Building HR Competence and Confidence

Managing the many aspects of the HR function can be challenging at the best of times. But when you are also trying to run the business, it can be especially frustrating.  It can seem impossible to keep up with new employment laws and dealing with hiring and terminating employees.

Such was the case with a client of mine, who ran her own food services company. Like most entrepreneurs, she was highly skilled at her core business, but was learning about the HR function “on the job.” Her company was growing at a rapid pace and she wanted to be sure that her people processes were efficient and compliant with federal, state and local employment laws.

She called Connect to HR.

Over the course of several months I took a step-by-step approach to walk her through the various aspects of HR and what is most important in each area. I broke it down into simple, easy-to-understand steps: here is the issue, here are some scenarios, here are the rules.

We used actual situations within her business to help build her confidence and knowledge in how to handle them going forward.  Because she was not in a position to hire a fulltime HR person yet, I felt it was important for her to have a backup with HR knowledge to help her. I worked with her Operations Manager to ensure that he also understood the local, state and federal ordinances related to employees and provided them both with links to credible resources.

As the result of our work together, the business owner and Operations Manager both have increased confidence in their ability to handle the various people-related issues that arise as well as general HR requirements and reporting. Also, they have saved time and headaches by having policies documented and processes to follow. 

If you are a business owner and need some advice about HR processes or compliance, or have a particular HR issue you’d like to discuss, you may want to consider my Just in Time 3-Hour HR Advisory Service.

Contact me today to schedule a free 30-minute consultation to see how Just in Time 3-Hour HR Advisory Service can help you.

https://calendly.com/michellemendoza-connecttohr/30-minute-consultation

New to HR? You Don’t Have to Do it Alone!

When a company hits the 50-employee mark in California, a lot of HR regulations kick in. I wrote about some of those regulations in a previous blog.

Understanding what those regulations are and putting processes and procedures in place to ensure compliance are essential to avoiding costly lawsuits and penalties. At this point in a company’s growth, it’s wise to have someone dedicated to the HR function.

Such was the case with a hi-tech client who reached their 50-employee milestone and needed some help creating structure around the HR function. They had assigned their Office Manager to the HR role and tasked her with implementing an official HR department.  She had been with the company for many years, but had no prior HR experience. She was very concerned about her new assignment and didn’t want to face this new challenge alone.  That’s where Connect to HR came in.

The first thing we did was perform an HR audit to see exactly where the company was in terms of compliance and best practices. As with many companies with fewer than 50 employees, there was very little structure in place. Also, the practices around hiring, promotions and increases were random and inconsistently applied.

Top on our list of priorities was to document and communicate policies and procedures that reflect both legal requirements and company guidelines. These serve as the foundational piece for hiring, firing, promoting, performance management, etc.

We also helped the Office/HR Manager implement a performance management system, hiring process, and best practices around terminations. Often one of the hardest things for new HR Managers is handling employee relations issues. So for four years now, we have provided ongoing and just-in-time HR consulting services on various employee scenarios that pop up and how to handle them.

With the HR structure in place, plus the knowledge she gained from the HR audit and our one-on-one HR guidance and support, the Office/HR Manager felt more confident in her new role.  Over the years, she has recognized that she isn’t alone when facing complicated HR issues.  She’s comfortable knowing she has a resource in Connect to HR when she has questions or needs a sounding board.

If you are new to the HR function and need some advice about HR processes or compliance, or have a particular HR issue you’d like to discuss, you may want to consider my Just in Time 3-Hour HR Advisory Service.

Contact me today to schedule a free 30-minute consultation to see how Just in Time 3-Hour HR Advisory Service can help you.

https://calendly.com/michellemendoza-connecttohr/30-minute-consultation

Reopening Your Business – It’s Important to Have a Plan

As of this month, many businesses that have been closed or operating remotely during our Shelter-in-Place order are now able to reopen. If you are able to reopen, are you ready?

Public health guidelines call for continued social distancing, facemasks, and enhanced sanitation procedures in order to open while maintaining the health of staff and customers. This requires a considerable amount of planning on the part of the business owner and new processes and procedures for employees.

The most frequent request I’m getting from leaders and business owners these days who call about my Just in Time 3-Hour HR Advisory Service is for help in creating a COVID-19 compliant reopening plan. 

A recent Forbes article included a checklist of “the 5 most important things businesses must be able to do in order to return to work.”

  1. Track and comply with evolving government and healthcare protocols.
  2. Help keep employees safe.
  3. Analyze the threat of new outbreaks.
  4. Maintain the integrity of their supply chain.
  5. Audit their processes to maintain compliance.

Each of these items requires planning as well as knowledge of where to find the most recent credible information about requirements and protocols. And that’s where advice from a Senior HR Consultant can be very helpful. 

If you will be continuing to have some or all of your employees work remotely, it’s also important to strategize how to do that on a more permanent basis. Having employees work remotely for a few months is one thing, but when it becomes your standard business model there are many other things to consider. What additional equipment will employees need? How will you maintain team cohesiveness and workflow? How do you help remote employees maintain a balance between work-at-home and home-at-home so they don’t burn out?  

It’s also important to think about how you will handle specific employee issues that may come up in light of the pandemic. Some questions clients have asked me are:

  • What if an employee is afraid of returning to work in case they’re exposed to the virus and then expose a vulnerable family member?  How do we convince them that it’s safe?
  • How do we keep employees engaged when they’re working remotely?
  • What if we have another shutdown?

If you have questions or need help putting together your business reopening plan, contact me today to schedule a free 30-minute consultation to see how Just in Time 3-Hour HR Consulting Service can help you.

https://calendly.com/michellemendoza-connecttohr/30-minute-consultation

If you know of a business owner who may need advice about reopening or any other HR issue, please share our Just in Time 3-Hour HR Advisory Service flyer with them. Thank you!

Answers to Your HR Questions – Just in Time

Managing the many aspects of the HR function can be challenging, especially if you are also trying to run the business or are new to HR operations. In small and medium sized companies, the “HR person,” whether it’s the business owner or someone dedicated to that role, is often flying solo with no one to consult about an HR issue or the details of a new compliance requirement.  Trying to find answers via an online HR database can be frustrating and time consuming.

Now, as we look at returning to work following the COVID-19 shelter-in-place mandate, business owners are faced with a new set of challenges:

  • How do we safely reopen?
  • What if someone does not want to come back to work?
  • What protective equipment do we need?
  • What are the new working guidelines?
  • How do I even get started?

Connect to HR’s Just in Time 3-Hour HR Advisory Service has the answers. With this service you can access up to 3 hours of “live” HR consulting support from a trusted, senior-level HR consultant by phone, email or in person. Our service is specifically designed for small to medium sized companies:

  • Owners/CEOs/Nonprofit Leaders
  • Those running the HR function
  • People new to HR operations

Whether you need a sounding board to discuss approaches to an employee relations issue, want tips on how to create a workforce plan, or have questions about implementing a social distancing protocol in the office, Connect to HR’s Just in Time 3-Hour HR Advisory Service is here to help.

You do not have to do it alone!

Contact us today for a FREE 30-minute consultation to see how our Just in Time 3-Hour HR Advisory Service can benefit you.

https://calendly.com/michellemendoza-connecttohr/30-minute-consultation

You can reach me directly at michelle@connecttohr.com, and find out more about our services at www.connecttohr.com.  Click here to learn more about our Just in Time 3-Hour HR Advisory Service.

New Connect to HR Resource for Employers

In any given week, business owners carry out multiple employment related activities that they must be sure are compliant with current federal and state law, and relevant local ordinances. Hiring and firing. Approving leaves of absence. Displaying the most recent employment posters.

Keeping up with evolving rules and regulations is challenging in normal times, and even more so during our current health crisis. So where can employers go to quickly find the information they need?

Connect to HR is happy to announce a new resource for employers on our website. Our Employer Resource Page provides links to credible sources for information about federal and state laws relating to employment compliance, wage and hour requirements, family medical leave, workplace safety and much more.

Feeling overwhelmed or confused trying to navigate the flood of information about benefit changes related to COVID-19?  We also have a section with links to sources for the latest information about the crisis and related requirements for employers. We’ve also included links to sources for financial relief for small businesses.

Additional resources include links to local law firms and the Society of Human Resources Management (SHRM) who also provide COVID-19 related information.

This page is meant to be a “living” resource so we will be updating it with additional topics and information. Please feel free to contact me at michelle@connecttohr if there’s a particular topic or resource you’d like to see included.

And check back often. We’ll soon be including a section with links to articles, podcasts and other resources related to growing as a leader.  

“Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other.” – John F Kennedy

Access our Employer Resources page at: https://connecttohr.com/employer-resources/

Podcast: Best Practices for Keeping Employees Safe and Healthy

Protecting the health and safety of employees, not just during a crisis but at all times, is a key responsibility of business leaders in both for-profit and nonprofit environments. This means putting practices in place to protect both the physical health and safety of employees, as well as their emotional and mental health.

Tune in to my recent “Inspired Nonprofit Leadership” podcast with Mary Hiland, PhD, president of Hiland Consulting, to learn some tips and best practices for keeping your employees safe and healthy. 

Mary Hiland created Inspired Nonprofit Leadership to provide nonprofit leaders with information, inspiration, and encouragement so they can be even more effective. Throughout the series, guest experts and nonprofit leaders share insights, useful strategies and lessons learned.

I was thrilled to have the opportunity to share my experience as an HR leader and consultant with her listeners.

I hope you’ll tune in.

Emergency Paid Sick Leave and Emergency FMLA – What You Need to Know

The Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA), effective as of April 1, 2020, sets forth new requirements for employers regarding sick leave and family medical leave related to coronavirus (COVID-19). Here are the highlights of what you need to know and need to do as well as some links to more information.

Who is affected by the FFCRA?

All employers with 500 or fewer employees, both for-profit and nonprofit businesses.

What does it require?

FFCRA requires that covered employers provide to employees the following.

Emergency paid sick leave:

  • Two weeks (up to 80 hours) paid sick leave at the employee’s regular rate of pay when the employee is unable to work due to COVID -19 because the employee is
    • Subject to Federal, State, or local quarantined or isolation order;
    • Advised by a health care provider to self-quarantine, and/or
    • Experiencing COVID-19 symptoms and seeking medical diagnosis.

Note: The regulations interpret “quarantine or isolation orders” to include “a broad range of governmental orders, including orders that advise some or all citizens to shelter in place, stay at home, quarantine, or otherwise restrict their own mobility.” That being said, if a business closes because of a shelter in place order, either because its customers are required to stay at home or because the order forced the business to close, and the employee cannot telework, the employee is not eligible for paid sick leave under the Act (because the reason the employee cannot work is because the business was subject to the order, not because the employee was subject to the order). 

OR

  • Two weeks (up to 80 hours) paid sick leave at two-thirds the employee’s regular rate of pay when an individual has been employed at least 30 days and is unable to work because of a
    • Bona fide need to care for a quarantined individual, or
    • Care for a child (under 18) whose school is closed, or childcare provider is closed/unavailable due to COVID-19, or
    • Is experiencing any other substantially-similar condition specified by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Note: Part-time employees are eligible for the number of hours of leave that the employee works on average over a two-week period.

Expanded family and medical leave:

  • Up to an additional 10 weeks of paid expanded family and medical leave at two-thirds the employee’s regular rate of pay when an employee is unable to work because of a
    • Bona fide need for leave to care for a child whose school or childcare provider is closed or unavailable because of COVID-19.

Note: The expanded family and medical leave can be used intermittently between April 1, and December 31, 2020. For example, if employee does not have childcare for two of the five days of work, they can use the leave for those two days until the 10 weeks is used up or December 31, whichever comes first.

New posting required

All covered employers must post/provide to employees a Notice of FFCRA Requirements as follows:

  • Employers who are still open should print out the notice and post with other required notices.  Another option is to provide individual copies to employees.
  • Employers with staff working remotely may email the notice to all employees to meet the requirement.

Employee documentation required

FFCRA stipulates that employers must require that employees provide documentation in support of emergency paid sick leave, including:

  • Employee name
  • Qualifying reason for leave
  • Statement that the employee is unable to work, including remotely, for that reason
  • Dates of requested leave
  • Documentation of reason for leave, such as
    • Quarantine or isolation order
    • Name of health care provider advising employee to self-quarantine
    • Website post/email notice of school or childcare provider closure

For more information be sure to visit the following websites:

Federal laws may run concurrent with CA laws

California employers should keep in mind that state and local laws (city or county) related to sick leave and family leave may differ from federal law. Be sure you are complying with laws pertinent to your location and/or where you have employees as some of these laws run concurrently in certain circumstances.

Tax credits

Covered employers qualify for dollar-for-dollar reimbursement through tax credits for all qualifying wages paid under the FFCRA. Qualifying wages are those paid to an employee who takes leave under the Act for a qualifying reason, up to the appropriate per diem and aggregate payment caps. Applicable tax credits also extend to amounts paid or incurred to maintain health insurance coverage. Find out more information here.  For the most current information about the loan programs, visit the SBA coronavirus webpage, or go directly to the SBA loan application page. The Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans will also be available through most major banks in the coming weeks.

I am in the process of putting together additional resources to help you during this crisis. Stay tuned, and please feel free to reach out if you have questions.

Protecting Your Employees and Your Business During COVID-19

As the coronavirus pandemic (as officially declared by the World Health Organization) occupies our daily news feed, many business owners, non-profits and corporations are scrambling to figure out exactly what to do. In the case of small businesses or non-profits they may not have the luxury of telling their employees to work remotely for the next three weeks. On the other hand, they know that the health and safety of their employees is a top priority.

This blog is a summary of steps you may need to take to stay in compliance with employment law, protect your employees, and protect your business. This is an evolving situation, so we suggest checking the official websites we list below to stay informed of any recent updates. 

Stay informed and educate employees

  • Refer to the CDC (Center for Disease Control and Prevention), World Health Organization and OSHA for the latest information and guidance about the Coronavirus (COVID-19).   Certain county and states have taken additional steps to secure public safety.  Please check your local health department websites for specific regional information.
  • Educate employees on what is known about the virus and how to prevent the spread of illness.
  • Implement a communicable illness policy and response plan that may allow for flexible work and telecommuting, minimizing exposure between employees and with the public, and postponing or canceling large meetings or events.
  • Follow the CDC guidance on dealing with COVID-19 by actively encouraging sick employees to stay home. If an employee has acute respiratory illness symptoms, send them home immediately. It’s also important to provide information and training to employees on: cough and sneeze etiquette; proper hand hygiene (wash for at least 20 seconds); avoiding close contact with sick people; keeping hands away from their face; not sharing personal items with coworkers; using a tissue to open doors; and sanitizing workspaces. Also, provide hand sanitizer.

Review your sick leave policy especially if your business is either located in California or has employees working remotely in California

  • Allow employees to use paid sick leave for COVID-19 related illnesses.  However, under California law and in other jurisdictions, you cannot require quarantined workers to exhaust their paid sick leave.
  • Do not punish employees for using paid sick leave or for taking time off to care for a sick family member.
  • Make other paid leave available if sick leave is exhausted.
  • Consult local paid-sick-leave laws that may be more generous than the statewide law.

Inform employees of additional leave/benefits that may be available

Employees with serious conditions stemming from COVID-19 might be covered by The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) or The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).  In California it’s important to keep in mind the California Family Rights Act (CFRA) and the California Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA). It’s important to consult your employment counsel as to whether any of these apply to an employee’s situation.

Employees who are unable to work due to COVID-19 exposure may be able to file a disability insurance claim with the EDD (Employment Development Department).   In CA, the EDD website has timely and important information on how employees can apply for unemployment insurance or disability coverage.  Here’s the link to the CA EDD website: https://www.edd.ca.gov/about_edd/coronavirus-2019.htm

Bear in mind that although the EDD requires a physician’s certification, in the current environment medical professionals may be overwhelmed and unable to provide that certification in a timely manner. Allow some flexibility in the turnaround time for those certifications. Workers may also be eligible for unemployment insurance benefits if their work hours have been reduced by their employer or the company has temporarily shut down.

Along with health, safety and compliance issues, if you decide to offer telecommuting or require employees to work at a location other than their typical work situation, please be sure to review your company policies before making the change.  Also, be sure to keep in mind that you may have to consider wage and hour issues for non-exempt employees as it relates to reporting pay, travel pay and reporting time.

Most of all, remember that employers are responsible for maintaining a safe and healthy work environment for their employees.

This topic is top of mind for many individuals.  I suggest being proactive and letting employees know that as a company you are aware of the issues and you have a plan.  If you need assistance, please reach out to me.

Stay well! 

Resource for Professional Women Returning to Work

Professional women who have taken a break from their careers, for example, to start a family or care for an aging parent, often struggle to make the transition back in.  Doubts about rusty skills, how to explain the gap on their resume, or how to fit into the current work environment can sap confidence and create barriers to moving the re-entry process forward.

If you’re in this position, I have a wonderful resource for you! Phase 2Careers is hosting a day of information, resources, networking and support for women just like you. Professional Women Returning to Work will be held Friday, March 20, 9:45 am -2:00 pm at the Sobrato Center for Nonprofits in Redwood Shores.

I’m thrilled to share that I will be a panelist in the “Preparing for Your Work Transition” session, which will also include other career transition experts.

The keynote address will be: “Using Your Life Experience for a Successful Career Transition.” Other activities include an employer roundtable, the opportunity to meet one-on-one with career coaches, and a resource area with a vast variety of educational and employment resources.  

Click here to register. I hope to see you there!

Acting on Your Ideas

This year marks Connect to HR’s 10th anniversary. As I mentioned in my first blog last month, throughout the year I’ll be sharing tips and lessons learned on my journey as a small business owner.

This month I share how I turned an idea into action.

On a random December day in 2009, an idea to start my own business suddenly popped into my mind. It came out of the blue. I had just wrapped up a second consulting project for Apple. I found myself thinking that it was the right time for me to consider starting my own business. I was enjoying consulting under another group, yet it occurred to me that I could do it on my own (little did I know how much work starting a business would take).

The idea of starting a business stayed with me. I couldn’t get it out of my mind. It kept me up a couple of nights. It was both exciting and terrifying. I didn’t know anything about running a business. I had no idea how to even get started. Could I really make money and contribute to my family income from my business? I had so many reservations about charting my own path. However, the idea wouldn’t go away.

After thinking about starting my own consulting practice for about a month, I decided in January of 2010 to do some research to see if I could turn my idea into something real. I attended a class at SCORE. I spoke to many business owners to learn as much as I could about running a business. I also decided to hire a successful business coach who had made a similar transition from corporate employee to owning her own business. Lastly, I joined the Santa Clara Chamber of Commerce where I started to attend a weekly networking group that helped me get my business off the ground.

Looking back, I still don’t know what prompted the idea of starting Connect to HR. It was such a risky step to take, and I typically played it safe when it came to my career moves.

There were two motivations that got me going and have become my “why.” The first was the need for flexibility and work-life balance in my life. My son was 3 at the time and I wanted to spend as much time as possible with him while also pursuing my career ambitions. The second was the variety consulting provided. These two motivations have been my guiding principles over the past decade.

My tip for anyone looking to start their own business is to do your research. Make sure you are grounded in your “why.”  Also, don’t do it alone! Learn as much as you can from others. If possible, invest in a good business coach who can guide you as you get up and running. A good coach will save you time and money in the long run. They can help you avoid costly mistakes.

You don’t have to do it alone. There are so many great resources for those looking to start a business. Visit your local SBA (Small Business Administration) or SCORE office. Chambers of Commerce are also very helpful and supportive of small businesses.

Lastly, as Barbara Corcoran from Shark Tank said, “Don’t let today turn into tomorrow. You don’t have to get it right, you just have to get it going!”

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