Strictly enforcing anti-absenteeism policies (e.g. pushing an ailing employee to continue working) may cause more harm than good. Two ways to address this problem and to reduce your risk of possible harassment claims are to:

1. Recognize legitimate absences as beyond the absenteeism disciplinary process (thereby reducing pressure on sick employees to be present at work), or 2. Have employees telecommute during times of contagious illness.

61%

Of small business employees in jobs that do not offer retirement benefits said they would likely leave for jobs that do. (Source: Transamerica Retirement Services)

  “Management works in the system; leadership works on the system.”

- Stephen R. Covey

MyPayrollHR
10 Cordage Park Circle
Suite 200
Plymouth, MA 02360

Additional Contacts
Phone: 866-697-2947 Fax: 508-437-0066

Congratulations! The hard part is over-you've finally hired someone. You now have a new "employee." That means you need to give the person the tools to be the best employee he or she can be, and that process starts on Day One.

Before Day One

Take care of at least four important steps before your employee arrives at the workplace:

1. Communicate the terms of employment in a written letter.
2. Assemble the materials your new employee will need to get started.
3. Plan out the first day and create a schedule.
4. Prepare your employee's new work area.

On Day One

The Greeting. The new employee is always more comfortable when the person knows what to expect. You can greet with a warm welcome, get some coffee or water, and then hand a copy of the day's schedule.

The Orientation. An employee will be interested in your insider's view on how the company works. This orientation meeting is also a great opportunity to go over important company policies in your Employee Handbook. To keep things engaging, we recommend four techniques:

• Ask for questions often.
• Look for fun ways to present the information.
• Invite others to present certain information. One great tip is to arrange the most senior person to stop by to say hello and share a few words.
• Combine your orientation meeting with an office tour. Another great idea is to organize a lunch in honor of your new employee(s).

Making your employee feel immediately welcome and an important part of the team will pave the way for a smooth and productive transition.

The Paperwork. At the end of the orientation, you need to collect all the paperwork that is required of new employees. For instance, verify all ID's for I-9 purposes and complete the employer section of the I-9.

Follow-up

We recommend stopping by a new employee's desk to check in around the end of the day. By then, she may have some new questions. If not, giving her another warm "welcome!" and telling her that you are looking forward to working together is a great way to end the first day of her career with your company.

Question:How do I know if I should pay my workers as employees or as independent contractors? 

Answer: To help determine whether or not a worker should be paid under a W2 (employee) or 1099 (independent contractor) status, you can obtain from the HR Forms section of your HR Support Center a 20-point checklist covering the factors used by the IRS.

The question is who has the "right of control?" The right of control determines one's status as an independent contractor or employee. As a general rule, the greater the employer's control over the employment terms and conditions, the greater the likelihood that the worker is an employee. Since no unanimous definition of "employee" exists, courts tend to consider the "totality of circumstances" and account for various factors for whether or not a worker should be classified as an employee or an independent contractor.

Three big questions include:

• How much control does the employer have over the worker's behavior and work results? (Who controls training, where and what time the person works, what equipment they use?)
• How much control does the employer have over finances? (Does the employer have primary control over the person's profit or loss?)
• What is the relationship between the parties? (Does the worker receive benefits? Is it a long-term relationship?)