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TBM HR Outsourcing Guide Final
TBM HR Outsourcing Guide Final
ResourceFunctions
TBA
PEOASOStaffLeasing
2009
Today, over
70% of all
businesses
outsource
one or more
elements of
their
business.
of outsourcing including payroll processing, accounting, legal services, I.T. support, sales
and recruiting.
Myth #3 We will lose control over our business
Answer: Its important to do your homework; decide what if any functions of your
business that you might want to outsource; carefully choose your partner(s) and work out
a solid agreement. Even then there are no iron clad guarantees that you will not
experience some bumps in the road. BUT, in most cases, the opposite is true. You will
actually gain MORE control over your business by spending more time on revenueproducing, core competency business functions by letting experts handle the mundane,
risky stuff.
Myth #4 As it regards a PEO relationship: We dont like the idea of entrusting another
company with the responsibility of paying payroll taxes and filing IRS reports and We
have heard several horror stories about some PEOs that have taken payroll taxes for
their own use.
Answer: Like any industry, the PEO industry has their number of bad eggs. There are
well over 700 PEOs operating in the U.S.; most with an excellent, unblemished track
record. A few bad eggs have received an enormous amount of press which has raised
concerns from an increasing number of prospective PEO clients. One thing we should
point out is that a like number of accounting and payroll companies have done similar
things. The same can be said for company employees that have defrauded their
employers. The fact is that as business people we all must do whatever we can to set up
checks and balances and to verify that these processes. Any reputable PEO/ASO or
payroll company will be able to show their clients how to verify that taxes are being paid
and reports filed.
So, you MAY be encouraged to look at outsourcing for one or several of the reasons
stated above. BUT, what HR function should you consider for outsourcing. AND, as
pointed out below, there are various variations of out sourcing to consider.
Payroll Processing - Payroll is the most commonly outsourced HR function. Payroll is a
high-risk, low reward part of doing business. It is very difficult for small business owners
to stay on top of ever changing federal, state and local regulations and taxes. Penalties
for not properly preparing payroll and filing taxes can be very high and having outside
experts do this for you is a very inexpensive option. For many businesses, outsourcing
payroll offers an attractive and valuable alternative to in-house processing. Payroll
services can provide a less expensive, simpler means of paying employees, filing taxes,
and performing other essential but mundane tasks.
HR Administration/Compliance managing employees under these economic
conditions and in a litigation crazed society is dangerous. Just one major lawsuit can
bring your business to a halt. Unless you employ a well-trained HR staff to provide HR
administration & Compliance services, you should consider outsourcing this mine-filled
activity.
Workers Compensation & Risk Management If you have (W-2) employees, you
must carry workers compensation insurance. Depending on the type of business you are
running, workers compensation can be expensive and unless you mitigate risk as much
as possible, premiums will continue to go up. A PEO or ASO will help you to avoid
problems and if you do have claims; manage the claims properly.
Recruiting & Staffing Consider how much recruiting, employee turnover and badhires cost you business each year. Have you hiring the best possible candidates? Have
you hired someone during the last year that turned out to be a criminal and/or a drug
addict?
____________________________________________________________________________
Payroll Service Providers Focused on processing payroll. Some vendors may also provide
tax payment and filing services, time & attendance, HRIS systems and integrated workers
compensation. Online payroll processing is becoming increasing popular. Payroll processing
services are provided by accounting firms and companies that specialize in payroll such as ADP
and Paychex to name two.
Administrative Services Only (ASO; aka HR Outsourcing) These providers will offer
to take on the responsibility of one or more HR activating including payroll, recruiting,
compliance and HR Administration. Employees would continue to fall under the client
FEIN.
Professional Employer Organization (PEO; aka the Co-Employer service) PEOs
fall basically into two categories; full-service and basic PEO. A full-service PEO will offer to take
over almost all HR related activities including payroll, workers compensation, health &
supplemental benefits; HR Administration, unemployment administration and more. A basic PEO
will offer to take responsibility for payroll and HR Administration. Under both circumstances,
employees will fall under the FEIN of the PEO which means that the PEO will take on most
responsibility regarding compliance tax payments and tax filing.
There are often fees for adding or dropping employees, adjusting employee information, and
setting up your account, and these fees can differ dramatically from provider to provider. Make
sure you are looking at comparable pricing when
evaluating different providers.
Theaveragemediancostto
administerHRinternallyfor
companieswithfewerthan250
employeesis$1,469per
employee,peryear
USSmallBusinessAdministration
PEO vs ASO/HRO As you consider ASO providers; you are likely to run across PEOs. Like
ASO vendors, Professional Employer Organizations (PEOs) provide HR services but actually
become the employer of record for your staff. For more information, please see chart on
following pages.
your organization. You may receive a volume discount on the per employee rate as the number
of employees increases. Billing typically occurs on a monthly or quarterly basis.
If your HRO provider charges a percentage of individual employee salary, expect to pay about
2%-10% of each employee's annual salary. Some HRO providers offer specific services on an a
la carte basis. You can expect to pay a few thousand dollars for developing and placing
recruitment advertisements. An audit of your current HR policies and manuals can cost $200$500. Background checks, drug screenings, and psychological evaluations for potential
employees will run $25-$50 per person.
What is a PEO?
A Professional Employer Organizations or PEO serves as an extension of your
businesssimilar to an outside accounting or legal firm; assisting in HR administration,
compliance, payroll and risk management. The PEO will partner with clients to manage the
risks, compliance issues and costs associated with human resource activities so that the client
organization can avoid unnecessary risks and focus their attention of their core business
activities.
PEOs are NOT an employee leasing company, temp firm, staffing agency, a simple payroll
service or placement agency! Employee Leasing is based on a sole employer arrangement
whereas a Professional Employer solution is based on mutually beneficial Co-Employer
agreement! The client maintains the day-to-day management of their employees while the PEO
handles compliance, payroll, HR Administration and risk management.
What is Co-Employment?
A PEO, shares employer responsibilities with clients and assumes employer rights,
responsibilities and risks. Under its contractual relationship, the PEO:
Client Service Agreements (CSAs): Defining the Professional Employer Organization PEO Terms
A Profession Employer Organization (PEO) uses a contract called a Client Services
Agreement (CSA) to delineate the roles and responsibilities between the client company and
the PEO. This is a critical document for all PEO customers to understand. The CSA will
define each partys roles and responsibilities in the business relationship. Please keep in
mind that every PEO has different terms and provisions in their agreements.
The PEO and the Client enter into an agreement (Client Service Agreement or CSA). The CSA defines the roles of
both organizations relating to co-employees.
manufacturing sectors coming in much higher. Most PEO vendors will provide volume discounts
for large companies.
There are PEO providers that will bundle all services - everything from payroll and workers
compensation to assisting with writing offer letters to prospective employees. That could cost as
much as 2-5% of gross payroll, but it can be worth it if you take full advantage of all the services
offered.
Some PEO vendors may offer fixed pricing based on your total gross payroll. This is essentially
the same idea as percentage-based pricing - only they factor in the percentage and express it in
dollar amounts. The one advantage to fixed pricing is that it's constant and isn't subject to salary
increases and bonuses. However, a PEO provider will typically account for such changes when
working on an agreement.
Are PEO/ASO services worth the additional expense? Many PEO and ASO salespeople will
immediately tell you that they will save you money without ever having consulted with you or
analyzed your business. This MAY or may not be the case but we would suggest that you be
wary of anyone that tells you that they are going to save you money without learning about your
business. If you are having trouble with increasing unemployment, health benefits and/or
workers compensation; you may be able to plug into the PEOs plans to save money overall or
you may work with a PEO/ASO to drive down costs over time through best practice efforts.
Even if you end up spending additional money for the services of a PEO or ASO, is it worth it?
We think so. Consider the following:
How much time are you currently spending on HR? How much is your time worth?
If you were able to spend less time on HR, what could you do with your time to make
your business more successful?
What is peace of mind worth knowing that you are 100% compliant with all federal, state
and local regulations?
Using a PEO will allow you to transfer most of your HR related liabilities over to the PEO.
You wont need to worry about being sued for EEO violations. How much is this worth to
you?
How much are you currently paying for services that might be included in a PEO/ASO
proposal such as payroll and TPA (Third Party Administrators)? These costs would need
to be deducted from the PEO/ASO costs.
How much are you paying for workers compensation? Are you able to use a Pay-asyou-go program? How much does it cost you in terms of time and resources to go
through an audit?
Are there benefits your employees are asking for that you can't currently offer?
Are you paying too much for certain benefits?
Are you spending a majority of your time managing your employees instead of your
business?
Is your office compliant with state and federal employment regulations?
Types of HR
Arrangements
Employer of
Record
Responsibilities
Workers
Compensation
Insurance
Payroll Only
PEO
with "CarveOuts"(2)
Full-Service PEO
Employee taxes
reported and
deposited under
clients FEIN
Employee taxes
reported and
deposited under the
Clients FEIN.
Employee taxes
reported and deposited
under the PEOs FEIN.
Employee taxes
reported and
deposited under the
PEOs FEIN.
Coverage provided by
policy in client's
name.
Coverage may be
provided by policy in
client's name.
Coverage provided
under PEOs master
policy.
Claims management
provided by PEO.
Safety guidance
provided by PEO.
Claims management
provided by PEO.
Safety programs
compliance
administered by PEO.
Coverage provided by
policy in client's
name.
Coverage may be
provided by policy in
client's name.
Coverage offered
under PEOs master
policy.
Supplemental benefits
offered by policy in
client's name. 401K
provided by policy in
client's name.
Supplemental benefits
may be offered under
PEO's master policy.
401K provided by
policy in client's name.
Supplemental benefits
offered under PEO's
master policy. 401K
provided by policy in
client's name.
Multitude of services
offered in either a la
carte or bundled
pricing.
Multitude of services
offered in either a la
carte or bundled
pricing.
Multitude of services
offered in either a la
carte or bundled
pricing.
Clients
responsibility
Provided by PEO.
Provided by PEO.
Health Plans
Employee Benefits
Human Resources
Regulatory
Compliance
ASO/HRO
1. Payroll only service providers basically process payroll on behalf of their client. Deductions for healthcare,
insurance and other deductions may be made on behalf of the client and payments may be submitted to
the appropriate vendor/carrier.
2. Some PEOs will offer ala carte services which means that you can choose to use, as an example, the
PEOs health benefits or use your own. Some PEOs will offer to manage various third party services such
as your 401(k) plan, health benefits and other plans for you thereby eliminating the need for various TPAs.
On the other end of the spectrum; some PEOs will force you to use their bundle of services.
with reliance on temp services is that some temporary staffers do not feel a connection to the
company for which they are working, which can have a deleterious impact on effort and
effectiveness. Companies can do much to address these potential problem areas, however,
by establishing and maintaining a program that continually monitors and reviews the
contributions of temp workers.
CHOOSING A TEMPORARY SERVICE
Temporary employment services are a particularly attractive option for small businesses,
which often need help on a limited basis but lack the resources to recruit, screen, and pay
new, full-time employees. A small business considering the services of a temporary
employment agency should first consider several factors:
Gauge need. Business owners should examine production schedules, composition of
employee benefits (number of sick days and vacation days, etc.), and seasonal workloads
when weighing whether to pursue temporary staff. Shortcomings in specific areas of business
knowledge should be factored in as well. Another key factor that should be weighed is less
quantifiable but even more important: quality of customer service. "Check the quality of the
work not just during the times when employees are covering for another worker, but on a
regular basis," said Don Owens in Sacramento Business Journal. "Judge the way employees
react when asked to do more from each other and from managers. Most importantly, look at
how employees treat people outside the companyfrom the vendors and suppliers to the
customers themselves. Are they harried, short and tense?" If so, temporary additions to the
workforce may be in order.
Put an effective screening process in place. It is important to understand the temporary
services firm's screening process for temporary employees. Though minimal screening is
acceptable for low-level jobs, the process should include more sophisticated screening
methodssuch as personal interviews, computer testing, or psychological evaluationsfor
positions requiring specialized skills. Existing employee job descriptions can be used to
determine temp staffers' suitability for jobs and to measure their performance once they have
begun work.
Evaluate potential temporary staffing services. Experts urge business owners to seek out
recommendations for temp services from other members of the business community. Once
you have targeted specific services for consideration, conduct extensive interviews with
management to explain your company's needs and determine their ability to meet those
needs. "The natural inclination is to look for the lowest rate," observed Arkansas Business.
"Yet quality of service is just as important. A firm that carefully screens and evaluates the
skills of all its temporaries will provide you with workers who do the job right the first time."
Establish partnership with the temp service. The temporary services firm your company
selects should be able to evaluate the client company's project requirements, time frame,
budget, and working environment, and provide temporary employee who have the appropriate
skills, availability, and personality to meet its client's needs. Ideally, the temp services firm
should be flexible in accepting last-minute requests for temps or in changing temps in the
middle of a project if the first one does not work out. Payment rates should be negotiable,
based on the skill level required and the quantity of work.
Make you workplace one in which temporary workers can succeed. Companies should make
sure that temporary workers are made to feel welcome upon arrival, and that they receive
solid training. Do not abandon temporary workers to "sink or swim" on their own.
Monitor temporary staffing initiatives. Put programs in place to monitor and review temp staff
performance and determine the impact of the temp service on bottom-line financial
performance and customer service.
How much will I be charged to hire a temporary employee? The cost is contingent on the job
requirements and the experience of the temporary employee. The temporary staffing service will
bill only for the hours worked.
What is included in the hourly rate? The hourly rate factors in hourly wages, employee payroll
taxes, liability insurance, clerical costs, workmen's compensation, and unemployment
compensation.
How quickly can a position be filled? The time of coverage will have to do with the position to be
filled. Most providers will tell you that they can have a position filled by the next day (and some
may be able to fill the position the same day).
Can providers help with a long-term temp position or a maternity leave? Most providers will be
able to help you with longer-term absences.
What is the basic screening process like? Most providers will meet with a candidate for an indepth interview. Consultants will clarify skills, abilities, and career goals of candidates.
Appropriate skills are trialed and all references are checked.
What skills are tested when evaluating a candidate? Temporary staffing agencies check
candidates' math skills, basic grammar, and matching skills. Most providers will also evaluate
the skills applied to data entry, typing, and software proficiency.
A word about Human Resource Information Management (HRIM) systems
Almost all the major HR Outsourcing vendors provide an HR Information System as an added
value service to their clients. With an HR information system (HRIS), you can provide a
comprehensive management system for all of your organizations human resources activities.
This software is especially helpful for small and mid-sized businesses that want to streamline
their administrative functions, manage employee benefits, reduce paper-based documentation,
and track all employee data.
HRIS basic features
The advantage to HRIS is the way it helps you to automate many administrative responsibilities
in a central location. Here are the key features to look for in an HRIS solution:
Automate benefits: HRIS provides benefit management for your HR personnel and staff. You
can import payroll and benefits data from different sources and make revisions at any point in
time. Depending on the software, you may also be able to manage the entire hiring process
from recruitment to sending compensation packages.
Employee self-service: Employees can get instant access to their information through HRIS.
They can complete online forms and get critical information about their benefits. With a unique
log in ID/password combination, each employee can check vacation balances, update personal
information, and make life-event changes, all without having to talk to a live person.
Set permissions: You dont have to provide employees with complete access. HR managers that
will administer the software can control which screens employees can see and what data they
will be allowed to alter. You can also view changes that were made and revert back to the
original data if necessary.
Reporting: As with any valuable software program, you can get detailed reports for your
business. With standard report templates, you can manage the paperwork for employee
reviews, OSHA regulations, and employment history. You can create advanced reports based
on your customization with specific categories and data that can help you better manage your
business.
Tracking: HRIS allows you to track every employees accrued sick time, vacation balance, and
tenure so you always have accurate data. It can also manage long-term absences based on the
Family Leave Act or because of a serious injury. If an employee files a grievance or receives a
warning, you can manage what the next steps should be.
HRIS considerations
Before purchasing an HRIS solution, make sure you learn exactly what it can offer your
business:
Will the HRIS solution allow me to import current data from other software programs?
Is there an HRIS provider that has experience working with similar businesses?
Summary
Managing Human Resources is a time consuming, risky
element of all businesses one that re-focuses attention and
resources away from core business practices and (possibly)
negatively affecting sales and profitability. More importantly,
managing your own HR department unnecessarily increases
risk and liability. Unless you just want to make your life interesting, outsourcing payroll takes the
hassles and headaches out of doing something that is fraught with risks. Your decision to
employ the services of a payroll only company as opposed to and ASO or PEO should be based
on your specific needs and requirements. Any good PEO or ASO organization will tell you that
PEO and ASO services are not for everybody.
Hopefully, this guide to HR outsourcing has provided you with enough information so that you
can make an informed decision about where you want to focus your time and energies.
About the TBM:
Our value proposition
TBM serves all types of businesses with anywhere from 1 to 2000 or more employees. We
operate as an extension of our clients business; managing HR activities such as government
compliance, risk management, HR administration, benefit administration and more. With TBM,
our clients are able to focus 100% of their attention on core business competencies.
Our unique processes; developed over the past 16 years have yielded an efficient, wellorganized approach to HR Administration. Utilizing TBM as their HR department, our clients
typically save 1-3% of gross payroll. In addition, our clients will realize such benefits as ZERO
workers compensation claims & audits, minimized risks, ZERO unemployment claims and a
streamlined, reliable outsourced HR department, resulting in substantial overall savings that will
flow directly to the bottom line.
Founded in 1993, TBM is a leading provider of HR Outsourcing services including:
Supplemental Benefits
Temporary Staffing (coming soon)
Call today for a FREE HR Assessment (877) 766-0859 or visit our web site at
www.TBMPayroll.com