HR compliance is like your annual dental check-up — it’s an unpleasant experience that we dread. There is often some pain, but in the end, you are grateful that you got all your cavities removed. The necessity for HR compliance in your small to medium business (SMB) is similar.
Having reduced fines or avoiding them altogether contributes to a healthier and less tense workplace. A happy workplace equals satisfied, motivated and productive employees.
Do you see why you shouldn’t take HR compliance lightly?
HR consultants identify and manage compliance issues and evaluate your systems and processes in order to ensure that you’re up-to-date with laws and regulations. Their services range from simple audits and recommendations to complete solutions.
By ensuring compliance, you protect your business. As unintentional as some violations may be, the consequences can be hefty for an SMB. This can include things such as lawsuits, bad publicity and lost opportunities and fines. No company wants to spend time or resources cleaning up the mess of compliance blunders.
Keeping up with compliance is challenging for any SMB, but this is where HR consultants come in to assist. They will handle tasks such as investigations, training, employee relations issues and anything else compliance-related. Here are some of the solutions provided to make things easier for you:
Total Compliance Framework
A total compliance framework is the most encompassing level of care and guarantees the availability of having an expert to provide training and double-check that your business is never at risk. This framework covers:
- Handbook/policy creation and maintenance
- Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) compliance
- Personnel file audit and record maintenance
- Job descriptions
- Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and state leave administration and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) request
- EEO-1 reporting (filing with EEOC)
- ADA request processing and management
- Hiring Practices
- Labor law compliance education and updates
- Federal, state, and regional law
- Provision of SUI hearing preparation and hearing attendance
- Employee investigations
Mitigation Of Risk By Identifying Compliance Issues
HR consultants pinpoint and address different compliance issues that may arise before they become full-blown issues out of the blue. The most common requests they receive from SMBs are for Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). Businesses need an FLSA audit to ensure compliance with the regulatory requirements on labor wages and working hours.
The audits involve reviews of documentation and process assessments to identify potential gaps that could pose a problem down the line. Expert counsel is then provided to create and implement a corrective plan of action.
Investigations
There are uncomfortable times where complaints, accusations or rumors arise that need immediate attention. Gather valuable facts, conduct employee interviews, review documentation to analyze details and prepare a report outlining the findings. HR consultants provide objectivity and fairness with any curveballs that may come with each investigation. Their approach is structured and consistent while providing specific recommendations related to the investigation.
Risk Assessments
Risk assessments help your business stay proactive, and with the expertise of HR consultants, inspections can be customized. A risk assessment ensures your business stays updated with policies, regulations and records. During the process, HR consultants will identify gaps in particular areas like job descriptions or personnel files.
Informational Signage Updates
Posters and informational signage in and around the office are key to keeping compliance top of mind for your teams. They contain current information on laws, regulations, and general best practices for your compliance practices. HR consultants ensure any necessary updates or changes to your signage to ensure compliance is always top of mind and correct.
How do you stay aware of compliance issues even when you engage experts?
There are many practical benefits of engaging HR consultants, however as an owner, it’s also still important for you to be aware of compliance issues. This will better help you catch any problems early and know when to lean on your experts for support and action.
Tips on how you can continue to get the 411:
- An internal evaluation of the strengths and weaknesses of existing compliance levels helps. For more clarity, you can liaise with HR consultants as needed while researching the website of law enforcement bodies.
- Getting up-to-date training and reading white papers or articles on compliance and legal changes can go a long way. If there are any questions or further work needed, your HR consultant can give you more insight and broaden your understanding.
- Ensure you are monitoring the consistency and recentness of internal procedures for compliance is a must. If your current practices are well understood, loopholes that may lead to issues can be identified easily. Then HR consultants can create a plan to correct and strengthen any shaky processes.
It’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking it might not be necessary to engage the help of HR consultants. One might assume these services are designed for larger companies, however this is not true. They help businesses of all sizes and industries simplify their functions and lower costs.
At the end of the day, there needs to be a balance between compliance and strategy. When your business is free from compliance issues, you can think of strategizing and growing your business. When goals are tied to compliance planning, you know you are minimizing risk while also making smart decisions for your business.