Employee Leasing Chicago IL

When you are running a small to mid-size business, who has time for nitnoid, but essential human resources tasks? Hiring and firing employees is hard enough, but failing to comply with state and federal reporting requirements can be a costly oversight. And firing the right person the wrong way may land a business owner in court — or at the very least, paying out a substantial settlement.

An emerging trend in business management is catching on in the RV industry as well. It's the concept of employee leasing.

Many are familiar with temporary employment agencies, like Manpower. Need a receptionist to fill in for a few days while your regular employee is on vacation? Just give the agency a call and you can lease a skilled worker for a few days with little hassle.

The new trend in employee leasing goes beyond that concept. It gives small business owners the peace of mind corporate executives have in knowing "HR will handle it."

A1 Contract Staffing is one of the pioneers of employee leasing. They develop a partnership with RV dealers in which employees are "co-owned" by the dealership and A1.

"The RV dealer remains the employee's worksite employer, but we are their administrative employer," said Paul Bernier, national director of sales and marketing at A1. "Dealers hire, fire, supervise and direct their employees' day-to-day responsibilities. But, we handle all the administrative tasks."

So, while dealers are free to focus on the creative aspects of their businesses including sales, service and production, A1 takes care of tax returns, OSHA filings, mandatory legal postings, creating an employee manual — as well as payroll and employee benefits.

One neck to choke

"Most RV dealers can't afford to hire full-time HR or OSHA experts, nor can they afford a benefit consultant to shop the best rates for employee insurance," said Bernier. "But by working together, the dealer can offer full-time HR services and Fortune 500 benefit packages at a highly affordable rate.

"Instead of outsourcing these tasks to five or six different people, we do it all," he added. "The dealer is left with one neck to choke for any problems the business encounters. They love it."

Human resources litigation is one of the fastest growing fields for attorneys, and RV dealers need to arm themselves for any potential charges an employee may levy.

One way of doing that is through an employee handbook. But, again, what business owner has time to write one, let alone update it to comply with current case law and government requirements?

"We supply employee handbooks that are reviewed and updated by a law firm specializing in employment issues," said Bernier. "By offering a cookie cutter manual with a two-page addendum to address store-specific policies like smoking and time off, we ensure all company policies are in writing."

Navigating a sea of paperwork

Dealers are relieved to have someone handle the mountain of paperwork that keeps them out of legal hot water and in compliance with state and federal labor laws.

"Whether it's a new hire, termination, promotion, raise or tax withholding form, everything must be in writing," said Bernier. "Most employers with staffs less than 250 people guess at what they need to do. But, we supply all the forms to do it the right way."

A1 even assists with hiring and firing employees. So, if a dealer isn't sure he's doing it the right way, they will guide him through the process — and back it up. "We provide employment practice liability insurance that covers dealers up to $1 million for sexual harassment, wrongful discharge, and discrimination complaints," said Bernier. "There is a $25,000 deductible, but dealers will pay at least that on a successful claim. A $1 million settlement could bankrupt a small business."

Keeping dealers out of trouble

The firm also serves as the HR office for any questions regarding employee benefits, salary issues, equal opportunity concerns, Americans with Disabilities Act, Title 7, and the Family Medical Leave Act. Whenever they start working with a new client, one of the first things the A1 staff does is send people to the worksite for a safety inspection and to enroll all staff in the new benefits programs.

"We've caught several things dealers were doing, but shouldn't have been. For example, we found a dealer used a forklift, but none of his staff were licensed to operate it. Had an accident occurred, the dealer could have lost his entire business," said Bernier. "Or if he didn't have a fire extinguisher on the forklift, the dealer could have been slapped with a hefty OSHA fine."

Working with Reed Brothers Insurance, A1 has developed a workers compensation insurance program that is valid in every state. The real benefit lies in that the insurance agency monitors claims on behalf of the dealer.

"All businesses with workers comp policies trust the carrier to protect them, but most carriers simply pay claims," said Bernier. "We have people manage claims to make sure an employee is legitimately injured. We'll even attend hearings, conduct surveillance, and mediate disputes. We're on the hook for the first $400,000 of every claim, so you know we're going to make sure every claim is legitimate."

If an employee is injured, the dealer simply calls A1 and they process all the paperwork as well as schedule the worker for a drug test. "When we get a first injury report, we send our safety people out and often know the OSHA inspectors by name," said Bernier.

Affordable benefits program

A1 also provides group health, dental, life, disability, vision, and AFLAC coverages. In fact, employers pay for health coverage under one of three PPO plans with deductibles and receive the other insurance coverages at no cost.

"We'll even handle pretax benefits, like dependent coverage for day care and help set up 401K plans with ING, one of the largest providers of such plans in the country," said Bernier. "Every insurance coverage we offer is on A-rated paper so everything is financially sound.

Best of all, if a dealership is happy with current health coverage and 401K plans, nothing needs to change. They will still do all the accounting.

Employee leasing may be just what the doctor ordered for ending human resources headaches. For more information, call Mike Neal at Reed Brothers Insurance at (270) 634-1218 or visit www.reedbrothersinsurance.com.