought limited outsourcing of things like payroll as a cost-saving measure. | Post the first comment about: Gevity Changes Leadership |
| 2/11/2008 | Regulating PEOs makes sense for Wisconsin's small businesses Source: Wisconsin Small Business Times | Legislators in Wisconsin promote Bill that regulates PEOs AB 760 will require PEOs serving business clients in Wisconsin to register each year with the Department of Regulation and Licensing (DORL) and meet certain requirements to operate in our state. It's revenue neutral; the fees paid by PEOs will offset the administrative costs. The bill is supported by the PEOs already operating in our state and by the National Association of Professional Employer Organizations (NAPEO). | Post the first comment about: Regulating PEOs makes sense for Wisconsin's small businesses |
| 2/5/2008 | Regions Hot Job Growth Doubted Source: St. Petersburg Times | Article discusses how the growth of Tampa Bay Employee Leasing companies may be skewing local employment growth statistics.
As late as last year, Tampa-St. Petersburg's higher-than-average job growth earned the area honors as Forbes magazine's seventh hottest jobs market in the United States. But the accuracy of the numbers has been called into question. That's because the Tampa Bay area is unusual in being home base for dozens of professional employer organizations. PEOs are employee leasing firms to which companies outsource services like payroll and health benefits. | Latest Comment: - 2/27/2008 Regions Hot Job Growth Doubted Read All 2 Comments about: Regions Hot Job Growth Doubted |
| 1/15/2008 | Oasis Outsourcing Inc. acquires two Tampa Florida PEOs Source: Sarasota Herald Tribune | Professional Employer Plans and Advantage Employer Solutions have been acquired by Oasis Outsourcing of West Palm Beach. Oasis Outsourcing Holdings Inc., a privately held professional employer organization with an office in Sarasota, said Monday that it has acquired Professional Employer Plans Inc., Advantage Employer Solutions Inc. and related companies, which are headquartered in Tampa. | Latest Comment: - 1/18/2008 Oasis buys Professional Employ Read All 2 Comments about: Oasis Outsourcing Inc. acquires two Tampa Florida PEOs |
| 1/9/2008 | Help your Business Thrive in 2008 Source: American Chronicle | Good thoughts on surviving business cycles and outsourcing non-core activities Employee leasing is a fast growing opportunity, growing by over 20% per year. It's a way to outsource not only the employee contingent of the business, but generally the organizational aspect of employees. Most employee leasing groups handle all the Human Resources function for the funds expended. The most important part of any outsourcing arrangement is that the group supporting the business must understand the business core competencies, how the business operates, and what are the end results desired. Moreover, the outsourced group must be able to support the core competencies for which it is working with quality and integrity. | Latest Comment: - 1/10/2008 Good Ideas if we have a downtu Read All 1 Comments about: Help your Business Thrive in 2008 |
| 1/3/2008 | CoAdvantage Holdings completes acquisition of Bradenton professional employer organization Source: Orlando Sentinel | NELCO sells to Co-Advantage Holdings of Orlando. Both CoAdvantage and Nelco, which was founded in 1983 and is one of the country's oldest professional employer organizations, have each been major companies in their field, said Milan Yager, spokesman for the National Association of Professional Employer Organizations. | Latest Comment: - 1/3/2008 ELS - Employee Leasing Solutio Read All 2 Comments about: CoAdvantage Holdings completes acquisition of Bradenton professional employer organization |
| 1/1/2008 | Hawaii Proposes PEO legislation Source: Hawaii House of Representatives | Hawaii proposes bill that would require client based workers' compensation policies for PEOs operating in Hawaii. NAPEO is working to amend the bill to more closely follow the NAPEO model act. Every professional employment organization that maintains or will be maintaining workers' compensation coverage for assigned employees shall register with the commissioner. An insurer may not issue a workers' compensation insurance policy to a professional employment organization that is not registered, nor enter into an agreement with an unregistered professional employment organization to issue policies to clients of the professional employment organization. | Post the first comment about: Hawaii Proposes PEO legislation |
| 12/5/2007 | Employee use of Internet limits needed Source: Chicago Tribune | With holiday season in full swing, employees spend lots of time surfing. That can sound scary to a company owner worried about work time lost to the Internet. But if you are tempted to ban personal Internet use outright, other business owners, labor lawyers and human resources professionals will advise against it. "It's something that becomes sort of an HR-employee relations goodwill issue," said Rick Gibbs, a senior human resources specialist with Administaff, a Houston-based company that provides human resources outsourcing. | Post the first comment about: Employee use of Internet limits needed |
| 12/4/2007 | Small Business survey on health benefits and government mandates Source: NAPEO | PEO clients were surveyed for their thoughts on health benefits and the recent government push for coverage mandates. The vast majority (95%) of the NAPEO survey respondents offer healthcare plans and will not raise employees' share of the cost of their health insurance plans in 2007. They will hold the line on employees' contributions toward the plan premiums, even though employer-sponsored health plan premiums rose an average 7.7 percent this year. Holding the line on employees' contributions is not unusual - many companies large and small aren't contemplating raising this amount, either. Where most employers are making employees reach into their own pockets is in actual expenses at the point of service, such as higher deductibles and co-payments for medical care and prescription drugs. | Post the first comment about: Small Business survey on health benefits and government mandates |
| 12/2/2007 | OSHA issues final ruling about employers cost for protective clothing Source: OSHA | Employers are now responsible for covering the costs of personal protective equipment (PPE) with a few exceptions for clothing that can be worn off the worksite. Many Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) health, safety, maritime, and construction standards require employers to provide their employees with protective equipment, including personal protective equipment (PPE), when such equipment is necessary to protect employees from job-related injuries, illnesses, and fatalities. | Post the first comment about: OSHA issues final ruling about employers cost for protective clothing |
| 11/7/2007 | US Citizenship and Immigration Services releases revised I9 - Employment Eligibility Verification form. Source: USCIS | New I9 Form is in place. The instructions for Section 1 regarding Social Security numbers were also revised. The instructions now state that an employee is not obligated to provide the Social Security Number in Section 1 of the I-9 form, unless the employer participates in the USCIS Electronic Employment Eligibility Verification Program (E-Verify). Employers must begin using the 2007 edition of the I-9 form now because all previous versions of the form are no longer valid. Employers are only required to complete the new I-9 form for new hires, and do not need to complete new forms for existing employees. However, employers must use the 2007 I-9 form when their employees require re-verification. | Post the first comment about: US Citizenship and Immigration Services releases revised I9 - Employment Eligibility Verification form. |
| 10/31/2007 | Cedar Hill - PEO Workers Comp administrator is sold Source: Insurance Newsnet | Cedar Hill a large insurance administator specializing in workers' compensation programs for the PEO industry has been purchased by Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. Cedar Hill Insurance Agency, Inc. is a retail property/casualty insurance program administrator and business process outsourcing firm. They specialize in workers compensation insurance programs for professional employer organizations and temporary service industries throughout the U.S. | Post the first comment about: Cedar Hill - PEO Workers Comp administrator is sold |
| 10/1/2007 | Frank Crum - Extreme Makeover Source: Smart Business | FranCrum reengineers - branding and software for future growth While rebranding the company and getting everyone working together was a major part of the process, gaining efficiencies from the newly united companies was the other part. And those efficiencies were only going to happen if people were using the same software systems, and that meant a major conversion project. | Post the first comment about: Frank Crum - Extreme Makeover |
| 9/20/2007 | West Virginia Considers PEOs and Work Comp Transition Source: West Virginia Record | As West Virginia moves from a monopolistic to a market driven workers' compensation insurance program, legislation needs to consider hybrid employment structures like Professional Employer Organizations. Article discusses actions by NAPEO and others to ensure PEO workers comp plans are effective solutions for West Virginia employers. He said legislators did not act on PEO proposals last year because they felt they needed more information and time. "We made some progress but they wanted to make sure we got it right," Tucker said. "We make workers comp a good line for insurers to write. It is imperative that we have a good understanding of what risk and exposure each client has. "Clark praised PEOs as having "exceptionally good" risk managers. "A PEO can assist in ensuring that worksite employees are provided with a worksite that is safe, conducive to productivity and operated in compliance with employment laws and regulations," the website states. | Post the first comment about: West Virginia Considers PEOs and Work Comp Transition |
| 8/30/2007 | PEOs Stake Claim to Marketplace Source: The Business Ledger | Chicago based PEOs and HR experts discuss the lack of awareness about Professional Employer Organizations in their area and the advantages for medium sized businesses.
"Do your homework and do a cost benefit analysis," said Mary Lynn Fayoumi, president and CEO of the Management Association of Illinois in Downers Grove. "Get multiple quotes from PEOs and make sure that you are getting a plan that is designed for your company and not a vanilla form. Kick the tires and make sure you are happy with what you are paying for." | Latest Comment: - 8/30/2007 Best PEO in Illinois? Read All 2 Comments about: PEOs Stake Claim to Marketplace |
| 8/27/2007 | StaffMarket Sponsors 2007 NAPEO Conference Source: StaffMarket | StaffMarket again sponsors annual NAPEO conference. This year's annual conference being held October 21-24 in Chicago, Illinois in the Sheraton Chicago Hotel and Towers. Hosted by NAPEO – the National Association of Professional Employer Organizations. StaffMarket will be sponsoring the musical entertainment for the Tuesday evening event “Celebrate Sinatra”. | Post the first comment about: StaffMarket Sponsors 2007 NAPEO Conference |
| 8/9/2007 | Labor laws force businesses to outsource HR Source: Las Vegas Business Press | Las Vegas based business has $1.14M fine levied by the Labor Department Wage and Hour division for improperly recording employee work hours. PEO owner discusses how outsourcing HR tasks with a PEO can prevent these problems. A PEO eliminates many of the employer responsibilities and liabilities, as well as eliminates non-productive administration functions. It also allows a small business to re-focus on its bottom-line activities, create predictable operating costs, reduce vulnerability to key employee turnover and enhance the perceived value of benefits. | Latest Comment: - 8/24/2007 Not a HR professional Read All 3 Comments about: Labor laws force businesses to outsource HR |
| 8/7/2007 | PEOs assist employers with EEV - Basic Pilot Program Source: StaffMarket | Brief article on what Professional Employer Organizations are doing to assist business owners with the Employment Eligibility Verification Program offerd by USCIS. Since compliance with employment law is one of the core services of a PEO, many PEOs are reviewing the rules being established by the US Citizenship and Immigration Service and various state bodies for compliance. | Post the first comment about: PEOs assist employers with EEV - Basic Pilot Program |
| 8/7/2007 | PEOSelect.com Source: StaffMarket | Malicious website experience Further research show that address listed as the office for peoselect.com is also the address for many business that appear to be using the address as a business front. A Google search of their address shows 10 pages of business all using the same address and often the same suite number 1. Business owners seeking a PEO are advised to use caution with this "company". Additional research shows that the domain owner is hidden and no records are available for the existance of a legitimate company or it's ownership. | Post the first comment about: PEOSelect.com |
| 7/16/2007 | PEOs get a boost in Hawaii Source: Hawaii Reporter | Hawaii resolves general excise tax problems for PEOs. This year after more than seven years of being debated in the legislature, a measure has passed and been signed into law that recognizes that the amount of reimbursement for wages, salaries, benefits and insurance premiums is really not gross income to the PEO and should not be subject to the general excise tax. HB 317 became Act 225 of the 2007 session. | Latest Comment: - 8/24/2007 Pass through costs Read All 1 Comments about: PEOs get a boost in Hawaii |
| 7/9/2007 | The Bigger Picture: No more HR headaches? Source: Physicians Practice | Many medical practices are considering hiring a PEO. Some of the concerns over costs in the article are a bit overstated. Ronald L. Evans loved the PEO he used as a manager at a nine-physician cardiology practice. “The transition to the PEO went rather smoothly for us,” he recalls. “The practice saved a considerable amount of money on group health insurance expenses, and the PEO afforded our physicians and staff a much wider menu of benefits.” Evans is now executive director of finance and administration of the internal medicine department at The University of Texas Health Sciences Center in Houston. The staff there is also under a PEO beloved for its benefits. | Post the first comment about: The Bigger Picture: No more HR headaches? |
| 6/25/2007 | The state of Indiana clarifies PEO status. Source: StaffMarket | Regulatory rules for PEOs in Indiana. With the adoption of this regulation, Indiana joins the the growing list of states in the nation with legal and operational certainty afforded to PEOs by comprehensive statutes. | Post the first comment about: The state of Indiana clarifies PEO status. |
| 6/14/2007 | Florida - PEO client based Workers' compensation policies. Source: NAPEO | Florida reviews client based WC policies. The national advocacy group for the PEO industry - NAPEO has indicated it is urging the Florida Board of Employee Leasing Companies (BELC) to challenge the legislature's Joint Administrative Procedures Committee's (JAPC) interpretation that current Florida statute does not permit PEO clients to have individual workers' compensation policies. NAPEO is meeting with key legislative leaders and agency staff to defend the PEO industry's position regarding the permissibility of PEO client-based policies. | Post the first comment about: Florida - PEO client based Workers' compensation policies. |
| 5/30/2007 | Ceridian to be sold for $5.3B Source: TwinCities.com | HR Outsourcing supplier is being sold to private hedge fund Thomas H. Lee partners. Ceridian traces its corporate lineage back to Control Data Corp. and now is among the largest human-resources outsourcing companies. Despite steady growth, the company ran into difficulties with its largest investor earlier this year. | Post the first comment about: Ceridian to be sold for $5.3B |
| 5/1/2007 | Small Business ins and outs of HR Outsourcing Source: Business Tennessee | How to evaluate outsourcing effectiveness for your company. As businesses grow, Cornwall says business owners tend to hand off human resources functions. While he says it’s cost-effective to outsource payroll and other time-consuming HR functions, it may not be necessary to outsource all HR responsibilities. HR outsourcing firms allow businesses to outsource components of HR functions or even services by the project. Generally, however, outsourcing is key to business growth. Small businesses don’t have the time, money or manpower to do it all, and, in fact, trying to do it all won’t be cost-effective in the long run. | Post the first comment about: Small Business ins and outs of HR Outsourcing |
| 4/29/2007 | Employer Solutions Group has new owner Source: NCBR | Indianapolis based Fortune Industries acquires Loveland Colorado's Employer Solutions Group for $11.2M. Fortune Industries provides technology solutions to businesses in five main segments: wireless infrastructure, business solutions, transportation infrastructure, ultraviolet technologies and electronics integration. This is the second professional employer organization, or PEO, bought by Fortune Industries in the past 90 days, and the second acquisition for the Loveland site in less than two years. In September 2005, Employer Solutions acquired Employer Source of Loveland. | Post the first comment about: Employer Solutions Group has new owner |
| 4/17/2007 | Better Business Solutions and Ohio based Sequent merge Source: Birmingham News | Article reviews merger of Better Business Solutions based in Birmingham, Alabama and Sequent Inc. based in Columbus, Ohio. The new company will operate under the name of Better Business Solutions. The combined firm will handle 7,000 outside employees in 40 states. Such "professional employment firms" take over many personnel and payroll functions for small- and mid-sized companies. They also serve as the legal employer of record, allowing them to negotiate pooled retirement and insurance plans on behalf of the employees they represent. The large pool of workers usually means more options and better rates than small employers can negotiate individually. | Latest Comment: - 4/23/2007 Sequent - Are they in Columbus Read All 1 Comments about: Better Business Solutions and Ohio based Sequent merge |
| 4/4/2007 | Cure Your HR Ills Source: CNN | Article discusses the business advantages of engaging a PEO. For the business owner PEOs take on the headache of payroll taxes, regulatory compliance, and a gamut of HR issues, from hiring to drafting an employee handbook to mediating conflicts. Although PEOs have been around since the early 1980s, the industry has been growing at 15 to 20 percent annually over the past several years, according to the National Association of Professional Employer Organizations, an industry trade group. | Latest Comment: - 8/7/2007 PEO Resource Read All 1 Comments about: Cure Your HR Ills |
| 3/26/2007 | State of Washington draft legislation affecting PEOs Source: State of Washington | Proposed legislation may alter the landscape for PEOs in Washington state. | Latest Comment: - 3/26/2007 NAPEO Read All 1 Comments about: State of Washington draft legislation affecting PEOs |
| 3/15/2007 | National Association of Insurance Commissioners Model Rule for PEO Workers’ Compensation. Source: NCOIL | NCOIL proposes a national model for regulators and PEO. All PEOs need to be aware of this draft (model rule) and the way it affects PEO workers' compensation policies. The purpose of this Act is to require the registration of professional employer organizations (PEOs) and to regulate the use of experience ratings in PEO relationships. [Drafting Note: This model is specifically designed to address the registration and use of experience ratings by PEOs in workers’ compensation insurance. Some states may wish to address additional PEO rights and responsibilities, or require PEOs to be licensed.] | Post the first comment about: National Association of Insurance Commissioners Model Rule for PEO Workers’ Compensation. |
| 3/13/2007 | Employee Benefits and Retention Study for PEOs Source: StaffMarket | MetLife releases a study the shows that employee retention is a major reason companies want to keep a strong benefits package in place for their employees. The challenge for employers is clear: how best to use benefits as a retention tool that meets the needs of an increasingly diverse workforce, while keeping rising costs at a reasonable level. | Post the first comment about: Employee Benefits and Retention Study for PEOs |
| 3/12/2007 | Arizona considers Work Comp discount for drug testing. Source: Arizona Star | Drug testing for Arizona workers may allow insurance companies to offer discounts to employers with drug testing programs. Workers' compensation in Arizona is a no-fault system. Employees injured on the job are entitled to have their medical bills paid and a percentage of their salary, regardless of who caused the mishap. In exchange for guaranteed compensation, the workers give up the right to sue the employer for negligence. Most companies buy insurance coverage, though some larger firms are self-insured. A 1999 state law says that if a company has a drug-testing policy, an injured worker can be denied benefits for failing a drug test or refusing to take one. But two years ago the state Supreme Court ruled that law unconstitutional. The justices said the workers' compensation system — and the no-fault provision — is part of the state constitution and lawmakers are powerless to alter that. | Latest Comment: - 3/12/2007 Finding Employees Read All 1 Comments about: Arizona considers Work Comp discount for drug testing. |
| 3/2/2007 | IBM gets HR outsourcing deal with American Source: InfoWorld | IBM and Mercer HR Services take over HR outsourcing functions for American Airlines. Researchers at Gartner estimated that the market for HR-related business process outsourcing reached $24.6 billion in 2006, a roughly 5 percent gain over 2005. However, the research firm has also predicted that some services providers might struggle with profitability during 2007, impeding growth of the U.S. sector of the market specifically. HR remains the largest segment of the worldwide business outsourcing market at 18.7 percent, Gartner reported, with payroll and benefits administration ranking as the most popular tasks that are being farmed out to service providers. | Post the first comment about: IBM gets HR outsourcing deal with American |
| 2/24/2007 | A quiet Florida giant begins to make noise Source: St. Petersburg Times | Growth at FrankCrum (formerly known as Crum Staffing) is taking off. Summary article about the company and its president and CEO, Frank Crum Jr.
The company, FrankCrum, is a PEO, or professional employer organization, which means it does human resources work for other companies. Crum, 57, also owns Crum Staffing, a temporary staffing firm; and Frank Winston Crum Insurance, a workers' compensation insurance carrier. Up next: FrankCrum is rolling out a service called Frank Advice. Crum hopes that his 3,000 client companies will use the information, available online and by hotline, to make sure they're following the law when hiring, firing, paying and educating employees. | Latest Comment: - 10/13/2009 Doing business with Frank Crum Read All 1 Comments about: A quiet Florida giant begins to make noise |
| 2/19/2007 | Gevity expands technology through acquisition Source: Tampa Bay Business Journal | Gevity pays $10M for 75 ASO clients and Ultimate Solutions HR platform. While the client portfolio of HRAmerica fits the profile of those businesses who could benefit from Gevity's broader comprehensive offering, the key reason for the transaction is to acquire the processes and technology to support our growth," said Erik Vonk, chairman and chief executive officer, in the release. | Latest Comment: - 2/24/2007 DOL ANd Sexual Harrassment Com Read All 2 Comments about: Gevity expands technology through acquisition |
| 1/31/2007 | PEOs provide human-resource, payroll services Source: Orlando Sentinel | Business columnist Harry Wessel answers a question from an employee whos' company recently hired a PEO. Question: The company where I've worked for several years recently signed an agreement with another company to take over all labor-relations activities. An "employee leasing" statement we were given to sign expressly acknowledges this new company, which I've never heard of, as a co-employer. It appears to make me an employee of the new company. The statement even says there will be a 90-day evaluation period, during which I could be dismissed for any reason, and that I could be reassigned to another job at the company's discretion. In addition to having to revert to rookie status, I'm worried that, if I sign, it will affect the benefits I've accrued, as well as unemployment benefits should I need them. Can the company legally do this? | Latest Comment: - 2/9/2007 Decent Advice Read All 1 Comments about: PEOs provide human-resource, payroll services |
| 1/22/2007 | Best practices back PEO industry certification Source: Business Insurance | Information about ESAC and the value for Professional Employer Organizations who participate. The $51 billion U.S. professional employer organization industry has worked hard to develop independent performance certification and accreditation programs to provide greater assurance to the marketplace, including insurance companies, business clients and regulators. With leadership from the National Assn. of Professional Employer Organizations, the industry developed the PEO Workers Compensation Risk Management Certification Program (IF, March 2005) based on best performance practices determined by insurance carriers. | Latest Comment: - 1/29/2007 ESAC is good for PEO but.... Read All 1 Comments about: Best practices back PEO industry certification |
| 1/16/2007 | Barrett Business Services Source: Seeking Alpha | Nice investment related article about StaffMarket member PEO: Barrett Business Services in California. All this while the company has said they've still been able to pick and choose among prospective clients to keep their risk low (as essentially a co-employer with their PEO clients, BBSI is the one that takes out the workers comp insurance. So, for example, they wouldn't typically want to contract for PEO services with a roofing company). After my first run through on the company's materials and reports, this looks like a promising company with very steady and growing sales. PEO contracts generally run on annual cycles, and BBSI has a very high (90%) renewal rate. The hassle of changing companies in this business is pretty substantial, and the hassle of taking the work back yourself is worse still. This part of the business has been growing faster than the traditional staffing business for Barrett, and now makes up close to half of revenues. | Post the first comment about: Barrett Business Services |
| 1/7/2007 | Employee Leasing Solutions moves to Guard for Work Comp Source: Business Wire | ELS in Bradenton Florida obtains workers' compensation coverage from Guard of Pennsylvania. Susan Shoval, President of GUARD Insurance Group, announced today its intention to expand into the Florida workers’ compensation market through the development of a strategic relationship with Employee Leasing Solutions (ELS), a Bradenton based PEO. | Latest Comment: - 1/8/2007 ELS finally found some work co Read All 1 Comments about: Employee Leasing Solutions moves to Guard for Work Comp |
| 12/6/2006 | Minimum Wage increases effective January 1, 2007 Source: StaffMarket | Review states increasing the minimum wage in 2007. The following states will have a new minimum wage effective January 1, 2007. Your Professional Employer Organization should automatically increase the wages of any employee that falls below the new minimum wage. | Post the first comment about: Minimum Wage increases effective January 1, 2007 |
| 11/28/2006 | State Fund files for 9% workers' comp premium decrease Source: San Jose Business Journal | California State fund lowers work comp rates. The State Compensation Insurance Fund has filed for an average 9 percent decrease in 2007 workers' compensation insurance rates, officials at the state's largest workers' comp carrier said Monday. | Post the first comment about: State Fund files for 9% workers' comp premium decrease |
| 11/28/2006 | Juggle No More Source: Pitney Bowes | Real life stories about companies who have partnered with a PEO. PEOs’ best-known services include payroll, health insurance (the organizations typically represent thousands of employees, so they can negotiate good rates), worker’s compensation, 401(k)s, and other benefit plans. In fact, however, those offerings only scratch the surface. PEOs also can help with management training, policy development, employee handbooks, OSHA compliance, workshops on issues such as sexual harassment and workplace safety, leadership development seminars, headhunting services, guidance for compensation plans and employee evaluations… the list goes on and on. “Most small-businesspeople probably aren’t aware of all the HR consulting services that PEOs offer,” says Monette Galello, vice president of Burlington, Massachusetts PEO Genesis Consolidated Services. “Those services can boost productivity, protect small businesses and their employees from various risks, and help small firms compete with big corporations for employees.” | Post the first comment about: Juggle No More |
| 11/2/2006 | Name change for AmStaff Source: Gulf Breeze News | AmStaff changes company name to Landrum Professional. About Landrum: Landrum Professional operates as a Professional Employer Organization (PEO). It provides comprehensive outsourced HR services at a fraction of the cost of a fully staffed human resource department. These services include: regulatory compliance, workers' comp and claims, "Fortune 500" benefits, background checks, drug testing, unemployment claims and payroll administration. | Post the first comment about: Name change for AmStaff |
| 10/27/2006 | Is It Time to Outsource Your HR? Source: TheStreet.com | Good overview of HR Outsourcing with a Professional Employer Organization. Generally, a PEO will legally hire a company's current employees, thereby making the PEO the "employer of record" for taxation and insurance purposes. Having the employees of multiple businesses "on staff" allows PEOs to enjoy lower benefits' costs because more employees mean better rates. The employees are then leased back to the original employer (now a PEO client) under a shared-employment contractual relationship, which sets out the powers, responsibilities and liabilities of the parties. This practice is also known as "employee leasing" or "staff leasing." | Post the first comment about: Is It Time to Outsource Your HR? |
| 10/24/2006 | Cell Phone Use: Employer Liability? Source: WorkForce Management | Article discusses the 'vicarious liability' that employers may have for auto accidents caused by employees use of cell phones while driving. So what should employers do to limit their exposure to vicarious liability from employee cell phone use? It's easy: Clearly limit job scope so that it prohibits cell phone use that is unreasonably dangerous. That can be done through written rules—in employee contracts, handbooks or personnel policies—that either prohibit cell phone use while driving altogether or allow cell phone use only if it complies with state and/or local rules. This would include any applicable rules requiring hands-free devices. | Post the first comment about: Cell Phone Use: Employer Liability? |
| 10/19/2006 | Staffing Company Hires New CIO Source: Tampa Bay Business Journal | FrankCrum hires Cynthia McGathey as CIO. Cynthia McGathey was appointed chief information officer for FrankCrum, a professional employer organization and staffing company. Prior to joining FrankCrum, McGathey served as vice president of information technology with Certegy; held various information management positions at Abra Software, Inc.; and held information services and finance positions with Ascom Timeplex. | Post the first comment about: Staffing Company Hires New CIO |
| 10/12/2006 | Insurance commissioner made the right call Source: Small Business Times | Wisconsin's regulators recognize the value of PEOs for small businesses. With passage of a PEO registration bill, Wisconsin can join a majority of states that have successfully adopted such bills, from industrialized states such as New York to more rural states such as Oklahoma and southern states like Florida and Arizona. That makes sense for Wisconsin and the growing PEO industry, the small businesses they serve and the workers they employ. | Post the first comment about: Insurance commissioner made the right call |
| 9/25/2006 | Florida Workers' Comp Rates May Decline Source: South Florida Business Journal | Could be good news for Florida based companies. The Florida Office of Insurance Regulation is planning a public hearing on a 13.3 percent proposed workers' compensation insurance rate filed by the National Council on Compensation Insurance. McCarty pointed out in two of the last three NCCI filings, his office ultimately approved rate cuts greater than those advocated by NCCI. | Post the first comment about: Florida Workers' Comp Rates May Decline |
| 9/22/2006 | Health-care Premium Hikes Returning Source: Business First | Health insurance price increase averages 8.6% nationally. But employers won't be able to sustain double-digit rate increases for much longer, Waterhouse said. That has them looking for more ways to shift part of the costs to workers and encourage them to improve their health through wellness and disease management programs. | Post the first comment about: Health-care Premium Hikes Returning |
| 9/20/2006 | Massachusetts Fairshare Contribution Source: Mass.gov | Massachusetts clarifies client level reporting for PEOs under employer fairshare contributions. Employee Leasing Company. A sole proprietorship, partnership, corporation or other form of business entity whose business consists largely of leasing employees to one or more Client Companies under contractual arrangements that retain for such employee leasing companies a substantial portion of personnel management functions, such as payroll, direction and control of workers, and the right to hire and fire workers provided by the employee leasing company; provided, however, that the leasing arrangement is long term and not an arrangement to provide the client company temporary help services during seasonal or unusual conditions. | Post the first comment about: Massachusetts Fairshare Contribution |
| 9/18/2006 | Gevity Revises Earnings Forecast Source: Tampa Bay Business Journal | Gevity revises earnings forecast for 2006. Summary of new office openings and stock repurchase plans. Based on the ranges of updated guidance below, Gevity expects full year 2006 earnings of at least $1.31 a share, on 27 million shares outstanding, representing at least a 9 percent increase compared to earnings of $1.20 a share, on 28.5 million shares outstanding in 2005. Previous guidance for earnings guidance was $1.43 to $1.47 a share on 27.2 million shares outstanding. | Post the first comment about: Gevity Revises Earnings Forecast |
| 9/15/2006 | Calif. Workers' Comp Rating Bureau Proposes Rate Decrease
Source: Insurance Journal | California's Workers' Compensation Insurance Rating Board has proposed a 6.3 percent reduction in the pure premium rate. On Sept. 14, 2006, the WCIRB amended its Aug. 16, 2006 filing to include a proposed 6.3 percent reduction in pure premium rates with respect to new and renewal policies with an anniversary rating date on or after Jan. 1, 2007. In addition to proposing a decrease in pure premium rates, the WCIRB also proposed a decrease in the experience rating eligibility threshold from $16,971 to $16,600. | Post the first comment about: Calif. Workers' Comp Rating Bureau Proposes Rate Decrease |
| 9/11/2006 | NAPEO Conference - StaffMarket sponsors PEO industry annual conference Source: StaffMarket | StaffMarket announces sponsorship at NAPEO conference. The principals at StaffMarket are looking forward to the opportunity to visit with our many business partner PEO company representatives throughout the country. | Post the first comment about: NAPEO Conference - StaffMarket sponsors PEO industry annual conference |
| 8/1/2006 | PEO Industry Continues to Grow Source: New York CPA Journal | Article discusses PEO accreditation through ESAC - Employer Services Assurance Corporation. The PEO industry has matured to a $51 billion industry serving an estimated 100,000 small to mid-sized businesses and 2 million to 3 million workers. With strong annual growth rates, about 700 PEOs offering a wide array of employment services and benefits are operating in 50 states. | Post the first comment about: PEO Industry Continues to Grow |
| 8/1/2006 | Staff Leasing Source: Oswego County Business | New York state company 'Staff Leasing' thrives. With Staff Leasing concentrating on the aspects of business that aren’t core to an operation like human resources, clients are able to concentrate on their business, whether that is their clients or patients, products, marketing or profits. | Post the first comment about: Staff Leasing |
| 7/26/2006 | Leased employees benefit plan is a MEWA Source: CCH | EBSA determines that a Nevada company's benefit plan is not a single employer benefit plan but is ruled a multiple employer welfare arrangement. The company in question provides payroll services for the employees, as well as benefits and worker's compensation. The company's clients control the training, hiring, and firing of the employees. ERISA §514(b)(6)(A) permits state insurance regulation of a MEWA, without regard to whether or not it is a qualified employee benefit plan. | Post the first comment about: Leased employees benefit plan is a MEWA |
| 7/12/2006 | HP Enters HRO Market in Deal With Nestlé Source: Workforce | HP enters the HRO marketplace. Hewlett-Packard has signed a human resources outsourcing deal with Nestlé, the first of its kind for the Palo Alto, California-based technology company. | Post the first comment about: HP Enters HRO Market in Deal With Nestlé |
| 7/11/2006 | TriNet acquires assets of Outsource Group Source: Business Wire | Press release disclosing the acquisition of assets of Outsource group by TriNet. TriNet, a nationwide provider of human resource (HR) outsourcing services for small and mid-sized companies, today announced the purchase of the customer assets of Outsource Group, a nationwide HR services. | Post the first comment about: TriNet acquires assets of Outsource Group |
| 5/19/2006 | Small Business Assistance Bill Introduced Source: StaffMarket.com | Senator Chuck Grassley introduces the Small Business Efficiency Act to qualify PEOs. Bill describes certification requirements which a PEO must demonstrate to the IRS by written application. As established by the Secretary of the Treasury, these could include requirements with respect to tax status, background, experience, business location, and annual financial audits, as wellas verification of the continuing accuracy of representations and information on a periodic basis | Post the first comment about: Small Business Assistance Bill Introduced |
| 5/1/2006 | Fed up with HR? Source: Inc Magazine | Nice article offering real life examples of the benefits gained by engaging a PEO. PEOs are becoming one-stop shops for business owners eager to outsource all of their HR functions and focus instead on their core business. | Post the first comment about: Fed up with HR? |
| 4/19/2006 | Putting a Band-Aid on small firms' health costs Source: USA Today | Artice reviews health insurance options for small businesses. Think of a PEO as an off-site personnel department. For an annual fee, often 2% to 7% of the dollar value of annual payroll, a PEO manages everything from recruiting and hiring to managing health benefits. They're a boon to small businesses, many of which don't need and can't afford a full-time human resources department. PEOs started in the early 1980s in Texas and Florida, says the National Association of Professional Employer Organizations trade group. There are now about 700. | Post the first comment about: Putting a Band-Aid on small firms' health costs |
| 4/5/2006 | In Massachusetts, Health Care for All? Source: Business Week | Proposed legislation requires companies with 11 of more employees to provide health insurance or pay $295 per worker per year. The legislation also includes such liberal measures as huge government subsidies to help low-income individuals buy insurance. What's more, all companies with 11 or more workers are required to help pay for health insurance -- a so-called employer mandate. | Post the first comment about: In Massachusetts, Health Care for All? |
| 3/16/2006 | Fighting Off Health Care Headaches Source: Business Week Online | Article discusses health coverage advantages of HR outsourcing with a professional employer organization. We went to a model that was able to provide Fortune 500 benefits at a reasonable cost," says Butler, who estimates that her company saves 20% to 25% on health coverage as a result of the arrangement. | Post the first comment about: Fighting Off Health Care Headaches |
| 3/9/2006 | As medical bills mount, who pays? Source: St. Pete Times | Why everyone on a job site must be covered by a worker's compensation policy. When workers' compensation investigators find an employer is operating without coverage, they can shut down a work site, require employers to pay back premiums and impose hefty penalties, Holloman said. The most egregious cases of flagrant or repeat offenders may be referred to the insurance fraud division, which can file criminal charges. | Post the first comment about: As medical bills mount, who pays? |
| 3/1/2006 | PEO with sizable local presence snapped up by R.I. firm Source: Tampa Bay Business Journal | Article discusses the recent acquisition of Oasis Outsourcing by Nautic Partners LLC. Oasis, based in West Palm Beach, is a large professional employer organization. It has 10 Tampa offices and 240 employees in the Tampa Bay area. It specializes in providing comprehensive human resources products and services, including consulting and training, healthcare benefits, payroll services, risk management services, recruiting and staffing support. | Post the first comment about: PEO with sizable local presence snapped up by R.I. firm |
| 2/10/2006 | Are You In or Out with HR?
Source: Area Developer | How franshisees can handle HR with a PEO. Ken Hutcheson, president of Floridabased U.S. Lawns, says he is a passionate cheerleader for outsourcing HR. After one of his very successful franchisees got tapped with a huge workers' comp bill in 1993 that very nearly put him out of business | Post the first comment about: Are You In or Out with HR? |
| 1/5/2006 | Everyone gains as HR Tasks are outsourced. Source: mysa.com | A texas based non-profit organization discusses the advantages of HR outsourcing. Professional employer organizations, commonly called PEOs, provide human resources services to small and medium-sized companies. | Post the first comment about: Everyone gains as HR Tasks are outsourced. |
| 12/2/2005 | Why every business needs a cafeteria plan. Source: Accounting Web | Article discusses the tax advantages of section 125 plans for employers and employees. Small businesses wanting more help establishing and administering a Section 125 plan might wish to consider consulting a professional employer organization (PEO). | Post the first comment about: Why every business needs a cafeteria plan. |
| 11/28/2005 | The UI Blues Source: HR Magazine | The article reviews the significant financial impact of unemployment insurance claims. Any benefits paid to former employees count in an employer's experience rating--and drive up the employer's SUTA costs in the future. So employers that pay for unqualified claimants today will also pay more tomorrow for unemployment insurance. | Post the first comment about: The UI Blues |
| 11/28/2005 | PEO industry builds trust of insurance carriers Source: onrec.com | PEOs create Workers' Comp - Risk Management certification program. PEOs arrange workers’ compensation coverage, provide risk management and manage claims for several million workers as part of their service to small to mid-sized businesses. PEOs also enable their clients to cost-effectively outsource the management of human resources, employee benefits and payroll. As a result, their clients focus on their core competencies to maintain and grow their bottom line. | Post the first comment about: PEO industry builds trust of insurance carriers |
| 11/24/2005 | Insurance Shopping Source: Sarasota Business | Article explains high deductible HSA plans as a medical insurance option. HMO, PPO, meet the new kid on the block: HDHP, or the high-deductible health plan, and its twin, HSA, health savings account. Created as part of the Medicare bill that President Bush signed in December 2003 and put into effect Jan. 1, 2004, HSAs are intended to combat the high costs of medical care and create a consumer approach to healthcare while giving the patient more control of their healthcare dollars. | Post the first comment about: Insurance Shopping |
| 11/16/2005 | Small firms benefit from outside help Source: Orlando Sentinal | How one company used a StaffMarket PEO to help grow their company. The regulatory environment gets tougher and tougher," Perlberg said. "A large company can handle it, but when you're a small or medium-sized business, you're not in a position to hire people to worry about that kind of thing. A PEO gives you an advantage." | Post the first comment about: Small firms benefit from outside help |
| 10/31/2005 | Keeping insurance costs bearable Source: Seattle Bizwomen.com | Health insurance alternatives with a Professional Employer Organization. Another alternative is to work with a professional employer organization (PEO), which not only groups many smaller employers together for benefits purposes, but also delivers a full range of human resources administration and support -- usually more cost-effectively than a small company can do in-house. | Post the first comment about: Keeping insurance costs bearable |
| 10/27/2005 | Employee Leasing Solutions employee wins prize Source: MarketWatch | If only all employees could be this great. Sidney Karr is an 88-year-old courier for Employee Leasing Solutions, an employee benefits and payroll company in Florida. He says he doesn't really need the paycheck but "I want to do something until I get old, and this keeps me occupied." | Post the first comment about: Employee Leasing Solutions employee wins prize |
| 9/21/2005 | Businessman fined for defrauding workers' comp Source: Times Standard | Running a business without providing legitimate workers' compensation coverage can be expensive. On Friday, Constanzo was convicted of workers' comp insurance fraud for underreporting payroll, misclassifying and failing to report wages that were paid in cash. Victor Ferro, Constanzo's lawyer, said the charges were reduced to a misdemeanor and that Constanzo is also on probation for two years. | Post the first comment about: Businessman fined for defrauding workers' comp |
| 9/20/2005 | RMI Celebrates 10th Anniversary Source: Sentinal and Enterprise | Short Article about RMI one of the nation' s largest Hispanic owned Professional Employer Organizations. RMI is a professional employer organization that provides employee leasing to small- and medium- sized companies in New England. | Post the first comment about: RMI Celebrates 10th Anniversary |
| 9/9/2005 | NCCO amends state workers' comp filing Source: Orlando Busines Journal | Good news for Florida employers, Workers' Compensation insurance rates are dropping. Now, Boca Raton-based NCCI is amending its overall 4.5 percent decrease for workers' comp in the five major industrial classes, increasing it to 7.2 percent. | Post the first comment about: NCCO amends state workers' comp filing |
| 8/15/2005 | How States Differ on Workers' Compensation insurance laws Source: MSNBC Small Business | An excellent article describing the rules, challenges and risks faced by businesses regarding finding and maintaining Workers' Comp coverage. If you're in an assigned risk plan, check with your state's insurance regulators to see if assigned risk policies in your state have higher rates and premiums. If this is the case, then do everything in your power to find coverage outside the assigned risk plan. Talk with other agents, talk with direct-writing insurance companies, talk with employee leasing companies, investigate group self-insurance programs available in your state-but don't let it be your agent's responsibility to get you out of the assigned risk plan. | Post the first comment about: How States Differ on Workers' Compensation insurance laws |
| 8/2/2005 | HR Outsourcing: A Stratregic Solution Source: About.com | A recent SHRM survey shows the major reasons and functions companies are HR Outsourcing. Take a look at what other organizations are outsourcing. Outsourcing certain business processes might make sense for you, too. | Post the first comment about: HR Outsourcing: A Stratregic Solution |
| 7/25/2005 | Americans Paying More for Health Insurance Source: MSNBC Small Business | This article discusses the amounts employers and employees health insurance costs have increased in the last few years. The average employer’s contribution for a private-sector employee taking family coverage increased by 89.3 percent (59.9 percent when adjusted for inflation) -- from $3,679 in 1996 to $6,966 in 2003. | Post the first comment about: Americans Paying More for Health Insurance |
| 6/7/2005 | HR outsourcing takes on new life Source: Network World | Article discusses the impact on IT of HR outsourcing. In general, the average running cost for HR business process outsourcing providers is between $1,500 and $2,000 per supported employee per year, depending on the type of HR functions managed.. | Post the first comment about: HR outsourcing takes on new life |
| 5/20/2005 | SCI Expands in India and Atlanta Source: Tampa Bay Business Journal | Short article about StaffMarket member PEO SCI expanding operations and acquiring PEO Employee Professionals. The Atlanta operations center was relocated to larger offices to accommodate a growing number of clients, SCI said. The Atlanta operations center handles payroll distribution, benefits administration and other HR services for SCI clients primarily in the southeastern region. | Post the first comment about: SCI Expands in India and Atlanta |
| 4/29/2005 | Mount Laurel company develops growing PEO niche Source: Philadelphia Business Journal | Article discusses tha value a NJ based PEO has delivered for their clients. (PEO) is part of a burgeoning national industry known as professional employer organizations, or PEOs. The companies take over nearly all the human resources functions -- and headaches -- for small and midsize business, doing everything from processing payroll and administering benefits to labor law compliance. | Post the first comment about: Mount Laurel company develops growing PEO niche |
| 10/26/2004 | Bottom-line improvement continues for Barrett Source: Portland Business Journal | Barrett Business Services - StaffMarket member PEO continues building financial stability. About 45 percent of Barrett's business comes from placing temps, while another 45 percent comes through consulting and placing employment contract workers through its professional employer organization duties. | Post the first comment about: Bottom-line improvement continues for Barrett |
| 6/6/2004 | Outsourcing HR Source: Realtor.org | Brief article about PEOs and how to select a PEO. According to Jim Hamilton, president of staffmarket.com, which helps employers find the right PEO, the organizations typically offer four general categories of service: | Post the first comment about: Outsourcing HR |
| 3/29/2004 | Gevity buys key rival in HR services, Epix Source: St. Petersburg Times | Henry Gonzalez, who owns a Tampa plumbing company that has used Epix for the past four years, said he got a fax announcing the deal, with more details to follow. But after outsourcing HR duties for his 30 employees for more than 20 years, Gonzalez said change is nothing new. "I was relatively happy with Epix," he said. "But we've gone through five or six companies since we started farming out payroll." | Post the first comment about: Gevity buys key rival in HR services, Epix |
| 3/14/2004 | StaffMarket Services hires Dodson Source: Sarasota Herald Tribune | Newsclip about Chris Dodson joining StaffMarket Services. Christopher Dodson has joined Bradenton's StaffMarket Service as national director of broker relationships. He was previously a sales director with The Cura Group and has seven years of experience in the professional employer organization industry. | Post the first comment about: StaffMarket Services hires Dodson |
| 3/14/2004 | PEO Rountable in South Carolina Source: South Carolina Consumer Affairs | South Carolina creates a roundtable to discuss issues in the SC PEO marketplace The Professional Employer Organization (PEO) Roundtable was established to assist the Department in its licensing and regulation of the PEO industry by maintaining an open line of communication between the industry and the Department. The first meeting was held on March 14, 2004. | Post the first comment about: PEO Rountable in South Carolina |
| 3/5/2004 | Gevity sets out to prove its value to business Source: Sarasota Herald Tribune | Gevity engages Cornell University to study the value of HR services for small businesses. Jim Hamilton, president of StaffMarket.com, a Bradenton-based company that helps small businesses find PEOs, added that increased knowledge about human resources will benefit everyone. | Post the first comment about: Gevity sets out to prove its value to business |
| 2/13/2004 | PEO Forges Ahead Source: Sarasota Herald Tribune | Nice article on Progressive Employer Services. Twice in the last five years, Progressive Employer Services has had to purge clients that insurance carriers deemed too risky or too geographically dispersed to insure. And the professional employer organization has had to ante up millions of dollars in collateral to convince carriers that it had the wherewithal to remain in business. | Post the first comment about: PEO Forges Ahead |
| 1/2/2004 | HR Outsourcing Source: Credit Union Executives | Article discusses the advantages of HR outsourcing for credit unions. One major source of satisfaction for credit unions that choose PEOs like Administaff is relief from administrative or compliance concerns. Rick Wilson, a regional manager with Administaff, says: "From a co-employment platform we offer the users of our services the highest and best approach to this. Without the PEO or the co-employment relationship, the credit union is 100 percent responsible for the liabilities and responsibilities of the employer/employee relationship. With the relationship of a PEO, many of those liabilities are passed to a company like ours." | Post the first comment about: HR Outsourcing |
| 11/19/2003 | Small businesses must be creative to find affordable health insurance. Source: Florida Trend | This article discusses rising insurance costs for small business owners and some of the options. More importantly, because the company's employees now are combined with other members of the PEO, the company can leverage the PEO's total enrollment to enjoy premiums $100 less per month than they had been paying before joining, Barney says. | Post the first comment about: Small businesses must be creative to find affordable health insurance. |
| 10/3/2003 | Smaller employers target of Legislature's new rules. Source: Denver Business Journal | Article about legislative changes for Health Plans in Colorado. The reason why small employers have been interested in alternatives to the small-group market can be summed up in two words: lower prices. For groups with relatively healthy employees, those alternatives have included partial self-funding, some types of Professional Employer Organizations (PEOs) and individual insurance. These products, in most cases, are medically underwritten. | Post the first comment about: Smaller employers target of Legislature's new rules. |
| 10/1/2003 | Fla. Workers' Comp Reforms Take Effect Oct. 1.(2003) Source: Insurance Journal | Articles explains the new Workers' Compensation Insurance reforms in Florida. Under the new law, in addition to issuing a stop-work order to an employer whose coverage lapses, the department can now issue a stop-work order to an employer committing any of the following acts: Understating payroll in order to evade or reduce premium payments: Misrepresenting or concealing employee duties to avoid proper classification: Failure to provide business records to the department. | Post the first comment about: Fla. Workers' Comp Reforms Take Effect Oct. 1.(2003) |
| 9/23/2003 | Small businesses must be creative to find affordable health insurance. Source: Florida Trend Magazine | Article discusses the health insurance options for businesses. When a PEO is hired by a small business, the business' employees become employees of the PEO, providing them with benefits, including health insurance. While in RBB's case the PEO gets a $14,000 annual service fee, the move saved the company $50,000 in an office manager's salary and benefits each year, says CEO Christine Barney. More importantly, because the company's employees now are combined with other members of the PEO, the company can leverage the PEO's total enrollment to enjoy premiums $100 less per month than they had been paying before joining, Barney says. | Post the first comment about: Small businesses must be creative to find affordable health insurance. |
| 9/5/2003 | Association answers employers' questions
Source: Tampa Bay Business Journal | Summary article from NAPEO about PEOs. Through the use of a PEO relationship, client companies make a long-term investment in their workers because in most cases the PEO provides access to health insurance, retirement savings plans, and other critical employee benefits for their work site employees. In the event a PEO relationship is terminated, the co-employees will cease to work for the PEO but will continue as employees of the client. | Post the first comment about: Association answers employers' questions |
| 9/5/2003 | Database to track workers' coverage Source: Sarasota Herald Tribune | The state of Florida is attempting to track Workers' Compensation Coverage for contractors and sub-contractors. "This database will be an excellent tool for contractors who need to receive updated policy information on the subcontractors they hire," said Tom Gallagher, the head of the Department of Financial Services. "If a subcontractor cancels its policy or fails to pay the required premium, the contractor will receive an e-mail notification from the department." | Post the first comment about: Database to track workers' coverage |
| 8/16/2003 | Workers' comp exemptions harder to get Source: Sarasota Herald Tribune | Article about the new Florida rules for Workers' Compensation exemptions. Last month, the Florida Legislature repealed the requirement that contractors buy workers' comp if they work on commercial projects valued at more than $250,000. At the same time, however, the Legislature tightened requirements governing how many officers in a company are eligible to file for workers' comp exemptions. It also authorized the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation to hire 65 additional fraud prevention officers to visit construction sites and make sure that contractors play by the rules. | Post the first comment about: Workers' comp exemptions harder to get |
| 8/6/2003 | PEOs relieve business owner of some HR issues Source: Birmingham Business Journal | Article about the benefits of using a PEO. Enter the company behind the curtain: a Professional Employer Organization (PEO), which works "behind the scenes" to give companies (typically with fewer than 150 employees) all the resources of the big guys, thereby relieving them of the burdens and challenges associated with the "business of employment." | Post the first comment about: PEOs relieve business owner of some HR issues |
| 7/22/2003 | Gevity doubling staff Source: Sarasota Herald Tribune | Article about the sales force expansion at Gevity HR. Over the past three years, Gevity has seen its revenues stagnate as it made a transition from providing payroll and employee-benefits processing services to companies with mainly blue-collar workers to providing a wider variety of human resource services to companies with mainly white collar workers. | Post the first comment about: Gevity doubling staff |
| 7/17/2003 | Meridian's parent firm gets reprieve. Source: Manatee Herald Tribune | Article about the Cura Group and Certified Services Worker's Compensation carrier situation. While most PEOs operating in the state have been able to obtain year-long contracts with workers' comp carriers or have sold out to companies that already had long-term contracts, American HR and its predecessor companies have faced the threat of contract terminations every two or three months. In June, CNA, the huge Chicago-based workers' comp carrier that has been gradually exiting the PEO business, granted American HR its final extension. | Post the first comment about: Meridian's parent firm gets reprieve. |
| 7/8/2003 | Outsourcing HR tasks can reduce overhead. Source: Austin Business Journal | Article about how HR Outsourcing. If your HR outsourcing needs require more than an a la carte option, consider a professional employer organization, or PEO. A PEO assumes full responsibility of your company's HR administration, becoming a co-employer of your company's workers by taking full legal responsibility for your employees. But some HR outsourcing services like to use the recognized term "PEO" when they handle the primary aspects of HR such as payroll and benefits, yet they don't take this legal partnership. | Post the first comment about: Outsourcing HR tasks can reduce overhead. |
| 6/25/2003 | Staffing firms opt to grow in other states. Source: Orlando Business Journal | Staffing firms in Florida feel the Workers' Compensation insurance squeeze. As a result, says Robert Skrob, executive director of the Florida chapter of the National Association of Professional Employer Organizations, "competition within the industry has really suffered." Among those agencies still growing, the search for a stable workers' compensation climate has led them to states notorious for tax-heavy business climates. | Post the first comment about: Staffing firms opt to grow in other states. |
| 6/24/2003 | Ranking shows three-year results for 200 companies Source: Tampa Bay Business Journal | Information on the 2002 performance for several Tampa Bay area PEOs. Professional employer organizations showed excellent gains in revenue, including six of the 25 fastest growing companies. One of the major reasons for the PEO increases is the hard market that exists for workers' compensation coverage, said John Porreca, president of Southeast Personnel Leasing Inc. Southeast Personnel -- with a two-year increase of 151 percent -- rose to No. 5 overall in 2002 revenue from No. 12 in 2002. "The PEOs that had coverage have been able to grow significantly," Porreca said. "When C&A Insurance Co., which insured more than 60 percent of the state's PEOs, dropped its coverage for workers' comp last February, it caused many companies to either merge or sell out. | Post the first comment about: Ranking shows three-year results for 200 companies |
| 6/24/2003 | Ranking shows three-year results for 200 companies Source: Tampa Bay Business Journal | Information on the 2002 performance for several Tampa Bay area PEOs. Several professional employer organizations showed excellent gains in revenue, including six of the 25 fastest growing companies. One of the major reasons for the PEO increases is the hard market that exists for workers' compensation coverage, said John Porreca, president of Southeast Personnel Leasing Inc. Southeast Personnel -- with a two-year increase of 151 percent -- rose to No. 5 overall in 2002 revenue from No. 12 in 2002. "The PEOs that had coverage have been able to grow significantly," Porreca said. "When C&A Insurance Co., which insured more than 60 percent of the state's PEOs, dropped its coverage for workers' comp last February, it caused many companies to either merge or sell out. | Post the first comment about: Ranking shows three-year results for 200 companies |
| 6/24/2003 | Ranking shows three-year results for 200 companies Source: Tampa Bay Business Journal | Information on the 2002 performance for several Tampa Bay area PEOs. Professional employer organizations showed excellent gains in revenue, including six of the 25 fastest growing companies. One of the major reasons for the PEO increases is the hard market that exists for workers' compensation coverage, said John Porreca, president of Southeast Personnel Leasing Inc. Southeast Personnel -- with a two-year increase of 151 percent -- rose to No. 5 overall in 2002 revenue from No. 12 in 2002. "The PEOs that had coverage have been able to grow significantly," Porreca said. "When C&A Insurance Co., which insured more than 60 percent of the state's PEOs, dropped its coverage for workers' comp last February, it caused many companies to either merge or sell out. | Post the first comment about: Ranking shows three-year results for 200 companies |
| 5/29/2003 | Biz Skeptical over new insurance help Source: Orlando Biz Journal | Article discuss the impact of new Florida legislation on lawyers representing Work Comp claimants. To be sure, some employers in the construction industry welcome the proposed changes. We think it is a great bill, says Stephen Munnell, executive director of the Florida Roofing, Sheet Metal & Air Conditioning Contractors Association Inc. Munnell's enthusiasm is more understandable given the legislation's proposed closure of a major loophole. Currently, company officers, independent subcontractors and sole proprietors can legally go without worker's compensation coverage. For example, a construction company could claim it only had two employees who perform clerical and administrative work -- while also claiming a small army of employees were independent subcontractors, even if the independent subcontractors showed up at 8 a.m. every morning, took a one-hour lunch break and never worked for any other company. State insurers estimate such exemptions from coverage cost in excess of $1 billion a year. | Post the first comment about: Biz Skeptical over new insurance help |
| 5/6/2003 | Taking work out of having workers Source: Palm Beach Post | Article about why small business owners have partnered with a PEO. Sandie Foland is not trained as an accountant or attorney. She's not a human resources specialist or a recruiter, either. Foland sells signs. She and husband, Jerry, employ 32 people at Baron Sign Manufacturing in Lake Park, one of many small and medium-sized companies in the area that have handed over human resources, payroll and insurance matters to employee-leasing companies known as professional employer organizations, or PEOs. "In my early years, I was doing payroll until 4 in the morning," Foland said. "I don't want to go back to that." | Post the first comment about: Taking work out of having workers |
| 5/6/2003 | Make the most of your PEO Source: CNN Fn | Article the covers what you should expect when you engage a PEO for your business. It's been nearly a decade since professional employer organizations (PEOs) came on the scene as the hot new trend in corporate outsourcing, providing small business owners with a low- cost way to cut personnel problems down to size. For many, it was the solution they were looking for -- a third party administrator that would manage the company's benefits, payroll and administrative needs, while freeing up internal resources to focus on core competencies. But for others, industry insiders acknowledge it hasn't been the panacea they had hoped for. | Post the first comment about: Make the most of your PEO |
| 5/6/2003 | Outsourcing your HR Source: CNN Fn | Article about cost savings and retaining employee control when you partner with a PEO. "I didn't have the time or the personnel to deal with the human resources, safety and OSHA regulations," said Strasse, whose firm makes industrial scales. The fact that First-Weigh's health insurance carrier dropped the company after its first two years added to his worries. When he could get coverage, the premiums were increasing about 30 percent a year. "We were always looking for new insurance," Strasse said. Strasse needed more than a payroll service that provided benefits. He also needed help complying with a myriad of state and federal laws. "With the ways the laws are written, especially related to questions you can't ask during job interviews, it was impossible to train all our managers about what not to do," Strasse said. In addition to providing insurance benefits and workers' compensation coverage, the PEO's experts also handle everything from regulatory compliance to payroll administration and sexual harassment training. | Post the first comment about: Outsourcing your HR |
| 5/6/2003 | Making benefits benefit you Source: CNN Fn | Article that describes how small business owners can offer a benefits package the competes with larger companies by joining a PEO. Small businesses often pay even more, lacking the buying power to cut competitive deals with insurance companies and pension firms. But small-company owners don't need to bang their heads against the wall. For one thing, small-business owners can enrich their benefit packages by turning their staffs over to a "professional employer organization," or PEO. Once known as "staff-leasing firms," PEOs "hire" the employees for the purposes of benefits, human resources and tax administration. In return, the employees' company pays the PEO either a percentage of payroll, or a flat fee per week for the service. Because PEOs bring lots of employees together into a single group, they can offer participating small businesses lower group-rate fees for standard benefits such as health insurance, 401(k) plans, disability, life insurance and more. | Post the first comment about: Making benefits benefit you |
| 5/6/2003 | Let a Pro handle benefits Source: CNN Fn | Article about the benefits of using a PEO. Businesses with fewer than 100 employees spend as much as 25 percent of their resources handling management and personnel matters, according to the Small Business Administration. But a fast growing industry is taking on these management hassles, while offering small business employees better benefits. Professional Employer Organizations are managers hired by small businesses to oversee payrolls, pay taxes, advise on hiring and firings and even administer health and 401-k plans. Because PEOs manage the operations of numerous companies, they get volume discounts for benefits. Those cost savings to a company can offset the expense of PEO services, averaging three to five percent of payroll. Sal Carfaro, who runs his own auto repair business, turned to a PEO after helping one of his seventeen employees get a green card two years ago. An administrative mistake in the process cost his business dearly. | Post the first comment about: Let a Pro handle benefits |
| 5/6/2003 | Do your homework on PEOs Source: Business Week | Article about the fundamentals of using a PEO. Professional employer organizations position themselves to serve as outsourcers for the human resource functions for all kinds of businesses. Their ability to offer lower, group-insurance rates is often very attractive to smaller and midsize companies, and they also offer a range of other services. For example, PEOs can ease administrative burdens by doing things like providing employee handbooks and policies, training supervisors and workers, selling employers' liability insurance, and supplying a central staff to help the employer with human resources questions and employee discipline issues. | Post the first comment about: Do your homework on PEOs |
| 5/6/2003 | To PEO or not to PEO Source: Business Week | Article where a PEO customer explains his view of the PEO industry. It saves money: You can probably get a better rate on workers compensation through a PEO because the policies they offer often feature high deductibles and multiple categories. As a rule, they tend to handle claims efficiently and put a lot of effort into rooting out fraudulent claims that can end up costing big bucks. Legal Advice: You now have a place to turn when seeking straight answers to tough questions about employees. The PEOs I have worked with helped with guidance concerning terminations, as well as my obligations to comply with employment and workplace laws and regulations that seem to change every year. | Post the first comment about: To PEO or not to PEO |
| 5/6/2003 | The appeal of a PEO Source: Business Week | Article on when a PEO can make sense for small and medium sized companies. The use of professional employer organizations is becoming increasingly popular with small businesses, especially those with few employees that lack the resources to establish an in-house human resources department. Although there are many variations in the details of PEOs contracts, typically PEOs establish a "co-employment" relationship with a company's employees, so that the employees work jointly for the PEO and the contracting firm. The upside, as you have found in your research, is that PEOs can help your company manage increasingly complex employee-related matters such as personnel management, health benefits, workers' compensation claims, payroll, payroll-tax compliance, and unemployment insurance claims. By contracting with a PEO and becoming part of a larger insurance pool, you may also be able to provide health benefits for your employees that you wouldn't otherwise be able to afford on your own. | Post the first comment about: The appeal of a PEO |
| 5/6/2003 | You do the work, they do the paperwork Source: Business Week | Article on what responsibilities get shared and what don't. Across the country, entrepreneurs and small-business owners are turning to professional employer organizations (PEOs), as companies such as San Leandro (Calif.)-based TriNet are called, to be their human-resources managers. Billing themselves as "co-employers" PEOs check references, set up 401(k) plans, and even do the dirty work of firing while generally exercising no more than a veto over key personnel decisions. More than 2.5 million workers are hired through such arrangements, up from 200,000 a decade ago, according to the National Association of Professional Employer Organizations. Most are full-time, permanent employees, not temps. For a small business, the potential benefits are obvious. Imagine if someone else screened job candidates you interviewed, and sorted through health and retirement plans--and then ran them. What small-business owner would not gladly give up scrutinizing compliance with federal and state employment laws? | Post the first comment about: You do the work, they do the paperwork |
| 5/5/2003 | Is a Professional Employer Organization in your future? Source: SmartPros | This article explores the basic advantages that business owners and managers can get from engaging a PEO. For a fee, a Professional Employer Organization (PEO) assumes responsibility and liability for the "business of employment," including risk management, human resources, labor law compliance, payroll, and employment taxes. The Client Company manages product development and production, marketing, sales and service. The PEO and the Client Company contractually allocate some and share other traditional employer responsibilities and liabilities. Thus, both the PEO and the Client Company enjoy an employment relationship with the workers. | Post the first comment about: Is a Professional Employer Organization in your future? |
| 5/5/2003 | PEOs endure Workers' Comp Pull Out Source: Tampa Bay Biz Journal | Article on the Workers' Compensation insurance troubles being experienced in the some Florida PEOs. When insurance companies that provided workers' compensation coverage to professional employer organizations began pulling out of the Florida market last year, the dominoes started falling. A trickle-down affected large and small businesses. Core Employer Services Inc. in Largo, a large professional employer organization, was among them. The crisis started with the loss of a major workers' comp carrier, CNA Insurance Co. In February 2002, the company announced it would not renew policies for PEOs. | Post the first comment about: PEOs endure Workers' Comp Pull Out |
| 5/5/2003 | Gevity HR Sales Force article Source: Sarasota Herald Tribune | Nice article on the turn-around underway at Gevity HR and the new sales VP. The Bradenton professional employer organization, or PEO, has reported five straight quarters of earnings growth. Its stock price has more than doubled since the beginning of the year, and investors and analysts are already cheering. But Gevity, which processes payroll and employee benefits for small to medium-size companies and provides them with human resources consulting services, still faces several major issues. | Post the first comment about: Gevity HR Sales Force article |
| 5/5/2003 | Of checks, balances and outsourcing Source: Business Week | Article about where startup companies should spend their time. As your business grows, you may find that you lack the necessary human-resource training, knowledge of regulatory compliance, or background in safety, insurance, and employee-benefit programs to manage your growing workforce. If you don't want to hire a human resources director, you can also look into outsourcing employee management, experts say. TIME IS MONEY. Professional Employer Organizations not only do payroll and tax reporting, they also offer retirement benefits, health insurance, and worker's compensation packages geared to small-business needs. Many payroll services have value-added PEO functions that can be opted into as companies grow. | Post the first comment about: Of checks, balances and outsourcing |
| 5/5/2003 | Leased employees and stock options Source: Business Week | Article explores the fine lines between contingent workers and regular employees. Increasingly, these workers are professionals hired for specific projects or individuals working full time for PEOs — not temps filling in for someone on vacation. Under a PEO contract, a business places most or all of its work force onto the payroll of a staffing firm, which assumes responsibility for paychecks, benefits, and other human-resource functions. When employee leasing is done right, the staffing agency becomes a human-resources partner for an entrepreneur. | Post the first comment about: Leased employees and stock options |
| 5/5/2003 | For PEOs business is booming Source: HR Magazine | Article discusses the legal status of PEOs and the growth of the industry. The fundamental appeal of PEOs, the ability to provide employers a complete array of outsourced HR services and expertise, hasn't changed since the industry began in the early 1980s. That basic strength, plus expansion of PEOs' core small-business market, has fueled annual revenue growth rates of 25 percent to 30 percent--a pace industry experts say won't let up any time soon. | Post the first comment about: For PEOs business is booming |
| 5/5/2003 | HR efficiency without the hassles Source: Black Enterprise | Article about why people are turning to PEOs. Many small businesses are partnering with professional employer organizations (PEOs) to handle payroll, worker's compensation, and employment laws and regulations. And by signing on with a PEO, small business owners find they can get a reprieve from everyday HR duties. The PEO and the company split the employer's responsibilities. PEOs handle benefits, 401(k) plans, and labor law compliance issues. The small business is responsible for managing daily work assignments and on-site supervision, ensuring production or service delivery, and providing supplies and equipment to employees. Though state rules vary, the IRS generally considers the PEO to be the employer of record responsible for paying trust fund, income, and employment taxes. | Post the first comment about: HR efficiency without the hassles |
| 7/15/2002 | The professional employer organization is alive and well.
Source: Boston Business Journal | A PEO executive responds to questions about the health of the PEO industry and recent IRS rulings on benefits plans. Ultimately, PEOs and HROs will be measured by the level of service they provide. The critical difference here is that a PEO enters into a co-employment relationship with their clients. HROs do not. As a result, PEOs partner with their clients, accepting employer responsibility and risk. This is an important advantage for the client company of a PEO. | Post the first comment about: The professional employer organization is alive and well. |
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