People Lease adds Susan Huddleston to staff

People Lease is proud to announce Susan Huddleston has joined the team as Executive Administrator.

Susan joins us with several years experience in both administrative support and sales. Susan's administration experience includes paying taxes, filing Federal and State returns, processing payrolls, accounts payable, accounts receivable, finance, and processing of business credit accounts. Her time in sales earned her a position as sales manager with a previous employer and she brings those customer service skills here to People Lease.

A native of the Mississippi Gulf Coast, Susan now lives in Brandon with her husband and three children. She and her family are very active in their community.

Susan is an asset to the our team and she lends a very helping hand to make sure People Lease provides our customers with the best in service.

People Lease Service

Businesses succeed or fail based on one very important factor: service. Here at People Lease, we consider our success to be a direct result of the hard work we put into keeping our customers happy.

At People Lease we handle the back-office chores associated with employee administration. We provide companies with services like payroll, benefits, retirement, and deal with making sure our customers stay compliant with federal and state regulations. To do this effectively we work closely with our clients to make sure their needs are always met.

We know that every business is unique with its own unique problems. We service clients both large and small. No matter what size the company is, our staff is completely dedicated to providing perfect service. Our clients know that the well-being of their employees is one of the most important aspects of a successful business and we know that any difficulty will affect an employee’s peace of mind. That’s why any small problem is a big deal to us.

At the end of the day, People Lease clients know that we’re there for them. Our clients can always pick up the phone and talk to one of our payroll specialists and get personalized solutions to their employee administration concerns. If you want more information on what we can do for your company call us today at 601-987-3025.

Disaster Recovery Plans

With hurricane season on its way, small business owners might want to find the time to think about their disaster recovery plans. Of course, businesses should always be prepared for disasters at any time. You never know when you could be faced with flood, fire, accidents, or even computer malfunction.

Having a good plan in place can significantly reduce the costs incurred and can be the deciding factor in your company's survival in the event of a disaster.

To start on your disaster recovery plan, first you need to find out what events are most likely to cause disruption in your business and plan accordingly.

Over the years more and more businesses have begun to rely on computers to run their business. As a result, businesses need to develop effective back-up and recovery strategies to reduce the impact of disruptive events. Keeping your records backed-up and secure are essential to any disaster recovery plan. Many businesses use on-site or remote backup drives to keep their data secure. A newer option is cloud computing, where your information is stored via the internet. Look around to see what's right for your business.

Another factor to think of is how you will access the data in the event of an emergency. Will you need an alternate worksite or will employees be able to do their work from home? Will communication be disrupted?

Of course, the most important part of any disaster recovery plan is the safety of employees and patrons. Make sure employees are well-trained in what to do in case of emergency.

Here at People Lease, Hurricane Katrina was a definite eye-opener in the importance of disaster recovery plans. We would be glad to share our experiences with any business owners looking to make their own plan. Contact us anytime at 601-987-3025.

Background Checks

For the past few weeks we’ve been posting about hiring methods and practices (you can find the posts here). During our research, one of the things we’ve discovered is that an essential part of the hiring process is checking out a prospect’s background. You really can’t afford to be surprised by a candidate’s previous history. After all, if an employee's actions hurt someone, the employer may be liable. A bad decision can wreak havoc on a company's budget and reputation.

People Lease offers a fantastic employment screening service to all our clients. With our service you’re able to establish a prospect’s identity, obtain driving and criminal records, get information on illegal substance tests, confirm the existence & validity of licenses, and confirm education & employment information provided on their resume. Another part of the service includes contacting references with customized questions (according to job description) about their relationships with the applicant, and his or her personal and professional reputation and activities.

People Lease is here to help you with hiring and all aspects of employee administration. To learn more about these services and others, please contact us today.

A quick checklist to help guide you through the hiring process

• Determine the need to establish a new or fill an existing position.
• Make sure an updated job description for the position is on file.
• Consult the job description to identify the required knowledge, skills, and experience required.
• Calculate the available compensation, including pay and benefits.
• Train managers on how to conduct effective interviews.
• Create an advertisement or recruiting campaign for the job position.
• Contact applicants to schedule interviews.
• Contact top candidates' references.
• Meet with the relevant decision-makers to select a candidate.
• Present the offer letter.
• Conduct background checks.
• Schedule New Employee and Department Orientations.
• Document all new hire paperwork into the employee's HR file

Avoiding Hiring Mistakes

Whether you're growing your business or replacing staff members, you want to find quality employees. You already have applicants and after looking through our recent posts on hiring, you think you're ready to find the right person. You know that the wrong person can cost your company time and money. But all too often, businesses make hiring mistakes.

There are several hiring mistakes to avoid. Common problems start with the interview. You need to be clear about the job's requirements up front and stay on target. You don't want to hire someone based solely on their personality or appearance without asking questions related to the position. Also, don't mistake a candidate's nervousness for lack of ability. Interviews can be intimidating for anyone, especially if it's a surprise group interview.

Another mistake is paying too much attention to the candidate's degree over their experience. There's just no substitute for a proven track record.  Don't forget, you're looking for someone who has a good feel for the position and will be a good fit for your team. You might consider involving your current employees, as well.  After all, they're the ones who will be interacting with the person hired. Getting your employee's input can help strengthen their involvement and loyalty for the company.

Possibly the most important mistake to avoid is not checking candidate's backgrounds. If you're serious about a potential employee, make sure their work history is accurate and check a few references. Internet giant Yahoo recently made this mistake when their new CEO's resume listed a degree he didn't actually have. In addition to the work history and references, background checks are very handy. You certainly don't want to hire a professional embezzler or someone who's been convicted of stealing from the company warehouse.

Hiring is always a daunting task but if you remember these rules while going through your interviews you'll be one step ahead of the game.

A Guide to Hiring

So you're thinking about hiring to help grow your business. It's never easy. If your business has reached a point where it seems the only way to grow is with more people, you'll still need to take a few things into account.

Does the demand of your goods or services exceed the supply your workforce is able to produce? If your workforce is able to produce at the level you need and adding another body won't add to profits, you probably don't need to hire. But if you're finding that there's too much work to go around, you'll need to start looking at hiring.

Well, who should you hire? A qualified candidate, of course. The problem may be finding one. The top talent is usually already taken. Can you lure someone who's hesitant about leaving a stable position to your company? You might have to sell your company to the candidate as they're selling themselves to you. Remember what makes your company great and communicate it clearly. Motivate the candidate with the incentives your company offers like benefits, bonus potential, time off, etc.

Who not to hire might be even more important. Hiring friends or family can be stressful. There always needs to be a disconnect between work and personal life. The trick is to make sure boundaries are set between the two. Avoiding favoritism (or even the appearance of favoritism) is key. The last thing you need is other employees believing someone else is getting special treatment.

No matter who you hire, you'll always need to be clear about expectations. Let your new hire know in advance what their duties and goals will be and the consequences of unmet expectations. Not every employee works out but you've got a better chance when they know what they're required to do up front.

So if you've decided your company needs to hire new staff, following these guidelines can help save you a few headaches.

Keeping up with overtime rules

Companies have been having a hard time in recent years complying with the U.S. Department of Labor’s rules defining which white-collar employees are eligible for overtime pay and which are exempt.

The Fair Labor Standards Act regulations were set in place to make it easier for companies to make the distinction between eligible and exempt. So far, that hasn’t been the case. Even more lawsuits about overtime have resulted, in fact.

You don’t want your company facing some attorney out for a quick buck because of some simple mistake concerning pay. Luckily, there are resources to help you make the choice between exempt and nonexempt employees. Here are a few things to remember:

• Employees earning less than $455 a week are automatically eligible for overtime pay.

• A “highly compensated” employee is exempt if:

1. The employee earns total annual compensation of $100,000 or more, which includes at least $455 per week paid on a salary basis;
2. The employee’s primary duty includes performing office or non-manual work; and
3. The employee customarily and regularly performs at least one of the exempt duties or responsibilities of an exempt executive, administrative or professional employee.

• To qualify for the administrative employee exemption, all of the following tests must be met:

1. The employee must be compensated on a salary or fee basis (as defined in the regulations) at a rate not less than $455 per week;
2. The employee’s primary duty must be the performance of office or non-manual work directly related to the management or general business operations of the employer or the employer’s customers; and
3. The employee’s primary duty includes the exercise of discretion and independent judgment with respect to matters of significance.

For more info and a full list of exemptions, check out People Lease’s HR Support Center (look under Laws >Federal Laws>Fair Labor Standards Act).

You know that the success of your business hinges on how well you know your industry. Being an expert in your field sets you apart from the competition. The same goes for People Lease.

At People Lease, we strive for perfection in back office solutions so you can spend your time on what makes your business successful. Small Business Reports states that the average manager spends up to 23% of their work hours on staff administrative paperwork. People Lease is here to give you back that time.

These days, small businesses fight an uphill battle against employee administration rules, regulations, and penalties. We help our clients steer clear of these problems with superior knowledge of these ever-changing policies. People Lease can take care of your payroll processing, employee benefits, insurance, workers' compensation, 401(k) and much more. With access to all these benefits, our clients are able to attract and retain the best employees.

People Lease is a Mississippi-based company that has been in business in the Jackson area for over 27 years. Our clients receive reliable, personalized service and a high level of commitment to their needs. And we're always reaching to do more. We've recently added an online portal to our website where clients will be able to access employee files and pay histories, view and print management and payroll reports, and even submit payroll. We've also added an HR Support Center to our site so clients can now read human resources articles, download forms and job descriptions, research laws and more. With all these options and much more, People Lease is here to make payroll and human resources work for your business.