What is the State of Your HR?

Every “no” answer puts you at risk.

Human Resources Self Audit 

1.       Are your I-9s in order?  Do you have a completed I-9 (Employment Eligibility Verification) form for each employee per the Immigration Reform and Control Act? (IRCA)  Given the current climate in the U.S. it is important to have your I-9s in compliance.

2.      Do you have your exempt and non-exempt employees classified correctly?  The Department of Labor is currently focusing on this portion of The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).  Many organizations have employees coded exempt that are actually NOT exempt from overtime.    

3.      Do you have a social media policy?  Employees are spending an enormous amount of time checking Facebook, Linkedin, Myspace and Twitter during work hours.  Social “Not”working is the phrase that has been coined regarding this growing concern.   

4.      Is your employee handbook ”handy”?  Employee handbooks should be easy to read.  Do you have an updated employee handbook that has been communicated to all employees and documentation to prove it? 

5.      Do you know the most common EEOC discrimination charge, and who is the new kid on the block?  In 2010, retaliation discrimination charges surpassed race discrimination for the first time.  The new kid is GINA, Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act.  This recent act makes it illegal to discriminate against employees or applicants because of genetic information.

6.      Do you have a good recruiting plan, and are you checking references on all new hires with their signed authorization?  A poor hire can cost your organization $35,000-$50,000. 

7.      Do you have your contract workers and employees classified correctly?  Many contract individuals are actually employees as determined by the Department of Labor’s Fair Labor Standards Act.

8.      Do you have a specific policy and provide training against workplace harassment and diversity?  Documentation proving you have provided this training as an organization can help protect you. 

9.      Do you have accurate, complete job descriptions?  Job descriptions assist with FLSA and ADAAA compliance, as well as provide a basis for recruiting, performance management, and succession planning.

10.  Do you have the latest employment postings in your workplace?  From February 1 through April 30, OSHA 300A should be posted for some employers.  Are you in compliance with this and other employment posting requirements?

11.  Do you know which Federal Employment Laws are applicable to your organization?  Different laws become applicable at 1, 15, 20, 50 and 100 employees.



For a Free HR Assessment contact:

Monica Z. Austin, MBA, SPHR
The Hopkins Group, LLC
Human Resources Business Solutions
214-537-7524
http://www.linkedin.com/in/monicazaustin
http://twitter.com/monicazaustin
maustin@hopkinshr.com

Social "Not"working - Are Your Employees Taking an Extra Lunch Break?

Are your employees taking an extra lunch break?  Social "Not"working is the phrase coined to describe the time lost by employees checking social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Myspace and LinkedIn.  It is estimated that 50% of employees spend at least one hour per day on these sites AT WORK - which is the equivalent to an extra lunch break.

Here are some interesting tidbits from Nucleus Research regarding just Facebook:

• Those who access Facebook at work do so for an average of 15 minutes daily, with the range as low as one minute and as high as 120 minutes.

• 13 percent claimed to have a business reason for accessing Facebook; 87 percent couldn’t define a clear business reason for doing so.

Do you have a policy regarding social networking?  A thorough social media policy is needed to emphasize the importance of using time and resources wisely as well as protecting an employer's reputation and confidential information.  With the infatuation of social media on the rise, the time is now to have a proper policy in place.

Does your company have a social media policy in place?  Has it been communicated to your employees and are they following it?  How much time do you think your employees spend on Facebook, Twitter, Myspace and Linkedin?  Love to hear your thoughts!

Monica Z. Austin, MBA, SPHR
The Hopkins Group, LLC
Human Resources Business Solutions
214-537-7524
http://www.linkedin.com/in/monicazaustin
http://twitter.com/monicazaustin
maustin@hopkinshr.com