As small businesses, there is so much to balance as we care for our employees. This past year has undeniably kept Colorado small business owners on their toes and busy with a myriad of legal changes. We see all the hard work these changes have required and are proud of the way our community has stepped up to the plate and prevailed! More changes may not be business owners’ top priority this year, but the Colorado General Assembly has their own action plan that will impact us none the less. In the next year, they will be mandating a state sponsored retirement savings plan, the Colorado Secure Savings Program. This plan is designed to make retirement savings more accessible to the Colorado workforce.

With continually pressing financial demands of the present, creating savings to use years from now is often not at top of mind. The fact is financial planning and retirement savings can make for a more predictable future and are exponentially more effective the sooner they begin. At...

Annual performance reviews are both helpful and time consuming. Performance reviews can provide a sense of clarity to an employee's job,  provide a way to plan for goals, create open communication, and a roadmap, pinpointing where they are, and developing a plan, to get to a successful destination. However, reviews have been known to create stress and anxiety leading up to, during, and afterward these reviews. In this blog I will be giving both the benefits and disadvantages of annual performance reviews.

No matter which side you fall on about annual reviews it is always important to provide feedback. In such a busy environment as most small businesses are, the offer of feedback is sometimes lagged. However, it is so important to offer as much feedback to your employees as possible and be open to receiving some as well. Providing feedback in a constructive manner is very beneficial for your employees, if an employee does not receive feedback there is a high chance that the...

We’ve all heard of wellness programs and how big companies promote them, however, these companies may be on to something. Enabling a workplace wellness program provides many benefits: reduced stress, greater productivity, increased morale, and reducing health insurance costs (if one is offered). There is a common practice in most businesses around the country of individuals working until they burn out. It is very important that businesses small and big provide their employees different “outlets” that promote a healthy lifestyle. Small business employees tend to wear multiple hats, so employees may not want to take time off as they are dedicated to what they do and may not want to return to a stack of work.

Wellness programs can provide multiple positive outcomes. By providing activities that help reduce stress, create higher productivity, and improve morale, this is great for not only your employees but also...

We knew this was going to continue to be a big year for legislation and it just keeps on coming. Be sure to follow our HR Branches Facebook as we will be going live to discuss these legislative changes now as well as in the future. Feel free to submit your questions in advance by emailing [email protected] or giving us a call at 719-244-9640.

Without further adieu, lets dive in shall we?

The federal mandate FFCRA (Families First Coronavirus Response Act) we reported on a few months ago was just the shallow end of the pool. Get your life vest- this isn't a kiddie pool folks, the "Healthy Families and Workplaces Act" is white water rapids for the small business community.  Carefully navigating these treacherous waters to keep your business afloat is going to be crucial.

On July 14, 2020 Colorado Govenor, Jared Polis signed the "Healthy Families and Workplaces Act" into law.  In the state of Colorado, only 60% of employees have paid...

Like most Americans, small business workers want less stress and better work-life balance

Guest Post by Clint Perry at Unlimited Benefits

% Rated excellent/very good health by small business workers

 

The well-being of 60...

This is the usual reaction I find when a small business of twenty employees or less is approached about employee health, dental or vision benefits.

Many believe it’s too expensive. Well, it may be. But too expensive for who? The employer? I think not. The employee, maybe, but let the employee decide that for themselves. Offering benefits can only enhance an employer’s image to recruits regardless of the expense to either side.

Employee benefits, in the last five years, have become much less stringent on the rules regarding what an employer must contribute, how much paperwork an employer must complete and who can enroll, save for the ACA guideline regarding husband and wife groups but we’ll get to that later.

In today’s benefit marketplace many carriers have relaxed the regulations regarding employer contributions to be so minimal it allows for any employer to at least make a benefit offering. For example, Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield,...

6 Things Small Businesses Need to Know About HIPAA Compliance

If your small business deals with sensitive patient/client information, then you're going to want your staff to be well versed in HIPAA laws and regulations. Here are 6 things you need to know about HIPPA compliance and your team.

In your role, you have access to plenty of sensitive information. Your colleagues are trusting you to keep it safe. But what does the law say about privacy rights?

One of the most highly protected types of information is health-related data. Some HR records only contain scattered pieces of health information in employees' employment records, like sick notes and workers' compensation claims. Others small businesses that use a self-insured method to pay for employees' medical expenses have much more information.

How much of this information is protected by HIPAA, Health Insurance Portability and Accountability? The information below will help you abide by HIPAA compliance laws.

What Small...