Dress for Success: How to Create a Dress Code Policy

Creating a dress code policy ensures that your employees look professional at all times. Learn how to create a dress code policy with this useful guide.

Dress code policies might seem like overkill for a small business. But every company needs a dress code, including yours.

Why? Today, business wardrobes are leaning more towards casual dress. Some companies forego dress codes altogether. They feel that workers do best when they're wearing clothes that are comfortable.

But not having a dress code is an open invitation to future problems. If there is no dress code, someone is going to push the limit. This could cause safety problems or customer service issues. It could even end with a lawsuit for discrimination.

These are all reasons that it's better to have a dress code policy for your business. For tips on how to create the best company dress code, keep reading.

Why You Need a Dress Code Policy

When it comes to managing a...

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...

5 HR Tasks That Need to Be Done By Every Company

Every company has human resource issues they need to sort out, even if they don't have an HR department. Here are 5 HR duties every company should stay on top of.

It's 2018, and your small business needs to get with the times. No offense to the dedicated and kind people who work in small business now, we mean the industry as a whole.

Within a small business, there are still HR duties many companies aren't doing and some that needed to go a long time ago.

Is your company with the times? How are you using employee programs? Do you still have punitive programs in place?

What about new technology? All these things need a makeover or at least an upgrade. Lucky for you, we've done most of the research.

Learn how to get HR modern below.

See our recommendations for HR software that will make your life easier: HR Software

Start Internal

Before you go and use our expert tips, you should start with your experts: your current...

7 Ways In Which HR Solutions For Small Business Can Save Your Company

When running a small business, it's as difficult to stick to your budget as it is essential. HR solutions for small business can help you pinch those pennies. Here are 7 ways in which HR experts can save you money.

A small business is only as good as its management and budgeting when it is first getting started. No matter what kind of industry you operate in or how good of a product you have, these are the things that keep you on track. You can easily find yourself in some serious trouble without such leadership to guide the business and the resources to fund everything.

These skills develop as time goes on, leading you to more opportunities to make your business increasingly efficient and profitable. A great opportunity to look into is how you manage your small business human resources. Rethinking how you approach HR can save you a significant amount of time and money, in more ways than you might...

Every business has confidential information, both in terms of their employees and their clients. Your small business is no exception. Here is what you can expect from an HR professional in terms of human resource confidentiality.

In August of 2017, an employee of an independent State Farm agent was facing multiple charges. It seems she was billing customers of their cash. The initial amount was $38,000.

As a customer-facing employee, the processing of premium payments is standard. And, some of her processing was gracing her checking account.

But, both she and the State Farm agent are not employees of the insurance giant. All agents are independent, and their employees are their responsibility.

The giant State Farm HR department does not work for Independent Agents. So, human resource confidentiality isn't a benefit for them. Soon after her arrest, the office shut down.

The confidential information employees often have access to can, for some, be tempting. And, it's not credit...

6 Small Business HR Nightmares You Should Try To Avoid At All Cost

Human resource errors can be costly, and some of them may even be completely out of your control as a startup owner. It helps to be on the lookout for situations that can turn into small business HR nightmares. Here are 6 situations you should try to avoid at any cost.

Small business HR can be a nightmarish experience. It's an area often wrought with legal issues and the potential to damage your hard-earned reputation.

Small businesses and startups don't usually have a huge HR team to help them. Rather, they're forced to navigate the complexities of workplace politics and legal requirements alone. They must rely on research or learning the hard way.

From hiring to firing and everything in between, a single error in the HR department could prove costly.

Don't let these six small business HR blunders become your worst mistakes:

Mistake #1: Not Prioritizing Your Small Business HR Needs

HR in small...

HR positions are among the fastest growing in America with an expected hike of 9% between 2016 and 2026.

This is due to the value a quality HR team can bring to a workplace. HR professionals are in charge of many administrative functions within companies. They oversee recruiting efforts, conduct interviews and are instrumental in the hiring process.

If you own or help manage a small business, one of the main questions you may have is how to incorporate a quality HR presence into your company in a cost-effective fashion.

A solution to this that many companies have explored is HR outsourcing services. By outsourcing HR, small businesses are able to delegate some or all essential HR functions to external parties.

The focus of this article is to discuss some of the advantages of HR outsourcing as well as some of its pitfalls to determine if it's right for you.

1) Consider The Size of Your Company

How many employees you have should inform your thought process when considering outsourcing...

Everyone knows that starting a small business is never easy. Between hiring new employees and keeping up with payroll - owning your own business can get hectic if you don't have everything in order.

A functioning Human Resources department is perfect for preventing this kind of chaos.

It's no secret. Behind every successful business is a solid human resources department. A good HR department is able to set the moral, find the right candidates, and set the culture for your small business.

But what does it take to develop a solid HR department structure? What steps should you take when wanting to implement an HR department in my small business?

Here the ultimate list of what it takes on starting an HR department.

1. Be Deliberate With Your Descriptions

Job descriptions are everything when it comes to your human resource startup.

A job description is going to be a list that describes the general tasks and duties that inform applicants and current employees what skills are required in...

As a small business, there are many things you're exempt from, but human resources isn't one of them.

Human resources for small business is one of the first things you should think about as soon as you consider hiring your first employee. Why? Because as soon as you hire someone, it's your employees - not your product or service - that become the most valuable part of your business.

Human resources doesn't only shape your company - it can also make or break it through hiring, firing, and performance.

So do you need small business HR? Absolutely. Keep reading to learn how to get started.

What Is Human Resources?

Human resources is a management system dedicated to all things related to your employees - i.e., your human resources.

It covers:

• Hiring
• Firing
• Benefits
• Employee development
• Employee management
• Employee communication
• Employee safety and wellness

Essentially, human resources help keep your employees happy and healthy at work.

Although human resources appears to be...