April 2007 |
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Throughout 2007, Employers Group is hosting member appreciation breakfasts throughout the state. These events give you the opportunity to network, meet Employers Group staff and receive information on a current or emerging HR issue. These sessions are free of charge and have already proven to be quite popular, so make sure to register early! Save the Date! The Windmill For location and to sign up, please contact training@employersgroup.com or call 800.748.8484. |
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There are many reasons for “mandated leaves,” especially in California. We bet you won’t be surprised to learn that it is one of the TOP THREE areas of questions heard on our Consulting Helpline every day. The information, however, is online in our HR Reference Manual on the EG Website. This reference manual covers many of the basics of HR compliance, from required posters and recordkeeping to plain English guidelines on requirements for exemption. You will find this valuable tool along with a magnitude of other information under our Knowledge Center. Once in the Knowledge Center, be sure to check out “employment answers online” and HR Links. These links will take you everywhere you need to go in the world of HR. For example, under “C” find California, and under “G” find government. Do you know about all required leaves? If not, zero in on one of your most valuable member tools – and it’s all on our site at www.employersgroup.com. If you are looking for something specific and want to know where to find it, call us at 800.748.8484, option 3 (Members Services Center). |
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About the Report
Survey Scope:
Saves you Money and Time! PARTICIPATE NOW UNABLE TO PARTICIPATE? PREORDER & SAVE 15%! Custom Market Analysis will be distributed in late May. E-versions of the final survey report will be forwarded to all participants in early June. We appreciate your membership with Employers Group and look forward to your input in this survey. For questions or concerns regarding this survey, please contact us at surveys@employersgroup.com or (213) 765-3920. |
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This time of year, our Helpline is often asked about interns. Employers have heard of other companies using unpaid interns to do entry level work, which benefits the employer and provides valuable work experience for the intern. Don’t use unpaid interns without first reviewing both federal and state rules regarding unpaid trainee/interns. Q: Can we employ an unpaid intern to perform entry level work? A: No. An unpaid working intern is an employee, and must be paid at least a minimum wage, and appropriate overtime pay when earned. Q: What is an intern? A: An intern in California is another word for trainee. According to the California Division of Labor Standards Enforcement (DLSE) the employer must derive “no immediate advantage from the activities of trainees.” Q: How can we establish an intern/trainee program? A: Contact an approved state accredited school or institution, and comply with the procedures established for their training program. Q: Where can I get more information about interns/trainees? A: Review the DLSE Opinion Letters on the subject dated 12/30/96 and 11/12/98. The letters are available on the DLSE website in the Opinion Letters section. |
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Through our preferred Abra business partner, People ROA, Inc., Employers Group offers Abra by Sage Software as a means of increasing control over your HR and payroll data in one integrated solution that you own and maintain. Sage Abra HRMS is the award-winning HR, payroll, benefits, training, recruiting, and compliance solution for small to mid-sized businesses. Integrated as a whole, Abra Suite handles all of your needs in one seamlessly integrated solution. Modules are also available for purchase individually, offering the flexibility for adding to your system as your organization grows. Abra modules include:
Employers Group’s preferred Abra partner, People ROA, is a Certified Business Partner with Sage Software. People ROA focuses specifically on the needs of Human Resources, providing software, software consulting, implementation and training. Upcoming Web Event: Taking Recruiting to the Web
Register by April 23rd and attend a Web Event and you qualify for a free Starbucks Gift Card! Call to register today at (949) 340-7484 and identify yourself as an Employers Group member. For more information on Sage Abra software and related solutions, please contact Katherin Scott at (213) 765-3949 or kscott@employersgroup.com. |
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Lunch ‘n Learns are online events geared for you and your HR/supervisory staff to stay ahead of the curve. Sessions are held via Webinar from 12:15 to 1:15 p.m. Get the training you need during your lunch hour in the comfort of your office space.
411 - April 26th - Ergonomics The Ergonomic awareness presentation includes valuable, practical information about workplace ergonomics, spinal biomechanics, and many ways to prevent injuries. You will learn how to lift, push, pull, sit, and move objects. You will be taught specific stretching and strengthening exercises that increase strength and flexibility. All training material has been reviewed by a CAL OSHA certified consultant. Presented by Dr. Pete Borboa, representing the National Health and Wellness Bureau. 911 - May 8 - Managing UI Costs Each year employers are sent a “Notice of Contribution Rate.” The Employer's “contribution rate” is derived from its UI claim activity, employer contributions to its reserve account and the condition of the State's UI Trust Fund. This “Notice of Contribution Rate” will determine what you are paying per employee to your company's reserve account. A special tax rate is assigned to new employers for the first 3 years. Please join Sarah Rios, Manager Employers Group Unemployment Insurance Services, for this informative Webinar. Ms. Rios has more than 20 years experience in the HR field and is a specialist in unemployment insurance. Hear from this expert on some of the common errors that can cause a company to lose control of its unemployment insurance costs. |
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Deadlines, change, stress, miscommunication, confusion over responsibilities…there is no shortage of opportunities for conflict in the workplace. However, there is a loss of productivity when employees spend all their time dealing with conflict. Employers Group offers a program that teaches employees to take the initiative in resolving conflict with their coworkers and cooperating to find win/win solutions for most disagreements. Conflict resolution skills save companies time and money “Turn Conflict into Collaboration” will help your employees learn how to recognize three of the most common conflict situations in the workplace. It provides a clear, easy-to-use approach that will help them to think things through to reach the most appropriate choice of action and ensure a win-win resolution that will increase the productivity of your organization. Training outcomes
Program design
Employers Group offers this program as an employer-specific training program. For pricing and availability, please email training@employersgroup.com |
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As of April 2, 2007, the regional offices of the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) have scheduled compliance evaluations of subject federal contractors from a second Fiscal Year (FY) 2007 scheduling list. The agency released an initial scheduling list in November 2006. The new scheduling list includes about 4,500 facilities that have been either self-identified as being an establishment of a federal contractor, or have been identified as such by OFCCP. The OFCCP generated this list through its Federal Contractor Selection System (FCSS). This system uses multiple information sources and analytical procedures to select contractors for review, including a mathematical model that ranks federal contractor establishments based on an indicator of potential workplace discrimination. As part of the selection process, OFCCP attempted to better identify whether a potential contractor actually holds a current Federal contract by matching the EEO-1 list to external Federal contract databases. The list also includes a number of establishments identified through external Federal contract databases as part of OFCCP's Contracts First Initiative. This list excludes some establishments based on a variety of factors, including those that:
These establishments will be selected for evaluation through a separate process. OFCCP has mailed a Corporate Scheduling Announcement Letter (CSAL) to the Chief Executive Officer (or designated point of contact) of each parent company with more than one establishment listed for the scheduling of a compliance evaluation this Fiscal Year. Companies who received a CSAL as a result of the November 2006 scheduling list may not receive another letter unless one or more additional establishments appear on the newly-released scheduling list. It is also possible that federal contractors other than those specifically identified in the CSAL may be evaluated by OFCCP for other variety of reasons, such as:
The OFCCP, however, will not schedule more than 25 new evaluations of a single contractor during a scheduling cycle (approximately 12 months). |
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