The Risk of Using Independent Contractors

The authors highlight some of the recent changes which may effect companies who employ independent contractors. State and federal regulators and legislators have taken steps to address the widely used, (and often abused) practice of misclassifying entire classes of employees as independent contractors. The report reveals why large and small employers alike should take care in assigning independent contractor status to individuals engaged in consulting, delivery and transportation, sales and marketing, management, personal and technical services. Compliance and the fear of litigation is just one of the reasons that so many employers are seeking the services of third party employee management firms. Many service models exist, from payrolling companies - providers who serve contingent workforces, employee leasing companies, and PEO’s - Professional Employer Organizations. Below are excerpts from a recent article in the New York Law Journal. http://www.nylj.com

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Direct Deposit Saves Time And Money

Direct deposit is when your employer deposits your paycheck into your bank account rather than handing you a paper check. Direct deposits save employers money and employees time. Employees no longer have to wait for their paycheck to clear the bank before paying bills or making purchases. Paper checks can be lost, torn or stolen. Direct deposits are secure, confidential and require very little paperwork to set up. Direct deposits are routinely offered by Professional Employers Organizations (PEOs) and Employee Leasing Companies. If your employer does not offer direct deposit, ask them to consider working with an employee leasing company that offers this benefit.

What Is Employee Leasing?

Employee leasing is when an employer moves employees from his or her payroll onto the payroll of an employee leasing company. The employee leasing company becomes the employer of record for the employees and then “loans” the employees back to the original employer for a fee. This fee includes payroll costs and usually includes benefits. The employee leasing company handles all human resources functions for the employees including, but not limited to, payroll, legal compliance, record keeping and benefits. Employee leasing firms work with any size company and normally offer an employer a significant cost savings.

PEO Services

What kind of services does a typical Professional Employer Organization (PEO) offer?: PEO Payroll Administration * Prepare payroll and distribute checks * Direct deposit * W2’s * W3’s * Payroll Data * Withholdings and Tax Deposits * Payroll record keeping, audits * I-9 inquiries * Reports and job costing * Time clock management * Vacation * Payroll software….and much more:

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Onsite Triage Savings are no Accident

Innovative ways to lower workers’ compensation costs with strategic sourcing. There’s a clear need for keeping workers’ compensation costs down, but simply reducing benefits is not a practical answer. Human resources, safety and risk managers in the convenience store industry need to consider innovative approaches to improving employee health and safety while containing workers’ compensation costs for the employer. The industry needs healthy employees in order to be productive, and people without effective health care cost employers and society more in the long run. One viable option is “strategic sourcing.” Workplace health care is a strong candidate for outsourcing because of rapidly rising costs, an increasingly complex regulatory environment and the growing need for sophisticated clinical and technical capabilities. Companies partner with providers of specialized occupational healthcare services because of their specific expertise, experience and results in delivering health care onsite and online in the workplace. Innovative, new approaches to containing workers’ compensation costs are emerging from outsourced partners.

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