W. Garnett & Associates: Human Capital Management Solutions http://wgarnett.com Human Capital Management Solutions For The REAL World Fri, 27 Apr 2012 16:05:32 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.5 en hourly 1 What Benefits Does HR Audits Have on the Company? http://wgarnett.com/wes-blog/what-benefits-does-hr-audits-have-on-the-company/ http://wgarnett.com/wes-blog/what-benefits-does-hr-audits-have-on-the-company/#comments Fri, 27 Apr 2012 16:05:32 +0000 wgarnett http://wgarnett.com/?p=4590 There are a number of ways to generate profits for the company, and knowing where the exposures are is one benefit.  Human resource audits provide employers with an objective tool to examine the human resource function and identify strengths and opportunities for improvement. While the scope of an assessment varies according to the organization’s objectives, compliance normally is one of its essential components. An examination of policies, procedures, processes and practices allows management to pinpoint areas where the organization is and is not complying with applicable employment laws and regulations. Once gaps in compliance are identified, potential risks can be examined and corrective actions taken.

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W. Garnett & Associates
Human Capital Management
1-303-658-9342

]]> http://wgarnett.com/wes-blog/what-benefits-does-hr-audits-have-on-the-company/feed/ 0 Suing Employers Over Wage Issues, A Major Area of Concern http://wgarnett.com/wes-blog/suing-employers-over-wage-issues-a-major-area-of-concern/ http://wgarnett.com/wes-blog/suing-employers-over-wage-issues-a-major-area-of-concern/#comments Fri, 27 Apr 2012 15:58:10 +0000 wgarnett http://wgarnett.com/?p=4587 Companies have a lot of employee concerns, but wage and hour issues should rank among the top.  Most wage and hour complaints are over unpaid overtime and misclassification of workers as independent contractors instead of employees, which means employers do not have to pay unemployment insurance, payroll taxes or workers compensation, according to experts.

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W. Garnett & Associates
Human Capital Management
1-303-658-9342

]]> http://wgarnett.com/wes-blog/suing-employers-over-wage-issues-a-major-area-of-concern/feed/ 0 Is There Away Not to Become a Target for Immigration Compliance? http://wgarnett.com/wes-blog/is-there-away-not-to-become-a-target-for-immigration-compliance/ http://wgarnett.com/wes-blog/is-there-away-not-to-become-a-target-for-immigration-compliance/#comments Fri, 27 Apr 2012 15:49:56 +0000 wgarnett http://wgarnett.com/?p=4546 Know how ICE thinks, so you don’t become a target for their investigations.  Over the last two years, the government has focused its efforts on immigration compliance.  This includes targeting businesses for I-9 audits, monitoring H-1B workers, resuming Social Security No-Match letters and launching new online resources for verifying a person’s eligibility to work in the United States.  It’s important to keep your business in compliance to avoid monetary penalties and possible criminal charges.

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W. Garnett & Associates
Human Capital Management
1-303-658-9342

]]> http://wgarnett.com/wes-blog/is-there-away-not-to-become-a-target-for-immigration-compliance/feed/ 0 Industries that ICE is Targeting – Is it Yours? http://wgarnett.com/wes-blog/industries-that-ice-is-targeting-is-it-yours/ http://wgarnett.com/wes-blog/industries-that-ice-is-targeting-is-it-yours/#comments Fri, 27 Apr 2012 15:40:23 +0000 wgarnett http://wgarnett.com/?p=4567 Immigration Custom Enforcement is targeting industries for compliance audits.  It was been recently reported by the Farm Employer’s Labor Service (FELS) that the  EVP of NCAE (National Council of Agricultural Employers) was informed by credible sources that ICE field agents will once again focus their I-9 audit investigations on high-profile agriculture and restaurant employers to surpass their 2,496  I-9 audits and 3,291 work site enforcement cases conducted in 2011.  More specifically, they are again (no surprise) targeting high-profile/maximum press coverage employers, the biggest farms and restaurants, and employers who were previously audited and/or had issues with DOL or DHS in the past -  who can now expect to be be revisited in 2012.

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W. Garnett & Associates
Human Capital Management
1-303-658-9342

]]> http://wgarnett.com/wes-blog/industries-that-ice-is-targeting-is-it-yours/feed/ 0 ICE TURNS UP THE HEAT ON COMPLIANCE http://wgarnett.com/wes-blog/ice-turns-up-the-heat-on-compliance/ http://wgarnett.com/wes-blog/ice-turns-up-the-heat-on-compliance/#comments Fri, 27 Apr 2012 15:30:08 +0000 wgarnett http://wgarnett.com/?p=4549 Form I-9 compliance is one of those areas senior management must be aware.  In the past, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (or ICE, formerly known as the INS) limited its enforcement sanctions to relatively small fines; however, this is no longer the case.  Under the Obama administration, the ICE has established a practice of significantly increasing the number of I-9 audits performed and of levying substantial fines on companies that fail to comply with federal regulations.  According to testimony provided by Secretary Napolitano to a U.S. House of Representatives Committee, since 2009, the ICE has conducted more than 6,000 I-9 audits of U.S. employers and issued more than $75 million in fines.  Therefore, the risks for non-compliance are potentially costly.

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W. Garnett & Associates
Human Capital Management
1-303-658-9342

]]> http://wgarnett.com/wes-blog/ice-turns-up-the-heat-on-compliance/feed/ 0 Independent Contractor or Employee What’s The Difference? http://wgarnett.com/wes-blog/independent-contractor-or-employee-whats-the-difference/ http://wgarnett.com/wes-blog/independent-contractor-or-employee-whats-the-difference/#comments Sun, 18 Mar 2012 15:43:57 +0000 wgarnett http://wgarnett.com/?p=4566 If your company is not aware of the specific differences of independent contractors and employees, you could be in big trouble.  In 2000, the Department of Labor commissioned a study through the unemployment system and found that 30% of workers were misclassified nationally.  For employers, the benefits for keeping a worker as an independent contractor are significant savings in payroll, tax and overhead costs.  At the same time a worker will forfeit their rights under FLSA and other benefits and protections provided to employees. 

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W. Garnett & Associates
Human Capital Management
1-303-658-9342

]]> http://wgarnett.com/wes-blog/independent-contractor-or-employee-whats-the-difference/feed/ 0 ICE Has Its Eyes on the Hospitality Industry, Be Aware http://wgarnett.com/wes-blog/ice-has-its-eyes-on-the-hospitality-industry-be-aware/ http://wgarnett.com/wes-blog/ice-has-its-eyes-on-the-hospitality-industry-be-aware/#comments Sun, 18 Mar 2012 15:34:05 +0000 wgarnett http://wgarnett.com/?p=4550 The hospitality industry has been a favorite target of the DHS for years.  On January 19, 2012, US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) announced a Dayton-area restaurant was fined more than $20,000 for failing to comply with Form I-9 employment eligibility verification requirements.

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W. Garnett & Associates
Human Capital Management
1-303-658-9342

]]> http://wgarnett.com/wes-blog/ice-has-its-eyes-on-the-hospitality-industry-be-aware/feed/ 0 Make Sure Your Business Is Focused on The HR Improvement Processes http://wgarnett.com/wes-blog/make-sure-your-business-is-focused-on-the-hr-improvement-processes/ http://wgarnett.com/wes-blog/make-sure-your-business-is-focused-on-the-hr-improvement-processes/#comments Sun, 18 Mar 2012 15:25:02 +0000 wgarnett http://wgarnett.com/?p=4544 Being aware of the best practices in Human Resources will aide your company in the long term.  To deliver more value, the human resources function needs to spend more time accelerating operational improvement and less time on its traditional administrative and compliance activities. As Randy MacDonald, senior vice president of HR at IBM, told me, “It’s important for HR to decide what is core and non-core. Administrative responsibilities such as getting paychecks out on time are not core. In HR, we need to focus on what is important.”

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W. Garnett & Associates
Human Capital Management
1-303-658-9342

]]> http://wgarnett.com/wes-blog/make-sure-your-business-is-focused-on-the-hr-improvement-processes/feed/ 0 Is Your Company Prepared For Wage-and-Hour Disputes? http://wgarnett.com/wes-blog/is-your-company-prepared-for-wage-and-hour-disputes/ http://wgarnett.com/wes-blog/is-your-company-prepared-for-wage-and-hour-disputes/#comments Sun, 18 Mar 2012 15:14:32 +0000 wgarnett http://wgarnett.com/?p=4545 Is there someone in your company aware of the ever changing regulations from the Department of Labor and how you must comply.  What’s the trendiest flavor of employee lawsuits these days? Retaliation for wage-and-hour complaints. Here’s a case that illustrates the growing danger to employers.

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W. Garnett & Associates
Human Capital Management
1-303-658-9342

]]> http://wgarnett.com/wes-blog/is-your-company-prepared-for-wage-and-hour-disputes/feed/ 0 DHS Checks All Size Companies For Their Form I-9 http://wgarnett.com/wes-blog/dhs-checks-all-size-companies-for-their-form-i-9/ http://wgarnett.com/wes-blog/dhs-checks-all-size-companies-for-their-form-i-9/#comments Sun, 18 Mar 2012 15:04:10 +0000 wgarnett http://wgarnett.com/?p=4542 The ICE audit is not restricted to big companies and audits can be done for small businesses as well. Big players may hire employees trained in the I-9 process; however it is imperative irrespective of the scale of business that you comply with federal regulations in maintaining I-9 forms.  Employers under the federal Immigration Reform and Control Act are required to use DHS’s Form I-9 to document employment eligibility and can be held criminally liable for violations.

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W. Garnett & Associates
Human Capital Management
1-303-658-9342

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