How have recent regulations, weather conditions, and distractions effected your bottom line? Managing a fleet, remaining in compliance, and engaging a safety program is a lot to handle. Often times, employers lose focus on safety in the shuffle of handling multiple job responsibilities and keeping tabs on the latest regulations. How quickly can this add up?
Tag Archives: Human Resources
The $650B Per Year Burden For Employers
Following the recent recession, most employers are more cost aware than ever before. Protecting the bottom line and reducing costs has become a topic on the forefront of many employers minds and their strategic planning. Are you looking for ways to reduce costs? You cannot afford to miss out on what is costing employers an estimated $650 billion each year!
20 Years of FMLA
Today marks the 20 year anniversary of FMLA. The Family and Medical Leave Act has caused employers across the nation to scratch their heads with questions and concerns over the past two decades. FMLA ranks as the federal statue with most questions asked in SHRM’s Knowledge Center, even after 20 years in play. In the past few years FMLA has also become a hot topic on Social Media, prompting hundreds of groups and discussions on Twitter and LinkedIn. This mass of communication makes one thing clear, FMLA can be a confusing federal statue that leads employers and HR professionals across the country to constantly be seeking more information and clarification.
Want to Retain Good Drivers?
Any employer knows it’s far more cost effective to maintain good personnel than it is to hire new. The costs and resources associated with employee turnover, recruitment, and training can quickly impact your bottom line and operating expenses. So how to do you hold on to those safe and professional drivers? Here are a few tips!
20% Increase in Truck Occupant Deaths in 2011
If you employ drivers you understand the great impact that accidents and injuries have on your organization. According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, 2011 saw a 20% increase in truck occupant deaths over the previous year. While this number is startling, some additional statistics give us some insight into the recent spike.
Staff Recognition and Engagement Return
While it is wide known that employee engagement has a direct effect on employee attendance, production levels, and turnover rate; many employers are not sure how to improve employee engagement. Employers juggling tight budgets along with limited time and resources to dedicate to the cause of employee engagement, often put off the process. While increasing employee engagement can seem like a large project, there are several simple and inexpensive ways to promote engagement within your team.
Before integrating an employee engagement process, it’s important to understand the benefits. According to a report by Hewitt Quarterly, organizations with high engagement rates are 78% more productive and 40% more profitable than those organizations with low levels of engagement. In addition to increased productivity and profits, employees are 87% less likely to leave for other opportunities. Promoting employee engagement should be a consistent process and include multiple forms of motivation to encourage employees with a wide range of interests and appreciations.
Here are some simple ways to promote employee engagement:
- Ask employees what would make them become more engaged in the workplace.
- Speak with your staff about their career ambitions and find ways to foster those ambitions within your organization.
- Recognize their performance, not their presence.
- Recognize and reward employees for outstanding performance with larger opportunities, room for growth, and tokens of appreciation.
As with any program, it is important to regularly monitor the progress and return on investment of your employee engagement program. Metrics on productivity, attendance, turnover, and overall office morale are great indicators. The direct correlation between employee engagement and increased profits and productivity make it a great investment for organizations of any size.
Want to learn more about how you can gain access to Trillium’s national network of top level talent? Contact us today! If you are a stand out in your profession and seeking contingent or long term career opportunities, visit our job seekers section for more information!
Trillium, a national leader in staffing and recruitment is a valued staffing partner to over 5,000 companies nationwide. Trillium is privately owned by Oskar René Poch.
Social Recruiting in 2013
Without question if you are in the recruiting or HR field, the topic of recruiting through social media has crossed your mind or desk in the recent months. With steady reported losses for employers in social networking suits due to improper use for screening or evaluation, you may have chosen to avoid the topic. While recruitment through social media does require knowledge of legal ramifications, there are some simple and conservative ways to be involved with little liability to your organization.
The Wall Street Journal reported that social networks accounted for 20% of time spent online in 2011. With the continued growth in 2012, it goes without saying those numbers are only continuing to climb. Their report also shows that social networks reach approximately 82% of the world’s online population, a great audience for those of us who are seeking high demand candidates who are hard to locate.
A recent study from Salary.com gives us some insight to the candidate perspective:
- 72% reported using social connections to find a job
- 38% reported that they were successful in finding a job through social networks
- 24% the largest group, reported that they seek career opportunities on LinkedIn
- 60% listed lack of response as their least favorite part of social networks
- 55% of candidates would prefer a mobile friendly process that takes 10 minutes or less to apply
Making your application process accessible to those on social networks, especially on mobile devices could greatly increase your exposure to technical and professional level candidates. If you are considering implementing social networks into your recruiting process, make sure your process is legally compliant with all local, state, and federal laws. Also make sure that your staff is properly trained and educated on how to remain legally compliant in the process. It is always a great idea to make sure your organization’s social media policy is well defined. For more information on integrating social media in your recruiting process, contact your Labor and Employment Law attorney.
Want to learn more about how you can gain access to Trillium’s national network of top level talent? Contact us today! If you are a stand out in your profession and seeking contingent or long term career opportunities, visit our job seekers section for more information!
Trillium, a national leader in staffing and recruitment is a valued staffing partner to over 5,000 companies nationwide. Trillium is privately owned by Oskar René Poch.
Do You Use E-Verify? New State Laws May Apply to You!
Does your organization currently use the E-Verify system? The system is an online federal system designed to check information from I-9 forms against records with the Social Security Administration and the Department of Homeland Security to ensure eligibility to work in the United States. Currently the federal government only requires employees who are working under federal contracts to be verified in the system, while individual states and local entities may also require use of the program. What does this mean for you?
With Clark Hill’s Immigration Law Update from November 15th, at least four additional states with begin require use of the system as of January 1, 2013. Some individual states have listed requirements based on the number of employees or new hires as well. Here are some highlights:
- North Carolina- Use of E-Verify will become mandatory for private employers with 100 or more employees.
- Pennsylvania- Use of E-Verify will become mandatory for state public works contractors or subcontractors with contracts worth $25,000 or more.
- Tennessee- Use of E-Verify will become mandatory for private employers with between 6-99 employees.
Other states also have new requirements of use with the system next year, read the full report here for more information on your individual state. If you have temporary or contingent workers that are required to be processed through the system please contact your staffing provider to make sure they are aware of the regulations and are in compliance. Staffing agencies well versed in construction and related fields should be aware of the regulations and requirements in their area.
Want to learn more about how you can gain access to Trillium’s national network of top level talent? Contact us today! If you are a stand out in your profession and seeking contingent or long term career opportunities, visit our job seekers section for more information!
Trillium, a national leader in staffing and recruitment is a valued staffing partner to over 5,000 companies nationwide. Trillium is privately owned by Oskar René Poch.
75% of Employees Do This- How Do You Protect Yourself?
Let’s face it, a lot happens throughout the year. Hiring and HR Managers are busy with recruiting, screening, hiring, training, and managing all year long. Have there been any changes with your staff over the past year that you are unaware of?
Were you aware that the leading source of fraud is employee theft of personal information? While we all tend to focus on production, productivity in the workplace, and dealing with the day to day operations we may be missing critical information about our staff. While approximately 90% of employers implement a routine background check for new hires, a startling number do not perform background checks on their employees after their hire date for new convictions that are relevant to their position. Implementing a comprehensive background process is a great way to help ensure a safe, secure, and productive environment for staff, visitors, and customers. According to a 2009 report by the US Chamber of Commerce and Infortal Worldwide, as many as 75% of employees in all business sectors steal from the workplace and do so repeatedly.
Prior to completing any background check on a candidate or employee, be sure that you have obtained a signed release allowing your organization to conduct the search. Employees should be notified in the employee handbook if your organization conducts random or annual background screenings as well. Keep in mind that your employees and candidates are also entitled to several rights including:
- Employers are prevented by federal law from considering bankruptcy while making employment decisions.
- Employers are required to provide the candidate or employee with a copy of any consumer report and a copy of their rights under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, if information obtained from the said report contributes to dismissal or denial of employment.
- Employers must consistently apply the program to all employees and clearly document their results.
- Some specific states have laws that limit the employers use of credit reports to be used for dismissal or denial of employment.
While information that may be obtained through employment references, criminal background checks, and credit checks may have a large impact on determining an employer’s level of liability when hiring or maintaining an employee, the risks and liabilities due to employing an illegal background check process can be even greater. Partnering with an established and reputable staffing firm can often greatly assist you in the process. Speak with your staffing provider to determine what their current process is and how they may best assist your company with the screening of potential employees.
Before implementing or continuing a background screening process, it is highly encouraged to research federal, state, and local legislation. Consult with your labor and employment law attorney prior to implementing or making alterations to your background check policy.
Want to learn more about how you can gain access to Trillium’s national network of top level talent? Contact us today! If you are a stand out in your profession and seeking contingent or long term career opportunities, visit our job seekers section for more information!
Trillium, a national leader in staffing and recruitment is a valued staffing partner to over 5,000 companies nationwide. Trillium is privately owned by Oskar René Poch.
The Benefits of Plant Maintenance Outsourcing
Regardless of the size of your facilities, plant maintenance can be a daunting process. The skills, experience, and qualifications required to properly maintain your facilities is not only important, it can be critical to your company’s ability to continue to produce. Regulations continue to increase to ensure consumer and employee safety, requiring a qualified maintenance staff that is ready to deploy at a moment’s notice.
The continued tight market to locate skilled technicians and personnel can make it even more difficult to remain in compliance. Downtime and unexpected shutdowns can quickly diminish profits. Ever changing equipment, processes, management systems, and an aging maintenance personnel pool can make remaining in compliance and maintaining an efficient maintenance workforce difficult.
Partnering with an experienced and specialized industrial recruitment firm can often produce the results that you need. A qualified and available workforce can assist in reducing costs, maximizing downtimes, and improving processes. In addition, industrial staffing partners can greatly decrease your labor costs by providing you with skilled talent only during times of need and often provide travelers that can provide skilled technicians and skilled personnel in areas of the country where the talent pool for these qualifications may be slim. With less time focused on managing and recruiting for project or short term personnel, maintenance managers are able to develop alternative processes, programs, and department structure.
Third party plant maintenance services may also be a viable solution. Many offer years of experience, up to date equipment, and have the proven ability to help develop and manage maintenance programs. Providing routine and project assistance, third party service organizations also allow you flexibility similar to those offered by a recruiting or staffing firm.
A well trained and qualified industrial workforce will have less workplace injuries and accidents, are more likely to be able to complete projects efficiently due to experience, and education also impacting bottom line results. Ensuring compliance with applicable federal, state, and local laws, regulations, statutes, and codes; securing required permits; and coordinating with appropriate local authorities must be done correctly to prevent costly fines and down times. If you have concerns about your organization’s expertise in the field, it may make sense to contact a third party maintenance service or a recruitment firm to help you locate qualified and experienced talent.
Want to learn more about how you can gain access to Trillium’s national network of professional and skilled industrial maintenance workers? Contact us today! If you are a stand out professional or are skilled in technical manufacturing and seeking contingent or long term career opportunities, visit our job seekers section for more information!
Trillium, a national leader in staffing and recruitment is a valued staffing partner to over 5,000 companies nationwide. Trillium is privately owned by Oskar René Poch.