PEOs - Programs for Training Your Employees
Professional Employer Organizations.
Many companies have discovered that using one to meet their human resources needs provides relief from the rigors of personnel administration. Also known as PEOs, Professional Employer Organizations assume the burden of everything from screening and hiring to payroll/benefit administration and firing. What you may not know about PEOs is that most of them also have training programs in place to help you.
PEOs are in more demand than ever, primarily because, among other things:
- Insurance is much more costly for small and medium-sized companies than it is for larger employers
- Workers' Compensation insurance is often difficult to acquire and costly when you do
- You are subject to up to 60 different employment-related governmental regulations
- State Unemployment Insurance Funds, many on the cusp of insolvency, are likely to increase your SUTA taxes
- The competition for the best employees is stiffer than ever and small to medium-sized employers are frequently hamstrung by the fact that they are unable to provide sufficiently attractive health insurance and other benefits
- The sheer volume of work managing your human resources has become almost overwhelming and the potential costs that can arise from not doing so correctly are staggering
Successful PEOs assume the responsibility of addressing these challenges and others. What they don't do is run your company. They administer your human resources, however you must still manage them.
The PEO will walk you through how to onboard your new hires, train them once they start, and supervise them to maximize productivity while minimizing potential liability for costs associated with unemployment benefits, employment discrimination, workers' compensation and wrongful termination.
Are the PEOs responsible for all of these things? No, that's not quite how it works. They are, in essence, co-employers with you of your staff. This means that the PEO and you are both potentially liable in the event, for example, a disgruntled former employee sues you for wrongful termination.
PEOs have an incentive (i.e., their own survival) to ensure that their clients know everything they need to know to manage their personnel functions effectively. The incentive extends beyond simply minimizing your costs because PEOs also share the financial risk and financial burden of each employment-related cost.
How can Professional Employer Organizations ensure that you are best utilizing their services? By training. If you are looking at Professional Employer Organizations for your business, ask if they offer training to:
- Fully integrate their payroll procedures into the scheduling of and timekeeping for your employees
- Educate you on the most efficient and effective way to onboard your new hires
- Provide you with training to improve safety in your workplace
- Instruct you how to manage your workers' compensation claims
- Provide your supervisors the knowledge necessary to effectively evaluate and, if needed, discipline employees
- Consistently update those same supervisors on changes in employment law so that they are properly equipped to carry out their responsibilities in a way that minimizes your potential exposure to a successful unemployment claim, discrimination charge or wrongful termination lawsuit.
A partnership with a PEO Company should provide you with the essential training you need, ensuring your business stays on track and allowing you to focus on the mission critical task of running your operations.
Take a few moments to research the possibilities PEOs have to offer. Then, check out our PEO matching tool to find a provider that meets the specific training needs of your business.
Copyright © 2012 by PEOcompare.com
All rights reserved.
