Is It Time for an HR Check-Up?

How to ensure you are on top of Employment Law Compliance and Best Practices

What concerns about your business keep you up at night? Is it whether your employees are engaged and performing at their best or is it the fear of an employee lawsuit? These concerns are valid and issues such as these can derail even the best companies’ future success. In addition, company processes can become outdated and inefficient over time which leads to negative impacts on company culture, productivity and profitability.

How can you address these concerns so you can get a good night’s sleep?

Now is a good time to conduct an HR Audit to ensure your policies are current and compliant and you are implementing policies, procedures and practices that create a high level of employee motivation and engagement.

Some of the topics that should be covered when reviewing your HR processes are below. This is not an exhaustive list as there will be other areas that should be reviewed, especially if you have not had a comprehensive review of your HR practices in the last year.

Employee Handbook

Do you have a legally compliant employee handbook that has been reviewed and updated within the last year?
Have you added satellite offices in other states or do you have employees working remotely from other states? This should be reflected in your current handbook to ensure local and state laws are reflected appropriately.
Is your employee handbook customized for your company to ensure it reflects your company culture and provides information in an employee-friendly and easy-to-understand manner?

Hiring Practices

Do you have a legally consistent process to include forms such as a job application, interview format and notes, contingent offer letters, etc?
Are your supervisors/hiring managers trained on your hiring and interviewing procedures and their role in maintaining a legal process?
Are new hires provided with the required policies and notices to include a legally compliant employee handbook?
Check out our Blog on New Hire Onboarding for some tips on getting your employees off to a great start.

Wage and Hour

Are your employees classified correctly to include employee vs. independent contractor status and exempt and non-exempt status?
Are your workweeks and paydays communicated to employees?
Are employees paid overtime based on federal and state requirements?
Do non-exempt employees consistently receive their state-mandated breaks and meal periods?
Are employees provided with a compliant itemized wage statement?
Are separating employees given their final pay and accrued PTO within the timeframe required by law?
Are supervisors trained on wage and hour issues and how to avoid legal issues for noncompliance?
Do you have an accurate timekeeping system in place?

Anti Harassment, Discrimination, Abusive Conduct and Retaliation?

Do you have a written policy and is it given to all employees at new hire?
Are you providing your California supervisors with 2 hours of harassment prevention training and your nonsupervisory employees with 1 hour of harassment prevention training at least every 2 years? California has strict requirements on who can conduct this training and what it must contain.
Are you providing your new employees and any newly promoted supervisor employees with the required training within 6 months of hire or of promotion?

SDHR Consulting is a leading expert in performing complete HR Audits and Gap Analyses for clients. We have experience working with a variety of organizations across different industries. Our exclusive HR Audit includes a comprehensive written report with specific recommendations the company can take to ensure employment law compliance and the continued success of your business. The outcome of the HR Audit includes:

Not only identifying areas for improvement but also providing information on areas where you can be assured you are already compliant or are in line with best practices. This can give you the peace of mind to know what you can safely continue to do and what areas need to be improved.
Help ensure compliance with legal requirements. It is important the company complies with federal, state and local employment laws. Sometimes these laws overlap and sometimes they even conflict with each other. Our HR Audit can assist you with navigating the complexities of employment laws to help reduce your risk of costly legal issues, fines and damage to your company’s reputation.
Increase your reputation as a Welcoming Workplace both with employees and those outside your workplace such as customers and applicants. Employee engagement is critical for maintaining a positive work culture and meeting your company’s strategic goals. A comprehensive HR Audit can look at ways your organization may be unknowingly reducing the motivation of your employees or making them feel unwelcome in their work environment.
Improve overall organizational performance. By improving HR processes, organizations can boost their overall performance. Employees are more productive when they feel the organization is well run, is complying with employment laws, and they feel supported by their company.

Your comprehensive HR Audit report will include specific and actionable recommendations you can implement both immediately and in the future to ensure your organization will continue to be successful. Information on legal requirements are also included in the report so you know which recommendations are compliance issues that must be addressed and which recommendations are best practices for you to determine the best way to implement them in your organization. Click here to learn more about our HR Audits.